Returning to strengthen souls is part of Paul and Barnabas’s first missionary journey. This reveals that God’s mission includes returning to strengthen what He has begun. Acts 14:21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia.[1]
After facing persecution, rejection, and danger, Paul and Barnabas, led by the Holy Spirit, did something surprising. Rather than taking an easier route home, they retraced their steps and returned to the very cities where they had faced opposition. Their purpose was to return as God’s instruments to strengthen new believers in the faith and in the spiritual battle they faced.
New believers are like tender plants that require care, and without it are easily uprooted by the enemy. Believers need to be nurtured so they can mature in the faith. We often think that moving forward means leaving everything behind. Yet sometimes God calls us to revisit our own faith journey. We remember prayers He answered, trials He carried us through, and promises that sustained us.
Strengthening Souls for the Journey
Luke tells us that as Paul and Barnabas returned to the churches they had planted, “they strengthened the believers and encouraged them to continue in the faith.”[2] Acts 14:22. They understood the ministry of presence, and there is no substitute for personal contact to encourage and pray over new believers.
The Spirit still does this work today. The Gospel on the move is not merely advancing across lands and cultures; it is moving deeply into hearts. The Spirit strengthens us through God’s Word, through fellow believers, and through reminders of grace. Many believers know what it feels like to be spiritually tired. Life brings disappointments, unanswered questions, spiritual battles, and seasons when faith feels fragile. In those moments, God often sends encouragement through the Holy Spirit and His children. Who in your life is the Lord calling you to nurture in the faith?
Persevering Through Tribulation
Paul’s encouragement contained a difficult truth. Acts 14:22They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.[3] Suffering is not a sign that the Gospel has stalled; it is often proof that it is on the move. The Greek word for “must” implies divine necessity.[4]
Hardship is not a detour on the road of faith, but part of its journey. What hardship are you currently facing that you’ve been viewing as an obstacle, and how might the Holy Spirit be using it to deepen your trust? Remember His work in your life. Receive His encouragement. Then continue forward, knowing that through many trials, the Spirit is still leading His people toward the Kingdom of God.
To learn more about returning to strengthen souls, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/revisiting-to-encourage
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.
[4] Logos Exegetical guide Acts 14:22 for the word must