It was the equivalent of today’s London, Paris or New York. The Greek city of Antioch was one of the wealthy, cosmopolitan capitals of the East, renowned for its buildings and culture. It was also a city with a bad reputation – full of prostitution, nightclubs and drinking dens. It was renowned for its lax moral standards and widespread corruption.This city was transformed, and it became a distinguished Christian city and the springboard for Christian mission to the entire Gentile world. The Lord’s hand was with them and ‘a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord’ (11:21).
God used Barnabas, whose name means ‘son of encouragement’. Encouragement is not flattery or empty praise; it is like verbal sunshine. It costs nothing and warms other people’s hearts and inspires them with hope and confidence in their faith. We need those around us who are like Barnabas. And we can all be like Barnabas to other people.
Barnabas ‘encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord’ (vv.23–24).
It was not a hit and run visit: ‘For a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch’ (v.26).
There was a release of finance. Each gave ‘according to his ability... to provide help’ for those in need (v.29). This is an important principle of the Christian community – those who can afford help to pay for those who can’t.
This was a period of great blessing and massive church growth. However, they also faced a rising tide of opposition.
The Judean King Herod Agrippa I (c.10 BC–AD 44) had a cruel streak. He took to persecuting Christians. He was an unscrupulous politician who wanted to gain popularity with the people (12:1–3). He had James executed. Peter was in prison and Herod planned a public lynching (v.4, MSG).
Peter was guarded by four squads of four soldiers each (v.4). He had double the usual guard and chains on both hands (v.6). Peter himself ‘slept like a baby’ (v.6, MSG). There is no pillow as soft as a clear conscience!
The church faced a seemingly impossible situation. The very existence of the early church seemed to be at stake. What did they do? What are we to do in situations that are seemingly impossible? We see the answer in verse 5: ‘The church was earnestly praying to God for [Peter]’.
Pray together
‘The church’ (v.5) joined together in prayer. ‘Many people had gathered and were praying’ (v.12). The New Testament teaches a lot about private prayer, but there is even more about praying together.
Pray earnestly
There are two reasons why they might not have prayed at all. First, James had been executed (v.2). God had not answered their prayers for James; we don’t know why. But it did not stop them praying.
Second, Peter’s situation seemed impossible. Their choice was either to give up praying or to pray passionately. The Greek word ektenōs (translated here as ‘earnestly’) was used to describe a horse made to go at full gallop. It denotes the taut muscle of strenuous and sustained effort as of an athlete.
The imperfect tense suggests that they prayed not as a one-off, but for a considerable length of time. They persevered.
Pray to God
When you pray, you are not just talking to yourself, or praying eloquent prayers to impress those who hear you. Prayer to God means having an audience with God. It means actually coming into the presence of God – asking and receiving.
Pray for others
They prayed for Peter (v.5). There are many types of prayer: worship, praise, thanksgiving, petition, and so on – but here we read of intercessory prayer. They prayed for him because they loved him. Intercessory prayer is an act of love.
This was an extraordinary prayer meeting and the results are evident (vv.6–15). In answer to their prayers God acted supernaturally. Peter was freed the night before his trial. God’s answer involved visions, angels and chains falling off (vv.6–9). Obstacles were removed. The guards did not bar the prisoners’ escape, and the iron gate to the city opened in front of them (v.10).
Peter then turned up at the prayer meeting but his release was so extraordinary that Rhoda, the girl who answered the door, forgot to let him in, and no one else believed it was actually him (vv.12–15)! They told Rhoda that she was out of her mind (v.15) but actually God had done what seemed impossible in answer to their earnest prayers.
The word of God continued to increase and spread (v.24). This chapter opens with James dead, Peter in prison and Herod triumphing; it closes with Herod dead, Peter free and the word of God triumphing.