Acts 11:19–30 confirms that the Gentiles who came to faith are genuine believers who must be welcomed.

With the door to the Gentiles having been opened wide, it will not take long before the Jewish believers are a minority in the church. They may be excited about the nations coming to serve the Lord and the prophecies coming to fulfillment. At the same time however, there is a fear of those who are different. What if the new believers want to change the way we worship? What if the new believers want to start introducing some of the practices and traditions which they have grown up with? Will we still be able to unite together? Will we still be one family in service to God? What future is there for my children?

We know that power typically resides in the hands of the majority. It may be in Jerusalem for the moment, it may be there for the next thirty years, but with this door that has been opened, if Gentiles keep joining the church, it will not be long before things start to change. On this point we must admit that there is nothing explicit in our passage to confirm that this was the thinking of Jerusalem believers. Nevertheless, Luke’s narrative does seem to be focused on addressing these kinds of concerns and putting them to bed.

To begin with there is the sending of Barnabas. The church in Judea has heard of Gentile converts. They have heard that there are many Greeks joining the church and they want to make sure that these are genuine believers. A man who is well known for his godliness and commitment to Christ is an obvious choice in this regard. His opinion is well respected; he knows the Greek language. He will be able to visit, help and give feedback. Arriving at the city, he finds a people eager to listen to the Lord, a people eager to follow Scripture, a people who are truly converted. That will be his initial report. The church in Jerusalem does not have to fear the influx of new converts. Gentile believers are genuine believers; the hand of the Lord is upon them; they are not agents who want to bring change and destroy. Three further evidences are then given in our passage to confirm this reality.

The first evidence is the coming of Saul. A man who is well schooled in Scripture, fluent in Greek and Latin, zealous for God’s truth and competent in teaching the same. His preaching in Damascus is well known as is his preaching in Jerusalem. In human terms, he is one of the best missionaries available, and he is the one who will be teaching the new believers. The believers in Jerusalem can be confident therefore that the believers in Antioch are receiving proper instruction. They are being taught about the law which reveals our sin and misery, the good news of Jesus’ death in the place of sinners, the wonder of Christ’s perfect obedience imputed to you through faith. The freedom which we have to serve God in the new covenant, guided by his moral law. This is not a church led by opportunists. This is not a church which has co-opted Jesus for a social agenda or a theology of glory. No this is a church which is eager to learn and willing to submit to apostolic instruction. A church taught by someone who loves Jesus Christ, someone who has met with Jesus, someone who knows how to correctly handle the word of truth.

The second evidence is the name which was given to the believers. They are called Christians, a reference to their continuous talk of a Christ. These are the ones who follow a King who was crucified. A King who died in shame and they think that he is Lord above the Emperor. How can anyone believe such nonsense? What a bunch of fools these Christians are, praying to a dead man. If we were to put it in today’s language, the term Christian would be similar to saying that you follow an anti-science traditionalist, any term which is meant to bring shame and discourage conversion. This is the kind of ring that the name Christian had at the time—it marked you as someone separate from the Jews, someone who turned his or her back on Greek and Roman religion.

Still, despite the shame, this was the label which the church submitted to. A label which testifies to the fact that they were making sacrifices for Christ. These Gentile believers were not advocating for some kind of syncretism where Jesus is another god to add to the pantheon that already exists. This was no accommodation where you are a sangoma or witchdoctor from Monday to Saturday and a deacon on a Sunday; or a secret believer where you never raise your flag and make decisions that will be unpopular. No this is a label given to those who are known for their love of Jesus. A label for people who have made life changes, a label for those who confess Christ before men and are willing to bear the consequences.

The third evidence that these believers are genuine is their response to God’s prophet. There is Agabus with his message about a famine. A famine to impact most of the Roman world—the people in Antioch will suffer as well as those in Judea. What will they do? How will this predominantly Gentile church respond? When brothers in Judea are in need of help, people you have never met, will you turn your backs on them or will you treat them as family? The answer is the bags of silver and gold which they sent with Barnabas and Saul. They have put their money where their mouth is. The Jerusalem church can know for sure that these Gentile believers are not playing a different game. They are the genuine article, brothers and sisters in Christ.

One church in Jerusalem, one church in Antioch—different geographies, different ethnicities, different languages and standards of living—but one family, one people united by a common faith in Jesus.