14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium 1 when Paul and Barnabas 2 went into the Jewish synagogue 3 and spoke in such a way that a large group 4 of both Jews and Greeks believed.
14:21 After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, 9 to Iconium, 10 and to Antioch. 11 14:22 They strengthened 12 the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue 13 in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom 14 of God through many persecutions.” 15
1 sn Iconium. See the note in 13:51.
2 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
4 tn Or “that a large crowd.”
5 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
6 sn The Lord testified to the message by granting the signs described in the following clause.
7 tn Grk “word.”
8 tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.
9 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) northwest of Derbe.
map For location see JP1-E2; JP2-E2; JP3-E2.
10 sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) north of Lystra.
11 sn Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 90 mi (145 km) west northwest of Lystra.
map For location see JP1-E2; JP2-E2; JP3-E2; JP4-E2.
12 tn Grk “to Antioch, strengthening.” Due to the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was started here. This participle (ἐπιστηρίζοντες, episthrizonte") and the following one (παρακαλοῦντες, parakalounte") have been translated as finite verbs connected by the coordinating conjunction “and.”
13 sn And encouraged them to continue. The exhortations are like those noted in Acts 11:23; 13:43. An example of such a speech is found in Acts 20:18-35. Christianity is now characterized as “the faith.”
14 sn This reference to the kingdom of God clearly refers to its future arrival.
15 tn Or “sufferings.”