What does Acts 11:27 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Official prophets were still active in the church apparently until the completion of the New Testament canon. A prophet was a person to whom God had given ability to speak for Him (forth-telling, cf. 1 Corinthians 14:1-5), which in some cases included the ability to receive and announce new revelation (fore-telling). Prophesying also equaled praising God ( 1 Chronicles 25:1). [source][source]

[source]

"The Jews believed that with the last of the ^[1] writing prophets, the spirit of prophecy had ceased in Israel; but the coming Messianic Age would bring an outpouring of God"s Spirit, and prophecy would again flourish. The early Christians, having experienced the inauguration of the Messianic Age ^[2], not only proclaimed Jesus to be the Mosaic eschatological prophet (cf. Acts 3:22; Acts 7:37) but also saw prophecy as a living phenomenon within the church (cf. also Acts 13:1; Acts 15:32; Acts 21:9-10) and ranked it among God"s gifts to his people next to that of being an apostle (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11)." ^[3] [source]

Context Summary

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