Acts 15:3

"Sent on their way by the church": "The word sent could either indicate that they were provisioned for the journey (assisted in paying expenses, and encouraged by prayers for. safe journey) by the brethren at Antioch, or that some of the brethren actually accompanied them on the journey (Acts 21:5)" (Reese p. 530). "Such an act is. mark of love and respect, and shows that the sympathy of the church at Antioch was with the apostles, not the Judiazers" (Reese p. 530). "Passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria": In Acts 8:5; Acts 11:19 we read about the initial preaching in both these areas. "They would have traveled along the coast as far south as Ptolemais, and then crossed the Plain of Esdraelon into Samaria" (Reese p. 531). The primary topic of conversation as Paul visited these congregations was the many Gentiles who had obeyed the gospel on his first journey. As. result, there is great joy among the brethren at the news of the extensive spread of the gospel. "Wherever they went, the account of the conversion of the Gentiles was received with. gladness which presented the strongest possible contrast to the bitterness of the Judaizers" (Reese p. 531).