{Gathered the church together} (sunagagontes t(886e)
ekkl(8873)ian). Second aorist active participle of sunag(935c). It "was
the first missionary meeting in history" (Furneaux). It was not
hard to get the church together when the news spread that Paul
and Barnabas had returned. "The suitability of the Gospel to
become the religion of the world had not before been put to the
test" (Furneaux). Doubtless many "wise-acres" had predicted
failure as they did for William Carey and for Adoniram Judson and
Luther Rice. {Rehearsed} (an(8867)gellon). Imperfect active. It was
a long story for they had many things to tell of God's dealings
"with them" (met' aut(936e)) for God had been "with them" all the
while as Jesus had said he would be ( Mt 28:20 , meth' h(966d)(936e)).
Paul could recount some of the details given later in  2Co 11 .
{And how} (kai hoti). Or "and that" in particular, as the
upshot of it all. {He had opened a door of faith unto the
Gentiles} ((886e)oixen tois ethnesin thuran piste(9373)). Three times
in Paul's Epistles ( 1Co 16:9  2Co 2:12  Col 4:3 ) he employed
the metaphor of "door," perhaps a reminiscence of the very
language of Paul here. This work in Galatia gained a large place
in Paul's heart ( Ga 4:14f. ). The Gentiles now, it was plain,
could enter the kingdom of God (verse  22 ) through the door of
faith, not by law or by circumcision or by heathen philosophy or
mythology.