Acts 14:22

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 14:22

Exhorting for and exhorting , A.V.; through many tribulations we must for we must through much tribulation, A.V. St. Paul spoke from his own experience: "In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft," etc. ( 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 ; see too 2 Timothy 3:10-12 ). It is very touching to see the tender care of the apostles for the young converts, lest they should fall away in time of persecution (see Acts 15:36 ; 1 Thessalonians 'fit. 1,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 14:22

Spiritual confirmation. "Confirming the souls of the disciples." Connect with the narrative, showing that spiritual aggressiveness at Antioch was the sign of a deep and true spiritual life. The haste and superficiality of the teaching from place to place. Confirmation not a ceremony, but a process. I. CONFIRMATION OF FAITH . Continue in the faith—both objective and subjective; not a creed alone, if that was given at all, but the real root or spiritual life. Faith was... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Acts 14:22

Through tribulation to the kingdom. The force of a man's preaching must, to a great extent, come out of his personal experiences, and new experiences will give his preaching new force. This is illustrated in the associations of our text. The apostle was in measure fitted, by all he had borne and suffered, for exhorting the disciples and comforting and confirming the Churches; but he had just passed through a new and almost overwhelming experience. Excited by Jews from Antioch and Iconium,... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Acts 14:22

Confirming - “strengthening” ἐπιστηρίζοντες epistērizontes. The expression “to confirm” as in some churches a technical signification, denoting “to admit to the full privileges of a Christian by the imposition of hands” (Johnson). It is scarcely necessary to say that the word here refers to no such rite. It has no relation to an imposition of hands, or to the thing which is usually supposed to be denoted by the rite of “confirmation.” It means simply that they established, strengthened, made... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Acts 14:21-22

Acts 14:21-22. And when they had preached, and taught many Namely, at Derbe; and, it seems also, in Galatia and Phrygia: see Colossians 4:13. Greek, μαθητευσαντες ικανους , having made many disciples; they returned again to Lystra, &c. Being doubtless directed so to do by the Spirit; confirming the souls of the disciples Whom they had converted in their former journey; exhorting them to continue in the faith With a steadfastness becoming the evidence and importance of it; and ... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Acts 14:1-28

Other churches in Galatia (14:1-28)Paul and Barnabas moved on to the town of Iconium, where events followed the same pattern as in Antioch. They preached in the synagogue and both Jews and Gentiles believed. But as the number of converts increased, the people of the city became clearly divided between supporters of the apostles and supporters of the Jewish leaders. Because of the threat of murder, the apostles fled the city and went to Lystra (14:1-7).When the apostles healed a crippled man in... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Acts 14:22

confirming . Greek. episterizo. Only here, Acts 15:32 , Acts 15:41 ; Acts 18:23 . The simple verb sterizo occurs thirteen times, first occurance Luke 9:51 . The kindred verb stereoo only in Acts. See Acts 3:7 . souls. Greek. psuche. App-110 . exhorting . Greek. parakaleo. App-134 . continue. Greek. emmeno. Only here, Galatians 1:3 , Galatians 1:10 . Hebrews 8:9 . Compound of meno. See p. 1511. the faith . Greek. pistis. App-150 . Compare Acts 6:7 ; Acts 13:8 . that. Ellipsis of... read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Acts 14:22

Confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.Confirming the souls ... In order to avoid the overtones of the word "confirming," as it is erroneously associated with the so-called "seven sacraments," Plumptre suggested that it should be rendered "strengthening," as it is rendered in Acts 18:23. "It is not the same word as that used by later writers for the ecclesiastical rite of... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Acts 14:21-22

The missionaries confined their labors to the Galatian province on this trip. They did not move farther east into the kingdom of Antiochus or the province of Cilicia that Paul may have evangelized previously during his time in Tarsus. Tarsus stood some 160 miles east of Derbe. Instead they retraced their steps to encourage, instruct, and organize the new converts (cf. Acts 18:23). [Note: See David F. Detwiler, "Paul’s Approach to the Great Commission in Acts 14:21-23," Bibliotheca Sacra 152:605... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Acts 14:1-28

First Missionary Journey (continued)1-7. Paul and Barnabas at Iconium. The gospel meets with great success among both Jews and Gentiles in this populous city, and miracles are wrought in confirmation of the faith.2. The first persecution at Iconium, which probably took the form of arraigning the apostles before the magistrates, failed. Accordingly the second persecution (Acts 14:5) took the form of a popular tumult. Acts 14:2 reads thus in D, ’But the rulers of the synagogue of the Jews raised... read more

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