The Book of the Acts is so full of interesting subject-matter that one has continually to

recall the prime object of these studies, lest the unfolding purposes of grace which it

describes should be obscured by the wealth of archæological and other interests. Much,

for example, that could be said about Antioch, Lystra, and the cities of Galatia visited by

Paul on this momentous journey must be omitted here and left for the interested reader to

discover for himself. One point, however, we will mention in passing. In the previous

sentence we have used the term "Galatia", and this may cause some readers to wonder

whether a mistake has been made. Up till recently, the Galatia visited by Paul was

considered to be the kingdom of that name, shown on maps of Asia Minor, and lying

much further North than Antioch. Sir William Ramsay has, however, established from

monumental inscriptions and ancient writings that the Roman Province of Galatia

extended further South and included the cities of Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe.

We have given the evidence for this in "The Apostle of the Reconciliation". All we can

do here is to give two maps: the first from Dr. Kitto's Cyclopædia of 1847, and the

second from Ramsay's "Historical Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians" of recent

date. The latter shows the political divisions of Asia Minor in A.D.40-63.

Leaving this aspect of our subject, we turn now to the passage itself to seek to

understand its message. What distinctive contribution does it make to our understanding

of God's purposes? In the preceding article, we found that Acts 13: 16-41 formed a

complete member, so that we are left with the remainder of chapter 13:, and the whole

of chapter 14: to complete the record of the first missionary journey. Before attempting

to go into detail, it will be advisable to look at the passage as a whole and to discover its

scope by determining its structure. We observe that in Acts 13: 42-51 we are still at

Antioch of Pisidia, while in Acts 14: 26 we are back again in Antioch of Syria. In the

former, we read the prophetic words: "A Light to lighten the Gentiles"; and in the latter,

the dispensationally important words: "A door of faith opened unto the Gentiles."

Following out the places visited by the apostles, we obtain the following structure: