Acts 13:1: The Body of Christ

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Intro: Housekeeping stuff for Acts.

1)     Connect Acts 11:30 and 12:25.

2)     Mark the 1st missionary journey (13:1-14:28). Map.

3)     This is major turning point in Acts where the Gospel starts to really spread out (1:8).

The body of Christ

1)     Working with a church means working with all different kinds of people

A)   Acts 1:8 – The gospel has been spreading out.

1)     6:1ff. – We need to figure out how to get food to the Hellenists widows.

2)     8:1ff. – The gospel went to Samaria.

3)     8:26ff. – The Ethiopian Eunuch.

4)     10:1ff. – Cornelius and the gentiles.

5)     11:19-20 – The church in Antioch.

B)    13:1 – The church at Antioch.

1)     Antioch was the 3rd largest city in the Roman Empires (after Rome and Alexandria).

(a)   It is a huge urban hub with between 300,000-500,000 people.

(b)   It was called the Queen of the East.

(c)   Its population was made up of Greeks, Syrians, Phoenicians, Jews, Arabs, Persians, Egyptians, and Romans.

2)     Socially, politically, and ethnically different kinds of people.

(a)   Barnabas

(i)    He was a wealthy landowner from Cyprus.

(ii)  He was a Levite who was plugged in with the Jerusalem church.

(iii)          He knows the culture, and the geography, and the shipping lanes for travel.

(b)   Simeon who was called Niger

(i)    ESV text note: “Niger is a Latin word meaning black, or dark.”

(ii)  African descent is implied.

(c)   Lucius of Cyrene (North Africa, modern-day Libia)

(d)   Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod

(i)    “lifelong friend”

(a)   BDAG: pert. to being brought up with someone, either as foster-brother or as companion/friend

(b)   L/N - In some languages ‘a foster brother’ may be referred to as ‘a person who becomes a brother by being adopted’ or ‘a person who grows up just as though he were a brother.’

(ii)  e.g. This is like Jake, Nick and Ryan. They all grew up together. They went to school together, played sports together, etc. Lisa considers them all her boys.

(iii)          Manaen was raised and educated alongside Herod Antipas who had John the Baptist beheaded and mocked Jesus before sending him back to Pilate to be crucified.

(iv) cf. Two boys with the same childhood:

(a)   One choose the path of corrupt, brutal political power.

(b)   One walks away from it all to join a marginalized, persecuted religious sect that his own foster brother tried to wipe out.  

(e)   Saul

(i)    Very educated former violent religious anti-Christian terrorist

(f)    John Mark

(i)    12:25

(ii)  13:5 – He was an assistant.

3)     Summary

(a)   Wealthy real estate mogul

(b)   Two immigrants from Africa

(c)   Political insider who grew up in the White House

(d)   Former violent terrorist

(e)   …all sitting together at the same table and functioning as the body of Christ.

(f)    When I make teams for camp, I sort my spreadsheet by boys/girls, by birthday, then I type 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. But after those teams are made, Becky spends another week going over them because she sees two kids who are on the same team and says, “This will never work.” Sometimes there are kids who need to be on the same team. POINT: If I saw this room of people all sitting together in Acts 13:1 I would probably say, “This is never going to work.

4)     Practically, this is how the Gospel is going to spread.

(a)   People who understand strict Jewish Jerusalem theology and how it all works.

(b)   People who understand the African diaspora.

(c)   People who understand the Greco-Roman political elite.

(d)   People who understand maritime commerce and how to move from place to place.

(e)   POINT: When you put them all together, they can go anywhere and speak to anyone about Jesus!

C)    Jesus did this from the start. The apostles were very different people.

1)     Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen.

2)     Paul was a tentmaker.

3)     Matthew was a tax collector (he worked for the Roman government).

4)     Simon was a Zealot (he fought against the Roman government).

5)     Judas was the treasurer (I assume because he knew something about that).

6)     Lk. 8:2-3

(a)   Some women who were possessed by demons.

(b)   Some women who were wealthy and able to support the mission.

D)   The NT has a lot to say about the body of Christ that is made up of different parts with different roles.

1)     Rom. 12:6-8 – prophecy, service, teaching, exhorting, contributing, leadership, mercy

2)     Eph. 4:11 – apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherd teachers

3)     1 Cor. 12:13-30 – apostles, prophets, teachers, miracles, gifts of healing, helping, administrating, various kinds of tongues

E)    Conclusions:

1)     Don’t try to fit a square peg into a round hole.

(a)   Examples: I know what I am, and what I’m not. Song leading. Preaching style.

2)     There is a seat for YOU at the table.

(a)   Josh Morris’ school motto for 2026 (shirt): You belong here. We are not complete without you.

(b)   Not only are you welcome, but we NEED you. YOU have something to offer the body of Christ, and we are not complete without you.

Next lesson: How to make all this work.