Acts chapter 14

vs 20

So the disciples seemed to think that he was a goner too. But then he just gets up, admits he was playing dead, and goes back into the town! I am hoping under cover of darkness, or else you'd think they'd just stone him again. Anyway, the next day P & B left, again leaving a group of disciples behind. I think we've got to assume that these stories aren't just happening over the course of a day or so. There's got to be some constructive teaching, there's got to be some amount of time to allow the buildup of god-worship and Jews from Iconium and all that stuff. I think so, anyway.

vs 21-22

My goodness, these guys have balls! They go back the way they came, no doubt to visit all the people they had seen become Christian. Many hardships, damn right, especially for them. It's funny - Paul is the preacher, so he's the one who gets stoned and hated. Barnabas never get's mentioned as being flogged or whacked or stoned. I'm sure he had as much imput into the discipling of the new Christians, but because his ministry is less public, he's less mentioned.

vs 23

The appointment of elders surely lets us know that the time frame spent at these new churches was considerable, or at least reasonable in any case. Again, we don't know how big a 'large number' was. But as I have said several times, we must remember that Jewish influence had gone ahead of Christianity, and paved the way, with many people ready to hear the message.

vs 24-25

I'm sure that means a lot to you. It meant a lot to me. In fact, these two verses are so meaningless to me, I can't even convince myself to go grab my Bible atlas and find out where these places are.

vs 26

Completed! Interesting word to use. It gives the suggestion that P & B went out with a specific plan, to go to a certain number of towns, or spend so many months away from Antioch before returning.

vs 27

Of course, the people at Antioch already knew that a "door of faith" had been opened to the gentiles. But now they knew that the message had gone out far further than ever before.

vs 28

This is an important verse - it sets us up for the fact that P & B weren't missionaries in the modern sense of the term. They went out, they came back, and stayed for a long time. They weren't just members of the Antioch church, they were leaders. So this is to be expected - Antioch was no doubt keen for the gospel to spread out to other gentile cities, but they also wanted their leadership members home for a bit.