Acts 11:22

22 And the word came to the ears of the church, that was at Jerusalem, on these things; and they sent Barnabas [till] to Antioch.

Acts 11:22 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 11:22

Then tidings of these things
Of the spread of the Gospel in several parts, and the success of it in the conversion of sinners, especially at Antioch:

came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem;
these tidings were brought to the apostles and brethren there, by messengers which the ministers of the word sent unto them to let them know what success they met with; notwithstanding the persecution raised against the church of Jerusalem at the death of Stephen, and the havoc that was made of the members of it, and the dispersion of others, yet it still continued a church, and so it did for ages after: there are reckoned fifteen bishops of it unto the times of Trajan, and the destruction of the city by him, when the Jews were no longer suffered to live in it; and they are these, James the brother of our Lord, Simeon, Justus, Zacchaeus, Tobias, Benjamin, John, Matthias, Philip, Seneca, Justus, Levi, Ephres, Joseph, and Judas; and these are said F8 to be all originally Hebrews: but after the destruction of the city by Trajan, and the Jews were forbid inhabiting it, the church consisted of Gentiles only; and of them bishops were constituted over it, and were as follow: Marcus, Cassianus, Publius, Maximus, Julianus, Gaianus, Symmachus, Caius, another Julianus, Capito, another Maximus, Antoninus, Valens, Dolychianus, Narcissus, Aelius, Germanio, Gordius, and another Narcissus; all these governed this church in the "second" century: and in the "third" century, the bishops of this church were Alexander, Mazabanes, Labdas, and Hermon, who was the last before the Dioclesian persecution: in the "fourth" century, Macarins, Maximus, and Cyril, presided over it; and these were succeeded in the "fifth" century by Joannes Nepos, Prayllius, Juvenalis, Anastasius, and Martyrius; in this age also Lucian and Hesychius were presbyters of this church. In the "sixth" century, the names of the bishops of this church were Salustius, Helias, Johannes, Petrus, Macarius, Eustochius, Johannes, Neamus, and Isicius: in the "seventh" century were Thomas, Johannes, Neannus, Isaac, Zacharias, and Sophronius, who was the last bishop of Jerusalem before the utter and last devastation of it by the Saracens F9; since which time the city has underwent various fates, being sometimes in the hands of the Christians, and at other times possessed by the Turks, in whose power it now is.

And they sent forth Barnabas;
who was himself an Hellenist, and of the country of Cyprus, and so very fit to be sent to the Grecians or Hellenists at Antioch, who had received the Gospel to confirm them in it: for his orders were,

that he should go as far as Antioch
which is said to be about fifteen or sixteen days journey from Jerusalem: the phrase, "that he should go", is not in the Alexandrian copy, nor in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 4. c. 5.
F9 Magdeburg. Hist. Eccles. cent. 2. c. 2. p. 2. & c. 9. p. 126. cent. 3. c. 10. p. 146. 148. cent. 4. c. 10. p. 503. c. 5. cent. 10. p. 540. cent. 6. c. 10. p. 335. cent. 7. c. 10. p. 251.

Acts 11:22 In-Context

20 But some of them were men of Cyprus, and of Cyrene [and Cyrene]; which when they had entered into Antioch, they spake to the Greeks, and preached the Lord Jesus [+the which when they entered into Antioch, spake to Greeks, showing the Lord Jesus/and told the Lord Jesus].
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and much number of men believing was converted to the Lord.
22 And the word came to the ears of the church, that was at Jerusalem, on these things; and they sent Barnabas [till] to Antioch.
23 And when he was come, and saw the grace of the Lord, he joyed, and admonished all men to dwell in the Lord in purpose of heart; [The which, when he had come, and (had) seen the grace of the Lord, joyed, and admonished all men in purpose of heart to dwell in the Lord;]
24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith. And much people was increased to the Lord.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.