Bible Study series: Acts 12:24. Nothing’s gonna stop it.
I write to learn. Let’s learn together and apply these truths to our lives.
I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many other translations, please click on this link:
At the link to the original post, next, I write more commentary and dig a little deeper into the Greek. I also offer a section titled Observations for Discipleship at the end. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided in the commentary section for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Acts 12:24
24 And the word of God was increasing and multiplying. (Acts 12:24)
Comments:
24:
This verse ends the third of the so-called six “panels” of Acts, each one lasting about five years. Here they are:
1:1 to 6:7
6:8 to 9:31
9:32 to 12:24
12:25 to 16:5
16:6 to 19:20
19:21 to 28:31
The verb tenses are imperfect, which denotes uncompleted action. To express this unfinished action, the NAS has “the Word of God continued to grow and to be multiplied.” The NIV: “The Word of God continued to grow and flourish.”
Peterson notes that the two verbs “increasing” and “multiplying” appear in 6:7. “Putting the two verbs together with the ‘word of God’ as subject in 12:24, Luke makes it absolutely clear that the gospel growth means church growth in term so conversions” (comments on vv. 24-25).
Renewalists believe that the Word of God, which assumes and describes the charismatic power of the early church, continues to this day.
“word of God”: here the word logos (pronounced either lah-goss or loh-gohss, the latter is more accurate) means how we usually take it: the proclamation of the Word. In their case it was the Old Testament, particularly the Messianic prophecies, and the storyline about Jesus: his life and ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation; in our case the Word is this storyline and the entire Bible, rightly interpreted. Always be a “Word guy” or a “Word girl.” Don’t listen to the voices around the web that dismiss or treat Scripture lightly. It can change your life.
Let’s look more deeply at the noun logos. It is rich and full of meaning. It always has built into it rationality and reason. It has spawned all sorts of English words that end in –log-, like theology or biology, or have the log– stem in them, like logic.
People get so intellectual that they build up an exclusive Christian caste of intelligentsia that believe they alone can teach and understand the Word. Not true. Just study Scripture with Bible helps and walk in the Spirit, as they did in Acts. Combining word and Spirit is the balanced life.
GrowApp for Acts 12:24
1. Without being judgmental, do you belong to a church that preaches the word even when it hurts, or do you belong to a “feel-good” only church?
2. If you do, do you know how to help out? Pray? Volunteer to teach Sunday School?
RELATED
The Historical Reliability of the Book of Acts
Book of Acts and Paul’s Epistles: Match Made in Heaven?
SOURCES
For the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the very bottom:
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 