And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
The verse belongs to the spread of the gospel beyond Palestine after persecution drove disciples from Jerusalem, with Antioch among the places where the gospel was gladly received. The preachers there were disciples from Cyprus and Cyrene preaching Jesus in Antioch. Those preachers were believers who had left Jerusalem during the persecution after Stephen was killed, and they preached Christ in nearby and surrounding cities to Hebrew and Greek Jews, at first confining their work to them.
The hand of the Lord means the Lord's aid, power, help and presence with them, making their earnest work fruitful. So a great number believed and turned to the Lord and were converted. The report of this success brought joy to the believers in Jerusalem and led them to send Barnabas to Antioch, the metropolis of Syria, to help the church there.
The scattering from Jerusalem was part of God's providence, as they went to other places and along major travel routes to seek the lost. Their example shows that Christian labor should reach many places rather than remain limited to a few localities. Many turn to the Lord through earnest efforts made for them by those who know the truth and live out its principles. The hand of the Lord being with a worker is proved by fruits, especially going into new places and by personal exertion raising up a company who believe and turn to the Lord. That fruit comes only after feeling the purifying influence of the truth, overcoming self, learning self-control, and being purified by obeying the truth, and without that thorough reform no one can be of use in the cause of God or benefit the church.
The verse belongs to the spread of the gospel beyond Palestine after persecution drove disciples from Jerusalem, with Antioch among the places where the gospel was gladly received. The preachers there were disciples from Cyprus and Cyrene preaching Jesus in Antioch. Those preachers were believers who had left Jerusalem during the persecution after Stephen was killed, and they preached Christ in nearby and surrounding cities to Hebrew and Greek Jews, at first confining their work to them.
The hand of the Lord means the Lord's aid, power, help and presence with them, making their earnest work fruitful. So a great number believed and turned to the Lord and were converted. The report of this success brought joy to the believers in Jerusalem and led them to send Barnabas to Antioch, the metropolis of Syria, to help the church there.
The scattering from Jerusalem was part of God's providence, as they went to other places and along major travel routes to seek the lost. Their example shows that Christian labor should reach many places rather than remain limited to a few localities. Many turn to the Lord through earnest efforts made for them by those who know the truth and live out its principles. The hand of the Lord being with a worker is proved by fruits, especially going into new places and by personal exertion raising up a company who believe and turn to the Lord. That fruit comes only after feeling the purifying influence of the truth, overcoming self, learning self-control, and being purified by obeying the truth, and without that thorough reform no one can be of use in the cause of God or benefit the church.