-is a Friend of the Church?
Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Acts 13: 1 & 2
Did you catch that? “Manaen, a close friend of Herod…”
Why was a friend of Herod’s being mentioned as a prophet and teacher in the Church? Because with God there are no accidents.
Sometimes we overlook small things in God’s Word. But everything in God’s Word has purpose and meaning, even if we don’t see it.
Actually, some Bible scholars believe that Manaen was more than just a friend of Herod. A common belief is that Manaen was a foster brother of Herod Antipas. The treachery of Antipas is seen in the execution of John the Baptist and the crucifixion of Jesus.
God’s grace to save is so far-reaching. The people we least expect to have a chance at redemption can be saved. Manaen was saved despite his earlier connection to the evil Herodians.
Because Manaen is mentioned as a prophet and a teacher, we know that he held a trusted position within the early Church.
Manaen was instrumental in helping to establish the Church at Antioch. Here, he would have had a ministry to teach others about the saving grace of Jesus.
By the way, believers were first referred to as Christians at Antioch. (Acts 11:26)
Manaen’s name means “comforter”. At a time when the persecution of believers was increasing, men like Manaen served a pivotal role in inspiring new believers to have courage and faith.
“For He Himself is our peace…”
Ephesians 2:14
We can only speculate about the courage required of Manaen to renounce his family ties to Herod. But whether he was targeted for retribution did not matter to this man. He realized that Jesus was worth any sacrifice.
Manaen is an obscure Bible character to most believers. But his faith and love for Jesus still shines through his courageous ministry. Manaen has secured a place in God’s story for all time.
If you are worried about loved ones that have not received God’s gift of grace, just remember the story of Manaen. Somehow, God chose this unlikely person and led him to saving faith. God wants to do that for all people. (John 3:16-17)
Be sure to read the inspiring story presented in Acts 13. This is a reminder for believers today that true joy comes from knowing and serving Jesus.
“For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 13:47
Share the Good News in your world!
Isaiah 52:7
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved
New King James Version (NKJV)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Statement of Faith
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 