The One Became Many

(Reference Acts 11:19-30)
After the Jerusalem church leadership realized the revelation of God that the gospel was truly for all the world -- including the Gentiles -- God's plan began to be realized. In Acts 1:8, Jesus had said that "you will be my witnesses" throughout the world. The early church didn't act right away. It wasn't until the persecution scattered them that we see some initial results of Christ's revelation.

Phillip witnessing to the Ethiopian was a great example. He was led into this opportunity by the Spirit while he was fleeing persecution. But, this didn't appear to be a coordinated approach by the church leadership but rather an ad hoc "as you go." It wasn't until Peter explained his vision and encounter with Cornelius that the Jerusalem church leadership grasp the truth and significance of God's Acts 1:8 revelation. In Acts 11:19, scripture says that those scattered from Jerusalem by the persecution were "telling the message only to the Jews." In verse 20, we see the approach beginning to change. Some of them began to "speak to the Greeks also." When the Lord moved through them, "a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord."

When the church leadership heard this, they assigned Barnabas (the great encourager in the early church) to get involved. The church plan was beginning to unfold. The one (Cornelius) was becoming many (the world). Barnabas recruits Saul (later, Paul) to join him. This was a perfect opportunity for Paul because his prior persecution of the Jews would have been a barrier to reaching many Jews … at least early on. Together, Paul and Barnabas spent a year at Antioch teaching and reproducing disciples. Isn't it glorious irony that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch -- among the Gentiles.

God was coordinating his plan to reach the world and to bring people from every people group into a right relationship with him. The movement to expand the gospel to the Gentiles began in a big way when one man (Peter) responded to God, overcame his prejudices and stepped out in faith to embrace the change. The early church leadership benefited further when these people that they were initially ignoring took up an offering to help them through a famine in Judea. God's will and plan for us is good. Be open to God's will and embrace the changes in our perspectives so that they fully match God's desire -- we will be blessed.