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B.—THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM SENDS BARNABAS TO ANTIOCH; HE ENCOURAGES THE MEMBERS OF THE RECENTLY FORMED CONGREGATION; AND CONDUCTS SAUL TO THEM
Act_11:23-26. a. Barnabas was commissioned by the primitive congregation to examine the state of affairs in Antioch, and then to adopt such active measures as the circumstances should require. When he arrived, he saw such decisive evidences of the grace of God, which had attended the labors of the evangelists, and controlled the newly converted heathens, that he could only heartily rejoice. He found no occasion to censure any thing whatever, or even to remedy any defect, and therefore all that remained for him to do, was, solely, to exhort all the members of the congregation to persevere, and to remain faithful to the Redeemer. He urged them to adhere ôῆ ðñïèÝóåé ôῆò êáðäéáò , with the determination of the heart, to the Lord, i.e., to adopt it as an established principle, and carry it into effect, that they would adhere to Christ. This ðáñáêáëåῖí of Barnabas reminds us of the circumstance mentioned by Luke, Acts, Act_4:36, that he had been surnamed: “Son of prophetic discourse, or exhortation” [see Exeg. note on Act_4:36-37.—Tr.], on account of the special gift which he had received. We may hence assume, that the exhortations which he addressed to the Antiochian Christians, were discourses preëminently marked by depth and power of thought, and by earnestness of manner. There is another allusion to the same general point, in Luke’s remark that Barnabas had a kind heart and disposition, and was full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. The predicate ἀãáèéüò designated not only moral worth in general, but also, in a special sense, kindness, or, affectionate sentiments. All this most fully agrees with the statement that he rejoiced so heartily ( ἐ÷Üñç , Act_11:23), when he ascertained the spiritual state of the recent converts.
b. Who, when he came, etc.—The mission of Barnabas produced a twofold result: on the one hand, the number of converts was considerably increased (Act_11:24) through his labors in the congregation of Antioch; on the other, it was of the highest importance, and exerted a widely extended influence, in reference not only to this congregation, but also to the entire church of Christ, that Barnabas brought Saul in connection with the congregation of Antioch, Act_11:25 f. Saul did not himself originally conceive the thought, independently of others, of proceeding to Antioch, but it was Barnabas who induced him to adopt this course. It was, according to Act_9:27, Barnabas himself, who had, at an earlier period, introduced Saul to the apostles in Jerusalem, and placed him in connection with the primitive congregation of that city. The same man now brought Saul to Antioch, and established an organic communication between him and this congregation of Gentile-Christians, the future history of which promised to be so rich in events, and which converted Antioch into the metropolis of Gentile-Christianity. Barnabas was acquainted with all the circumstances connected with the conversion of Paul, and hence he had, doubtless, also been informed of the declaration of the exalted Redeemer that He had chosen Saul to bear His name before Gentile nations and kings, Act_9:15; comp. Act_22:21; Act_26:16 ff. It is therefore possible that while Barnabas was laboring in this Gentile congregation, which had been so recently called into existence, and yet had already become so large, the image of that man who was chosen for such lofty purposes, and, specially, for the conversion of heathens, may have, not without the illumination of the Holy Ghost (“full of the Holy Ghost,” Act_11:24), presented itself to his mind. It was soon clear to him that Saul was precisely suited for that field of labor, even as the latter was suited for him, so that he would be the right man in the right place. He accordingly proceeded at once to Tarsus in Cilicia, which was not far distant, for the purpose of seeking Saul in his native city, to which he had retired in order to escape the hostile movements of the Hellenists at Jerusalem, (Act_9:30). Here he had disappeared for a season from the view, not only of his enemies, but also of his Christian brethren, like one who had left no trace behind; it became necessary to seek him out ( ἀíáæçôῆóáé ), and, as it were, to discover him anew ( åὑñὼí ). Barnabas induced him by his earnest requests and representations to accompany him when he himself returned to Antioch. And now Saul enters upon that field of action on which his peculiar labors were destined to unfold themselves in their whole breadth and depth. He labored at first in connection with Barnabas during an entire year, within the limits of the Antiochian congregation: they assembled “in the congregation,” that is, they labored in the assemblies for public worship; [ ἐí ôῇ ἐêêëçóßá , they attended at the meetings of the congregation, (de Wette); they came together in the church, the public assembly, i.e., for the purpose of worship. (Hackett).