The Church in Antioch
19 1Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.
20
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also,
2preaching the Lord Jesus.
21
And
3the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed
4turned to the Lord.
22
The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23
When he came and saw
5the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord
6with steadfast purpose,
24
for he was a good man,
7full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people
8were added to the Lord.
25
So Barnabas went to
9Tarsus to look for Saul,
26
and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called
10Christians.
27
Now in these days
11prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28
And one of them named
12Agabus stood up and foretold
13by the Spirit that there would be a great
14famine over all the world (this took place in the days of
15Claudius).
29
So the disciples determined, everyone according to his ability,
16to send relief to
17the brothers living in Judea.
30
18And they did so, sending it to
19the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.