July 26: Acts 13
The Antioch Church: International and Biblical
This chapter gives us clear insight into two features of the first Christian congregation in Antioch that the modern church must understand - and imitate.
The first is the ethnic makeup of the church. The church was made of people from across the known world: Barnabas and Lucius were from Cyprus; Simeon - who was probably dark skinned, given his name “Niger” - was probably from northern Africa; Manaen was from Palestine; and Saul / Paul was from Tarsus, in modern-day Turkey.
This is not a statement about how modern nation-states should structure and enforce their immigration policies. The Bible also gives clear permission to governments to act like governments, secure their borders, etc.
But on the whole and over time, the church should trend towards an international flavor. After all, through the faith of Abraham “all the nations will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3) and through the church the curse of Babel is being reversed - right here, in the local church in Antioch. Every local church, if the gospel is working, will trend toward this international flavor. For in Christ is therefore now neither Jew nor Greek, neither barbarian nor Scythian . . . But all are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28).
Ethnically-defined churches have their temporary place, but they must not be forced to remain that way. The gospel does not coagulate us by national boundaries but unites us over and around them.
The second feature is the way that salvation is spoken of. Carson does well to point that the phrase “asking Jesus into your heart” is never found in Scripture. Instead the Bible uses words like those in verse 48:
“And all those who were designated for eternal life believed.”
Designated by Whom? Me or you? Hardly.
Note the other ways salvation is described in Acts:
- And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. Acts 2:47
- . . . for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. Acts 11:24
- And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Acts 16:31
My point is that when we talk of salvation, we should the Bible’s language, for God chose that vocabulary for a reason - to portray His primary role. We proclaim the Lord Jesus, and we command people to repent and believe. But in the end, even our own faith is a gift of God, a gift of grace, lest any man should boast, and so that God would get all the glory. This is why this book is often called “The Continuing Acts of God, in His Son, through His Spirit.”
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