Acts 13, beginning with verse 1:
Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
Acts 11, beginning with verse 19:
So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.
But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.
And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
And the news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.
Then when he had come and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith; and considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.
And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. It came about that for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
These are the verses for the moment. As you know, the theme for this conference is the way of the church.
Now, in the evening session, I have a burden to share with you on the same subject, but from a more practical point of view. Because we speak about the way of the church, how are we going to meet according to the way of the Lord? Why do we meet in this way? Why do we speak about history, and about our past, in this way?
We want to know what the way of the church really is according to the Lord. I think probably the best way to understand that is through the examples in the Bible.
To speak about the universal church is too abstract for us. From the first century all the way to the twenty-first century, all those who are born in Christ belong to the Body of Christ. Paul has gone into glory, and we know that some people are yet to be born. Yet the church, the Body of Christ, includes all the members of the Body of Christ—all those who believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior.
The church indeed is the Body of Christ. But how are we going to understand it? More than that, how are we going to experience this life?
On one hand, Paul says in Ephesians that the church is the Body of Christ. But at the same time, Paul says to the church in Corinth, “You are the Body of Christ.” So when you meet here, you are manifesting the Body of Christ.
When we speak about the manifestation of the Body of Christ in a locality, we mean that we are able to live under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. That is my burden this evening. Let us seek an illustration from the Word of God.
Tonight, I would like to borrow an illustration from the church at Antioch. The church in Antioch was indeed a church in history. It really existed in history. We see its victories, and we also see its failures, especially after the second and third centuries.
But when we read the Word of God, we see how the Lord sought to introduce the church. Therefore, we want to learn some lessons from the church in Antioch.
The Book of Acts is not only the acts of the apostles. Actually, it is the acts of the Holy Spirit.
When we speak about the acts of the Holy Spirit, one important matter is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This has to do with the formation of the Body of Christ.
Let us read 1 Corinthians 12:13:
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Here we are not only speaking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We are also reminded of its spiritual meaning.
On the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. According to our Lord’s interpretation, that was the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:5 says:
For John baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence.
So, on the day of Pentecost, all the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. According to the Lord’s interpretation, this act of the Holy Spirit was the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
But thank the Lord, this phrase is not used only once in the Book of Acts. We find it repeated again in Acts 11:16, when Peter says:
And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, “John baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.”
Strictly speaking, when we talk about baptism with the Holy Spirit, we have two statements: one appears in Acts 1, and the other in Acts 11. In Acts 1, the Lord said, “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” On the day of Pentecost, that happened.
Then the same phrase was repeated in Acts 11, in connection with what happened in the house of Cornelius. There were some years between these two events, but actually they were one act of the Holy Spirit.
Our Lord died once for us on the cross. That is a historical fact. Another very important historical fact is that we were all baptized into one Body. Yet it took many years, in history, for this to be accomplished.
The Holy Spirit began to work from Acts 1 all the way to Acts 11. With God, it is one act; God is outside of time. But because we live in time, we see one event on the day of Pentecost and another event in the house of Cornelius—one in Jerusalem and one in Caesarea.
In both events, the apostle Peter was present. When Paul explains the meaning of baptism with the Holy Spirit, he shows us that it is one act in one instance as far as God is concerned. Yet, for us, the account stretches from Acts 1 to Acts 11.
The Holy Spirit uses the expression “baptized with the Holy Spirit” on these two occasions. Therefore, we know that this is a historical fact: one baptism, many fillings.
According to that historical fact, today we may appropriate what the Holy Spirit accomplished on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius. Today we may experience the filling of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 2, when the Lord first spoke concerning baptism with the Holy Spirit, the church in Jerusalem was born. The second time the phrase was repeated was from the mouth of Peter, after he witnessed what the Lord had done in the house of Cornelius.
The Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit was also poured out in the house of Cornelius. The pouring out speaks of the heavenly end of the river of living water; baptism speaks of the earthly end. This is one event, beginning from the throne of God.