—Tr.].—To understand the word óõíá÷èῆíáé , with Meyer (2d ed.) as denoting the hospitable reception with which the two men met, is not in harmony with the context, as the language of Luke refers alike to Paul and Barnabas, whereas the latter already had his home, as it were, in Antioch; óõòÜåéí , moreover, occurs in such a sense only when the words åἰò ïἰêßáí are connected with it, or when the connection indicates it unequivocally in some other manner. [In the last (3d ed. 1861) edition of his commentary, Meyer abandons the interpretation mentioned above, and now says: “ óõí÷èῆáé does not denote a hospitable reception (Mat_25:35), which does not suit the case of Barnabas; the sense is: they were brought together, that is, united in the congregation, after having previously lived and labored apart from each other.”—Tr.].—The two men taught much people, which fact indicates the wide extent of their operations; their labors, however, are not to be viewed precisely as those of missionaries, but rather as those of teachers ( äéäÜóêåéí ), who guided the converts in acquiring a knowledge of the truth, and conducted them onward in the Christian life and walk. It should, besides, be noticed that this äéäÜóêåéí , in the proper sense of the word, is here, for the first time, mentioned in connection with Paul, (although Barnabas is also undoubtedly included), whereas in Act_4:2; Act_4:18; Act_5:25; Act_5:28; Act_5:42; comp. Act_2:42, it is represented as exclusively the act of the apostles.
c. That the name of “Christians” originated in Antioch, is a fact, for the knowledge of which we are indebted to Luke. It may seem to be one of very little importance, and is, indeed, mentioned incidentally, and in quite an unpretending manner. Still, it is a fact of some weight, and is so regarded by Luke, however unpretending his manner of stating it may be. For the connection in which it occurs, shows that he viewed it as an evidence of the blessing which attended the labors of Saul and Barnabas in Antioch. [The Christians styled themselves ïἱ ìáèçôáß , ïἱ ἅãéïé , ïἱ ðéóôïß , or ïἱ ðéóôåýïíôåò , ïß ἀäåëöïß ïἱ ôῆò ὁäïῦ , (Alf.) while the names Ãáëéëáῖïé (Act_2:7), Íáæùñáῖïé (Act_24:5), etc., were applied to them by the Jews. (Kuin.)—Tr.] The original introduction of the name of Christians, constitutes, indeed, in a certain sense, an era. It has long since, and with great truth, been said, that the Christians did not originally apply this name to themselves; for throughout the whole New Testament it is employed by those who were not Christians. (Act_26:28; 1Pe_4:16). Neither could the Jews have introduced it, since they would never have applied the Messianic name, which they held to be sacred, to a hated sect; it would have, according to their views, been desecrated by such a use. No other explanation is possible, except that the name proceeded from the pagans, and this view is sustained by the form of the word, which, in every respect, resembles the names of political parties, such as Herodians [Mat_22:16], Cæsarians, Pompeians. [“That it has a Latin form (like Mariani, Vitelliani, etc.), is no decided proof of a Latin origin: Latin forms had become naturalized among the Greeks, etc”. (Alf.).—Tr.]. To pagans, who were not acquainted with the historical and dogmatical or religious signification of ὁ ÷ñéóôüò as an appellative, it seemed to be a proper name, and thus they formed a party name from it. Ewald, who goes still further, conjectures that the name proceeded from the Roman government in Antioch, the residence of the proconsul of Syria; but it is not probable that the Roman authorities, at this early period, already noticed the Christians officially, as a body of men distinct from the Jews. [X ñçìáôßéóáé , 1. aor. inf. act., “nominati sunt; ÷ñçìáôßæåéí Atticis erat res agere, apud recentiores, res ita agere, it nomen inde adipiscaris, hinc significatione intransitiva, dici, nominari, audire, id. quod ὀíïìÜîåóèáé , êáëåῖóèáé , etc”. (Kuinoel). Comp. Rom_7:3.—Tr.].