Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

1. The Central Idea of the Text is that Paul and Barnabas traveled back through the cities where they had preached the gospel and encouraged the new converts with biblical teaching to establish their faith.
2. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in the newly formed churches as they traveled back to Antioch. Regarding the appointment of these first elders:
a. The Greek verb cheirotoneo means to appoint, or vote by stretching out the hand. In other places in Acts, the apostles proved themselves loving-leaders rather than controlling dictators, so it's easy to see the selection of elders involving the whole church (cf. Acts 6:1-6; 15:3-4, 22).
b. Since the churches were not more than a year old, the elders would have been fairly new converts (cf. 1 Tim. 3:6).
c. Some of the elders would have had some knowledge of the OT Scriptures since they were exposed to it in the synagogue. However, Paul and Barnabas needed to provide a basic doctrinal base to the new converts, especially those who were going to serve as elders in the church.
d. The apostles did not seek to control or micromanage the new churches, but rather, "commended them to the Lord" as they traveled back to Antioch (Acts 14:23).
e. It was almost fifteen years later that Paul set forth basic standards for elders (15 qualifications in 1 Tim. 3:1-7, and 17 qualifications in Tit. 1:5-9).
3. Paul never sugarcoated the suffering that belongs to Christians, but made it clear that "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22; cf. 2 Tim. 3:10-12; see also Rom. 8:18). Paul strengthened the churches by teaching them Christian doctrines that built their faith.
4. God is the divine orchestrator of evangelism throughout the first missionary journey, as salvation begins and ends with the Lord. The Lord called Paul and Barnabas to service (Acts 13:2-4), opened doors of opportunity to share the gospel (Acts 14:24), and influenced the positive responses of faith in each heart (Acts 13:12; 48; 14:1; 23; cf. John 16:8-9). Scripture reveals that God is the One who opens doors of effective preaching in every situation (1 Cor. 16:7-9; 2 Cor. 2:12-13; Col. 4:2-4; Rev. 3:8).