Acts 15:30-35 30Then, after they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the group together, they delivered the letter. 31And after reading it, they rejoiced with its encouragement. 32And Judas and Silas, who were also themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with the great word, 33and after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 35But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others the word of the Lord.
The story ended well because the apostles, elders, and church in Jerusalem had listened to the Holy Spirit and responded with wisdom to the big question about what to do with the Gentile converts. The believers gathered in Antioch to hear the letter read. Letters like this were meant to be read out loud to the group, like the letters found in the New Testament. Judas and Silas brought and delivered this letter with love and conviction. It was well received and encouraged the believers in Antioch because God was obviously working, both in Jerusalem and Antioch. Both groups were filled with the Holy Spirit and obedient to his direction. They still had to work out their challenges from a human perspective and with faith and obedience.
Judas and Silas had an additional ministry as prophets of encouraging and strengthening the believers in Antioch. As prophets, they proclaimed clearly God’s will and message. Verse 32 gives a clue about early Christian prophecy and how it was spoken to believers to bring them closer to God by giving encouragement and strengthening their faith. Genuine prophecy always brings people closer to God by speaking the truth. In the case of the Antioch Christians, they were already walking with the Lord, so the words they heard brought joy and not sorrow.
Verse 33 introduces a problem in that Judas and Silas left Antioch to return to Jerusalem. The problem occurs later in verse 40, with Paul choosing Silas to go on the second missionary journey. If Silas had returned to Jerusalem with Judas, then Paul would have had to go find him there. At some point, a scribe inserted in the manuscript tradition verse 34, which explains that only Judas returned to Jerusalem. That solves the problem, but that verse is not found in the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Omitting verse 34 does not create a problem because the events of verses 36-41 took place “after some days.” A lot of time had transpired between when Judas and Silas came and when Silas likely returned to Antioch, which is the assumption of the later verses.
Whatever the case, the church in Antioch continued to thrive as outreach to the Gentiles continued. God was working in this church, prompting them to send Paul and Barnabas on another missionary journey. The local leadership was growing, with many others becoming preachers. This church serves as a good role model for a church with vision. They had a challenge and sought wisdom from those with authority and who could help them resolve the issue and stay in unity. They had some of the greatest preachers and teachers of all time, Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and Judas. They were open to being led by the Holy Spirit and to receiving godly wisdom and counsel from others.