St Paul's first journey (concluded) : from Derbe to Antioch in Syria

[The posts which follow make extensive use of The Acts of the Apostles, by Madame Cecilia, (Religious of St Andrew's Convent, Streatham), with an Imprimi potest dated 16 October 1907 (Westminster); Burns, Oates & Washbourne Ltd. (London). With grateful prayers for the author and her team: 

REQUIEM æternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

ETERNAL rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.]

 

Acts XIV :  20-27

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[20] And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch:

[21] Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith: and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. 

[22] And when they had ordained to them priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed. 

[23] And passing through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia. 

[24] And having spoken the word of the Lord in Perge, they went down into Attalia: 

[25] And thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been delivered to the grace of God, unto the work which they accomplished.

[26] And when they were come, and had assembled the church, they related what great things God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 

[27] And they abode no small time with the disciples.

[20] Cumque evangelizassent civitati illi, et docuissent multos, reversi sunt Lystram, et Iconium, et Antiochiam, [21] confirmantes animas discipulorum, exhortantesque ut permanerent in fide : et quoniam per multas tribulationes oportet nos intrare in regnum Dei. [22] Et cum constituissent illis per singulas ecclesias presbyteros, et orassent cum jejunationibus, commendaverunt eos Domino, in quem crediderunt. [23] Transeuntesque Pisidiam, venerunt in Pamphyliam, [24] et loquentes verbum Domini in Perge, descendeunt in Attaliam : [25] et inde navigaverunt Antiochiam, unde erant traditi gratiae Dei in opus quod compleverunt. [26] Cum autem venissent, et congregassent ecclesiam, retulerunt quanta fecisset Deus cum illis, et quia aperuisset gentibus ostium fidei. [27] Morati sunt autem tempus non modicum cum discipulis.

Notes

    20. preached the gospel . . . . and had taught many. The persecution at Lystra was followed by a period of successful evangelization in Derbe. This was the farthest point visited by “Paul and his company” during their first journey.

    returned again to Lystra, etc. Probably the hostility in these cities had subsided ; if not, the apostles risked their own safety in order to visit their disciples.

    21. confirming the souls, — i.e. strengthening the souls of the brethren.

    in the faith. The apostles exhorted them to hold fast the doctrines or creed which they had been taught. The expression “the faith” (ἡ πιστις) is used in this sense in the epistles, e.g. —

    (a) Contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 8).

    (b) If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immovable from the hope of the gospel which you have heard (Col. i. 28).

    through many tribulations, etc. The afflictions which had befallen the apostles might overtake the disciples; consequently St Paul, with tender solicitude, forewarns them, lest tribulation should take them by surprise.

    we must enter. The use of the first person plural does not prove that St Luke was with St Paul ; it merely shews the speaker’s interest in the question. For the apostle, as for his converts, tribulation was the road that led to the kingdom of heaven. This is true in all ages for the disciple of Christ.

    the kingdom of God. Heaven, where alone there is perfect peace and fulness of joy.

    22. And when they had ordained, etc. The Greek word (χειροτονησαντες) here rendered “ ordained ” signifies literally “having extended the hands,” and is used, in classical Greek, of the method of voting by raising the hand. But in the New Testament and in the writings of the early Fathers the verb (χειροτονειν) is used with reference to the Sacrament of Holy Order, and the action of “laying on of hands” in this passage is ascribed to the apostles, who on this occasion organized the churches which they had founded, and placed priests over each separate congregation. By this outward sign of the imposition of hands the grace of the Sacrament of Holy Orders was conferred.

    The same word is used with reference to Saul and Barnabas (xiii. 3), and there was certainly no question of the people voting for them.

    priests. (πρεσβυτερους) This is a Greek term which was employed both in Egypt and in Asia Minor for any civil or religious officer.

    24. having spoken, etc. They had not evangelized in Perge when passing through the city on their way to Phrygia.

    Attalia. The modern Adalia, a seaport of Pamphylia, sixteen miles south-west of Perge, at the mouth of the river Catarrhactus. The town surrounds the bay like an amphitheatre. It was originally built by Attalus, King of Pergamus, as a convenient port for the commerce of Syria and Egypt.

    From this port St Louis of France embarked for Antioch during the Crusade of 1148.

    25. Antioch, — i.e. Antioch in Syria, whence the apostles had been sent forth to preach the Gospel. Antioch had a very important Christian community, being, as it were, the Mother Church of the Gentile converts. The missionaries of the Catholic Church, having obtained their credentials at Antioch, returned there to give an account of their journey.

    delivered to. The Greek verb to be delivered up (παραδιδοςθαι ) is generally used of handing over a man to his enemies, or of exposing him to some certain danger. Therefore it is employed appropriately here, since the church of Antioch knew that St Paul and his companions would have great obstacles to overcome and many perils to face ; but if they were “ delivered up ” to these dangers, it was because the Church believed that they would be sustained by the grace of God.

    26. God had done with them. Not merely through them, but actually working with them by His power.

    opened the door of faith. “Door” is here used metaphorically to signify the means of promulgating the Gospel which the apostles had found on their journey.

    St Paul frequently employs this comparison, e.g. —

    (a) When 1 was come to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and a door was open unto me in the Lord (2 Cor. ii. 12).

    (b) Praying withal for us also, that God may open unto us a door of speech to speak the mystery of Christ (Col. iv. 8).

    27. no small time. Commentators differ greatly as regards the length of this interval. It must embrace at least some months.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.