Acts 15:3

Church - Assembly of "called out" ones.

Gentiles - A people; nations other than Israel.

Being brought on their way by the Church - That is; the members of the Church provided them with all necessaries for their journey; for it does not appear that they had any property of their own.

Declaring the conversion of the Gentiles - Much stress is laid on this: it was a miracle of God's mercy that the Gentiles should be received into the Church of God; and they had now the fullest proof that the thing was likely to become general, by the conversion of Cornelius, the conversion of the people of Antioch, of Cyprus, Pisidia, Pamphylia, Lycaonia, etc., etc.

And being brought on their way by the church - Being attended and conducted by the Christian brethren. See the notes on Romans 15:24. It was customary for the Christians to attend the apostles in their travels. Compare 1 Corinthians 16:6, 1 Corinthians 16:11; 3 John 1:6.

Through Phenice - See the note at Acts 11:19.

And Samaria - These places were directly on their route to Jerusalem.

Declaring the conversion ... - Of the Gentiles in Antioch, and in the regions in Asia Minor through which they had traveled. These remarkable events they would naturally communicate with joy to the Christians with whom they would have contact in their journey.

Caused great joy - At the news of the extensive spread of the gospel. It was an indication of their deep feeling in the interests of religion that they thus rejoiced. Where Christians are themselves awake, and engaged in the service of Christ, they rejoice at the news of the conversion of sinners. Where they are cold, they hear such news with indifference, or with the utmost unconcern. One way of testing our feelings on the subject of religion is by the emotions which we have when we hear of extensive and glorious revivals of religion. Compare the notes on Acts 8:8.