Recently, I’ve been part of some conversations where Acts 16:5 has been used as an encouragement for pursuing church growth. Here’s the verse:
“So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.” Acts 16:5 (ESV)
It is indeed an uplifting passage, describing churches that were flourishing both spiritually and numerically. But the natural question is: what was happening that led to this kind of growth—and what might it teach us about how the Spirit can still work among us today?
The first clue comes from the opening word, “So.” It tells us that the growth described in verse 5 is a direct result of what came before. Looking at the context, the catalyst is clear: the circulation of the letter from the Jerusalem Council, which addressed the question of whether Gentiles could be welcomed into the Christian faith. This letter not only affirmed that Gentiles could indeed become believers, but it also clarified that they did not need to undergo circumcision.
This decision was monumental. As the gospel spread beyond Palestine, it naturally encountered Gentiles—Cornelius the centurion, the Ethiopian eunuch, the Gentiles of Antioch, and many more during Paul and Barnabas’s first missionary journey. While it was evident that God had opened the door for Gentiles to believe, some Jewish Christians insisted that circumcision was still required. This dispute led to the Jerusalem Council, where the apostles and elders ultimately agreed: circumcision was not necessary. Instead, Gentile believers were only asked to observe a few practices from the Law, mainly to preserve fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians.
After the council, the letter was first delivered to Antioch, where it was received with joy. Paul and his companions then carried it to other churches they had visited. It is right after this that we read the observation of Acts 16:5.
When you put the pieces together, the growth in faith and numbers seems closely tied to three things: The acceptance of Gentiles into the church, the lifting of unnecessary legalistic burdens, and the strengthening of fellowship among believers.
The strengthening of faith may have flowed from a deeper grasp of grace over legalism, while the increase in numbers may have come through the joy of fellowship and inclusion. Though the text doesn’t state these causes explicitly, they align with broader biblical principles.
Looking at it this way, Acts 16:5 feels like a kind of “closing bookmark” to the process of the gospel breaking past barriers—beginning with Jews, then including Gentiles, and ultimately pointing to God’s desire to reach all who are far from Him. That makes this passage more than a statement about numbers; it’s a vision for mission that continues today.
This perspective also widens the lens for how we think about church growth. Beyond legalism and fellowship, the broader story invites us to reflect on things like the Spirit’s power to draw people, the witness of lives that point to God, and the radical inclusivity of the gospel.
In that sense, Acts 16:5 not only summarizes a moment in the early church but also opens up a framework for ongoing reflection. I expect to keep coming back to these themes in future writing.
Exploring Antioch 