Acts 14:21–28: The Kingdom through Tribulations
Introduction
In the last section of Acts 14, the first major missionary journey of Paul (with Barnabas) comes to a close. In this, the apostles retrace their steps through many of the places where they had preached the gospel powerfully—and where they had endured fierce opposition to that gospel. There has been fruit and there has been faithless rejection of Christ and his kingdom. Yet, everywhere they have gone, they have been faithful to saturate that area with the proclamation of Jesus’ death and resurrection for sinners. While much of this missionary record has narrated evangelism, we see a well-rounded picture of what healthy churches look like as Paul and Barnabas establish these congregations for the long-term. Through this, one central message stands out to inform us about God’s vision for his church: through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
Discussion Questions
1. What does it mean that the apostles “preached the gospel to that city [Derbe]” (v. 21)? What level of saturation does that suggest? What hinders us from similarly saturating our whole cities with the gospel? What is the significance of their having “made many disciples” (v. 21)? How is a “disciple” different from a mere convert? What is required of the disciples of Jesus? As you look at your own life, are you a disciple of Jesus, or only a convert?
2. What does “strengthening the souls of the disciples” (v.22a) mean? What does “encouraging them to continue in the faith” mean (v. 22b)? Why does Paul say that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (v. 22c)? How are these ideas different and distinct? How do they all stand together in the work of building up the church? What is the role of biblical elders for the ongoing care of the church (v. 23)?
3. What had originally happened at Antioch in Syria (Acts 13:1–3)? What was the significance of the church in Antioch (Acts 11:26)? What is the relationship of the church in Antioch to Paul and Barnabas as missionaries? How does the sending church relate to foreign missionaries in your congregation? What kind of report do the apostles bring to the church in Antioch (v. 27)? Why do sending churches need to hear these reports from their partner missionaries?
4. What kinds of criteria do we see here for God’s vision for healthy churches? To what degree are you taking advantage of those opportunities to grow in your own church context? Where are you exposing yourself to the kind of evangelism in which you can come to experience God’s power and provision? How are you exhorting those around you to persevere in following Christ? What particular gifts has God given to you for building up the whole body of Christ?
