Act 14:26-27 | KingComments | STEP | They leave Attalia and sail across the Mediterranean to disembark again in Antioch. This is Antioch in Syria from where, more than a year ago, they left for their first missionary journey. The church did not send them, but commended them to the grace of God for the work to which He had called them. The church has been sympathizing with them. Now the apostles want to share with the believers what the Lord has done through their ministry (cf. ). There is no question of accountability toward the church. The church is not the source of mission, but a place of fellowship where what the Lord does in blessing for others is shared. God is the One Who works, they are only the instruments. Also today it is heartwarming for believers who are allowed to do a work for the Lord elsewhere to experience interest from the ‘home church’ in the work that the Lord does. Paul and Barnabas tell the believers especially that God has opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. This has already been the case in Antioch because Antioch is also a Gentile city. Yet the existence of a church of Gentiles is then only an incident. Now it has become clear that God is working through Paul and Barnabas everywhere outside Israel and that the Gentiles are coming to faith in crowds, together with some Jews who also live in those places. God’s work of grace among the Gentiles through His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit outside of the church in Jerusalem and the law raises the question with the converted Jews whether this can happen just like that. In the next chapter this question will be answered. We will see there that the grace of God also has an answer to this question. After the report Paul and Barnabas do not leave immediately for the further proclamation of the gospel to the Gentiles. They stay with the disciples for a longer period of time. Their ‘home church’ is a kind of haven of peace after all the unrest they have experienced in their work. There they can share and have fellowship. It must have been a refreshment for them to stay with these believers, called “disciples” by Luke. The fact that the believers are called “disciples” is because of their consistent imitation of the Lord Jesus. To be allowed to stay with such believers is a blessing for anyone who also wants to consistently imitate the Lord Jesus, as we know from Paul and Barnabas.

‏ Acts 14:26-27

Arrival and Report in Antioch

They leave Attalia and sail across the Mediterranean to disembark again in Antioch. This is Antioch in Syria from where, more than a year ago, they left for their first missionary journey. The church did not send them, but commended them to the grace of God for the work to which He had called them. The church has been sympathizing with them. Now the apostles want to share with the believers what the Lord has done through their ministry (cf. Acts 21:19).

There is no question of accountability toward the church. The church is not the source of mission, but a place of fellowship where what the Lord does in blessing for others is shared. God is the One Who works, they are only the instruments. Also today it is heartwarming for believers who are allowed to do a work for the Lord elsewhere to experience interest from the ‘home church’ in the work that the Lord does.

Paul and Barnabas tell the believers especially that God has opened a door of faith for the Gentiles. This has already been the case in Antioch because Antioch is also a Gentile city. Yet the existence of a church of Gentiles is then only an incident. Now it has become clear that God is working through Paul and Barnabas everywhere outside Israel and that the Gentiles are coming to faith in crowds, together with some Jews who also live in those places.

God’s work of grace among the Gentiles through His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit outside of the church in Jerusalem and the law raises the question with the converted Jews whether this can happen just like that. In the next chapter this question will be answered. We will see there that the grace of God also has an answer to this question.

After the report Paul and Barnabas do not leave immediately for the further proclamation of the gospel to the Gentiles. They stay with the disciples for a longer period of time. Their ‘home church’ is a kind of haven of peace after all the unrest they have experienced in their work. There they can share and have fellowship.

It must have been a refreshment for them to stay with these believers, called “disciples” by Luke. The fact that the believers are called “disciples” is because of their consistent imitation of the Lord Jesus. To be allowed to stay with such believers is a blessing for anyone who also wants to consistently imitate the Lord Jesus, as we know from Paul and Barnabas.