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they went down to Attalia
Attalia, known today as Antalya, was a port city in Pamphylia, serving as a gateway for travel and trade. The phrase "went down" reflects the geographical descent from the inland city of Perga to the coastal city of Attalia. This journey was part of Paul and Barnabas's return trip to Antioch, from where they had been sent out by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-3). Attalia was likely chosen for its port facilities, facilitating their sea voyage back to their sending church. This movement underscores the strategic planning in their missionary work, ensuring the Gospel reached various regions. The journey from Perga to Attalia also highlights the apostles' commitment to completing their mission, despite the challenges faced during their travels.

• Luke records a brief but weighty statement: “And when they had spoken the word…” (Acts 14:25).

• Paul and Barnabas never stopped proclaiming the gospel, whether in large synagogues (Acts 13:5) or among small gatherings of new disciples (Acts 14:21-22).

• Their preaching in Perga shows a pattern: every place they traveled received the same life-changing message (Acts 14:7;1 Corinthians 9:16).

• This phrase also reminds us that the word they spoke was God’s word, not mere opinion (2 Timothy 4:2;1 Thessalonians 2:13).

• By noting the act of speaking first, Luke highlights that ministry happens before movement—obedience precedes itinerary.

• Perga, the capital of Pamphylia, first appeared earlier in the journey when John Mark departed (Acts 13:13). Returning there shows perseverance where earlier disappointment had occurred.

• Revisiting Perga fits the larger strategy to strengthen believers on the return leg (Acts 14:21-23).

• It also fulfills Jesus’ pattern of witnessing “in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8), moving steadily outward from Jewish centers to Gentile regions.

• Perga serves as a reminder that no town is too ordinary for the gospel—God plants churches in unexpected places (Titus 1:5).

• “Went down” reflects travel from inland Perga to a lower coastal elevation (Acts 16:8).

• The language echoes earlier journey notes such as “went down to Seleucia” (Acts 13:4), portraying steady obedience step by step.

• Scripture often pairs downward travel with forward mission—geography never hinders God’s call (Psalm 37:23;Proverbs 3:5-6).

• Their movement illustrates a healthy rhythm: declare the word, then move as the Spirit leads (Acts 13:2-3;Galatians 5:25).

• Attalia was the port city of Pamphylia, about ten miles from Perga, offering direct passage back to Antioch of Syria (Acts 14:26).

• Choosing Attalia shows wise stewardship: they selected the best route to report God’s work to their sending church (Acts 14:27).

• The stop underscores completion. Having fulfilled ministry in Asia Minor, they now prepare to testify to God’s faithfulness (Acts 20:24).

• It reminds believers that mission includes both going and returning, sowing and then sharing what God has done (Philippians 1:5-6).

Acts 14:25 compresses an entire philosophy of ministry into a single sentence: speak God’s word wherever you are, revisit places that still need encouragement, follow the Spirit’s direction step by step, and finish assignments faithfully so testimony can strengthen the wider body.

They went down into Attalia.--On their first journey they had gone straight from Paphos to Perga up the Cestrus. Now they made adetour which led them to the port at the mouth of the Catarrhactes, named after Attalus Philadelphus, King of Pergamus. There is no record of any work done there, and they probably only went to it as the port where they were most likely to find a sailing-vessel that would take them to Antioch. Their ship would naturally pass between Cilicia and Cyprus, enter the Orontes at Seleucia, and sail up to Antioch.

Whence they had been recommended.--Better, perhaps,commended,the compound form having slightly changed its meaning. The words seem to imply a mental survey on the part of the travellers of all that had passed since they had started on their journey. The "grace of God," to which they had then been commended, had not failed them.

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