# Acts 11 đ: Believers First Called Christians
[[đ Explore the Bible Books]]
[[-Acts Overview]] | [[Acts 10]] | [[Acts 12]]
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đ Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#đ§ Chapter Summary]]
> [[#âď¸ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#đ Key Observations / đ Life Application]]
> [[#đŹ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#âď¸ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đ Related Passages]]
> [[#đ Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đ Outline]]
> [[#đ Internal Notes]]
## đ Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
### Peter Defends His Actions to the Jerusalem Church
**Principle**: Honor God even when you donât understand.
[[#Verse 01.]] Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.Â
[[#Verse 02.]] So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him,Â
[[#Verse 03.]] saying, âYou went to uncircumcised men and shared a meal with them.â
[[#Verse 04.]] But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, saying,
[[#Verse 05.]] âI was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, an object something like a large sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came to me.
[[#Verse 06.]] As I stared I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and wild birds.Â
[[#Verse 07.]] I also heard a voice saying to me, âGet up, Peter; slaughter and eat!âÂ
[[#Verse 08.]]  But I said, âCertainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth!âÂ
[[#Verse 09.]] But the voice replied a second time from heaven, âWhat God has made clean, you must not consider ritually unclean!âÂ
[[#Verse 10.]]Â This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again.Â
[[#Verse 11.]] At that very moment, three men sent to me from Caesarea approached the house where we were staying.Â
[[#Verse 12.]] The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the manâs house.Â
[[#Verse 13.]]Â He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, âSend to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,Â
[[#Verse 14.]] who will speak a message to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.âÂ
[[#Verse 15.]] Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he did on us at the beginning.Â
[[#Verse 16.]] And I remembered the word of the Lord, as he used to say, âJohn baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.âÂ
[[#Verse 17.]] Therefore if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder God?âÂ
[[#Verse 18.]] When they heard this, they ceased their objections and praised God, saying, âSo then, God has granted the repentance that leads to life even to the Gentiles.â
### Activity in the Church at Antioch
**Principle**: Legacy belongs to God, not you.
[[#Verse 19.]] Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one but Jews.Â
[[#Verse 20.]] But there were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene among them who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus.Â
[[#Verse 21.]] The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.Â
[[#Verse 22.]] A report about them came to the attention of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.Â
[[#Verse 23.]] When he came and **saw** the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts,Â
[[#Verse 24.]] because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people were brought to the Lord.Â
[[#Verse 25.]]Â Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul,Â
[[#Verse 26.]] and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught a significant number of people. Now it was in Antioch that the disciples were **first called Christians**.
### Famine Relief for Judea
**Principle**: The Lord speaks to His people to prepare them for ways to help each other.
[[#Verse 27.]] At that time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.Â
[[#Verse 28.]] One of them, named Agabus, ([[Acts 21]]) got up and predicted by the Spirit that a severe famine was about to come over the whole inhabited world. (This took place during the reign of Claudius.)Â
[[#Verse 29.]] So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.Â
[[#Verse 30.]] They did so, sending their financial aid to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
## đ Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
###### Verse 24.
###### Verse 25.
###### Verse 26.
###### Verse 27.
###### Verse 28.
- Agabus is also mentioned in Acts 21. He prophesies that Paul will be arrested in Jerusalem.
###### Verse 29.
###### Verse 30.
## đ¤ Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. The circumcision party (11:2) were Jewish believers who thought Gentiles had to keep the Law of Moses.
2. Peter tells the story again in detail (11:4-17), and Luke's repetition shows how important the Gentile mission is.
3. Antioch of Syria (11:19) was the third largest city in the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria.
4. Antioch became the home base for Paul's missionary journeys (13:1-3).
5. The name "Christians" (11:26) means people who belong to Christ. It appears only three times in the New Testament (11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16).
6. Barnabas went to Tarsus to find Saul (11:25), and they taught in Antioch for a whole year (11:26).
7. Agabus predicted a famine over the whole Roman world (11:28). Roman historians record several severe food shortages during Claudius's reign (AD 41 to 54).
8. The Antioch church sent relief to Judea according to each person's ability (11:29).
9. Cyrene (11:20) was a city in North Africa, in modern Libya. Simon, who carried Jesus' cross, was from there (Luke 23:26).
10. Paul's later collection for the poor in Jerusalem continued this pattern of generosity (Romans 15:26).
## đ§ Chapter Summary
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## âď¸ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the Lord Jesus whom unnamed believers preached to Greeks in Antioch (11:20). His followers became known by His name, Christians (11:26), because through Him God grants repentance that leads to life to all people (11:18; Romans 10:12).
## đ Key Observations / đ Life Application
> [!note] đą Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đŹ Discussion Questions
1. When Peter explained what God had done, the critics fell silent and praised God (11:18). How should we respond when God works in ways we did not expect?
2. Unnamed believers from Cyprus and Cyrene first preached to Greeks in Antioch (11:20). Why does God so often use ordinary, unknown people?
3. Barnabas saw the grace of God and encouraged the believers (11:23). How can you be a Barnabas this week?
## âď¸ Key Verses to Remember
- đ verse 18: God has granted the Gentiles repentance that leads to life.
- đ verses 23-24: Barnabas, a good man full of the Spirit and faith, encourages the believers to remain true to the Lord.
- đ verse 26: The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
## đ Related Passages
- đ [[Acts 15#Verse 08.|Acts 15:8-9]] - God made no distinction between Jew and Gentile.
- đ [[Acts 04#Verse 36.|Acts 4:36-37]] - Barnabas, the son of encouragement.
- đ [[Acts 21#Verse 10.|Acts 21:10-11]] - Agabus prophesies again.
- đ [[Galatians 02#Verse 10.|Galatians 2:10]] - Remember the poor.
- đ [[1 Peter 04#Verse 16.|1 Peter 4:16]] - Suffering as a Christian.
## đ Devotional Reflection
đ SOAP: [[Acts 11 - SOAP|Be a Finder]]
## đ Outline
(Acts⏠â11âŹ:â19âŹ-â21⏠âNLTâŹâŹ) âMeanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephenâs death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.â â
BIG IDEA: God uses the UNKNOWNS.
1- Our job is to serve God. When we do it right, He is the one who gets the glory.
2- Itâs not about who knows our name. Itâs about His.
3- When we seek to make His Name great, the âpower of the Lord is with us.â
## đ Internal Notes
%%
### Outline
**Big Idea**:
**Point 1**:
**Point 2**:
**Point 3**:
%%