And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
Parallel translations
- WEB So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
- BSB So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
- NKJV So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
- NASB So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.
- NLT So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The churches grew stronger in faith and larger in number day by day.
Overview
This is one of Luke's summary statements that punctuate Acts, marking the steady advance of the gospel. The pairing of deepening faith with numerical growth shows that true church health involves both maturity and mission. Such growth flows from the risen Christ building His church through the Spirit and the faithful proclamation of His word.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 23
- Acts 9:31Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
- Acts 2:47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
- Acts 6:7And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
- 1 Pet 5:10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
- Eph 4:13–16Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
- Acts 15:41And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
- Col 2:6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
- Rom 16:25Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
- Acts 12:24But the word of God grew and multiplied.
- Acts 13:48–49And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
- 1 Cor 15:58Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
- Acts 19:18–21And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
- 2 Chr 20:20And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
- 1 Th 3:2And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellowlabourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:
- Acts 11:21And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
- Acts 5:14And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
- Heb 13:20–21Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
- Isa 7:9And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.
- 2 Th 2:16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
- Heb 13:9Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
- 1 Th 3:13To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
- Acts 4:4Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
- Gal 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 16:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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