So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
Parallel translations
- WEB So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
- KJV And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
- BSB So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
- 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 9:31So the assemblies throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 2:47praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
- Acts 6:7The word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
- 1 Pet 5:10But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
- Eph 4:13–16until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
- Acts 15:41He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.
- Col 2:6As therefore you received Christ Jesus, the Lord, walk in him,
- Rom 16:25—
- Acts 12:24But the word of God grew and multiplied.
- Acts 13:48–49As the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
- 1 Cor 15:58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
- Acts 19:18–21Many also of those who had believed came, confessing, and declaring their deeds.
- 2 Chr 20:20They rose early in the morning, and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. As they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in Yahweh your God, so you will be established! Believe his prophets, so you will prosper.”
- 1 Th 3:2and sent Timothy, our brother and God’s servant in the Good News of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith;
- Acts 11:21The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
- Acts 5:14More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.
- Heb 13:20–21Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, our Lord Jesus,
- Isa 7:9and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.’”
- 2 Th 2:16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,
- Heb 13:9Don’t be carried away by various and strange teachings, for it is good that the heart be established by grace, not by food, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
- 1 Th 3:13to the end he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
- Acts 4:4But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
- Gal 5:1Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a 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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