Proclamations and Conversions Discussed Only in Acts: Summary Accounts
From time to time in the early parts of the book of Acts, Luke makes summary statements about the continuing numeric growth of the Jerusalem church. Sometimes these comments provide additional insight into the proclamation message and conversion process.
 
Text Observations
AC 2:47 And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. The key idea here is that God is the one who adds to their number those are being saved.
AC 5:12 And at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's portico. [13] But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. [14] And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number; [15] to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets, and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. [16] And also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits; and they were all being healed. Early Christians are now known as "believers in the Lord," and are being added to their number.
AC 5:17 But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy; [18] and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in a public jail. [19] But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the gates of the prison, and taking them out he said, [20] "Go your way, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." The proclamation is summarized here as the "whole message of this life."
AC 5:42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. The "they" of 5:42 is the apostles, and here their message is condensed to its essence: that Jesus is the Christ. 

The Greek term translated "preaching" is euanggelizo, the first use of this word in Acts.
AC 6:7 And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. The increase in the number of disciples is directly linked to the spread of the "word of God." In context, this is a direct result of the apostolic prioritization of Acts 6:4. 

Interestingly, converts are said to be obedient to "the faith." This is the first time "the faith" is used as a term for Christianity. 

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Comments Copyright © 2002 John Engler. All rights reserved.