Pray the word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

Acts chapter 11 verses 19 through 21 say now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen

traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them,

men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenas also

preaching the Lord Jesus and the hand of the Lord was with

them and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. These verses describe the

planting of the church at Antioch, one of the most influential churches in the history of Christianity, not just the first century.

I mean the church at Antioch a couple chapters later would be the church that

sends Paul and Barnabas out on the first missionary journey and and and leads to the

planting of churches all over the Roman Empire and

first second third missionary journey it all started with the church in Antioch

so what's fascinating about these verses

that are talking about the

planting of this church is we don't know any of the people's names who actually

planted this church so it just says there were some of them in verse 20.

Men of Cyprus and Irene who came to Antioch, started speaking of the Greeks,

preaching the gospel and the hand the Lord was with them and a great number

who believed turned to the Lord.

It's an awesome thought that this strategic church in the history of Christianity was

planted by a bunch of guys who we don't even know their names.

They're just called them in the Bible and they had a massive impact on the spread of the gospel in the known world at that time and all the way to our time today.

And so I read these verses and I just think, this is exactly it.

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