Acts 14:26Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Why do they come again to Antioch? To announce what had happened there. Besides this, a great matter is also arranged through it. It was finally necessary to preach openly to the Gentiles.

Therefore they come to announce it, so that those men might know about it. It happened that those who forbade speaking with the Gentiles also came at that time. Then, after receiving confirmation from Jerusalem, they could go to the Gentiles openly.

Or otherwise: from this their humble character is revealed. When they came, they showed both their boldness, because even without those apostles they had preached to the Gentiles, and their obedience, because they informed them of it. Having accomplished such things, they were not puffed up.

“And when they had come to Antioch and gathered the Church together, they declared all that God had done with them.” The Apostle did not say, “what they had done,” but. “what God had done with them.” “And that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.” By the opening of the door he means the teaching which the Gentiles received through the Apostles.

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.

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).

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.