Acts 11:23

11:19-24 The first preachers of the gospel at Antioch, were dispersed from Jerusalem by persecution; thus what was meant to hurt the church, was made to work for its good. The wrath of man is made to praise God. What should the ministers of Christ preach, but Christ? Christ, and him crucified? Christ, and him glorified? And their preaching was accompanied with the Divine power. The hand of the Lord was with them, to bring that home to the hearts and consciences of men, which they could but speak to the outward ear. They believed; they were convinced of the truth of the gospel. They turned from a careless, carnal way of living, to live a holy, heavenly, spiritual life. They turned from worshipping God in show and ceremony, to worship him in the Spirit and in truth. They turned to the Lord Jesus, and he became all in all with them. This was the work of conversion wrought upon them, and it must be wrought upon every one of us. It was the fruit of their faith; all who sincerely believe, will turn to the Lord, When the Lord Jesus is preached in simplicity, and according to the Scriptures, he will give success; and when sinners are thus brought to the Lord, really good men, who are full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, will admire and rejoice in the grace of God bestowed on them. Barnabas was full of faith; full of the grace of faith, and full of the fruits of the faith that works by love.

The grace of God; which appeared in their conversion, being made manifest by their professions, and answered by their pious lives and conversations; for all which they might cry, Grace, grace. By the grace of God, is also to be understood the increasing of the church, and adding to it such as should be saved. Was glad; this is matter of joy in heaven, Luke 15:7 , and of all such as are learning their lesson, and preparing for that blissful place. With purpose of heart; firm and fixed resolution, that come what can come, tribulation or distress, life or death, they would keep close to the profession of the truth of Christ. This purpose of heart is the same with the whole heart elsewhere; which must cleave unto the Lord; be joined, or stick close, to God’s truth and ways.

Acts 11:23 . Παρεκάλει , exhorted ) The best kind of exhortation , which is stimulated by joy.— προθέσει , with stedfast purpose ) ch. Acts 27:13 , “Supposing that they had obtained their purpose .” The contrary is in Hebrews 3:12 , “An evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”— προσμένειν , to adhere to, cleave to ) To be converted , is the act: to adhere , is the state.

23. when he … had seen the grace of God—in the new converts. was glad—owned and rejoiced in it at once as divine, though they were uncircumcised. exhorted them all that with purpose of heart—as opposed to a hasty and fickle discipleship. they would cleave unto the Lord—the Lord Jesus.

Verse 23. - Was come for came , A.V.; he exhorted for exhorted. , A.V. Had seen the grace of God ; i.e. had seen the number and the truth of the conversions of Gentiles effected by God's grace. He exhorted them all ( παρεκάλει πάντας ); thus showing himself a true υἱὸς παρακλήσεως , son of exhortation (see Acts 4:36 , note). Cleave unto the Lord ; προσμένειν , to abide, continue, persevere in (comp. Acts 13:43 ; 1 Timothy 5:5 ). In 2 Timothy 3:14 it is simply μένε . The frequent exhortations to perseverance and steadfastness should warn us of the great danger of falling away from the faith, under the pressure of temptation. Acts 11:23

23 . and had seen the grace of God ] exhibited in the faith, and consequent turning to Christ, of these Gentiles. was glad ] He saw nothing in the new movement which could call for disapproval, and that more members should be added to the Church was a source of joy. and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart (in the purpose of their heart) they would cleave unto the Lord ] Their determination was at present formed, and they had turned to the Lord; the purport of Barnabas’ exhortation was that continuing in the same determination they should hold fast their faith and allow nothing to shake their attachment to Christ. The heathen converts to Christianity had much to endure for Christ’s sake, and to the weak there were many temptations to relapse.

(23) And exhorted them all. —The tense implies continuous action; and the verb in the Greek is that from which Barnabas took his name as the “Son of Comfort” or “Counsel.” (See Note on Acts 4:36 .) With purpose of heart.—The preacher had seen the grace of God, and had rejoiced at it; but he knew, as all true teachers know, that it is possible for man’s will to frustrate that grace, and that its co-operation, as manifested in deliberate and firm resolve, was necessary to carry on the good work to its completion. The word for “purpose” meets us again in Acts 27:13. They would cleave unto the Lord.—The noun is probably used in its dominant New Testament sense, as pointing to the Lord Jesus as the new object of the faith and love of those who had turned to Him.

Acts THE EXHORTATION OF BARNABAS 1 Acts 11:23 . The first purely heathen converts had been brought into the Church by the nameless men of Cyprus and Cyrene, private persons with no office or commission to preach, who, in simple obedience to the instincts of a Christian heart, leaped the barrier which seemed impassable to the Church in Jerusalem, and solved the problem over which Apostles were hesitating. Barnabas is sent down to see into this surprising new phenomenon, and his mission, though probably not hostile, was, at all events, one of inquiry and doubt. But like a true man, he yielded to facts, and widened his theory to suit them. He saw the tokens of Christian life in these Gentile converts, and that compelled him to admit that the Church was wider than some of his friends in Jerusalem thought. A pregnant lesson for modern theorists who, on one ground or another of doctrine or of orders, narrow the great conception of Christ’s Church! Can you see ‘the grace of God’ in the people? Then they are in the Church, whatever becomes of your theories, and the sooner you let them out so as to fit the facts, the better for you and for them. Satisfied as to their true Christian character, Barnabas sets himself to help them to grow.

Now, remember how recently they had been converted; how, from their Gentile origin, they can have had next to no systematic instruction; how the taint of heathen morals, such as were common in that luxurious, corrupt Antioch, must have clung to them; how unformed must have been their loose Church organisation- and remembering all this, think of this one exhortation as summing up all that Barnabas had to say to them. He does not say, Do this, or Believe that, or Organise the other; but he says, Stick to Jesus Christ the Lord. On this commandment hangs all the law; it is the one all-inclusive summary of the duties of the Christian life. So, brethren and fathers, I venture to take these words now, as containing large lessons for us all, appropriate at all times, and especially in a sermon on such an occasion as the present. We may deal with the thoughts suggested by these words very simply, just looking at the points as they lie-what Barnabas saw , what he felt , what he said . I. What Barnabas saw. The grace of God here has very probably the specific meaning of the miracle-working gift of the Holy Spirit.