On the day of Pentecost, the one hundred and twenty in the upper room were baptized into one Body. But when Paul speaks of this baptism, he says, “Whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free.” Therefore, historically, this baptism extends from Pentecost through the event at the house of Cornelius.
In Acts 2, the church in Jerusalem was born. In Acts 11, after the experience in the house of Cornelius, the Holy Spirit shows us something new: the church in Antioch.
The Lord’s program is revealed in Acts 1:8:
But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The reason they received power from on high was not merely to adorn themselves. The important thing is that, when they were clothed with power from on high, they would be witnesses of the Lord—in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.
Here is the order: Jerusalem is the center, but it is only the starting point. It must never become the ending point.
Later, something was wrong with the church in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit had to remind them that Jerusalem was only the beginning, never the end. The end was the uttermost part of the earth.
The program began from Jerusalem, then moved to Judea and Samaria, and then to the end of the earth. This is how the Lord builds His church. This is how the Holy Spirit baptizes us into one Body.
The church in Jerusalem was one hemisphere, and the church in Antioch was another hemisphere. In the first twelve chapters of Acts, we see the Jerusalem hemisphere. Then, in the remaining chapters, we see the Antioch hemisphere. Together, they give us the whole sphere and the complete picture.
When we come to Acts 8, we find that there was a great persecution because of Stephen. Stephen’s martyrdom was very important. It was almost like a watershed in the Book of Acts.
Acts 8:1 says:
And on that day there arose a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Between Acts 2 and Acts 8, the church in Jerusalem was wonderfully and greatly blessed. It began with one hundred and twenty members, then three thousand were added, and later many more. By today’s standard, it was a megachurch—the first megachurch in church history.
The church in Jerusalem was full of life and full of the work of the Holy Spirit. There is no doubt about that. The blessing was great, and the apostles labored day and night.
Yet the church in Jerusalem was only the beginning of God’s work. The apostles knew the way of God and the program of the Lord Jesus. They knew that Jerusalem was only the starting point, and that they could not remain there forever.
How, then, would the work go forward in Samaria? Who would do that work? Here we see the Body of Christ. No matter how important Peter and the apostles were, they were only members of the Body of Christ.
For the Body to grow and move, the Holy Spirit had to move with the Body. The Body had already been born; now the Body had to function.
God used persecution to scatter the saints. Acts 8 tells us that they were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. The apostles remained in Jerusalem, but the other members of the Body were scattered.
Why were they scattered? They were to be the Lord’s witnesses. If they remained in Jerusalem, they could continue the same work, but not according to the Lord’s program.
The Lord used the persecution connected with Stephen to scatter the people. If we read carefully, we see exactly what happened after the persecution: the saints began to move.
There were seven deacons, and one of them was Stephen. Another was Philip. Immediately after the scattering, the Holy Spirit speaks about Philip.
Philip went to Samaria, and the door of the gospel in Samaria was opened. Peter and John also went to Samaria. Then Philip, led by the Holy Spirit, went into the wilderness on the road from Jerusalem toward Gaza.
There he met the Ethiopian eunuch, who had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning to Ethiopia while reading Isaiah 53. Philip explained the Scriptures to him, opened his eyes, and baptized him.
Because of this, the gospel reached Ethiopia—not only Jerusalem and Samaria, but toward the end of the earth. The Lord desired to accomplish His work through the movement of the Body of Christ.
Philip was later stationed in Caesarea. Peter also went to that area, including Joppa. Then the Holy Spirit did something further: Saul was converted.
Paul, as a Pharisee, had embraced three worlds. He stood very high in those worlds and sought to persecute Christ. On the road to Damascus, the light from heaven shone upon him, and he was apprehended by the Lord.
This was one of the greatest conversions in human history. Who made it possible? It was the Holy Spirit.
When Stephen gave his long message, he went through the whole Old Testament. Paul was there. Luke was not there, but Paul was there. Paul was a scholar of the Old Testament, yet he had never known it in such a living way.
