In our “new insights” series, we are re-examining the text of the New Testament under the premise that Matthew was published coincident with the events of Acts 10–11, and that Mark was published shortly thereafter. Further, that these texts were immediately accepted as authoritative Scripture, as having been published by the apostles or approved by them.1 Accordingly, we want to understand: how does this premise change our understanding of the text?2
In Acts 14, Paul and his companions completed the second portion of their first missionary journey, visiting Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, and then returning by means of Lystra, Iconium, Psidian Antioch, etc.
On their return trip, Acts reports that as they revisited the cities they were
strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. (Acts 14:22–23 ESV)
My goal with this present blog post is to widen our understanding of what the “strengthening … [and] encouraging” in this passage likely involved. The immediate context does not suggest how Paul and his companions strengthened and encouraged the local disciples. I. Howard Marshall contends that Paul accomplished this strengthening and encouraging by means of “realistic warnings, based on [Paul’s] experience” of persecution.3 This was no doubt part of the means, given Paul’s recent stoning (Acts 14:19); however, given our early Gospel premise, I suggest that this strengthening and encouraging also included the reading and studying of the Gospels, with their focus on the sufferings and triumph of Christ.4
Indeed, it was to the sufferings of Christ that Paul would turn elsewhere for comfort and encouragement in the face of tribulation. (Note that the Greek word translated in Acts 14:22 as encourage is translated elsewhere as comfort, exhort, urge, appeal, etc.)5 For example, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (2 Cor. 1:3–5 ESV).
Further, in his writings Paul directs believers to turn to the pages of Scripture for encouragement. In Romans, Paul is presumably referring to the OT writings when he says: “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).6 Then in 1 Timothy, Paul also has in view the available NT writings when he says: “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Tim. 4:13 ESV).7 Surely, this was Paul’s practice in his own ministry, such that he would ground both his encouragement and teaching ministry in a public reading of Scripture.
Similarly, in 2 Timothy Paul moves from speaking of the profitability of “All Scripture” for fully equipping the [Christian] man of God to commanding Timothy to “preach the word … exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 3:16–4:2). So again, we have a clear emphasis on employing Scripture to exhort (i.e., encourage). Not surprisingly, Paul has followed the example of the Psalmist, who regularly turned to God’s word for comfort: “This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me” (Psa. 119:50 NASB95). A similar connection exists in this psalm between God’s word and strength: “My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word! (Psalm 119:28 ESV).
In summary, as we read of the ministry of Paul and his companions in Acts 14:22, as they strengthen and encourage the churches, let us anticipate that this likely included the public reading of a Gospel; with a focus, not only on the recent sufferings of Paul, but also on the sufferings of Christ and on His resurrection.
This perspective should also carry over into our reading of Acts 15.
So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with (dia) many words. (Acts 15:30–32 ESV)
Again, we should anticipate that when Judas and Silas encouraged and strengthened the congregation through “many words,” this likely involved readings from a Gospel. This is quite reasonable, given that the reading of the Jerusalem letter itself is similarly credited with encouraging the congregation in 15:31 and strengthening the churches in 16:4–5..
The passage continues:
And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. (Acts 15:33–35 ESV)
Here, we should envision that the teaching and preaching of “the word of the Lord” was likewise grounded in the use of a Gospel containing the actual words of the Lord. Indeed, just as 1 Timothy 4:13 grounds Timothy’s work of encouragement in the reading of Scripture, so also in that passage is the teaching ministry grounded in the public reading of Scripture. This connection is also apparent in 2 Timothy 3:16–4:2.
To recap, as we read the text of the New Testament, I want to encourage us to have in view the availability of a written Gospel, which was generously used in support of ministry—whether for preaching and teaching or for strengthening and encouraging. Furthermore, just as this was the practice within the earliest church, this should be our practice today. Let us not presume to preach, teach, strengthen, and encourage by means of our own elegant, flowery, and sophisticated words. Rather, let us ground our ministry in the public reading of the life and story of Jesus, as delivered to us through the written text of the Gospels.
- Daniel B. Moore, A Trustworthy Gospel: Arguments for an Early Date for Matthew’s Gospel (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2024), 128. ↩︎
- Interrelationships between the Pastorals and Matthew, Romans and Matthew, etc. are explored in chapter 8, “The Impacts of an Early Matthew on NT Exegesis,” in Moore, A Trustworthy Gospel. ↩︎
- I. Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction and Commentary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1980), 255. ↩︎
- To defend this proposal, I will be leveraging the interpretive principle of deferring to Scripture to interpret Scripture. Roy B. Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation: A Practical Guide to Discovering Biblical Truth (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1991), 47, 72; Darrell L. Bock and Buist M. Fanning, eds., Interpreting the New Testament Text: Introduction to the Art and Science of Exegesis (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2006), 282. ↩︎
- Verb παρακαλέω. ↩︎
- This passage uses the noun form, παράκλησις. ↩︎
- I have made the case elsewhere that Paul’s references to Scripture in the Pastorals (in 1 Tim. 4:13; 1 Tim. 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:16) are inclusive of NT writings. Moore, A Trustworthy Gospel, 129. Also refer to L. Timothy Swinson, What Is Scripture? Paul’s Use of Graphe in the Letters to Timothy (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2014), 151–52, 182. ↩︎
