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Exposition of Growth Verses in Acts

The concept of "growth" in the book of Acts describes the expansion and strengthening of the early Christian community, both numerically and spiritually. This theme is central to Luke's narrative, highlighting the unhindered spread of the Gospel despite internal and external challenges [3].

Several key passages in Acts explicitly mention this growth. Acts 2:41 notes the addition of about three thousand souls on the day of Pentecost. Later, Acts 4:4 records that the number of men grew to about five thousand. Acts 5:14 states that "more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women." The growth was not limited to numbers; Acts 6:7 reports that "the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith." This verse is significant as it marks the first of three instances where Luke emphasizes the spreading message of God, overcoming difficulties like internal strife and paganism [3].

Acts 9:31 provides a summary statement of the church's condition after Saul's conversion: "So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied." This verse, along with others like Acts 2:41, 4:4, 5:14, 6:1, 7, 12:24, and 21:20, details the numerical and spiritual growth of the early church [2]. The phrase "walking in the fear of the Lord" connects to the principle that "the fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7), indicating a deepening of faith alongside numerical increase [2].

The term "grow" (Greek: auxanō) implies both quantitative and qualitative development. In a broader biblical context, the idea of growth is often associated with prosperity and increase. For instance, the prophet Jeremiah uses "grow" to describe increasing prosperity [9]. The name Crescens, meaning "growing" or "increasing," also reflects this concept [1]. The Babylonian Talmud, in discussing the term leshale'aḥ (to grow long hair), interprets it as an expression of increase and growth, drawing connections to phrases like "Your tresses are a park of pomegranates" (Song of Songs 4:13) and the growth of produce when watered [4, 5, 6, 7].

Patristic writers also reflected on the nature of growth. Augustine, in his Exposition on Psalms, suggests a reciprocal relationship between human blessing and divine blessing: "When God blesseth us, we grow, and when we bless the Lord, we grow, to us both are profitable" [8]. He also contrasts the growth of humans, which ultimately leads to a lessening of life's span, with the enduring growth of the righteous, who "flourish like a palm-tree" and "spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus" [10, 11]. Tertullian, in discussing the command "Grow and multiply," notes that this command was given in a specific context and that "no other command has yet supervened" [12].

The growth described in Acts is not merely a natural phenomenon but a divine work. The message of God is portrayed as unhindered, capable of overcoming internal strife, idolatry, and paganism, resulting in the expansion of the community [3]. This growth culminates in statements like Acts 12:24, "But the word of God increased and multiplied," and Acts 19:20, "So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily." These verses underscore the dynamic and unstoppable nature of the Gospel's advance in the early church. The growth of the church in Acts serves as a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit and the resilience of the early believers in spreading the Christian message.

Sources

  1. Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Crescens — growing; increasing”
  2. Acts (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Acts 9:31: 9:31 This verse is one of several in Acts that detail the numerical and spiritual growth of the church (see also 2:41; 4:4; 5:14; 6:1, 7; 12:24; 21:20). • The first Christians were discovering the truth of the principle, “the fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge” (Prov 1:7; 9:10; cp. Job 28:28; Ps 111:10; Eccl 12:13; see Luke 7:16), and they were growing in their faith (cp. Acts 2:43; 19:17).”
  3. Acts (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Acts 6:7: 6:7 The result of the apostles’ wise handling of the issue was growth and increase in the number of believers, including many of the Jewish priests. • This is the first of three places in Acts where Luke notes that God’s message continued to spread (see also 12:24; 19:20). When real difficulties arose, God’s message could overcome the challenges posed by internal strife, idolatry, and paganism, and the result was growth in the community. Acts is the story of the unhindered message of Good News (see 28:31).”
  4. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Nazir 133b.5:7: The mishna rules that with regard to one who says: It is incumbent upon me to grow [ leshale’aḥ ] long hair, he is a nazirite. The Gemara asks: From where is it known that this term shilu’aḥ , which is a different form of the word leshale’aḥ , is an expression of increase and growth? The Gemara answers: As it is written: “Your tresses [ shelaḥayikh ] are a park of pomegranates” (Song of Songs 4:13).”
  5. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Nazir 3a.7: The mishna rules that with regard to one who says: It is incumbent upon me to grow [ leshale’aḥ ] long hair, he is a nazirite. The Gemara asks: From where is it known that this term shilu’aḥ , which is a different form of the word leshale’aḥ , is an expression of increase and growth? The Gemara answers: As it is written: “Your tresses [ shelaḥayikh ] are a park of pomegranates” (Song of Songs 4:13).”
  6. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Nazir 3a.10: The Gemara offers an alternate answer: And if you wish, say that the meaning of the word shole’aḥ in that phrase: Sends [ shole’aḥ ] water, is also increase and growth, as Rav Yosef translated this verse into Aramaic in the following manner: When one waters produce, it grows. Consequently, the verse is referring to growth by means of water.”
  7. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Nazir 133b.5:10: The Gemara offers an alternate answer: And if you wish, say that the meaning of the word shole’aḥ in that phrase: Sends [ shole’aḥ ] water, is also increase and growth, as Rav Yosef translated this verse into Aramaic in the following manner: When one waters produce, it grows. Consequently, the verse is referring to growth by means of water.”
  8. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM LXVII.[1] (part 1): 1. Your Love remembereth, that in two Psalms? which have been already treated of, we have stirred up our soul to bless the Lord, and with godly chant have said, "Bless thou, O my soul, the Lord." If therefore we have stirred up our soul in those Psalms to bless the Lord, in this Psalm is well said, "May God have pity on us, and bless us" (ver. 1). Let our soul bless the Lord, and let God bless us. When God blesseth us, we grow, and when we bless the Lord, we grow, to us both are profitable. He is not increased by our ble”
  9. Jeremiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jeremiah 12:2: grow--literally "go on," "progress." Thou givest them sure dwellings and increasing prosperity. near in . . . mouth . . . far from . . . reins-- (Isa 29:13; Mat 15:8). Hypocrites.”
  10. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM LXVI.[1] (part 9): succeeding years the span of their life is lessened. For years are not added to but taken from them as they grow: just as the water of a river alway draweth near, but from the source it withdraweth. And boys desire to grow up that they may escape the thraldom of elders; behold they grow up, it cometh to pass quickly, they arrive at youth: let them that have emerged from boyhood retain, if they are able, their youth: that too passeth away. Old age succeedeth:[2] let even old age be everlasting; with death it is removed. Th”
  11. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM XCII.(8) (part 9): end. Thy root is fixed fast: but our root is upward. For our root is Christ, who hath ascended into heaven. Humbled, he shall be exalted; "he shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus." See what trees he spoke of: the righteous shall flourish like a palm-tree: and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus. When the sun hath gone forth, doth the palm-tree wither? Doth the cedar die? But when the sun hath been glowing for some hours, the grass drieth up. The judgment, therefore, shall come, that sinners may wither, and ”
  12. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP, VI.--THE OBJECTION FROM THE POLYGAMY: OF THE PATRIARCHS ANSWERED. "But withal the blessed patriarchs," you say, "made mingled alliances not only with more wives (than one), but with concubines likewise." Shall that, then, make it lawful for us also to marry without limit? I grant that it will, if there still remain types--sacraments of something future--for your nuptials to figure; or if even now there is room for that command, "Grow and multiply;"[8] that is, if no other command has yet supervened: "The time is already wound ”
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