In Acts 11, we read that those who fled from Jerusalem on account of the religious persecution that took place following the martyrdom of Stephen reached as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. Among them were, some from Cyprus and Cyrene. There is also this little detail that they were the first to preach the gospel to the “Greeks” other than the Hebrews. The “Greeks” gladly accepted the gospel. When this news reached Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to assess the situation there. Barnabas was a Levite from Cyprus and a man filled with the Holy Spirit. Having clearly seen that the grace of God was active in Antioch, in order to strengthen them further, Barnabas went to Tarsus looking for Saul. He returned bringing Saul with him.

When we get to Acts, chapter 13, Barnabas and Saul are considered as part of the church in Antioch. In the very first verses of the chapter, there are three others mentioned by name along with them. They are Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who was brought up ith Herod the tetrarch. Since Luke, the author places Symeon who is called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, we can assume that Symeon was also from Cyrene. Because we have seen the Cyrene connection of the church at Antioch and that there was the indication that multiple persons from Cyrene were involved there. 'Niger' simply meant black. His skin complexion must have been quite dark. Lucius of Cyrene must have been a black man too. Cyrene is a city on the northern edge of Africa. So, who is this Symeon of Cyrene who fled from Jerusalem because of religious persecution? Have we met him before?

We read in all three of the synoptic Gospels that Jesus was physically exhausted as he walked to Golgotha ​​carrying the cross, and therefore the soldiers forced Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the field, to carry the cross for Jesus. Why did the soldiers force this particular man, who was coming from the field and a passer-by, to carry Jesus' cross? There was a crowd of people who were following those convicted and were moving to the place of execution, right? Because he was a "niger" - black. A dark-skinned person is always a body that anyone can easily assault. Of the three evangelists who makes the reference, Mark (15:21) adds another detail that he was "the father of Alexander and Rufus". If the evangelist knew not only the name of the passer-by but also that of his children, he must have been someone special. Likewise, he or his children must have been well-known in the first Christian church, right? In that sense, it was Symeon (Simon is only a variant of the name Symeon) and Lucius - two black people from the town of Cyrene in North Africa, were the ones who pulled down the Hebreic fences, and put the gospel out there for the world!