Strengthening the Disciples

After preaching in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas return through Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch to strengthen the disciples and urge them to continue in the faith, saying that many hardships lie on the way into the kingdom of God. In each church they appoint elders with prayer and fasting and entrust them to the Lord.

T²¹hey preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, ²²strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. ²³Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, praying and fasting as they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.

They pass through Pisidia into Pamphylia, speak the word in Perga, go down to Attalia, and from there sail back to Antioch, where they had first been commended to God's grace for the work they have now completed.

²⁴After passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. ²⁵And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. ²⁶From Attalia they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had just completed.

When they arrive, they gather the church and report all that God has done through them, especially that he has opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. They then remain there a long time with the disciples.

²⁷When they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸And they spent a long time there with the disciples.