²⁷Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. ²⁹And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. ³⁰And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

The church in Antioch did not see itself as a separate movement of believers in Jesus Christ but an extension of that which began in Jerusalem. While the Jewish believers wrestled with the inclusion of Gentile believers in the movement, the latter rejoiced that they now enjoyed the promise of the Holy Spirit apart from the need to keep the rigors of the Mosaic Law. They had found freedom and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because of their new-found life in Christ, they had a burden for the needs of believers who were especially hard-hit by the pervasive famine that was wracking the Roman world at that time. Historians identify Emperor Claudius as the fourth in the Caesar dynasty that began with Augustus and continued through Tiberius and Caligula. Claudius’ reign from A.D. 41–54 was marked by famines (according to F.F. Bruce), partly as a result of his predecessor’s financial mismanagement of the empire.

While the NT mentions four different Caesars (Augustus in Luke 2:1, Tiberius in Luke 3:1, and Nero in Acts 26, though not by name), only Claudius is mentioned by name twice (see Acts 18:2, where he is connected to the expulsion of Jews from Rome). We note the historian’s meticulous effort in connecting the book of Acts to secular events.

The prophecy of Agabus alerted the believers to the need. Their response was quite remarkable, reminiscent of the benevolence of the Jerusalem believers in meeting the needs among themselves in Acts 4 and 5 (where we see Barnabas presented as a prime example). There was no mandate or arm-twisting; each believer gave proportionately from his or her “means” or, as some versions render the word, “ability.” It was a collective yet voluntary effort. The apostle Paul later expands on the notion of giving in 2 Corinthians 8 and 9; most certainly, his heart for this kind of ministry was influenced by his association with Barnabas.

At any rate, the believers in Antioch commissioned Barnabas and Saul to escort the offering to the elders in Jerusalem. Thus, we see full solidarity on the part of the Antiochean believers with those in Jerusalem.

Lord, I commit to helping other Christians who are in financial need.