Acts 11:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Have you seen how grace accomplishes everything, and not Paul? Have you seen how the work began from something small, and when it became known, they sent Barnabas?

And why did they not write to Paul, but send Barnabas? They did not yet know the virtue of this man. Therefore it was arranged that Barnabas alone should go.

Some think that he called Saulos Paul in accordance with the custom of the Romans. But this is improbable and unworthy of the lofty thoughts of the Apostles.

Leaving this aside, let us turn to Barnabas. In the Apostle Barnabas there were two great virtues worthy of note.

First, there was his apostolic zeal, by which, being inflamed, he preferred his neighbor's benefit to his own. Second, there was his true humility, which made him think little of himself and much of Paul.

As the Apostles' envoy to Antioch, Barnabas held primacy there, together with every honor and respect. Yet, overcome by zeal for the faith, he brought Paul to Antioch and declared him teacher and leader of the preaching.

Barnabas was a most sufficient and excellent teacher of the faith, as his deeds show. From the time he came to Antioch, the number of the faithful multiplied.

But humility suggested to him that he needed a helper, and that Paul, as a more perfect man, could bear more fruit than he. Therefore he went to Tarsus to find Paul, and after finding him there, he brought him to Antioch.

Here one must also note Paul's zeal and obedience. As soon as he learned the reason for Barnabas's coming, he immediately obeyed him and willingly followed him.

This distrust remained for a long time among most Christians from the Jews. It persisted even after many experiences of the divine power of the Gospel among Christians from the Gentiles.

In any case, Barnabas was commissioned to go and inspect the new Church from the Gentiles. He was chosen as a teacher long held in universal esteem, and as a Hellenist better able to deal with Christians of purely Hellenic origin.

Barnabas rejoiced in the true fruits of the Gospel which he found there. He zealously helped the work to advance further. When great new prospects opened there for the further spread of the Kingdom of God, he summoned Paul to join him, already known by his calling to preach to the Gentiles.

Saul had withdrawn there from Jerusalem after the Hellenists' plot against his life (Acts 9:29-30). Barnabas found him, persuaded him to come to Antioch, and to establish his activity there.

After this, Barnabas and Saul labored in teaching in Antioch for a whole year. At this time, the chief part of their activity was not so much the spread of the Gospel among unbelievers.

It was rather the strengthening of faith and the unfolding of the Christian meaning among those converted to the Christian faith.

They gathered chiefly in the church, that is, in the church's liturgical assemblies, where they taught no small number of people.

At this point the historian remarks that the followers of Christ in Antioch were first called Christians.

Since Christians themselves had until then called themselves "disciples of the Lord," "brethren," and "believers," it is probable that Gentiles began to call them Christians.

They heard that the person whose followers they confessed themselves to be was called Christ.

Until then the Gentiles had confused Christians with Jews and considered them a Jewish sect. In Antioch, however, because of the Christians' freedom from the yoke of the law, they appeared even before the eyes of the Gentiles as a distinct and independent religious society.

It was different from Judaism, and it united within itself both Jews and Gentiles.

Having found him there, he came with him to Antioch, and there the whole Church gathered around them. They came forth with the preaching of the Gospel and taught with such success that their assemblies took a definite place among the religious and philosophical schools of that learned city.

Their disciples were first called "Christians" there.

Now, in the midst of this new society from the Gentiles, Barnabas's thought could involuntarily turn to this former persecutor. He had been converted so that he might be Apostle to the Gentiles.

Here was his place now, and afterward, whatever the Lord would indicate.

Therefore Barnabas, certainly not without the prompting of the Holy Spirit, with whom he was filled (v. 24), went to the neighboring region of Cilicia. He went to its chief city, Tarsus, the birthplace of Saul (Acts 9:11 and parallels).

Saul had withdrawn there from Jerusalem when the Hellenists there wished to kill him (Acts 9:29-30).

Having found Saul, Barnabas persuaded him to go with him to Antioch and brought him there. There they worked together for a whole year.

Although the historian does not speak of the fruits of their activity, these fruits were undoubtedly abundant.

"Consider also this holy man, that is, Barnabas, and how he did not care for himself, but went to Tarsus.

"He was a very virtuous man, meek, and friendly with Paul. Therefore he came to this athlete, this commander, this single combatant, this lion, this bright lamp, these lips sufficient for the whole inhabited world."

Saint John Chrysostom performed his first ministry in Antioch and loved the holy Apostle Paul without limit. Therefore he was Paul's most important interpreter and a great venerator of him.

It is therefore not surprising that Chrysostom praises him so highly even before Paul had managed to do anything for Antioch.

Later Paul did very much for Antioch, strengthening the faith there and glorifying the Antiochenes. So too did Saint John Chrysostom, in defending the Antiochene Christians who in his time had carried out an unseemly revolt.