About this time Judeo-Christians of Hellenistic origin brought the Christian message to Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:19-20). The church at Antioch did not form a predominately former Gentile congregation at that time. These Hellenistic Judeo-Christians scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with the murder of Stephen (ca. CE 35), spoke "the word" with no one except traditional Jews only (Acts 11:19). Some of these Hellenistic Judeo-Christian preached to Hellenistic Jews at Antioch (Acts 11:20). This brought unexpected growth in the "Christ-followers" in Antioch and created a need for the group to be pastored. This task was assigned by the headquarters church officials at Jerusalem to Barnabas. The Acts of the Apostles account reads:
News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.11:22
Note that these Messiah followers became known as "Christians" meaning Christ-followers. These Christ-followers were seen as Hellenistic Jews who followed the Christ (the Messiah). So the Hellenistic Jews comprising the church at Antioch literally were the first Christians. This allowed to distinguish them from "traditional" or non-Christian Hellenistic Jews of Antioch. Continuing with the account in Acts of the Apostles:
11:27
During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. 30This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
This text implies that the prediction that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world was made during the reign of Claudius� predecessor Caligula (Gaius Caesar) murdered January 24, 41. The fourth and last year of Caligula�s reign was early Winter CE 40 to early Winter 41 roughly paralleling the calendar year CE 40. The prediction occurred while Paul was within the one year ministry of Barnabas and Paul (Acts 11:26). Assuming that the very earliest Barnabas could be sent to Antioch was shortly after Paul�s departure from Jerusalem via Caesarea to Tarsus in CE 38 and that the one-year Antiochene ministry could be no later than CE 40 the intervening chronological events can be logically detailed as set forth in Figure 6.4.
Several factors assist in clarifying the period when Barnabas left Antioch to find Paul at Tarsus and return. It is not known whether he traveled by land or by sea. The best time for travel in the region was the summer and early fall whether by land or sea due to the weather. Sailing was quite dangerous on the Mediterranean Sea after the Day of Atonement (Acts 27:9). Mountain passes, such as the Cilician Gates, were not open before late spring or early summer because only then were they passable. The pastor, especially with the concern exhibited in Barnabas, of a fledgling congregation would not likely leave it before Pentecost or during the fall festival period. As the spring and fall Holy Days and festivals appear to preclude his trip to Tarsus, and recognizing the realities of the traveling conditions cited above, the summer of CE 39 appears to be the most opportune and plausible time for the trip. Presumably Paul spent about a year in Tarsus before being brought to Antioch to assist Barnabas.
The "Now about that time" of Acts 12:1 suggests that the famine relief went to the Jerusalem church by Barnabas and Paul very close to the occasion of the murder of James, the brother of John (Acts 12:2) and the subsequent arrest of Peter (Acts 12:3) during the days of Unleavened Bread. This would be the famine of Acts 11:28 early in the reign of Claudius (41-54). The Days of Unleavened Bread in CE 43 were April 13 through April 19.
Later Herod Agrippa I "went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while" (Acts 12:19). There Herod Agrippa I died (probably 10 March) in CE 44 following the games, the ludi pro salute Caesaris, at Caesarea on March 5, CE 44 (Acts 12:23). This was just prior to the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, which in CE 44 were April 2-8.
While historians have been unable to establish a single universal famine perhaps the implication of "a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world" during the reign of Claudius simply referred to the gross effects of poor harvests and uncooperative weather. Of the classical writers Dio Cassius (CE ca. 155�ca. 232), Suetonius (75�150 CE), and Tacitus (ca. 55�120 CE) related in their works that during the reign of Claudius, 41-54, poor harvests and other conditions produced a period of scarcity, famine, and anguish throughout the empire. The account then picks up at Acts 12:25.
12:25
When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.
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Page last updated: 07/19/01 11:25 AM.