Acts 11:19-26

Acts 11:19

The Church at Antioch.

I. This church was established by lay agency.

II. It was a church established among the Gentiles. The text marks a new epoch in the history of the kingdom of God Jesus Christ had plainly intimated that the Gentiles also were to be admitted into the Christian fold. The Jewish Church was like the chrysalis containing life in an undeveloped state; the Christian Church is the chrysalis emerging in the winged butterfly, it looks disdainfully upon boundaries and soars high over barriers.

III. This Gentile church was flourishing in grace. Every true minister will, like Barnabas, strive to promote the growth of grace and knowledge in the Church; and if he cannot accomplish the twofold work himself, he will, like Barnabas, seek another to help him. To our knowledge let us add grace; both are necessary in order to perfection in religion.

J. C. Jones, Studies in the Acts,p. 266.

Reference: Acts 11:20. Expositor,1st series, vol. ix., No. 385.