Derbe is the final city reached in the course of the first missionary journey. After winning many disciples there, the two apostles returned to Antioch by way of Lystra and Iconium. The expression won many disciples frequently cannot be translated literally. The Greek itself simply means “cause to become disciples,” and it is this form which can most generally be employed. The equivalent in many languages is simply “caused many people to believe in Jesus” or “caused many people to become followers of Jesus.” It is particularly important to avoid a term for disciples which may in any way imply that these people became followers of Paul or Barnabas.

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 .