Bible Strands
Acts 11:20
But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Scattered believers arrive in Antioch and address Greek-speaking audiences with the message about Jesus. This occurs immediately after a period when those same dispersed believers restricted their preaching exclusively to Jews in Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.
The words — The Greek phrase τινες ἄνδρες (tines andres) literally renders "some men," identifying the specific messengers as men from Cyprus and Cyrene. The conjunction δὲ (de) functions as "however," marking a deliberate shift from the previous restricted evangelism.
The thread — This expansion to Greek speakers connects to the earlier mention of visitors from Cyrene in Acts 2:10 and anticipates the Cyrenean Lucius serving in the Antioch church recorded in Acts 13:1. The geographic origin of these messengers also echoes Simon of Cyrene in Matthew 27:32.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to recognize that the gospel message explicitly crosses ethnic and linguistic boundaries by design. It demands acknowledgment that the expansion to Gentile audiences originates from ordinary believers, not a centralized apostolic directive.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.
Cross-references
- Matthew 27:32 Along the way they found a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross of Jesus.
- Acts 13:1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.
- Acts 2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome,
- Acts 6:9 But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They disputed with Stephen,
- 1 Corinthians 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,
- Ephesians 3:8 Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
- John 7:35 At this, the Jews said to one another, “Where does He intend to go that we will not find Him? Will He go where the Jews are dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?
- Acts 4:36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement),
- Acts 5:42 Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
- Acts 8:5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.