Stephen’s message deeply impressed him. Outwardly, Paul did not want to hear. Like the others, he may have covered his ears. Yet the Holy Spirit worked deeply in his heart.
Paul remembered Stephen’s testimony. He remembered Stephen’s face, which was like the face of an angel. He remembered Stephen’s prayer. The face of a martyr was like an angel, though his heart was strong as a lion.
Paul had two choices: either accept Jesus Christ as his Savior, or refuse to see anyone connected with the Lord Jesus. He went to an extreme and began to persecute the saints. But his conscience troubled him.
The Lord said to him, “It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.” Saul was striving against the Lord. On the way to Damascus, instead of arresting others, he was arrested by the Lord Himself.
This was a wonderful conversion. It explains why, in Acts 13, Paul gave his first recorded message in Antioch of Pisidia. That message was tremendously important, and it summarizes his ministry and his writings.
Stephen’s message had been interrupted. He did not finish it. But if you study Paul’s message in Acts 13, you find that he begins where Stephen’s message was interrupted.
The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Because of Stephen’s blood, Paul was apprehended, and the Lord gave him a responsibility. He was prepared to serve in another hemisphere of the work beginning in Acts 13.
In the first hemisphere, we see Peter and the apostles. In the second hemisphere, centered in Antioch, we see Paul and Barnabas. It is one work—the work of the Lord from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria and onward to the ends of the earth.
Acts 9:31 says:
So the church throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied.
This shows us what the Body of Christ can do. The apostles could confirm what the Lord had done, but through the scattering, churches were established throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.
Most of those converted in these areas were Jews. Yet the Lord wanted the gospel to reach the end of the earth. He prepared Philip for the Ethiopian eunuch, and He prepared Peter for the house of Cornelius.
While Peter was in Joppa, the Lord gave him the vision of the unclean animals and said, “Arise, Peter; kill and eat.” Peter answered, “Not so, Lord.” Throughout his life as a Jew, Peter had never eaten anything unclean.
Peter had no dealings with Gentiles. This was in his blood and bone. But the Lord had to do something in him. In this sense, Peter also needed a great conversion—a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree change from “No, Lord” to “Yes, Lord.”
The Lord had to conquer both Paul and Peter. The work of God could be hindered even by these two men, so the Holy Spirit performed a drastic work of transformation.
Peter was willing to go to the house of Cornelius. While he was still speaking, his message was interrupted by a happy interruption: the Holy Spirit was poured out. Peter then remembered the Lord’s word and understood that this was baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Thus, after many years—from Acts 1 through Acts 11—the act of baptism with the Holy Spirit was complete. We were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free.
With this understanding, we are able to appreciate the church and understand the nature of the church of God. It was the work of the Holy Spirit to make us one Body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free. We were all made to drink of one Spirit.
The work was accomplished. In Acts 2, the work of the Holy Spirit was dramatic, like fire. From Acts 13 onward, the Holy Spirit was still working, but often in a still, small voice.
There were some in the church who were able to hear that voice and discern the movement of the Holy Spirit. From that time onward, it was the Holy Spirit who regulated the steps of Paul and Barnabas.
The Holy Spirit wants the saints to be witnesses from Jerusalem to the end of the earth. The Lord carefully works in that direction.
The saints were scattered into Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, and churches were built. One local church was raised up in one locality, and another in another locality. The work also moved in another direction—toward Africa, Caesarea, Phoenicia, Antioch, Asia Minor, and Europe.
The Body of Christ is powerful. This is not merely something for us to talk about. It is very important.
There are two references to baptism with the Holy Spirit because in Acts 2 the church in Jerusalem was born, and in Acts 11 the church in Antioch was born.
If we take a closer look at the church in Antioch, we will see that it should be an example for us, because its situation is much like ours.
The church consists of those called out from this world. Yet we still live in our own space and time. In that space and time, the Body of Christ ought to be manifested in a very practical and powerful way.
Immediately after the account of baptism with the Holy Spirit in the house of Cornelius, Acts 11:20 tells us that men from Cyprus and Cyrene came to Antioch and spoke to the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus. The Holy Spirit placed these accounts together deliberately.
