The Traveling Apostle

Aim: To appreciate God's commitment to spreading Jesus' gospel over all the earth.

Doctrine: The traveling apostle reminds us that the church must be planted everywhere. All people need to hear the gospel, and the true God is to be worshiped in every land.

Exegesis: The traveling apostle as an inspiration for us: by grace, let us keep our vows (v. 18), evangelize for Jesus (vv. 19-21), and encourage the church (vv. 22-23), wherever we are.

Further application: How the whole world today benefits from the traveling apostle: even as Christ ''journeyed'' from heaven to earth, so His ministers have traversed the globe, preaching the gospel.

''When [Paul] had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.''