Acts 14:26

Acts 14:26

Acts 14:26 describes their return voyage: “And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled.” Antioch serves as a sending church, the hub from which mission begins and to which it returns. This wrap-around travel narrative emphasizes accountability, faithfulness, and God’s grace as the motive and sustenance for mission. The phrase “recommended to the grace of God” suggests community endorsement and spiritual blessing, recognizing that the mission’s success rests in God’s enabling grace rather than human prowess.

Culturally, Antioch was a center of early Christianity, a liturgical and strategic base for sending missionaries. The return underscores the importance of a sending church that commissions, supports, and receives back its workers with gratitude.

This verse encapsulates the mission’s cyclical nature: sending, serving, reporting, and returning with fruit. It emphasizes divine grace as the source of mission power and the need for faithful obedience to the Spirit’s leading. It also highlights ecclesial partnership—the sending church and its workers are mutually dependent for ongoing ministry.

For today, consider how your church supports mission: are you a sending church that prays, finances, and sends, or a sending individual relying on God’s grace? Practical steps: establish clear sending commitments, provide ongoing accountability, and celebrate returned workers with testimonies of God’s work. Encourage gospel partnerships across networks, and cultivate a culture of gratitude for God’s grace that sustains mission.

Cross-References: Romans 10:15; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; Acts 13:2-3; Philippians 4:14-19; 2 Timothy 4:7-8