prophets and teachers: See “The Gift of Prophecy” Theme Note; also see 1 Corinthians 12:28–29; Ephesians 4:11.
The name Simeon suggests a Jewish background (see Genesis 29:33; Luke 2:25; 3:30). He is also called Niger (which means "the black mane"). This suggests that he was probably African.
Lucius is a Latin name. He came from Cyrene, the capital of Libya in North Africa. He was probably one of the preachers from Cyrene who brought the Christian message to Antioch (Acts 11:20).
Manaen grew up with King Herod Antipas. He was probably Luke’s source for understanding Antipas’s thoughts and actions (see Luke 9:7–9).
Barnabas and Saul play important roles in the following story.