Acts 14:22 And when they had preached the Gospel to that city and made many Disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, confirming the souls of the Disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God.”
Everywhere Paul and Barnabas preached the Message of the Gospel of Christ, people were Saved and they began to meet together wherever they could. These groups of believers grew into Church congregations and God raised up leaders among them. Today we would call them Church plants.
Paul planted an untold number of Churches and he visited them when he could to teach them more and encourage them to continue in their faith and keep preaching the Gospel. This is how the Kingdom of God grew in that region of the world at that time and it is how it still continues to grow today.
In Acts 14:22 we read that Paul returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch to visit the Churches he had planted. Even though he had come under great persecution (even stoning) he went back to see them. His purpose was to encourage them to continue in the faith. And when they had preached the Gospel to that city and made many Disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, confirming the souls of the Disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith,
This is very important because there are many people today who believe in the false doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” The keywords in the above Scripture are “confirming and continue.” A quick look at the Greek words brings clarity to the true meaning of this Passage. The Greek word for “confirming” is episterizo which means to support, reestablish, confirm, and strengthen. The word “continue” in Greek is emmeno and it means to abide in, stand by, and continue in.
With those definitions in mind, we have a more clear understanding of what Paul did when he went back to visit the believers in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. This Passage could be translated that Paul and Barnabas returned to these places to support the believers and reestablish, confirm, and strengthen them in their faith in Christ and to encourage them to continually abide in Christ on a daily basis. As Disciples of Christ, they were to constantly stand by the Gospel and not waver in their faith.
This would indicate that it is important how believers conduct their lives. If it didn’t matter how we live or what we do once we are “saved” then Paul would not have returned to exhort the believers to “continue” in their faith. Obviously, if they could choose to continue believing in Christ, they could also choose not to continue to believe.
Later Paul wrote a letter to the Church in Ephesus and said, For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. (Ephesians 5:8) As Saved, born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we must conduct our lives as such. This is what it means to continue in the faith.
Just as we CHOSE to accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we must also CHOOSE to live our lives every day as sons and daughters of the Most High God. It’s a daily choice to Walk as children of light. (Ephesians 5:8)
When you make this choice He will…..…….turn the tide...……..in your life.
Choosing to continue, Doreen
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