Acts 14:3

14:3 So they stayed there ¹  for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified ²  to the message ³  of his grace, granting miraculous signs ⁴  and wonders to be performed through their hands.

Isaiah 58:1

The Lord Desires Genuine Devotion

58:1 “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet!

Yell as loud as a trumpet!

Confront my people with their rebellious deeds; ⁵ 

confront Jacob’s family with their sin! ⁶ 

Ephesians 6:19-20

6:19 Pray ⁷  for me also, that I may be given the message when I begin to speak ⁸  – that I may confidently make known ⁹  the mystery of the gospel, 6:20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.

¹ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

² sn The Lord testified to the message by granting the signs described in the following clause.

³ tn Grk “word.”

⁴ tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.

⁵ tn Heb “declare to my people their rebellion.”

⁶ tn Heb “and to the house of Jacob their sin.” The verb “declare” is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

⁷ tn To avoid a lengthy, convoluted sentence in English, the Greek sentence was broken up at this point and the verb “pray” was inserted in the English translation to pick up the participle προσευχόμενοι (proseuxomenoi, “praying”) in v. 18.

⁸ tn Grk “that a word may be given to me in the opening of my mouth.” Here “word” (λόγος, logo") is used in the sense of “message.”

⁹ tn The infinitive γνωρίσαι (gnwrisai, “to make known”) is functioning epexegetically to further explain what the author means by the preceding phrase “that I may be given the message when I begin to speak.”