Paul (icon)

Following is a Georgian Orthodox icon of Paul the Apostle from the 14th century (located in the Art Museum of Georgia, Tbilisi).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

See also Paul.

Paul

The term that is transliterated as “Paul” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that signifies the many letters he wrote. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Paul” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign depicting putting away a sword, referring to his conversion from a persecutor of Christians to a Christian leader. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Paul (and Saul)” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Paul (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also Paul (icon).

complete verse (Acts 18:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 18:14:

  • Uma: “Paulus had not-yet had an opportunity to speak, Governor Galio said: ‘Ee, you Yahudi people! If what you accuse him of were mentioning some transgression of the town laws or some behavior that is really evil, I would be patient to listen to your accusations.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Paul was about to speak but Governor Galliyo spoke to the Yahudi. He said, ‘If this matter was about evil doings or doings that are not straight, it would be right for me to hear/listen-to you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Paul wanted to speak, but Gallio spoke to the Jews and said, ‘As for you Jews, if it is a great trouble like a true sin or a bad doing of this person, I would put up with judging over you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Pablo was-about-to speak, but just-then Gallio said to the Jews, ‘If that-one had a crime (but he doesn’t) or something-bad he has done, I would certainly (concession particle) put-up-with listening to you Jews.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Pablo was just about to reply to that which they were saying when Galion said to those who had arrested Pablo, ‘If what you have found fault with against him was a heavy crime or evil, of course I wouldn’t be able to ignore it, but on the contrary, I would attend to judging it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 18:14

In such contexts as the present, the literal expression “to open the mouth” means simply to speak. In Greek the conditional sentence beginning with if makes clear that Gallio is saying the matter is not one of some wrong or evil crime, and therefore he will not be patient with the Jews. Evil crime, a word which occurs only here in the New Testament (see the related word evil tricks in 13.10), originally meant “prank” or “mean trick,” but its connection with the word wrong seems to imply that for Luke and his readers it must have had a more serious connotation. “Crime” appears in New American Bible, Revised Standard Version, Twentieth Century New Testament, Moffatt; Jerusalem Bible translates both these terms together as “crime,” comparable to what the LUTHER Revised has done. On the other hand, some translators attempt to keep the etymological connection and so render “fraud” (Barclay) and “underhanded rascality” (C. B. Williams).

The passive expression that has been committed can be made active, with Paul as the subject—for example, “that this man Paul has committed.”

It would be reasonable for me may be rendered as “it would be only right for me” or “I would rightly be patient.”

The term patient, in this type of context, may be rendered as “listen to you attentively to the end,” “listening with understanding,” or even as in some languages “listen to you in a friendly way.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .