Acts 14:22

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. CONFIRMING THE SOULS OF THE DISCIPLES. Whatever may be pleaded in favour of Episcopal Confirmation of the young, it would be absurd to take the term here employed in any such technical sense: 'Establishing' in the Faith is clearly the sense; as appears, indeed, from what follows. EXHORTING THEM TO CONTINUE IN THE FAITH. The "and" of our King James Version prefixed to this clause injures the sense; for the historian does not say that they 'confirmed firmed their souls and exhorted them,' but "confirmed their souls (by) exhorting them to continue in the Faith" which they had before embraced, AND (WARNING THEM) THAT WE MUST THROUGH, MUCH TRIBULATION, [ dia ...

− 22._And exhorting them. _This was the principal way to confirm, in that they provoke the disciples who had before embraced the Gospel and did profess it, to go forward by exhorting them; for we are far from being so ready and stout − (45) as we ought. Therefore our laziness needeth pricks, and our coldness must be warmed. But because God will have his exercised with diverse combats, Paul and Barnabas admonish the disciples to be ready to suffer tribulation. A very necessary admonition, that we must go on warfare in this world, that we may live well and godly. If the flesh should not molest us, if Satan should attempt nothing, if the wicked should not trouble us with some stumbling-blocks, it were no such troublesome thing to persevere; because that were a sweet walk through a soft and pleasant way; but because there arise on every side, and every minute of an hour, [moment,] infinite a...

19-28 See how restless the rage of the Jews was against the gospel of Christ. The people stoned Paul, in a popular tumult. So strong is the bent of the corrupt and carnal heart, that as it is with great difficulty that men are kept back from evil on one side, so it is with great ease they are persuaded to evil on the other side. If Paul would have been Mercury, he might have been worshipped; but if he will be a faithful minister of Christ, he shall be stoned, and thrown out of the city. Thus men who easily submit to strong delusions, hate to receive the truth in the love of it. All who are converted need to be confirmed in the faith; all who are planted need to be rooted. Ministers' work is to establish saints as well as to awaken sinners. The grace of God, and nothing less, effectually establishes the souls of the disciples. It is true, we must count upon much tribulation, but it is en...

Verse Acts 14:22. _CONFIRMING THE SOULS OF THE DISCIPLES_] The word _disciple_ signifies literally a _scholar_. The Church of Christ was a _school_, in which Christ himself was _chief Master_; and his apostles _subordinate teachers_. All the _converts_ were _disciples_ or _scholars_, who came to this _school_ to be instructed in the knowledge of _themselves_ and of their GOD: of their duty to _Him_, to the _Church_, to _society_, and to _themselves_. After having been initiated in the principles of the heavenly doctrine, they needed line upon line, and precept upon precept, in order that they might be _confirmed_ and established in the truth. Though it was a great and important thing to have their _heads_, their _understanding_, properly informed, yet, if the _heart_ was not disciplined, information i...

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 firm, or encouraged by the presentation of truth and by the motives of the gospel. Whether the rite of confirmation, as practiced by some churches, be founded on the authority of the New Testament or not, it is certain that it can receive no support from this passage. The truth was, that these were young converts; that they were surrounded by enemies, and exposed to temptations and to dangers; tha...

EXPOSITION ACTS 14:1 _Entered _for _went both, _A.V.; _Jews _for _the Jews, _A.V.; _and _for _and also, _A.V.; Greeks for _the Greeks, _A.V. Observe how in every case Greeks are found attending the synagogue. SO SPAKE, etc. This illustrates the statement in Romans 10:17, that "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." ACTS 14:2 _The Jews that were disobedient _for _the unbelieving Jews, _A.V. and T.R.; _stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them, _etc., for _stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds, _etc., A.V. The Jews that were disobedien

CONFIRMING THE SOULS OF THE DISCIPLES,.... Not wicked men in their wickedness, nor self-righteous persons in an opinion of their own righteousness, as sufficient for justification, both being contrary to the nature and tendency of the ministry of the word; the Gospel being a doctrine according to godliness, and a revelation of the righteousness of Christ; but the disciples and followers of Jesus, whom they had already made in those places, these they confirmed in the doctrines of the Gospel, and fortified them against the contradictions and blasphemies of the Jews, and the reproaches, afflictions, and persecutions they met with, by which they might be staggered: they did not confirm the bodies of these disciples, and the health of them, which is the business of the physician to confirm; nor their estates and civil property, to secure and defend which belongs to the civil magistrate; but...

CHAPTER 14 _ 1. The work in Iconium and the persecution of the Apostles (Acts 14:1)._ 2. In Derbe and Lystra; the Impotent Man healed (Acts 14:7). 3. The Stoning of Paul and further ministries (Acts 14:19). 4. The Return to Antioch (Acts 14:25). Iconium was a Phrygian town, bordering on Lycaonia. Here again the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles. They abode there a long time, and in spite of opposition and persecution they spoke with much boldness the Word of God. Signs and wonders were also done by their hands. When their lives were threatened by the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles, they fled to Lystra and Der

CLOSE OF THE FIRST TOUR. The places already visited are now taken in the reverse order, but no further information is given about them. Acts 14:23. An appointment of elders is made (_cf._ Titus 1:5) in each church; the institution takes place in each case with prayer and fasting. The word translated appointed (AV ordained) denotes strictly a popular election by voting (_cf._ 2 Corinthians 8:19; _Didaché,_ xv. 1), though it may also be used of cases where there is no popular vote. The elder is in Titus also called bishop: he is a local functionary, with no duties except to his own church. In Acts 11:30 the elders at

ON TO ICONIUM (Acts 14:1-7)...