Acts 14:19-28
Chapter 14
But when his disciples gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day, he left for Derbe with Barnabas.
Return to Antioch
After preaching the gospel in that town and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra and Iconium, then on to Antioch.
They were strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to stay firm in the faith, saying: “We must go through many trials to enter the kingdom of God.”
In each church, they appointed elders, and after praying and fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they had placed their faith.
Then they traveled through Pisidia and arrived at Pamphylia.
They preached the word in Perga and then went down to Attalia.
From there, they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been commended to God’s grace for the task they had now finished.
Upon their arrival, they gathered the church and shared with them everything God had done through them, including how He opened the door of faith to the non-Jews.
They spent a good amount of time there with the disciples.
Commentaries
In Lystra.
The lively incident in Lystra, involving a healing performed by Paul, illustrates the first encounters of Christian preachers with pagan polytheistic culture. Luke humorously notes that Barnabas, more reserved and serious, was mistaken for Zeus, the chief of the gods, while Paul, the main speaker, was mistaken for Hermes, the messenger of the gods. The situation becomes complicated when they attempt to offer him a sacrifice. Paul uses the situation to clarify and tell them about the one God, creator of all, patient and understanding of the religious practices of different peoples. He also notes that the time has come to turn to the living God.
Return to Antioch, the first missionary journey that opened the doors of the Gospel to the Gentiles comes to an end.
The missionaries retrace their steps to visit the small Christian communities they had established. They encourage them to stay faithful despite the hardships and suffering involved. These visits also serve to organize communities with local leaders, known as “elders.” Upon their return to Antioch, the community gathers to hear the missionaries. In the report by Paul and Barnabas, Luke emphasizes the conclusion they reached: spreading the Gospel to the pagans was truly God’s initiative.