THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
So that the disciples would not lose heart because those who had been taken for gods suffered such things, they came to them and spoke with them.
Acts 14:25Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been delivered to the grace of God, unto the work which they accomplished.
και λαλησαντες εν περγη τον λογον κατεβησαν εις ατταλειαν
The Church Fathers on this verse
5 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Alexander Gorsky
After preaching here and in the vicinity of both Lystra and Derbe, they again visited the cities where they had first spread the faith. From these they had been forced to depart earlier than they wished because persecutions had arisen. They sought to confirm the new Christians in the faith and gave the newly founded churches a firm hierarchical organization. Then they returned to Antioch by the same road by which they had come.
Bogolepow D.P.
After preaching the Gospel to this city and gaining quite a few disciples there, Paul and Barnabas undertook the return journey. They visited the Churches already founded in the regions of Asia Minor, confirming the young Christians in the faith and ordering Christian ecclesial life among them. Finally they returned to Syrian Antioch, from which they had undertaken their preaching journey. The Apostles remained in Antioch for no short time.
Michail (Lusin)
Through Pisidia and Pamphylia the apostles returned to Perga, the first city to which they had come after landing on the shore of Asia Minor. See Acts 13:13 and the note.
Having preached the word of the Lord there again, they went down to Attalia, a seaside city also in Pamphylia, southeast of Perga, near the mouth of the Cestrus. The city had been built by Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamum, and received its name from him.
From this seaside city they sailed through Seleucia to Syrian Antioch. From there they had gone forth to the work of preaching to the Gentiles, with the help of the grace of God (Acts 13:1-4).
Nikanor (Kamenski)
Paul and Barnabas returned to Syrian Antioch, as far as possible, through the same places through which they had passed earlier. This was done, of course, in order to strengthen and instruct the Christians who were there.
The region of Pamphylia, with the cities of Attalia, founded by Attalus, king of Pergamum, and Perga (see Acts 13:13), lay by the Mediterranean Sea. By this sea they returned through Seleucia to Syrian Antioch, from which they had been sent for this evangelizing of the Gentiles (see Acts 13:1-4).
“So that the disciples would not lose heart, they came to them again and spoke with them. And note: first they depart to Derbe, in order to let them rest from their rage. Then they go again to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch.
Read more (361 words)
They yield to them when they are enraged, and return to them when they have become calm. Do you see that they did not accomplish everything by grace, but some things also by their own diligence?
So you too, when you see an angry man hardened, yield to him all the more. His very hardness needs greater concession. The more strongly he insults, the more, in his rage, he needs this.
Just as a fever, when it is especially intense, requires rest, so does an embittered man. When a wild beast becomes too furious, we all flee from it. So also from an angry man. Anger is fire.
Do not give food to the fire, and you will quickly put it out. Anger has no power in itself, unless something else supports it. That man is possessed by frenzy and does not know what he is doing.
But if you, looking at him, fall into the same state and do not become wise through his example, can you receive forgiveness?”
“Setting out from Antioch by the same road by which they had reached that city, the apostles passed through the mountainous regions of Pisidia. Soon they reached the coastal province of Pamphylia.
Here, in one of the principal cities of this province, Perga, they now preach the word of the Lord. Perhaps they take advantage of a more favorable disposition among the inhabitants of this beloved city of the Asia Minor Diana than they had found on their first visit.
One may suppose that the same desire to illumine one of the centers of Pamphylia with the word of Christian preaching draws them to the important seaside city of Attalia.
The road to Attalia went through a valley, crossing many small streams that ran down from the mountains to the sea, until it reached the greatest of them, the Cataractes, a river falling from the height of a cliff.
Attalia was an excellent harbor, where one could always find a ship bound for the capital of Syria. On one of these ships the apostles sailed away to their spiritual homeland, Antioch, without visiting the churches of Cyprus that they had founded.”
The original text
Greek text, 9 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
- καὶkaiandG2532 · καί
- λαλήσαντεςlalēsantesI speakG2980 · λαλέω
- ἐνeninG1722 · ἐν
- ΠέργῃpergēPergaG4011 · Πέργη
- τὸνtontheG3588 · ὁ
- λόγονlogona wordG3056 · λόγος
- κατέβησανkatebēsanI go downG2597 · καταβαίνω
- εἰςeisintoG1519 · εἰς
- ἈττάλειανattaleianAttaliaG825 · Ἀττάλεια