Antioch was different from Jerusalem. It was the third-largest city in the Roman Empire at that time. In the days of the Lord Jesus, the city was only about three hundred years old.
After Alexander the Great died, his kingdom was divided. Daniel 11 speaks of the king of the north and the king of the south: Syria and Egypt. Alexandria was the great city of Egypt, and Antioch was the great city of Syria.
In the Roman world, Rome was the capital, but Alexandria and Antioch remained great cities of the former Greek world. These three cities were notable for their illuminated streets and active life even late at night.
When we study history, we see the wisdom of the Holy Spirit in choosing Antioch as the place to begin this new work. The church in Antioch serves as a good example because many important New Testament principles are displayed there.
Jerusalem was the beginning, but Jerusalem had to pass through a transitional period. In Antioch, the Holy Spirit could begin something afresh. Jerusalem had a long history of Judaism, and people there had lived under the shadow of Judaism for generations.
Antioch belonged to the Greek world. It was a new city, and it had experienced explosive growth. In the time of the Lord, it was called the “Queen of the East.”
Why does Paul speak of slaves and free men? Why does he speak of baptism and the nature of the church? There is an important point here, and we can learn it from Antioch.
According to history, in the time of Paul Antioch had approximately three hundred thousand free men and two hundred thousand slaves. For every three free men, there were two slaves.
The city was a melting pot. There were Jews, Greeks, Romans, and native Syrians. The Jews were a minority—perhaps forty-five thousand among the free population—but they were an influential minority. They lived under their own laws and were an important component of society.
At least five languages were spoken in Antioch: Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Syriac, and Persian. Think about it: these people lived together and came together in one city.
In the time of Paul, Roman influence became very strong, and Antioch became a very evil and wicked city. Its moral condition was notorious.
Antioch was sometimes called “Antioch by Daphne.” Daphne was a place about five miles south of Antioch, where there was a temple associated with Apollo. There was idol worship there, and the female priests were in fact prostitutes. Daphne was known for its immorality.
The immorality was so notorious that Roman authorities forbade soldiers to visit Daphne during their holidays. Antioch was a prosperous and luxurious city, but it was also deeply wicked.
The Romans had many baths. Their lifestyle was marked by indulgence: eating, bathing, entertainment, and pleasure. Antioch also had a circus for horse races, where crowds took sides between the green and blue teams. The circus could seat up to eighty thousand people.
That was the background of the city: evil, prosperous, luxurious, and worldly. Yet God chose this place.
Some believers came from Cyprus and Cyrene. Cyrene was in Africa, in what is today Libya. These disciples migrated from Cyprus and Cyrene and joined the church in Antioch.
There were Greeks, Romans, Jews, native Syrians, and immigrants. Cyprus was the island of Barnabas, and Barnabas was likely a Hellenistic Jew. Cyrene was in Africa. Among the five leaders named in Acts 13, two were black.
These believers preached the gospel to the Greeks. Before Peter arrived and before Barnabas arrived, something had already happened. Many people had been saved.
This is an important lesson. Paul was a very important servant of God. Yet in Thessalonica he labored only three weeks, and everything changed. In Antioch, before prominent workers arrived, the church had already begun.
If the church were merely an organization, could this happen? The church is not an organization. In Jerusalem, historically, Christian workers produced the church. But in Antioch, the church was already there before the workers arrived.
Sometimes we have only one way of thinking: we imagine that the work comes first, and then the church. But in Antioch, the church was there first.
Michelangelo used to do something when he worked on a masterpiece. He would place a light in such a way that his shadow would not fall upon his work. He said he was afraid that his shadow would ruin the masterpiece.
How many servants of God cast a long shadow over the work of God? Before the shadow of Peter and before the shadow of Barnabas came to Antioch, something had already happened. Many people had been saved.
The Bible speaks of the church immediately. These people did not have to wait for workers to come and organize them into a church. They came together as the church.
