Acts 15:41

“And he went through Syria and Cilicia, etc.] Antioch was the metropolis of the former, and Tarsus, the apostle’s native place, was in the latter; and in both these countries he had been before, and had been the instrument of converting many souls, and of planting churches, which he now visited, as he proposed to Barnabas to do: for it follows, confirming the churches; in the Gospel, and the truths and ordinances of it, he had before instructed them in: of the church at Antioch, (See Gill on “<441126>Acts 11:26”). And that there were also churches in Cilicia, is very manifest; and particularly there was one at Tarsus, the chief city in it. Herodian, of whom we read in ( <451611>Romans 16:11)…”

“and he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches--"It is very likely that Paul and Barnabas made a deliberate and amicable arrangement to divide the region of their first mission between them; Paul taking the continental, and Barnabas the insular, part of the proposed visitation. If Barnabas visited Salamis and Paphos, and if Paul (travelling westward), after passing through Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium, went as far as Antioch in Pisidia, the whole circuit of the proposed visitation was actually accomplished, for it does not appear that any converts had been made at Perga and Attalia" [HOWSON]. "This second missionary tour appears to have proceeded at first solely from the desire…”

“Syria and Cilicia - These were countries lying near to each other, which Paul, in company with Barnabas, had before visited. Confirming the churches - Strengthening them by instruction and exhortation. It has no reference to the rite of confirmation. See the notes on Acts 14:22. In regard to this unhappy contention between Paul and Barnabas, and their separation from each other, we may make the following remarks: (1) That no apology or vindication of it is offered by the sacred writer. It was undoubtedly improper and evil. It was a melancholy instance in which even apostles evinced an improper spirit, and engaged in improper strife. (2) In this contention it is probable that Paul was, in the…”

“through: Act 15:23, Act 18:18, Act 21:3; Gal 1:21 confirming: Act 15:32, Act 16:4, Act 16:5 Next: Acts Chapter 16”