Acts 14:19-28
Strengthening the Disciples
19Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, presuming he was dead.
20But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. And the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
21They preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
23Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, praying and fasting as they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.
24After passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26From Attalia they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had just completed.
27When they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
28And they spent a long time there with the disciples.
Berean Standard Bible
The crowd that wanted to worship Paul soon turns against him. Some visitors stone him and drag him outside the city, assuming he is dead. The disciples gather around him, and he gets up. Rather than abandoning the new believers, he returns to the city and then travels with Barnabas to strengthen the churches.
We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.
Paul and Barnabas appoint elders in each church, praying and fasting as they entrust the believers to the Lord. When they return to Antioch, they report what God has done and how he opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Their report does not hide hardship, but it measures the journey by God's faithfulness.
Jews arrive from Antioch and Iconium and win the crowd over. The people who had recently wanted to sacrifice to Paul now stone him and drag him outside the city, thinking he is dead. The change exposes how unstable public admiration can be. Paul's message has not changed, but the crowd's mood has.
When the disciples gather around him, Paul gets up and goes back into the city. The next day he leaves with Barnabas for Derbe, where they make many disciples. Their return journey passes through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. They strengthen the disciples, encourage them to continue in the faith, and tell them that many afflictions are part of entering the kingdom of God.
The missionaries appoint elders in each church with prayer and fasting, then travel through Pisidia and Pamphylia to Perga and Attalia. From there they sail back to Antioch, where they had been committed to God's grace for the work they have now completed. They gather the church and report all that God has done, especially that he has opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. They stay with the disciples for a long time, returning not to applause but to shared worship and honest testimony.
Questions
1 What did the crowd do to Paul?
AnswerThey stoned him and dragged him outside the city.
2 What did Paul do after the disciples gathered around him?
AnswerHe got up and returned to the city.
3 What did Paul and Barnabas do in the churches?
AnswerThey strengthened the disciples, encouraged them, and appointed elders.
4 What did they report in Antioch?
AnswerThey reported all that God had done and how he opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
What This Means for Us
Christian encouragement does not promise an easy road. It helps people face hardship honestly while reminding them that God is present and that their work is part of a larger story he is opening.
Prayer
Lord, strengthen people who are tired or opposed. Give us the courage to return with care, to lead responsibly, and to tell the truth about your faithfulness. Amen.