How can the Church share the gospel across ethnic and cultural lines? Verse 19 makes it clear that many of the early Christians were asking that question, preaching the good news of Jesus Christ at first only with those who shared their Jewish culture. But by the end of the passage, a church had been organized in Antioch, among people who spoke Greek. How did that happen?

In the first place, simply because Christians took the trouble to reach out. When they preached the Lord Jesus in the Greek language to Greeks, it turns out that a great number of the Greeks believed (v. 21). But notice who was doing the preaching – men from Cyprus and Cyrene (v. 20), those who had already lived for a time among people of Greek culture. Barnabas was also from Cyprus (Acts 4:36), and so when he came to Antioch he was an especially effective evangelist, encouraging the people, and helping the new church to grow.

Saul was another example of a Jew who had become familiar with Greek culture during his upbringing in Tarsus, so Barnabas naturally sought him out to help nurture the new congregation. Paul’s immense learning of the Old Testament and his ability to speak Greek made for a powerful combination, so the Greek-speaking church grew not only in knowledge but in spiritual depth. In fact, the new believers showed their own willingness to reach across cultural lines when they took up a collection to help the Jewish believers during a famine that was coming to Judea (v. 29).

So, while we do our best to reach across cultural lines with the gospel, and as we use whatever knowledge we may have of different cultures to help us make connections with new believers, we must continue to rely on the work of the Holy Spirit. After all, the reason that so many turned to Christ in Antioch is because “the hand of the Lord” was with those who preached (v. 21). Moreover, Barnabas was not only an effective evangelist because he was from Cyprus, but also because “he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (v. 24). So as we preach, we must pray not only for God to bring many people to Himself, but for Him to fill us with His Spirit and with love, even for those whom we might consider strange at first.

Acts 11:19-30 (ESV)

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.
20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose,
24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
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, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.
30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.