Paul 1.2

We would spend the night with some brothers in Seleucia, the port village of Antioch, and then go up to Antioch the next day. The assembly of Seleucia met in the home of a wealthy widow by the name of Julia. Her servants were excited to see us at the door. It had been well over a year now since we had left for Cyprus. Barnabas and I reclined at table with her over bread and wine until well into the night at midnight. We told her and her eldest son of God's work in Galatia and the other regions we had visited.

They rejoiced with us that the Gentiles were believing on Christ. But they also told us that some in Jerusalem had questions about the turn our mission had taken. Mark had returned to Jerusalem and expressed some questions about some of the things I was teaching. He seemed to think that I had not let Barnabas take the lead as much as I should have.

The next morning we set out at dawn for Antioch, and by mid-day we arrived at the home of Manaen. He was delighted to see us and immediately sent word to the elders of the city to meet at his house to break bread that evening, even though it was only the fifth day of the week. Manean's family had been Essene in Jerusalem, and he had grown up with Herod Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist. His grandfather had predicted Herod's father's rise to power, and his family had been rewarded accordingly.

But he had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. After Stephen was killed, he had moved to Antioch. The largest assembly in the city met in his house.