After describing the conversion of the Gentiles, Luke turns his attention to the situation in the church at Antioch. The notes concerning the scattering of the believers “by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed” (11:19) recall the earlier account after Stephen’s death (8:1), but this section also picks up on the earlier mentioning of the relationship between Barnabas and Saul in 9:27 and places them now in Antioch (11:25–26). This paves the way for the later narrative, as the church in Antioch will send out Barnabas and Saul as the messengers of the word (13:1–3).

The preaching of the gospel in Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch pushes the gospel beyond Judea, Samaria, and even the coastal area near Caesarea. The focus of this section is on Antioch, the third largest city i…