—Now if the name was furnished by pagans, this circumstance itself demonstrates that the development of the church of Christ had advanced to another grade, which was new in its essential features. Although the pagans often came in contact with Christians, they had not hitherto distinguished them from the Jews, nor recognized them as a separate and independent class of men. But they now made this distinction, and, first of all, in Antioch, and thus two points are established:—first, large numbers of pagans must have been converted in this city; for as Antioch contained a large Jewish population also, it is apparent, that if the great mass of the Christian congregation had consisted of converted Israelites, the Christians, as a whole, would have continued to be identified with the Jews. Secondly, the specific or peculiar features of Christianity, now came prominently into view, in so far as Christ was the centre of the faith, the love, and the hope of the Church (X ñéóôéáíïß ). The introduction of this name is, therefore, historically important, as an evidence that, at this point, the church of Christ is entering the sphere of General History, and that the Judæo-Christians are becoming commingled with Gentile-Christians as one body. See my [the author’s] work, entitled: Apostol. u. nachapost. Zeitalter, 2d ed. p. 372 f. [Lechler there remarks, in addition to the thoughts expressed above, that the name Christians embraced all the members, irrespectively of their Jewish or Gentile birth, since Luke here says ôïὺò ìáèçôὰò , and that it appears from Gal_2:12-13, that previously to the arrival of certain men at Antioch, the Judæo-Christians had not been deterred by any Levitical laws from associating with their Gentile-Christian brethren on equal terms, etc., etc.—Tr.].—The supposition that the name of Christians had been originally employed as a term of ridicule, which, after the example of Wetstein, Baumgarten still entertains, has nothing to sustain it, except the circumstance that the people of Antioch were notorious for their wit and satirical language. [For the authorities by which this fact is proved, see Kuinoel, ad loc., and Conyb. and Howson: Life, etc. of St. Paul, I. 130, and n. 4. London. 1354.—Tr.]
2. The choice of Barnabas as the representative sent by the primitive congregation to the Gentile-Christians in Antioch, was a very happy one, and fully in accordance with the mind of the Lord, who guides his church. Barnabas at once perceived the grace of God which had here manifested itself, and rejoiced; his part consisted simply in exhorting all to persevere and remain faithful to Christ. As God is, according, to Act_10:34, ïὐ ðñïòùðïëÞðôçò , so, too, this disciple, who was enlightened by the Holy Ghost, did not regard the person either in the case of those who had preached here, or in that of the recent converts, who were pagans, but he directed his, attention to the grace of God, the power and operation of which he most plainly saw. Now where the grace of God in Christ is distinctly revealed, a child of God will always rejoice and feel at home, even if any thing unusual or strange should be found in the persons, and in their manners and ways.
3. That Jesus Christ is the personal centre of Christianity, is strikingly manifested in this history of the planting of the church in Antioch. The Hellenistic travelling preachers “preached the Lord Jesus,” Act_11:20; a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord, Act_11:21; Barnabas exhorted the new converts to cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart, Act_11:23; and much people was added unto the Lord, Act_11:24. A vital Christianity is a vital and personal relation of the individual to the living and personal Christ. Without faith in the living Christ, with out a vital union with Him in spirit and character, Christianity becomes a mere form and mask. The circumstance, moreover, that the Christians received this distinctive name first of all in Antioch, shows that the believers in this city were devoted to Christ personally in a preëminent degree; for otherwise this name would not occurred to the pagans who introduced it, so naturally and vividly, as to be currently applied by them to the members of the church. It is striking that the believers derived their name, not from “Jesus,” but from “Christ.” That Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ [Mat_26:63; Joh_1:20], the Anointed of God, the King and Lord of His redeemed, was the article of faith which so abundantly filled the heart, that the mouth emphatically proclaimed it, insomuch that strangers bestowed on them, not the name “Jesuits,” but that of “Christians.”
