Acts 11:25-26 25So he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it happened to be assembled a whole year with the church and to teach a great crowd, and in Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians.
The next part of the story is significant for several reasons. First is how Barnabas went to find Saul. The work was growing significantly (verse 24), and Barnabas needed help. He thought of Saul. How the two knew about each other after 9:27 is unclear, but both had become leaders in the early church in their own ways. The events of this chapter may have been at least a decade after chapter 9. Saul has been absent the story of Acts for several chapters but becomes one of the primary characters from this point onward. It is unknown how long Saul spent in his hometown of Tarsus, but likely quite an extensive time. There is no record of what his ministry was like there and what impact he had. Barnabas must have heard that Saul was in Tarsus, but it was not an easy trip to locate him, as suggested by the word search (anazētēsai), which has the sense of looking hard to locate someone. Tarsus was a big city, plus Saul may have been evangelizing in the general area. Bringing Saul back to Antioch was a significant shift in the New Testament because it was from there that Saul launched his missionary journeys.
Second, Barnabas and Saul spent a whole year teaching the church. Looking at the limited evidence, Barnabas comes across as a good pastor who could encourage and lift up people. Saul was the scholar and preacher. Together, they made a great time. Both could teach, preach, and evangelize, but God gave each unique gifts that complemented one another. As a result of their teamwork and the blessing of God, many people were reached in Antioch.
Third is the new name given to the followers of Jesus. Christian means someone like Christ or a Christ follower. Something about the believers in Antioch gave them the nickname of Christians. The way they acted and their message showed their identity. The use of this description is significant since it occurs only elsewhere in the New Testament in Acts 26:28 and 1 Peter 4:16. There was something special about the church in Antioch that it became known as people of the Messiah/Christ. Their identity became associated with Christ. People could look at them and see that they were different and had character qualities that matched what and who they preached about–Jesus, the Lord and Christ. Identity is a crucial issue for every believer to consider. By what are we known? The name “Christian” today has many meanings. We should go back to the church in Antioch and look at what made them known by this word.
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