Acts 14:3

Long time therefore (ikanon men oun cronon). Accusative of duration of time (possibly six months) and note men oun. There is an antithesis in escisqh de (verse Psalms 4 ) and in verse Psalms 5 (egeneto de). After the persecution and vindication there was a season of great opportunity which Paul and Barnabas used to the full, "speaking boldly" (parrhsiazomenoi as in Psalms 13:46 at Antioch in Pisidia, "in the Lord" (epi twi kuriwi), upon the basis of the Lord Jesus as in Psalms 4:17 . And the Lord Jesus "bore witness to the word of his grace" as he always does, "granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands" (didonti shmeia kai terata ginesqai dia twn ceirwn autwn). Present participle (didonti) and present infinitive (ginesqai) repetition of both signs and wonders (note both words) just as had happened with Peter and John and the other apostles ( Psalms 2:43 ; Psalms 4:29 ; Psalms 5:12 ; cf. Hebrews 2:4 ). The time of peace could not last forever with such a work of grace as this. A second explosion of persecution was bound to come and some of the MSS. actually have ek deuterou (a second time).