Behind the Scenes

Acts 11:19-30 | Mike Clarensau | The map keeps stretching farther and farther away from Jerusalem. From Joppa to Cyprus to Antioch the church is expanding over land and water to reach people with the gospel of Jesus. Though Jews fled the persecution in Jerusalem, they couldn’t shut up about Jesus! Wherever they went they would tell people about Jesus and how he is the messiah of the Jews. However, there were those who went even farther. Speaking to more than Jews, they began to speak to those with no Jewish culture. In Antioch there were many Greek-Speaking Gentiles called Hellenists and some of the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians who settled in Antioch began witnessing to them. These disciples likely had no idea what just happened to Peter in Joppa with Cornelius and yet they are aligned with the Spirit’s work to reach over cultural boundaries.