21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
In verses 21-28, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch of Syria by retracing the first part of their journey on their return. They strengthened the souls of previous converts on the way.
14:21
And when they had preached the gospel to that city
“That city” is Derbe, to which the apostles had fled after persecution in Lystra (Acts 14:19-20). Derbe was the easternmost city of the first missionary journey.
and made many disciples,
“Many” people became “disciples” in Derbe. Derbe was much closer to Antioch of Syria, to which they were to return from their mission, but instead they decided to retrace their steps to previous cities they had visited in order to build believers in the faith.
they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
The apostles returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, where they had previously experienced both success in ministry and persecution.
14:22
strengthening the souls of the disciples,
Paul and Barnabas built their converts in the faith. They did this by teaching the Word of God (Acts 20:31-32).
exhorting them to continue in the faith,
Second, the apostles encouraged their converts to “continue in the faith,” recognizing they would undergo persecution for what they believed. Saints need exhortation (1 Th 2:11).
and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
The word “must” indicates believers’ need to suffer for their faith. It was necessary to warn new believers of the difficulty of living the Christian life lest they became disillusioned by the trials they would face. Paul and Barnabas had experienced persecution along their missionary journey. Jesus Himself said this (Jn 16:33).
Ultimately, the church will “enter the kingdom of God,” the Millennial kingdom of Christ on earth.
PRINCIPLE:
Hardship is normal for the Christian life.
APPLICATION:
All believers need the reminder that the Christian life is not easy; they will encounter many difficulties. We need to expect hardships in living for the Lord. Leadership in local churches must commend their congregation to the Lord for their ultimate well-being (Acts 20:32).