Sometimes we are so capable as workers of God that we do not know how to be brothers. We think the work comes first and then the church. No—the church comes first.
Barnabas realized that he alone was not sufficient. He knew someone who could help more than he could, so he went to Tarsus to look for Paul.
The Greek word used of Barnabas finding Paul suggests a deep search, like seeking for a pearl or treasure. Finally, Barnabas found Paul.
Paul had recently been saved. When he first went to Jerusalem, no disciple dared to approach him. It was Barnabas who introduced him to the disciples.
Before Paul went to Jerusalem, he spent three years in the wilderness, in the desert of Sinai. There he received revelation concerning Jesus Christ, and through the Word of God he learned to interpret his vision on the road to Damascus.
On the way to Damascus, the Lord asked him, “Why persecutest thou Me?” This was a puzzling question. Christ had already been glorified in heaven. How could Paul persecute One who was in heaven?
Gradually, in the desert, the Lord revealed the answer to him: “I am the One whom thou persecutest.” When Paul persecuted Christ’s followers on earth, he was persecuting Christ Himself.
From that time on, Paul saw the vision of the Body of Christ: the Head is in heaven, and His Body is on earth. This is the universal man.
Yet Paul needed more than a universal revelation. The Lord led him into Damascus, where Ananias opened his eyes. When Paul looked up, he saw a brother.
Paul had come to Damascus to persecute men such as Ananias. Yet Ananias called him, “Brother Saul.” The great mystery of the universe was reduced to one brother receiving another brother.
If Paul wanted to know the way of God, he had to have fellowship with a member of the Body in Damascus. If he wanted his eyes opened, he had to receive help from the Body.
Why did the Lord not heal Paul directly? The Lord wanted to deliver him from self-sufficiency. Paul could not say, “The Lord healed me directly, and the Lord gave me all the instructions.” The Lord wanted him to know that he needed the members of the Body.
When Ananias said, “Brother Saul,” it was like music to Paul. His enemy called him brother. That brother opened his eyes. Paul could say, “I cannot live without Christ, the Head, and I also cannot live without the Body.”
The Lord then hid Paul in Tarsus. We do not know much about those years, but the Lord was working with him. His vision was a living vision.
Tarsus was not far from Antioch. Barnabas found Paul because Paul was the one who could help in that situation. By the fruit Paul bore, we can see how much he had learned before the Lord.
Jerusalem had the shadow of the past: the temple system, the priesthood, and the long history of Judaism. But Paul had learned lessons in hiddenness. He was kept in that place for about eleven years, just as our Lord was hidden for thirty years.
The living water was accumulating. Then Barnabas found Paul, and Paul joined the church. He met with the church for one year.
That phrase should put many Christian workers to shame. We labor for ten years or twenty years. Yet God hid Paul for eleven years, preparing him for one wonderful moment.
When the dam was removed, the living water flowed. One year was enough.
How should we describe the church? Do not promote yourselves. Do not announce yourselves by saying, “We are the church. We are standing on the church ground. We are God’s testimony.” Do not speak too much about the way of the church.
We are supposed to live the church, not merely talk about the church. Today we talk too much and write too much. Think about it: one year in Antioch turned the whole city upside down.
This must have been the work of the Holy Spirit. The teaching found throughout the Epistles of Paul, Peter, John, and the rest of the New Testament helps explain why one year of labor produced such a result.
What happened there? It is very simple. At this point, we do not hear much about elders. Later we hear about prophets and teachers. But before those matters, something had happened in Antioch that people could feel.
That is testimony. Testimony is not what you say. It is not going around telling people, “We are the church.” If you truly live according to the Lord’s testimony, the world will know that something has happened.
If you do not practice the piano, you know it. Your wife knows it. After three days, the whole world knows it. What is testimony? Testimony is something that the world should know.
We have been here for many years. What is our impact upon the whole society? When we study the Book of Acts, everything is real and practical.
