elder (of the church)

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The Greek that is translated as “elder” in most English versions (“presbyter” in The Orthodox New Testament, 2000) is translated as “Old-Man Leader” in Eastern Highland Otomi (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22) and in Bacama as mi kpan-kpani vɨnə hiutə: “big/old person of house of prayer” (source: David Frank in this blog post ).

Other translations include:

  • “person who commands among the people of Jesus” in Lalana Chinantec
  • “old man who watches over the believers” in Morelos Nahuatl
  • “the one guarding the brethren” in Isthmus Mixe (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • “old man who believes” in Sayula Popoluca
  • “person who cares for the assembly of Christ” in Rincón Zapotec
  • “person in authority among the brothers” in Central Mazahua
  • “supervisor of the creed” in Guhu-Samane (source for this and three above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
  • “older person” with an implication of that being a leader-like person in Matumbi (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • “person who has taken on responsibilities in the congregation” in German (das Buch translation by Roland Werner, publ. 2009-2022)

The German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) chooses for the occurrences in Revelation the translation of Würdenträger or “dignitary.” Elsewhere (for instance in 1 Peter 5:1) it has “elders, your congregational leadership.”

See also elder (of the community).

Barnabas

The term that is transliterated as “Barnabas” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a combination of the signs for the letter B and “encourage” (referring to Acts 11:23). (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


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

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

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

See also son of encouragement.

apostle, apostles

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The Greek term that means “one who is sent off” in its singular form and is usually transliterated as “apostle(s)” in English is (back-) translated in the following ways:

Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as commissioner.

In American Sign Language it is translated with a combination of the signs for “following” plus the sign for “authority” to differentiate it from disciple. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


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

In Hungarian Sign Language it is translated with a sign that shows the shape of the beard, based on the common and general visual representation of the apostles. This sign differs from the sign for a beard as used in colloquial language. The sign of the apostle does not originate from a specific biblical verse, but rather from the cultural context and later ecclesiastical tradition. “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.” Lev 19:27. In the biblical era, wearing a beard was the default social and religious norm among Jewish men. The Apostle Peter is generally depicted with a short, curly, white beard. The Apostle Paul appears with a longer, pointed beard. The Apostle John is an exception, as he was the youngest disciple. In iconography, he is often the only one painted without a beard (as a youth) to emphasize his purity and age (see for instance at Transfiguration (icon)). (Source: Jenjelvi Biblia and Andrea Bokros)


“Apostle” in Hungarian Sign Language (source )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: The Apostles in Christian Art .

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: Ruth Anna 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)

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

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 )

The following is a contemporary stained glass window from the Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, Minnesota by Peter Dohmen. Individual glass pieces were made in Germany in accordance with Dohmen’s design, using a technique first developed by Irish monks in the 9th and 10th centuries.

Source for the image and description below: The Stained Glass Windows of Messiah Episcopal Church

“This window is dedicated to St. Paul, the great apostle and missionary, for whom our city is named. At the top of the window is a ship which symbolizes the many missionary journeys of Paul — the Church is our ship, which carries us over the way of life. In the lower section we see Paul on the road to Damascus when he saw a great light and heard our Lord’s voice, which called him to discipleship.”

Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Paul .

complete verse (Acts 15:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 15:2:

  • Uma: “No kidding the opposition of Paulus and Barnabas contradicting that teaching of theirs. Finally the Kristen people in Antiokhia said: ‘We should send several of our companions to Yerusalem to present [lit., bring to the top] this matter to the apostles of the Lord Yesus and other elders.’ The ones they sent, were Paulus, Barnabas and several others.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Paul and Barnabas argued strongly with those people and they debated much about that teaching of theirs. Therefore the disciples of Isa in Antiyok planned-agreed that Paul and Barnabas and others of the brothers should go to Awrusalam to question the commissioned ones and the elders about that matter/problem.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now Paul and Barnabas, they didn’t receive the teaching of these people, and their arguing with them was very strong; therefore the believers there, they sent Paul, Barnabas, and some others of them to go to Jerusalem so that they might ask about this to the apostles and to the elders of the believers there.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But Pablo and Barnabas, extreme was the way they were arguing with them. Therefore they all agreed-together that Pablo and Barnabas and some other believers would go to Jerusalem to go speak-with the apostles and leaders of the believers concerning that-aforementioned that they taught.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When Pablo and Bernabe heard, they really argued-with/challenged that teaching. Their answering-back-and-forth was intense. Therefore, when it was now like that, the believers at Antoquia decided to send Pablo and Bernabe, together with some other believers from there, to go to Jerusalem, for they would get the solution to that thing from the apostles and overseers there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Jerusalem

The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:


“Jerusalem” in French Sign Language (source: La Bible en langue des signes française )

While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jerusalem .

Translation commentary on Acts 15:2

Fierce is literally “not a little” (see 14.28), and is used by Luke as the means of making a strong emphasis. The New English Bible also has “fierce,” and the Jerusalem Bible “long”; while Phillips translates the entire expression as “a serious upset … and much earnest discussion.” In the present context the words translated argument and dispute are practically synonyms. It is important in rendering the expression had a fierce argument to indicate by the total context that this was not an argument between Paul and Barnabas, but with Paul and Barnabas on one side and the men who came from Judea on the other side. In some languages it may be necessary to say “Paul and Barnabas had a fierce argument with them and disputed with them about this matter.”

It was decided (see Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible “it was arranged”) is literally “they appointed.” The subject of the verb “appointed” is not at all clear from the context, and most translations prefer to render the verb phrase either by a passive construction or by an impersonal construction, since in Greek the active third person plural frequently has this meaning. If a passive or impersonal construction is impossible in the receptor language, it is perhaps best to take the subject as “the men who came from Judea,” though some commentators believe the subject was the brothers, that is, the Christians at Antioch.

In many languages it is quite impossible to use the verb “see” in the meaning of “talk with people about.” Therefore one must render the last clause as “and talked with the apostles and elders about this matter.”

In the Greek only one define article connects apostles and elders, thus intimating that they are to be regarded as a single group, rather than as two separate groups. Thus the apostles and elders appears to be a better rendering than “the apostles and the elders,” which might imply two separate groups. The final phrase about this matter must refer to the insistence of those from Judea that Gentiles were to be circumcised according to the Law of Moses. It may be necessary to specify this by translating “to talk with the apostles and elders about the Gentile believers being circumcised according to the Law of Moses.” On the other hand, it is often possible to suggest the same content by saying “to talk with the apostles and elders about the Gentile believers being circumcised according to the Law of Moses.” On the other hand, it is often possible to suggest the same content by saying “to talk with the apostles and elders about this disputed matter” or “… about the dispute.”

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 .