Page 54 - AlNashra Year 2025 Issue 02

The Foundation of the Apostolic Greek – Orthodox
Church of Antioch:

Unveiling a Major Turning Point in the Gospel’s Path
from Jews to Gentiles
Archimandrite Prof. Jack Khalil*

An in-depth analysis of the specifics in Damascus he had preached fearlessly
surrounding Barnabas and Saul as in the name of Jesus”. (Act 9:26-27 NIV)
apostles from the beginning of the Acts In Acts 11:20, the evangelist Luke
of the Apostles could yield insightful meticulously recorded Antioch's pivotal
information. This investigation would role as the birthplace of Christianity's
shed light on their approach to preaching expansion to embrace the Gentiles,
to the Gentiles during their initial assimilating them as integral members
journey. The author of Acts, Evangelist of the Church. A momentous shift took
Luke, introduces us to Joseph, known place after the Church in Jerusalem
among the apostles as Barnabas (Acts faced intense persecution following the
4:36-37). Following the account of Saul killing of Stephen (Acts 8:1). As a result,
of Tarsus's conversion in Acts 9, Luke all disciples, with the exception of the
promptly furnishes crucial information apostles, were dispersed to other cities.
that elucidates Barnabas' association Acts 8:4 states, "Those who had been
with Saul. When the latter came to scattered preached the word wherever
Jerusalem “he tried to join the disciples, they went" (NIV). Acts 11:19-20 revisits
but they were all afraid of him, not the missionary activity of these scattered
believing that he really was a disciple. But disciples, stating that they "traveled as
Barnabas took him and brought him to far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch,
the apostles. He told them how Saul on spreading the word only among
his journey had seen the Lord and that Jews" (Acts 11:19 NIV). The phrase
the Lord had spoken to him, and how εἰ� μὴ� μό�vον (only among) in verse

* Dean of St. John of Damascus Institute of Theology, University of Balamand.

53 Issue 2 - 2025