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 15:38)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 15:38:

  • Uma: “but Paulus said: ‘No, for he left us the other day in land of Pamfilia, [when] our work wasn’t yet done.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But Paul’s opinion was that it was not right for Markus to be taken along because he had left them there in Pampiliya and he had not endured helping them until their work was finished.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, Paul didn’t want to take John Mark because he had stopped helping them and he went off and left them before when they were in Pamphylia.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “but Pablo refused, because he had left them previously when they were in Pamfilia, and he hadn’t continued helping in their work.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But as for Pablo, it wasn’t okay with him that they cause Juan Marcos to go along for as-already-mentioned, when they were in Panfilia, Juan had separated from them. He couldn’t hold fast in that which they were doing which was going teaching.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 15:38

This entire verse requires a good deal of restructuring from the Greek because the verb phrase is divided, the first part coming at the beginning of the sentence and the last part at the very end, with the clause describing John Mark coming in between.

Either did not think it was right or “was not in favor of” (Jerusalem Bible) correctly translates the meaning of the verb that Luke has chosen to describe Paul’s attitude. The choice of a word for right should not imply moral rightness, in contrast with something which was morally wrong. It is simply a matter of whether it was a good thing to have John Mark go along with them.

The literal expression “to the work” is translated to the end of their mission inasmuch as “work” is used in several places in Acts as a specific term of reference for the Christian missionary effort (see 13.2; 14.26). Moreover, it is obvious that Paul meant that John Mark had left them and had not completed the mission that they had intended to undertake. In some languages the expression not stayed with them to the end of their mission may be rendered as “did not stay with them until they had completed their work” or “did not stay with them until they finished what they had started to do.”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 15:38

15:38a–c

Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work: The Greek is literally “Paul did not consider the one who deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work worthy, not to take along this one.” John Mark left Paul and Barnabas in the middle of the first missionary journey. So Paul did not believe he was worthy to go on this missionary journey. The last part (“not to take along this one”) emphasizes that Paul really did not want to take John with them. Other ways to translate this are:

Paul did not think that he was worthy to take part in this ministry, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the ministry. He really did not want to take him along.
-or-
John/he had deserted them at Pamphylia ⌊on the earlier journey⌋ and had ended working with them in that ministry in the middle of it, so Paul did not consider him worthy to work with them in this ministry and insisted on not taking him along.

15:38b

deserted: This word refers to leaving a duty. John Mark committed himself to go with Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey to help them. But in Pamphylia he changed his mind, left the work, and went home.

Pamphylia: This name refers to a region within a Roman province.

15:38c

had not accompanied them in the work: In the middle of the first missionary journey John Mark left Paul and Barnabas and went back to Jerusalem. Other ways to translate this are:

had not continued with them in the work (New International Version)
-or-
but had turned back and left them (Good News Translation)

in the work: Here the word work refers to the ministry of going from town to town and proclaiming the message about Jesus. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate only physical labor. If that is true in your language, explain the kind of work in your translation. For example:

their mission (Good News Translation)
-or-
in the ministry
-or-
in their ⌊missionary⌋ work

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