And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. Acts 14:24

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The previous verse told of the selection of elders in every church, commending them to the Lord. From there, they obviously moved on, as it next says, “And after they had passed through Pisidia.”

This is the opposite movement of what occurred in Acts 13 –

“Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.” Acts 13:13, 14

The apostles are certainly retracing their steps and ensuring they would meet any who had converted in order to bolster their faith. That this is the opposite movement is seen in the next words, saying, “they came to Pamphylia.”

As can be seen, this is the same area where John had departed from them quite some time ago. The detail of this stop will be more fully explained in the next verse.

Life application: Though nothing of substance concerning conversion was recorded during their previous trip through Perga in Pamphylia, the apostles are careful to have returned there. It may be that there were no converts or very few converts. However, even if there were no converts, they may still be able to break through to some who were close to conversion on the previous visit.

Even if it was just a stop that needed to be made on the journey home because it was a logical stop on the road, they will take the time to speak out the word, as will be seen next. It is never a futile thing to repeat the gospel to those who have heard it previously and turned it down. Some people have taken years to come to the Lord, hearing the message many times before the thought clicks in their minds.

Be willing to expend yourself in repeating this wonderful message to those who have previously rejected it. One can never tell when the right moment for the heart to be stirred will arise.

Lord God, others were patient with us as they waited for our hearts to be changed. Some of us may have heard the gospel many times before accepting it. Should we be less willing to share it with others? Rather, help us to be patient and to share this wonderful word of life as much as it is needed to obtain the right response. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.