What are You called?... Acts 11

In Acts 11, the gospel crosses another major boundary as the message of Jesus begins spreading beyond the Jewish world and into the Gentile nations. When Peter returns to Jerusalem, some believers question his decision to enter a Gentile home, but his testimony reveals that God Himself is opening the door of salvation to all people. As persecution scatters believers, the message of Christ travels to places like Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, where both Jews and Greeks begin turning to the Lord. Barnabas and Saul spend a year teaching the growing church in Antioch, and it is there that the disciples are first called “Christians.” What began as a term of ridicule—meaning “little Christs”—became a defining identity for followers of Jesus. This chapter challenges us to consider a powerful question: What truly defines us? Our identity in Christ is not merely a label we claim, but a life reflected in our actions, compassion, and faith as the gospel continues to spread to the world.