Antioch, on the river Orontes in Syria, was the third largest city of the Roman empire after Rome and Alexandria. When the first preaching to pagan Greeks began (Acts 11: 19-21) we notice that Jesus was referred to as 'Lord' rather than 'Christ'. In the environment of Hellenism and paganism, the word 'lord' was widely used in several ways. It could be used as a title approximating to 'Sir', or as a title for the emperor or a king, or as the title for a god. In calling Jesus 'Lord', his supremacy over all others was affirmed.

The Jewish believers in Jerusalem sent Barnabas, described as a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, to find out what was going on in Antioch; he found a rapidly growing Church of Gentile believers. Barnabas went on to Tarsus to find Saul and the two of them returned to Antioch where they stayed for a year, building up the first Gentile Church. It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians (11: 26). Antioch became Paul's 'home Church' for many years; we do not know if a Christian community grew up in Tarsus, his home city