The Disciples Multiplied
Acts 6:7 says, “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly…”. We’re going to discuss how the number of the disciples multiplied. From this, hopefully, we will learn how we are to multiply.
God created us to multiply physically.
God created us physically to be fruitful and multiply. God said to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth…”. Gen 1:28. After the flood, “God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth”, Gen 9:1. God said to Abraham, “Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee”, Heb 6:14.
God simply uses the husband and wife to conceive children together and they multiply. A husband and wife cooperate together to bring forth the fruit of the womb. Even in the adverse conditions of hard bondage and male-child genocide in Egypt, “the people grew and multiplied in Egypt”, Acts 7:17.
Then world population in 1960 was approximately 3 billion, in 1975 approximately 4 billion, in 1986 approximately 5 billion, in 1998 approximately 6 billion, in 2010 approximately 7 billion, in 2022 approximately 8 billion. So, this process of multiplication that God designed is still going on today.
God created us to multiply spiritually.
We are new creatures in Christ, 2 Cor 5:17. We were first born naturally and now we are born again spiritually. According to our human nature, we can multiply physically. According to our spiritual nature, we can multiply spiritually, Acts 6:1, 6:7, 9:31.
We understand the natural process of multiplication. But what is the spiritual process?
As the natural process requires a husband and wife, so it is in the spiritual process. In the context of bearing fruit in Jn 15, Jesus said, “without me ye can do nothing”, v.3. He is the bridegroom, and we are the bride, Jn 3:29. The picture of our relationship with Jesus is that of a husband and wife, Eph 5:24-27.
In spiritual multiplication, we sow the seed of the word of God, and God gives the increase, 1 Cor 3:6. Before the number of the disciples was multiplied in Jerusalem, “daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ”, Acts 5:42.
Before the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, Acts 6:7, “the word of God increased”. Before the Gentile converts throughout the world began to multiply, “the word of God grew and multiplied”, Acts 12:24, “And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region”, Acts 13:49.
Conclusion: To multiply spiritually, we must sow the word of God. We do this, as the disciples did, by teaching and preaching Jesus and by publishing the word of God throughout the region.
As the bride of Christ, we need to publish the word of God so that God can give the increase. As we sow the word of God, he multiplies your seed sown, and increases the fruits of your righteousness, 2 Cor 9:10.
Ask the Lord tonight, “What do you want me to do, as a part of your bride, to see disciples multiplied”? Start a Bible club for kids in the neighborhood, pass out tracts in public venues like Irene’s garage sale, visit with new neighbors moving into the neighborhood, etc? Ask the Lord, he’ll show you.