Luke turns his attention to God’s work in Antioch, building on the theme from Acts 8:4 and setting the stage for Paul and his missionary journey’s to begin. Antioch was 300 miles away Jerusalem- as far away as Manhattan, New York is from Chester, VA. Manhattan is a fair comparison in other ways as Antioch was the largest city in Asia Minor, a great trade center for the Roman world, and thus a city of great diversity.
This diversity is key to understanding why the term “Christian” came out of Antioch. Until now, many of Jesus’ followers had some type of Jewish background. In Antioch we see the first “great number” of non-Jews being saved. Jesus’ followers could no longer be considered just another sect of Judaism; no longer to be characterized by their heritage and traditions. “Great crowds” were being added to the church from so many different walks of life, belief systems, cultures, races, and social classes.
The identifying marks of being a Christian had nothing to do with their past, but only that now they were following Jesus and living every day, filled with His Holy Spirit. This identity became a consistent pattern throughout the New Testament church (Read Ephesians 1:13-14.)
What will people see today to know that you are following Christ? It must be more than past experiences, past traditions or heritages. You owe your world a supernatural encounter with the Spirit of God. Be filled today with His Holy Spirit, and be a witness to His love and power.