THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH IN SYRIA.
By J. O. Corliss
IN the persecution carried on by Saul immediately following the death of Stephen, the church at Jerusalem was scattered abroad; and wherever the disciples went, they proclaimed the good news of a crucified and risen Saviour. Acts 8:4. Some of these skirted the western coast of the Mediterranean Sea up through Phenice as far as Antioch in Syria, while others crossed over to Cyprus. Most of these, being Jews by birth, and having been taught to believe that salvation belonged alone to their nation, preached the Gospel to the Jews only. Acts 11:19. Those, however, who went to Antioch were natives of the island of Cyprus, and of Cyrene in Northern Africa. For some reason they did not confine their labors to the Jews, but preached to the Greeks as well. The blessing of the Lord attended their efforts, with the grand result that multitudes were converted to the Lord. Tidings of this work having reached the ears of those left behind at Jerusalem, they could not forbear taking a hand in it, and so asked Barnabas to repair thither. Barnabas hastened forward, and upon his arrival at Antioch saw that which made his heart glad. For the first time in his life he found Gentiles and Jews rejoicing together in a common salvation. So from the goodness of his own heart he exhorted all to adhere to their chosen course with tenacity. But he evidently feared that after the exuberance of their first love should subside, questions of racial prejudice would naturally spring up, which he could not alone settle. So without delay he passed on to Tarsus to find Saul (Paul), and persuade him to assist in the work of unifying the seemingly disjointed elements at Antioch. He was successful in finding Paul, who returned with him to his field of labor. There must have been some reason for Barnabas’ apprehension which led him to secure additional help; for it seems that the condition of things at Antioch was such that it required a long time and much hard labor to bring about satisfactory results. When we consider that in apostolic days few permanent pastors were employed, but that the labor of those called to the ministry was largely evangelistic, a whole year spent by two strong men at one point seems a long time. But whatever conditions were encountered at the outset of these men’s labors at Antioch, they succeeded so well in their efforts that the church became united in heart and purpose. Indeed, so marked was the contrast between their earlier and later conduct, so nearly did their lives conform to the teachings of Christ, that they were the first to have the honor of being called Christians. So great was the change in their lives that they seem to have been entirely divested of selfishness or self-seeking. As Christ, their pattern, left all His glory to reclaim the lost in a remote country, so these only required to know the needs of others, however widely separated and practically unknown, in order to become their helpers. As an instance of their zeal in this direction, it is recorded that while Barnabas and Paul were laboring among them, some prophets from Jerusalem came there, and one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted that there was soon to be a scarcity of food throughout all that region. The famine was not yet present, and it was not certain just when it would come; but these people, true to their name and principle, determined to send relief beforehand to the poor brethren in Judea. At this distance, and in this day of self-seeking, the record reads strangely. Men do not now, however good their reputation may be, bestow means on strangers to assist them in time of a future need, especially when it is not known just how far in the future that need will be felt. Some can be induced to share a small part of their abundance with others in time of dire distress, but hardly on the plea that distress will come some time in the near future. Then, again, men who believe that a time of sore distress is soon to come, generally provide for themselves against that time before helping those of whom they have little knowledge. But here was a people who, without first looking after their own supposed future needs, just as soon as they heard the prediction that a time of need would come, some time, soon, began to provide bounty for those who, they thought, would be worse off than themselves when the time did come. More than this, the fact that they responded to the prediction of a stranger who had just come from the region wherein it was thought future need would be most pressing, shows that they were able so to discern the Spirit of God as to disarm them of suspicion regarding the motives of the strange prophet before them. Without doubt, with their own limited resources, considerable time was required in which to collect their offering of charity. But it was at last secured, and sent to Judea by Barnabas and Paul. This course shows the principle by which that early church was actuated. No wonder they were called Christians. They deserved the name. It is a pity that more churches of the present day professing the same principles as did the people of Antioch, were not actuated by the same pure motives, and so were able to wear their name with more honor than they do.