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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Acts 14:24 - 14:28
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_14:24-28
24They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia. 25When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished. 27When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28And they spent a long time with the disciples.
Act_14:24 The highland province of Pisidia is just north of the coastal province of Pamphylia. Perga was the chief city of the region. Paul apparently only passed through this city earlier (cf. Act_13:13), but now returned and preached the gospel (cf. Act_14:25).
Act_14:25 "Attalia" This was the seaport of Perga.
Act_14:26 "sailed to Antioch" They did not return to Cyprus. Barnabas will return after the dispute with Paul over John Mark (cf. Act_15:36-39).
▣ "they had been commended to the grace of God" The verb is a periphrastic pluperfect passive. This first missionary journey, initiated and sustained by the Spirit, was a marvelous success.
Act_14:27 "gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done" Notice they were responsible to the church. "Even the Apostle to the Gentiles" reported to a local church (See Special Topic at Act_5:11). They also acknowledged who accomplished this great accomplishment—YHWH/Spirit.
They did not report to the leaders (cf. Act_13:1), but to the congregation and later reported on their mission activity to the congregation in Jerusalem (cf. Act_15:4) and, for that matter, all other congregations along the way (cf. Act_15:3). I think it was the whole congregation who had laid hands on them and commissioned them on their journey.
▣ "and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles" Paul used this phrase "door of faith" quite often (cf. 1Co_16:9; 2Co_2:12; Col_4:3; and also notice Rev_3:8). God opened a door to all humanity in the gospel that no one could close. The full implication of Jesus' words in Act_1:8 is now being fulfilled.
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