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The Word Of The Lord Grew: The Historical Character Of The New Testament Word, Martin H. Franzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Word of the Lord grew" -three times in the Book of Acts Luke uses this sentence to sum up a period of the history of the first church (Acts 6:7; 12:24; 19:20). These words are a telling expression of the Biblical conception of the divine Word. Our Lord Himself compared the Word to a seed that is sown and sprouts and grows: 'The seed is the Word of God" (Luke 8:11). The Word of the Lord is a power and is active; it "prevails mightily," as Luke puts it in one of the passages just referred to (Acts 19:20). …