Isaiah 43:1-2

The Lord Will Rescue His People

43:1 Now, this is what the Lord says,

the one who created you, O Jacob,

and formed you, O Israel:

“Don’t be afraid, for I will protect ¹  you.

I call you by name, you are mine.

43:2 When you pass through the waters, I am with you;

when you pass ²  through the streams, they will not overwhelm you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;

the flames will not harm ³  you.

Acts 14:22

14:22 They strengthened ⁴  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ⁵  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ⁶  of God through many persecutions.” ⁷ 

Acts 14:1

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium

14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium ⁸  when Paul and Barnabas ⁹  went into the Jewish synagogue ¹⁰  and spoke in such a way that a large group ¹¹  of both Jews and Greeks believed.

Acts 3:3-4

3:3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, ¹²  he asked them for money. ¹³  3:4 Peter looked directly ¹⁴  at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!”

¹ tn Or “redeem.” See the note at 41:14. Cf. NCV “saved you”; CEV “rescued you”; NLT “ransomed you.”

² tn The verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

³ tn Heb “burn” (so NASB); NAB, NRSV, NLT “consume”; NIV “set you ablaze.”

⁴ 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.”

⁵ 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.”

⁶ sn This reference to the kingdom of God clearly refers to its future arrival.

⁷ tn Or “sufferings.”

⁸ sn Iconium. See the note in 13:51.

⁹ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

¹¹ tn Or “that a large crowd.”

¹² tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.

¹³ tn Grk “alms.” See the note on the word “money” in the previous verse.

¹⁴ tn Grk “Peter, looking directly at him, as did John, said.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.