Acts 11:21

Acts 11:21. And the hand of the Lord was with them, i.e. those who were preaching the Gospel to new hearers. ‘The hand of the Lord' is an oriental expression, and seems to indicate the manifestation of miraculous powers, which indeed we should expect on an occasion like this. St. Luke uses this phrase in two other places (see his Gospel, Luke 1:66, and Luke 4:30). Some manuscripts add here the words ‘so as to heal them.' Their authority, however, does not justify our seeing in this addition more than a gloss; and the suggestion probably came from Luke 5:17.

A great number believed. All such terms are relative. At all events a considerable Christian community was formed rapidly at Antioch, as had been the case at Cæsarea. Though Cæsarea was probably first in order of time, Antioch speedily became greater in importance. See Acts 11:24; Acts 11:26 for the progressive growth of the Church in this latter city under the ministrations of Barnabas and Saul.