See below, (Act_11:27-30.)
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Act_11:22. It is true that äéåëèåῖí is wanting in A. B. [and also Cod. Sin.], as well as in several versions [Syr. Vulg. etc.], and it is cancelled by Lachmann. It is, however, sufficiently attested [by D. E. G. H., and retained by AIf.] and could have more easily been omitted as superfluous, than have been interpolated, if it had originally been wanting. [See Winer: Gr. N. T. §65. 4. ult. where the presence of the word is justified and explained.—Tr.]
Act_11:23. [ ôὴí after ôὴí ×Üñéí omitted in the text. rec., with D. E., but Lachm. and Alf. insert it from A. B. It is found also in Cod. Sin. Alford takes it emphatically in the following sense: “the grace which (evidently) was that of God.”—Tr.]
Act_11:25, The readings ὁ ÂáñíÜâáò and áὐôüí [the latter both before and after ἤãáãåí ], are alike spurious; the former [is found in E. G. H., Vulg. etc., but is omitted in Cod. Sin., and by Alf., and, besides,] is wanting in A. B. and D., even though the latter MS. (Cantabrig.) has inserted in the text an unnecessary amplification of this verse. [It is adopted by Bornemann, and is as follows: ἀêïýóáò äὲ , ὅôé Óáῦëüò ἐóôßí åἰò Èáñóüí . (corrected by a later hand to Ôáñóüí ) ἐîῆëèåí ἀíáæçôῶí — êáἱ ὡò óõíôõ÷ὼí ðáñåêÜëåóåí áὐïí ἐëèåῖí åἰò Ἀíôéü÷åéáí .— áὐôὸí before ἤãáãåí , is found in G. H., but is omitted in A. B. E. Cod. Sin., and by Lach., Tisch. and Alf.— áὐôὸí after ἤãáçåí is found in E. G. H., but is omitted in A. B. Cod. Sin., and by Lach., Tisch. and Alf.—Tr.]
Act_11:26. a. The word áὐôïῖò [after ἘãÝíåôï äὲ ], which in reference to the last member of the verse [ ÷ñçìáôßóáé , like the preceding infinitives, depending on ἐãÝíåôï ; Winer: Gr. N. T. §44. 3], is obviously the more difficult reading, is, nevertheless, sustained by three important MSS. [A. B. E., and now also Cod. Sin.], and a number of minuscules. Hence, Tisch. and Lach. [as also Born, and Alf.] have very properly preferred it to the reading áὐôïýò [of text. rec. from G. H. Meyer says, in opposition to these editors: “The accus. is necessary, as ÷ñçì . which follows afterwards, does not suit this dative.” But Luke may have chosen the dat. on account of åãÝíåôï which immediately precedes, (comp. Act_20:16; Act_22:17) and retained this construction, although he appended the last member of the verse. See Win. Gr. Gr. § § 60–67.—Tr.].—It is more doubtful whether êáß before ἐíéáõôὸí [omitted in text. rec., and by E. G. H.] and which Lach. and Tisch. [and Alf.] have inserted from A. B. etc., is genuine; it rather appears to be a later addition, designed to be emphatic. [It is found in Cod. Sin. Meyer regards it as genuine, and as corresponding to êáὶ before äéä ., equivalent to both—and also.—Tr.]
Act_11:26. b. [The Engl. version offers in the margin the strictly literal rendering (Wiclif; Rheims): in the church ( ἐíô . ἐ ), instead of with the church (Geneva) in its text. See Exeg. notes below, Act_11:23-26. b.—Tr.]