The Pulpit Commentary — Acts — Volume 1 — Section 416

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-3.-.dn illustrious Church. Antecedently it might have been expected that the Church of Jernsalem would prove to be the most influential and illustrious of all Christian communities, and that from all lands and ages men would look back to it as the most potent factor in the early history of "our holy religion." But in this respect it must give place to "the Uhurch that was at Antioch." This community was remarkable for four things. L ITS HUJUN OOKPOSITlON. (Ver, 1.) Great names have been entered on the rolls of many Churches; but very few indeed, if any, could compare with the list which included the names of Barnabas and Saul, as well as that of a man (Manaen) who was the foster-brother of Herod Anti pas. A Church is influential, not only according to the number of souls it can count in its communion, but according to the cha.racter of the men who are included in its ranks. A Church which can win and can train and send forth a mOllt weful minister, or a most successful missionary, or a most powerful writer, may do a work which, in the balances of Heaven, weighs more than that of another which has five times its number on the liats. Nowhere more than here does quality, character, spiritual worth, tell in the estimate of truth and wisdom. IL lTs DIVD,'E INDWELLING. The Church at Antioch had " prophets and teachers" (ver. 1). This statement implies that there were those amongst the brethren who received occasionally such Divine impulse that they spoke under the consciousness of his inspiration. And to them, or to one of them, the Spirit of God made known the Divine will that they should set apart two of their number for special work (ver. 2). Evidently this Church was one in which, as in a temple, the Holy Ghost dwelt. The fact of the indwelling of the Spirit is not, indeed, anything which is itself remarkable; for no Church of which this cannot be said is worthy of its name, But of " the Church that was at Antioch" this was strikingly and eminently true, if we may take this short passage of its history as of a piece with the rest. llL ITS BELIGIOUS ACTIVITY. We know that Barnabas and Baul "taught mucb people" (eh. xL 26); the work of evangelization went on actively at Antioch, We may gather from our text-" they ministered to the Lord, and fasted "-that the Church was diligent in its devotions; not only worshipping when it was convenient and agreeable to t.he fiesh. liut to the extent of NU-denial: twice in two vursea wu read of  on. xm. 1-u2.) THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES,