27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to
Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit
that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the
days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, everyone according to his
ability, to send relief to the brothers [3] living in Judea. 30 And they did
so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:27-30
(ESV)
Already in the first decades of the church, you see the
concern Christians have for one another. And here it seems the gentiles are
sending money to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. “See how they love one
another.” Already tensions are brewing. Already there is a vocal circumcision
party, suspicious of the gentile converts. The gentile converts put their best
foot forward. They send money in anticipation of a famine that is prophesied to
cover the world. Most people would stockpile their own resources at his time to
prepare for this famine. But already due to the persecutions, the poor in
Jerusalem were feeling the pinch.
They decide to send the money with Barnabus and Saul. It’s
funny how one moment he is Paul, and the next Saul even after conversion. The likelihood
is that he actually grew up with both of these names. It was common for Jews of
the diaspora to have two names that sounded somewhat alike, one for use at home
and among Jews, and the other to be used among gentiles. Since Paul is heading
to Jerusalem he will be better known as Saul.
The other interesting thing is the use of the word elder
here. In scripture this word is that which is used for what we know as the
pastoral office. No mention is made of either the deacons (our elders) or the
Apostles. The pastoral office it seems has already begun to take root in
Jerusalem, and responsibilities are being given to these young pastors that
just a couple years before would probably have been given to the apostles. The
transition has to happen because the apostles will not always be with the
people. The apostles are also called away from time to time to check on things
elsewhere, and go to other lands. A person can learn of some of the travels of
different apostles from Eusebius. If the church in Jerusalem is going to be
stable it needs leadership of its own that doesn’t need to be shared with the rest
of the church.
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