The Meaning of Acts 11:22 Explained

Acts 11:22

KJV: Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

YLT: And the account was heard in the ears of the assembly that is in Jerusalem concerning them, and they sent forth Barnabas to go through unto Antioch,

Darby: And the report concerning them reached the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go through as far as Antioch:

ASV: And the report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  tidings  of  these things  came  unto  the ears  of the church  which  was in  Jerusalem:  and  they sent forth  Barnabas,  that he should go  as far as  Antioch. 

What does Acts 11:22 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 11:19-30 - Knitting Together The Church
The development of God's plan is still further disclosed in the events recorded in this section, which describe the same phenomenon of Gentile conversion, but in different circumstances. In this case, it was not an Apostle that was God's chosen instrument, but a few unknown and unrecognized disciples, who were fleeing north from persecution, and had reached the gay, volatile city of Antioch. The hand of the Lord was with them, as it certainly had been with Peter, and large numbers of converts were gathered into a church. In this instance, also, the mother church felt bound to make inquiry, so they sent forth Barnabas, Acts 11:22.
Barnabas was a good man, and his unaffected piety enabled him to recognize at once that this movement was of God. All the signs of true conversion were present. He saw undoubted evidence of the grace of God, and pleaded with the new converts for tenacity and constancy. The secret of perseverance is in the phrase to cleave unto the Lord, Acts 11:23. In addition to the other beautiful traits of his character, we must add the spirit of tender brotherhood that carried Barnabas to Tarsus to find Saul. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 11

1  Peter, being accused for preaching to the Gentiles,
5  makes his defense;
18  which is accepted
19  The gospel being spread in Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch,
22  Barnabas is sent to confirm them
26  The disciples are first called Christians at Antioch
27  They send relief to the brothers in Judea in time of famine

Greek Commentary for Acts 11:22

Came to the ears [ηκουστη εις τα ωτα]
First aorist passive indicative of ακουω — akouō was heard in the ears. [source]
Of the church which was in Jerusalem [της εκκλησιας της εν Ιερουσαλημ]
Not yet was the term “church” applied to the group of disciples in Antioch as it is in Acts 11:26; Acts 13:1. They sent forth (εχαπεστειλαν — exapesteilan). First aorist active indicative of the double compound verb εχαποστελλω — eẋapȯstellō to send out and away. The choice of Barnabas was eminently wise. He already had a position of leadership in Jerusalem because of his generosity (Acts 4:36.) and his championship of Saul after his conversion (Acts 9:27). He was originally from Cyprus and probably had personal friends among some of the leaders in this new movement. He was to investigate the work of the travelling preachers (Acts 11:19) all the way to Antioch (εως Αντιοχειας — heōs Antiocheias). [source]
They sent forth [εχαπεστειλαν]
First aorist active indicative of the double compound verb εχαποστελλω — eẋapȯstellō to send out and away. The choice of Barnabas was eminently wise. He already had a position of leadership in Jerusalem because of his generosity (Acts 4:36.) and his championship of Saul after his conversion (Acts 9:27). He was originally from Cyprus and probably had personal friends among some of the leaders in this new movement. He was to investigate the work of the travelling preachers (Acts 11:19) all the way to Antioch (εως Αντιοχειας — heōs Antiocheias). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 11:22

Acts 13:1 Prophets and teachers [προπηται και διδασκαλοι]
All prophets were teachers, but not all teachers were prophets who were for-speakers of God, sometimes fore-speakers like Agabus in Acts 11:28. The double use of τε — te here makes three prophets (Barnabas, Symeon, Lucius) and two teachers (Manaen and Saul). Barnabas heads the list (Acts 11:22) and Saul comes last. Symeon Niger may be the Simon of Cyrene who carried the Saviour‘s cross. Lucius of Cyrene was probably one of the original evangelists (Acts 11:20). The name is one of the forms of Luke, but it is certainly not Luke the Physician. Manaen shows how the gospel was reaching some of the higher classes (home of Herod Antipas). Foster-brother (συντροπος — suntrophos). Old word for nourished with or brought up with one collactaneus (Vulgate). These are clearly the outstanding men in the great Greek church in Antioch. [source]
Acts 9:27 Took him [επιλαβομενος]
Second aorist middle (indirect) participle of επιλαμβανω — epilambanō common verb to lay hold of. Barnabas saw the situation and took Saul to himself and listened to his story and believed it. It is to the credit of Barnabas that he had the insight and the courage to stand by Saul at the crucial moment in his life when the evidence seemed to be against him. It is a pleasing hypothesis that this influential disciple from Cyprus had gone to the University of Tarsus where he met Saul. If so, he would know more of him than those who only knew his record as a persecutor of Christians. That fact Barnabas knew also, but he was convinced that Jesus had changed the heart of Saul and he used his great influence (Acts 4:36; Acts 11:22) to win the favour of the apostles, Peter in particular (Galatians 1:19) and James the half-brother of Jesus. The other apostles were probably out of the city as Paul says that he did not see them. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 11:22 mean?

Was heard now the report in the ears of the church - being in Jerusalem concerning them and they sent forth Barnabas to go as far as Antioch
Ἠκούσθη δὲ λόγος εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς οὔσης ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ περὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐξαπέστειλαν Βαρνάβαν [διελθεῖν] ἕως Ἀντιοχείας

Ἠκούσθη  Was  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
λόγος  report 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
ὦτα  ears 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: οὖς  
Sense: the ear.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐκκλησίας  church 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἐκκλησία  
Sense: a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
οὔσης  being 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
Ἰερουσαλὴμ  Jerusalem 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἰερουσαλήμ  
Sense: denotes either the city itself or the inhabitants.
περὶ  concerning 
Parse: Preposition
Root: περί 
Sense: about, concerning, on account of, because of, around, near.
ἐξαπέστειλαν  they  sent  forth 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐξαποστέλλω  
Sense: to send forth.
Βαρνάβαν  Barnabas 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Βαρναβᾶς  
Sense: the surname of Joses or Joseph, a Levite, a native of Cyprus He was a distinguished Christian teacher and companion and colleague of Paul.
[διελθεῖν]  to  go 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: διέρχομαι  
Sense: to go through, pass through.
ἕως  as  far  as 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἕως  
Sense: till, until.
Ἀντιοχείας  Antioch 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: Ἀντιόχεια  
Sense: Capital of Syria, situated on the river Orontes, founded by Seleucus Nicanor in 300 B.