Act 14:26-28 | TNotes | STEP | Summary for Acts 14:26-28: 14:26-28 As soon as Paul and Barnabas returned home to Antioch from their first missionary journey, they called the church together and gave a full report of their evangelism and discipleship. They humbly acknowledged divine guidance in opening the door of faith to the Gentiles (see 11:18 ; 1 Cor 16:9 ; 2 Cor 2:12 ). Similar reports (Acts 15:4 , 12 ; 21:19 ) always stressed the activity of God as working through the ministries of his servants (see Rom 15:17-18 ; 1 Cor 3:5-9 ; 15:10-11 ). Thematic note: Church Leaders Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33 ). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2 ; 8:14 ; 14:23 ) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4 , 6 , 22-23 ), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6 ; 13:1-3 ), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30 ; 1 Cor 14:26-40 ). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5 ; Acts 14:23 ). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30 ; Eph 4:11-13 ) and (in some situations) to age. There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government. The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5 ; 1 Tim 4:11-16 ; 5:19-22 ; 2 Tim 2:14-19 , 25-26 ; Titus 2:15 ; 3:10-11 ). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century. Passages for Further Study Acts 6:1-6 ; 13:1-3 ; 14:23 ; 15:4-35 ; 1 Cor 12:28-30 ; 14:26-33 ; Eph 4:11-13 ; 1 Tim 3:1-13 ; 4:11-16 ; 5:17-22 ; 2 Tim 2:2 , 25-26 ; Titus 1:5-9 ; 2:15

Summary for Acts 14:26-28: 14:26-28 ^a As soon as Paul and Barnabas returned home to Antioch from their first missionary journey, they called the church together and gave a full report of their evangelism and discipleship. They humbly acknowledged divine guidance in opening the door of faith to the Gentiles (see 11:18 ^b; 1 Cor 16:9 ^c; 2 Cor 2:12 ^d). Similar reports (Acts 15:4 ^e, 12 ^f; 21:19 ^g) always stressed the activity of God as working through the ministries of his servants (see Rom 15:17-18 ^h; 1 Cor 3:5-9 ⁱ; 15:10-11 ^j).

Thematic note: Church Leaders
Spontaneity and spiritual giftedness characterized the first church gatherings (see 1 Cor 14:26-33 ^k). The apostles exercised general oversight of the Christian communities (Acts 6:2 ^l; 8:14 ^m; 14:23 ⁿ) together with the elders in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4 ^o, 6 ^p, 22-23 ^q), whose function was drawn from the Jewish synagogue and Greco-Roman models. The titles and functions of Christian leaders in communities outside of Jerusalem appear to have been fluid (e.g. Acts 6:1-6 ^r; 13:1-3 ^s), but local leaders were dependent on the apostles when possible. Teachers and prophets also had important roles in guiding the church (see Acts 11:27-30 ^t; 1 Cor 14:26-40 ^u). Churches were often founded before their leaders were appointed (Titus 1:5 ^v; Acts 14:23 ^w). Such appointments were related to spiritual gifting (see 1 Cor 12:28-30 ^x; Eph 4:11-13 ^y) and (in some situations) to age.
There were likely always community leaders, whether or not they occupied a formal office. In the letters to Timothy and Titus, however, there is a strong emphasis on the offices of elder, overseer, and deacon. How these offices developed over the years is unclear, and even the practices described in 1 Timothy and Titus might not have been universal. Elders in Ephesus and on Crete may have carried more of a teaching role because the false teachers had to be decisively counteracted. Otherwise, the problems implied in 1 Corinthians 14:26-33 ^z might have prevailed. These letters are more concerned with ensuring that the Good News be faithfully transmitted than with perpetuating a specific form of church government.
The apostle Paul exercised influence and control over his entire mission field, but there is no evidence that he intended to build or leave a regional or mission-wide infrastructure of governance. Apparently, the overseers were to carry on the teaching and disciplinary roles of Paul and his delegates without the wider responsibilities and authority of the apostles. As leaders of the local church, they wielded real and distinctive authority within their communities (see 1 Cor 5:3-5 ^aa; 1 Tim 4:11-16 ^ab; 5:19-22 ^ac; 2 Tim 2:14-19 ^ad, 25-26 ^ae; Titus 2:15 ^af; 3:10-11 ^ag). Yet it was not long after the death of the apostles that church structure began to take a more centralized form—largely around the office of bishop—as evidenced in Christian writings from the early second century.

Passages for Further Study
Acts 6:1-6 ^ah; 13:1-3 ^ai; 14:23 ^aj; 15:4-35 ^ak; 1 Cor 12:28-30 ^al; 14:26-33 ^am; Eph 4:11-13 ^an; 1 Tim 3:1-13 ^ao; 4:11-16 ^ap; 5:17-22 ^aq; 2 Tim 2:2 ^ar, 25-26 ^as; Titus 1:5-9 ^at; 2:15 ^au