Acts 11:26 says:
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church, and taught much people; and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
They were disciples. In Judaism, there were disciples of Moses, followers of the Pharisees, disciples of the Sadducees, and many other branches. Judaism had many divisions.
Later, when Paul returned to Jerusalem, James told him that there were tens of thousands who believed in the Lord, and they were all zealous for the law. We may ask, “Are they Christians, or are they Jews?” They were Messianic Jews.
For those in Jerusalem, Christianity could be regarded as one branch of Judaism. Under the umbrella of Judaism, Christians had certain legal protections because Judaism was a recognized religion within the Roman Empire.
When Judaism enjoyed peace, the church also enjoyed peace. But the Holy Spirit had to do something further. New wine must be put into new wineskins.
Judaism was an old wineskin. The church of Christ was the new wineskin. The Lord sought to show what was new.
Something happened in the streets of Antioch because the disciples were first called Christians there.
Antioch had a long main street, about four miles long and about nine meters wide, with covered walkways on both sides. There were shops along the street, and at night it was lit by torches. There were hundreds of columns lining the way.
The city had markets where everyone came together. Camel caravans arrived with gold and spices. People from many parts of the world met there, exchanged news, discussed events, gossiped, and made jokes.
The people of Antioch had a particular gift for giving nicknames. For example, Emperor Julian wanted everyone to know that he was a philosopher, so he wore a beard. When he stayed in Antioch, he tried to restore idol worship and offered sacrifices to Apollo.
When he called for a celebration, only one old priest appeared with a chicken. The people gave Julian three nicknames: the dwarf, because he was short; the goat, because of his beard; and the butcher, because of his sacrifices.
The people of Antioch noticed everything. They could smell when something was happening. After one year of Paul and Barnabas meeting with the church, they sensed that something had changed.
These believers had become an important part of the society. They were not merely two or three people. They had an influence on the city, but the people did not know how to describe them.
In Jerusalem, they might have been called Nazarenes. But in Antioch there were Jews, Syrians, Romans, Greeks, and immigrants. How could they describe such a people?
Finally, they called them Christians.
“Christ” is the Greek equivalent of “Messiah.” The Messiah is the Anointed One: the coming King, the anointed Prophet, and the anointed Priest. The word “Christian” contains the biblical reality of Christ, expressed in Greek and bearing a Roman ending.
The name was special. When our Lord died on the cross, the inscription identifying Him as King of the Jews was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. In the name “Christian,” we see something that reaches beyond one people or one language.
A Christian is simply a follower of Christ. We belong to Him. We are no longer merely a branch of Judaism. We are different.
The Bible speaks of anointing. Aaron was anointed with precious oil, and that oil flowed from the head down upon the garments. Christ is the Head, and we are His Body. When the oil flows upon the whole Body, we become Christians—the anointed ones.
When you are in the presence of a king who has been anointed with precious oil, you smell the fragrance. Not only the head, but the body also bears the fragrance. This is the testimony of God. This is our witness.
Enough of what we claim. It is what we live that matters.
During that one year, the people of Antioch did not know all the details of what was happening among the believers. Yet something was in the atmosphere. The whole city could smell the fragrance of Christ, and they said, “They are Christians.”
Thank the Lord for this most glorious name in the Bible. If people ask you who you are, what better answer is there than this: “I am a Christian.”
The Song of Songs speaks of the beloved as a cluster of henna blossoms. Archaeological discoveries indicate that there were mountains of spices near En-gedi, and even today henna flowers may be found there.
A single henna tree does not release much fragrance. But when many trees grow together, the fragrance can be smelled from a mile away.
Christ was the only begotten Son. After His resurrection, He led many sons into glory. The one henna blossom became a multitude.
When the church comes together—when the church in Antioch comes together—it is not merely one henna tree. The whole world can smell the fragrance of Christ.
That is our testimony. That is what the Lord is doing in our time. Before the Lord’s return, we have a mission.
By His grace, let us not merely claim what we are. Let us live according to what we are. Wherever we go and wherever we live, may the fragrance of Christ issue forth from us.
That is the Lord’s testimony.