Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
And one of them named Ag'abus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there
would be a great famine over all the world; and this took place in the days of
Claudius. And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to
send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea; and they did so, sending it to
the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
In a Nutshell
Luke tells us how the genuine faith of the church at Antioch, and the other centres where Gentile believers congregated, was proved beyond doubt to the brethren in Judea.
Questions
What do these prophets tells us about the way the apostles gave leadership?
Agabus appears twice in the Book of Acts. The other place is Chapter 21 when Paul was staying at Caesarea with Philip, and his 4 prophetic daughters. Agabus would then warn Paul of impending trouble. This man exercised a prophetic ministry along the Mediterranean coastal strip. This was one of the key persons who were gifted by God's Spirit to enable the young congregations to keep in contact with each other. Luke is also telling us that they knew they were responsible for each other. In Jerusalem, the apostles and disciples were persistently anxious about their Jewish identity because of the hounding of other Jews who, as we have said, had chosen to wait for another Messiah, keep their strict rules intact and harass those who did not. Didn't matter what reason was given. These harassing Jews did not and would not believe that the Messiah had come. So there was a very deep breach among those who still worshipped at the temple and practised the customs inherited from the Old Testament. Jewish disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem did not have an easy path to tread. They had to be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves. Hellenistic believers (proselytes) had been driven out after Stephen's execution and I suppose some experienced some relief from the many customs and restrictions they had had to observe in Jerusalem. Saul's conversion seems to have given indirect support to the social standing of the apostles, but it was the Holy Spirit who made sure that the Gospel would call Gentiles out of darkness into God's marvellous light. The apostles, Jesus' senior students, were called to lead the movement that was now active throughout the dispersed Jewish synagogues around the known world. It was a movement in which Jewish believers ate with Gentile believers. Peter's comments to Cornelius indicate he saw this as a direct response to Jesus' resurrection. But the Jerusalem believers knew that there were many Jews who did not believe their witness to Jesus' resurrection. Such Jews felt they and their religion was being made "common" by fellow Jews, who, without hesitation (10:20) or objection (10:29), kept company with the non-circumcised.
So we see a deep love and respect at the basis of the decision of the Antioch church to heed Agabus, and help the church in Judea face the famine. Criticisms and harassment from the circumcision lobby would continue but when God answered their prayer for their daily bread, by prodding Antioch generosity, their faith would be confirmed. Luke, after all, told us that this story is about what Jesus continued to do for His disciples after he had been taken up (1:1).