It’s great to have you join us for the STC Sheffield podcast today. Our Bible passage is Acts Chapter 11 v19-30, and I’d like us to focus on verses 23 and 26:

“He exorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose…..and in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.”

REFLECTION:

The word ‘steadfast’ is used 219 times in the Bible, and 132 of these refer to God. Steadfastness is a Godly characteristic, and therefore it’s not surprising that Barnabas encourages the believers in Antioch to develop this quality in their own lives. But what does it mean to be steadfast?

At its root, steadfast means being ‘firmly fixed in place.’ Over time, describing something or someone as steadfast has also come to mean: ‘not subject to change,’ ‘immovable’ and ‘firm in belief, determination and adherence.’

Why might Barnabas have chosen to speak this particular word to the church in Antioch?

Antioch was the third largest city in the Roman Empire. It was bustling and cosmopolitan, a commercial and cultural cross roads, as Jews, Greeks, Romans and those from Persia, India and even China travelled to it and through it. It would be hard to describe anything in Antioch as being ‘firmly fixed in place’ or ‘immovable.’ In fact, as we read in verse 19, the first generation of believers in Antioch were immigrants to the city, having moved there to flee the persecution that was happening in Jerusalem.

Antioch also had a fashionable and wealthy reputation. Think of somewhere like Monte Carlo or Nice. It was famous for having a long, paved boulevard that stretched from north to south, flanked by colonnades, trees and fountains. If being steadfast means not being subject to change, then Antioch would recoil at the thought of being described in this way. Antioch wanted to be known, to be influential, to be at the forefront, to be the place that always changed.

And finally, alongside the glories, came the darker side of Antioch. It was a place of moral depravity and corruption. The temples of Artemis and Apollo on the outskirts of the city were centres of ritual prostitution and vice, attracting large crowds. In 2016, archaeologists discovered a Greek mosaic in Antioch showing a skeleton lying down with a bottle of wine and loaf of bread alongside the words: “Be cheerful, enjoy your life.” It is known as the “reckless skeleton.” Rather than being firm in belief and adherence, the words hedonistic and reckless are perhaps a better description of the residents of Antioch.

Knowing this background helps to explain why Barnabas chose to encourage the Christians in the city “to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.” They certainly had a lot going against them, and there was huge potential for the culture and context to alter their behaviour, change their attitudes, and shake their beliefs, to the extent that they would not have remained faithful to the Good News of the Gospel.

And yet despite everything that was happening in Antioch, the church was thriving and growing rapidly. There were lots of new converts, and the believers were so passionate about evangelism that they were always talking about Christ to others, and so they earned the nickname ‘the Christ people’ – the Christians.

But what is God saying to us today through this passage?

In many ways 1st century Antioch and 21st Century Sheffield are remarkably similar.

We live in the 5th largest city in the UK. It is bustling and cosmopolitan, as people from all over the world come here to work, live and study. As a nation we are obsessed with those who are fashionable, famous and wealthy. We listen to blogs, watch Youtube channels, and read magazines that track their every move, their every outfit. We live in a time when being a social media influencer is actually a job. And finally, there is the darker side of life in the UK today.