“Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”
My Notes
What Does Acts 14:3 Mean?
Paul and Barnabas are in Iconium, and despite fierce opposition, they stay for a "long time" — speaking boldly and watching God confirm their message with signs and wonders. The structure of this verse is important: they spoke boldly in the Lord, who gave testimony to the word of His grace.
The bold speaking came first. The signs and wonders came as God's testimony — His confirmation of the message. Paul and Barnabas didn't perform miracles to create faith; they preached the word, and God validated it. The initiative was theirs to speak; the power to confirm was God's.
The phrase "the word of his grace" is worth noting. The message wasn't about judgment or condemnation. It was grace — unmerited favor, God's generous disposition toward people who hadn't earned it. And God chose to confirm that particular message with demonstrations of power. Grace and power aren't opposites; they're partners.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where in your life are you in a 'long time' season — persisting in something without seeing clear confirmation yet?
- 2.How does it change your expectations to know that signs and wonders followed long-term faithfulness, not the other way around?
- 3.What does it look like to speak boldly in a space where you face opposition — and what holds you back?
- 4.Why do you think God chose to confirm specifically 'the word of his grace' — what does that suggest about His priorities?
Devotional
There's a detail here that's easy to miss: they stayed a long time. Despite opposition. Despite the city being divided (verse 4). Despite the threat of violence. They didn't hit resistance and move on. They planted their feet and kept speaking.
This is a picture of what faithfulness looks like when it's not glamorous. Long-term, persistent presence in a hard place. Not every day was a miracle. Some days were just showing up, speaking the truth, and trusting that God was at work even when the room was hostile.
And then God confirmed the message — not on the first day, but over the course of that long stay. The signs and wonders were embedded in faithfulness, not dropped from the sky in a spectacular moment.
If you're in a situation where you've been showing up, speaking truth, and not seeing much evidence of impact — this verse is your encouragement. Stay. Keep speaking. God's confirmation often comes to those who are still there when it arrives.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Long time therefore abode they,.... At Iconium, undaunted and not discouraged, at the treatment they met with: but…
Long time therefore - It seems probable that there were here no forcible or public measures to expel them, as there had…
Long time therefore abode they - Because they had great success, therefore they continued a long time, gaining many…
In these verses we have,
I. The preaching of the gospel in Iconium, whither the apostles were forced to retire from…
Long time therefore abode they There are two results described in this and the following verse as the consequences of…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture