Acts2:47

Translation

praising THEOS

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and having favor

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with all the people. And every day the LORD kept adding to their number those who were being saved.

Paraphrase

praising THE OWNER AND RULER OF ALL THINGS, and the entire community was favorably disposed toward them. Meanwhile, as they focused on the priorities mentioned, THE SUPREME RULER kept adding to their number every day, those who were being saved.

Footnotes

1: THEOS

The original uses a different form of this name because the grammar requires it, but I have left the name in the form you are more accustomed to so that no one will think there is a change in meaning.

2

This is the Greek word for “grace.” Its root meaning is “to lean towards someone.” If you lean towards someone you will show them “grace, favor, be favorably disposed toward them, or show them kindness.”

THEY WERE WINSOME WITHOUT EVANGELISTIC STRATEGIES

It appears that they were not making special efforts to convince people to follow Jesus, rather their transformed lives were so winsome that they won the favor of everyone who observed them closely and persuaded many of them to also follow Jesus. It was the Lord who was doing this work while they focused on doing what they needed to be doing to maintain a close relationship with God and with their fellow believers. It’s not that they did not care about others; they did. They were glad to tell others about Jesus. They were willing to be witnesses to what they had seen and heard even if it cost them their lives. What this passage is saying is that they were clear about their purpose and their priorities; they stuck with those priorities and God made their number grow. In part God used the examples of their changed lives and His Holy Spirit also worked as only He can work.