Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 11:27-30

Yet again, we see that adversity becomes an opportunity for acts of cruciformity. In 11:19, the scattering led to gospel proclamation elsewhere; the Kingdom grows. Here, the believers in Antioch determine to send relief to their brethren in Judea, entrusting the transport of these funds to Barnabas and Saul. The root word for “relief” here is diakonos, “service.” Brothers and sisters in Christ serve one another when there is a need.

The reign of Claudius was marked by a long series of crop failures throughout the empire, including Judea. The famine there seems to have coincided with the procuratorship of Tiberius Alexander (AD 46-48). Egyptian records speak of a major famine there in AD 45-46, which helps us date the events of Acts 11 to approximately AD 46. Note the early mention of elders in the life of the church here. Within a few years of the church’s founding, we see Antioch under the leadership of a plurality of elders (presbyteros), a governance model that still holds.

This must have been a formative experience for Paul, for the relief for the saints in Jerusalem will never be far from his heart. The epistles are full of references to this same work years later.

The story is interrupted by a final episode involving Simon Peter. But then Luke returns to the thread of Paul and Barnabas, noting at Acts 12:25 that they returned from Jerusalem, bringing John Mark with them. Were they in Jerusalem when Herod killed James and arrested Simon Peter? Did they join in the prayer meeting described in Acts 12:5? Were they at Mary’s place when Rhoda heard Peter at the door?

It’s possible.

All we know for sure is that Paul and Barnabas made it to Jerusalem to deliver the financial gift. And they connected with John Mark while they served there.