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Agabus is an accurate prophet. He rises up from among the prophets and prophesies the great
famine that would come to the area of Jerusalem, which was fulfilled. This prophecy is
probably made before the leaders of the church rather than the congregation. The word is
received and an offering started for the saints at Jerusalem.

The drought came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar, two years later. Claudius Caesar was
the cousin of Caligu of the Roman Empire and was assassinated after just four years as
emperor.

Agabus is the same man who later prophesies to Paul of his impending danger and
imprisonment (21:10). He warned Paul not to return to Jerusalem. Paul did not heed his
warning.

THE CHURCH AT ANTIOCH GIVES

Act 11:29 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto
the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:

The members of Antioch are not forced or coerced into giving. Each gives according to their
ability, which is mature giving, in response to Agabus’s prophecy. They also give because the
believers in Jerusalem are their spiritual brothers and sisters. Distance is never an issue in the
body of Christ. We are all members of the family of God (Ephesians 3:15), and we never leave
the family.

Act 11:30 Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

The people of the church give the money to their church leaders who, in turn, give it to the
leaders of the Jerusalem church. This demonstrates their maturity. If they had sent the money
directly to congregational members of the Jerusalem church, it might have been viewed by the
church leaders as trying to “buy” the “sheep” without their knowledge. They trust the elders of
the church at Jerusalem to distribute the money fair. Unfortunately, the Jerusalem church does
not appreciate their offering and later tries to destroy the church at Antioch.

11:27-30 The Office of the Prophet, PROPHECY. Agabus is an example of the “office” of
the “prophet”in the NT. This role differs from the operation of the gift of prophecy in
the life of the believer, for it entails a Christ-appointed ministry of a person rather than
the Holy Spirit-distributed gift through a person. In the NT, this office was not
sensationalized as it tends to be today. Such an attitude is unworthy, both in the
prophet and in those to whom he ministers, and is certain to result in an unfruitful end.
(Apparently Paul was addressing such assumption’s of the prophetic office when he
issued the challenge of 1 Corinthians 14:37, calling for submission to spiritual authority
rather than self-serving independence. The office of prophet cannot be taken lightly.
There is nothing in the NT that reduces the stringent requirements for serving this role,

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