Acts 11:26 Douay-Rheims

And they conversed there in the church a whole year; and they taught a great multitude, so that at Antioch the disciples were first named Christians.

John Chrysostom

A.D. 347–407 Patristic

"And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch." Verily this is the reason why it was there they were appointed to be called Christians, because Paul there spent so long time! "And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the Church, and taught much people. And the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch." No small matter of praise to that city! This is enough to make it a match for all, that for so long a time it had the benefit of that mouth, it first, and before all others: wherefore also it was there in the first place that men were accounted worthy of that name.

Do you observe the benefit resulting to that city from Paul, to what a height that name, like a standard, exalted it? Where three thousand, where five thousand, believed, where so great a multitude, nothing of the sort took place, but they were called "they of the way:" here they were called Christians.

Paul also preaches, and is no longer compelled to flee. And it is well ordered, that not they speak of the famine, but the prophets. The men of Antioch also did not take it amiss that they sent not the Apostles, but were content with their teachers: so fervent were they all for the word.

Source details
A.D. 407 · on Acts 11:26 (Homily on Acts 25)

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.

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