Asbury Bible Commentary – B. From Antioch to Jerusalem (11:27-12:25)
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B. From Antioch to Jerusalem (11:27-12:25)

B. From Antioch to Jerusalem (11:27-12:25)

Luke signals the growing importance of the Christians of Antioch by the account of their caring ministry to the Christians in Judea (11:27-30). The stewardship of the new covenant community, seen first within the Christian community in Jerusalem, is now expanded by the Antioch community to include Christians outside the local community.

Before completing his shift of focus from Jerusalem to Antioch and its outreach through Paul, Luke gives one final glimpse of the situation in Jerusalem (12:1-24). Persecution of Christians has now extended from the Jewish religious leadership to the Roman political leadership of King Agrippa I (a.d. 37-44). Also, with the broadened persecution following Stephen’s death, the apostles seem to have been unaffected (8:1); now they become the martyrs.

Peter’s miraculous prison escape reveals the continued presence and power of God in the new covenant community. The community’s unbelieving surprise at answered prayer indicates that even a faithful, Spirit-filled community of believers may lack absolute trust in God. In the face of persecution and martyrdom, it is possible to become fatalistic rather than faithful and to presume the worst rather than expect the best.

Luke’s use of multiplied is the third and final use in the same manner. It appears in 6:7, at the end of the purely Jewish outreach; in 9:31, at the end of the larger Jewish outreach, which included Samaritans and proselytes; and here in 12:24, at the close of the largest Jewish outreach, which includes gentile God-fearers. The new covenant community has now extended its outreach to the ultimate limit of that world encompassed by the old covenant community. It stands on the threshold of a radical step.