After Pentecost, many believed in Jesus Christ. As a result, the authorities persecuted believers. To escape per-secution, the believers went to other places. Some of them went to Antioch. Through them, the good news was pro-claimed. Many believed and were converted.

The mother Church in Jerusalem heard about this and sent Barnabas to Antioch to check out the situation. Living out the meaning of his name as "encourager", Barnabas, after he had confirmed that "God had given grace", encouraged the Christians to "remain faithful to the Lord with heartfelt devotion" (v 23). In addition, through his encouragement "a large number of people were won over to the Lord" (v 25).

Besides encouraging the Christians and the people of Antioch, Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. Barnabas realised that the new Christians needed to be fol-lowed up and trained in their new-found Christian faith. What better person to help him than Saul (a former Pharisee trained under Gamaliel, the finest Jewish teacher at that time)?

Saul went to Antioch and stayed with Barnabas. Together, they instructed the new Christians for a whole year. After some time, God spoke to the leaders in the Church at Antioch, and they commissioned Barnabas and Saul for their first missionary journey.