Disciples first called Christians
Early Church · Draft · BSB
Content revision: 9fc1f74006ee654b · No editorial review date recorded
Date: c. AD 40–46. The famine foretold by Agabus came under Claudius (AD 41–54).
Believers scattered by the persecution reach Antioch, where some speak to Greeks as well and many believe. Barnabas brings Saul from Tarsus to teach there for a year, the disciples are first called Christians, and the church sends famine relief to Judea.
Primary Scripture
11:19 Meanwhile those scattered by the persecution that began with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message only to Jews.
11:20 But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.
11:21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
11:22 When news of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
11:23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to abide in the Lord with all their hearts.
11:24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.
11:25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
11:26 and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So for a full year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.
11:27 In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
11:28 One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the whole world. (This happened under Claudius.)
11:29 So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
11:30 This they did, sending their gifts to the elders with Barnabas and Saul.
Location evidence
Event map marker: Identified site; [longitude, latitude] = [36.16239, 36.20233]. This is a teaching marker, not an exact event venue.
Antioch (Syria): Identified site. Coordinates [longitude, latitude]: [36.16239, 36.20233]. Classification source: rule.
Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
Digital Atlas of the Roman Empire
Interpretation and reuse
Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.
Record source: theographic (332)
Record source: editorial
Events and places adapted from Theographic Bible Metadata (github.com/robertrouse/theographic-bible-metadata), CC BY-SA 4.0. This adapted data is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm