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 27:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 27:21:

  • Uma: “For several days the workers on the ship did not manage to eat, carried by their busy-ness. From there, Paulus stood in their midst and said to them: ‘If you had believed me the other day, that we should not-yet leave from Kreta, we (sing.) would not have suffered loss like this.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then, because for quite a time none of the people had been able to eat, Paul stood up in their midst and he said to them, ‘Friends, if you had listened to me, we (incl.) would not have sailed from Kerete island. And we (excl.) would not have hardship and loss.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It was a long time then that we had not eaten when Paul stood up and he said, ‘Companions, I wish that you had listened to my advice that we not leave the island of Crete, because if you had, this would not have happened to us.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It was also a long-time that we (excl.) had absolutely not eaten, and Pablo stood-up and said, ‘Companions, had you believed what I said so that we wouldn’t have left Creta, nothing would have been ruined and thrown-away.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When it had now been a long time that they hadn’t been eating, Pablo stood up in the presence of them all and spoke. He said, ‘Companions, if only you had believed/obeyed me that we not leave Creta, big hardship and loss/damage like this wouldn’t have happened to us (incl.).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 27:21

After the men had gone a long time without food must not be taken to imply either that there was no food or that the men were deliberately fasting for religious or other reasons. It seems, rather, that the men had been so busy trying to protect themselves and the ship from the storm that they had not taken time to eat, or that the violence of the storm had taken away their desire for food.

Paul stood before them is literally “Paul stood in their midst” (see the quite similar scene in 17.22). Should have translates the same verb rendered had to in 1.16 (see the comments there). It is difficult to know whether or not Luke intended the verb to be taken here with the same force of divine necessity as it apparently had in 1.16. You should have listened to me is rendered in some languages as “it would have been better if you had listened to me.”

And not have sailed from Crete may also be rendered as “it would have been better if you had not sailed from Crete” or “you did what you should not have done—you sailed from Crete.”

The final clause, then we would have avoided all this damage and loss, is difficult to render in some languages, since it implies a condition contrary to fact—for example, “if we had not sailed, we would have avoided….” The equivalent in many languages, however, is a statement of actual events: “but now that we have sailed, we have incurred this damage” or “but since we have sailed, we have suffered this damage.”

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 .