²² The rumors of this came to the ears of the church (assembly) in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

²³ When he arrived and saw what grace (favor) God was bestowing upon them, he was full of joy; and he continuously exhorted (warned, urged, and encouraged) them all to cleave unto and remain faithful to and devoted to the Lord with [resolute and steady] purpose of heart.

²⁴ For he was a good man [^[a]good in himself and also at once for the good and the advantage of other people], full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit and full of faith (of his ^[b]belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation). And a large company was added to the Lord.

²⁵ [Barnabas] went on to Tarsus to hunt for Saul.

²⁶ And when he had found him, he brought him back to Antioch. For a whole year they assembled together with and ^[c]were guests of the church and instructed a large number of people; and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

⁷ And the message of God kept on spreading, and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem; and [besides] a large number of the priests were obedient to the faith [in Jesus as the Messiah, through Whom is obtained eternal salvation in the kingdom of God].