Acts 4:33

My Notes

What Does Acts 4:33 Mean?

"And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all." The early church is defined by TWO 'greats': great POWER in testimony and great GRACE upon the community. The power is for WITNESS — specifically, witness of the RESURRECTION. The grace is UPON THEM ALL — not upon the apostles only but upon the entire community. The power is focused (resurrection-witness). The grace is comprehensive (upon all).

The phrase "with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection" (dynamei megalē apedidoun to martyrion hoi apostoloi tēs anastaseōs tou Kyriou Iēsou — with great power the apostles were giving the testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus) makes the RESURRECTION the central content: the apostles' testimony isn't general teaching about Jesus' life. It's SPECIFICALLY about the RESURRECTION. The great power is deployed for one message: Jesus rose. The power and the content are matched — great power for the greatest message.

The "great grace was upon them all" (charis te megalē ēn epi pantas autous — great grace was upon all of them) extends the grace BEYOND the apostles to the ENTIRE community: the 'all' includes everyone — the apostles, the believers, the entire gathered church. The grace isn't elitist. It's communal. The great power belongs to the apostles. The great grace belongs to everyone.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Does your community have both great power in witness AND great grace on everyone?
• 2.What does the great power being focused on RESURRECTION-WITNESS teach about the church's central message?
• 3.How does grace being on THEM ALL (not just the apostles) describe the communal nature of blessing?
• 4.What would great power in testimony AND great grace on the community look like in your context?

Devotional

Great POWER in the witness. Great GRACE on them all. Two 'greats' that define the early church: the apostles testify to the resurrection with enormous power AND the entire community lives under enormous grace. The power is focused on one message. The grace covers everyone.

The 'great power' is for one PURPOSE: resurrection-witness. The apostles don't use the great power for entertainment, for self-promotion, or for political influence. They use it for TESTIMONY — specifically, testimony about the RESURRECTION. The power is channeled toward ONE content: Jesus rose from the dead. The focus of the power determines its impact. The great power serves the great message.

The 'witness of the resurrection' makes the RESURRECTION the church's central proclamation: not Jesus' teachings primarily (though they taught those). Not Jesus' miracles primarily (though they performed those). The RESURRECTION. The central claim. The pivotal event. The thing that, if true, changes everything. The apostles' great-power testimony is aimed at the one fact that matters most: Jesus is alive.

The 'great grace upon them all' extends the blessing BEYOND the preachers to the PEOPLE: the great power belongs to the apostles (the proclaimers). The great grace belongs to THEM ALL (the entire community). The grace isn't reserved for the stage. It's poured on the pews. The leadership has power. The community has grace. The church functions because BOTH are operating — apostolic power in the proclamation AND communal grace in the living.

Does your community have BOTH — great power in the witness AND great grace upon all?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture