Acts 2:47 · Bible study
Acts 2:47 Commentary: Salvation, Worship, and Daily Addition
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine how the present participle 'being saved' reveals salvation as an ongoing process, and the link between the early church's worship and God's
Research Summary
- Meaning: The early church’s worship and witness created an environment where God daily incorporated new believers who were undergoing ongoing salvation.
- Key words: προσετίθει (imperfect, 'was adding', continuous divine action); σῳζομένους (present passive participle, 'being saved', ongoing rescue).
- Main debate: Future translation 'such as should be saved' (KJV) vs. present 'those who were being saved', the Greek participle is present, not future, so the KJV rendering is tendentious.
- Theological theme: Salvation as a present, progressive reality; the church as God’s creation, not a human enterprise.
- Best use: Comfort and motivation for congregations that feel small or stagnant, God adds, and our role is faithful praise and love.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
WEB World English Bible 2000
praising God and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
KJV King James Version 1769
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
praising God, and having favour with all the people, and the Lord was adding those being saved every day to the assembly.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
praising God, and having favour with all the people; and the Lord added [to the assembly] daily those that were to be saved.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord increased daily together such as should be saved.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Alabando á Dios, y teniendo gracia con todo el pueblo. Y el Señor añadía cada día á la iglesia los que habían de ser salvos.
Louvando a Deus, e tendo graça, sendo do agrado de todo o povo. E a cada dia o Senhor acrescentava à igreja aqueles que estavam sendo salvos.
louant Dieu, et trouvant grâce auprès de tout le peuple. Et le Seigneur ajoutait chaque jour à l’Église ceux qui étaient sauvés.
nahmen die Speise und lobten Gott mit Freuden und einfältigem Herzen und hatten Gnade beim ganzen Volk. Der HERR aber tat hinzu täglich, die da selig wurden, zu der Gemeinde.
En prezen God, en hadden genade bij het ganse volk. En de Heere deed dagelijks tot de Gemeente, die zalig werden.
lodando Iddio, e avendo il favore di tutto il popolo. E il Signore aggiungeva ogni giorno alla loro comunità quelli che erano sulla via della salvazione.
Chwaląc Boga i mając łaskę u wszystkiego ludu. A Pan przydawał zborowi na każdy dzień tych, którzy mieli być zbawieni.
хваля Бога и находясь в любви у всего народа. Господь же ежедневно прилагал спасаемых к Церкви.
讚美 神， 得 眾 民 的喜愛。 主 將得救 的人天天 加 給他們。
Giving praise to God, and having the approval of all the people; and every day the number of those who had salvation was increased by the Lord.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Acts 2:47
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the core meaning: the early Christians lived in a rhythm of praise and public goodwill, and God himself was the one growing the community. The present participle σῳζομένους (being saved) is decisive. Vincent, Barnes, and the Cambridge Bible all stress that this is not a future condition ('such as should be saved') but a present reality, people whose salvation was actively unfolding. The verb προσετίθει (kept adding) is imperfect, pointing to continuous divine action. As Vincent notes, salvation is a progressive rescue from sin, not a single past event. The Lord (understood as the exalted Jesus by JFB and others) is the subject; the church’s role was faithful witness, not self-growth. The phrase 'favor with all the people' is taken by Calvin, Gill, and Barnes to mean the believers’ innocent lives won general respect, even though opposition from leaders soon followed.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse presents a portrait of a worshiping community whose godly conduct earned public respect, while God himself was responsible for daily increasing the number of people who were in the process of being rescued from sin.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of σῳζομένους | All modern translations and commentators recognize it as a present passive participle, indicating a process of salvation that is currently happening. | The KJV and older versions rendered it 'such as should be saved,' implying future salvation. The debate is over whether the participle carries a future nuance (based on context of final salvation) or purely a present process. Most scholars today favor the present sense. |
| Favor with all the people | The community won general respect through their upright lives and generosity. | Calvin limits this to 'the sound part' of the people, not including opponents among the leaders. Others (Barnes, Gill) take it more broadly as the general populace, while noting that persecution soon came from religious authorities. |
| The Lord as subject of 'added' | God (or Christ) is the one who adds members to the church; human effort alone does not produce conversion. | Some (Calvin) emphasize the sovereignty of God in drawing people to himself; others (Clarke, Wesley) stress that the Lord adds the saved, implying that only genuine believers were incorporated into the visible church, a point of debate about church membership and assurance. |
| Textual question: 'to the church' vs 'together' | The earliest manuscripts (e.g., Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) omit 'τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ' and include 'ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό' at the end of verse 47. | Some manuscripts and the King James tradition include 'to the church'; most modern critical texts follow the earlier witnesses. The difference is minor, either way, the meaning is that believers were gathered into the community. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse closes the first great summary of life in the earliest Christian community. The surrounding passage (Acts 2:42, 46) describes four commitments: the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread (likely including the Lord’s Supper), and prayers. These believers met daily in the temple courts and also in homes, eating together with 'gladness and singleness of heart.'
At this point, the scandal of the cross had not yet ignited systematic opposition. Adam Clarke notes that 'every honest, upright Jew would naturally esteem these for the simplicity, purity, and charity of their lives.' The praise mentioned is directed to God as the source of spiritual and material blessings. 'Favor with all the people', Barnes and Poole point out this refers to the general public, not the leadership. The people held the apostles in high regard, as seen in Acts 4:21 and 5:13.
The word translated 'assembly' (ἐκκλησία) originally meant a public gathering of citizens. In the Septuagint it often referred to the congregation of Israel. Here it designates the body of believers, though the oldest manuscripts omit the words 'to the church' and instead read 'together' (ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό) as part of this verse. The imperfect tense of 'added' (προσετίθει) suggests a pattern: day after day, God was incorporating new members into this community. This growth was not merely numerical; those added were 'being saved', a present passive participle that locates salvation in the ongoing process of being rescued from sin and its power.
Textual Notes
The text of Acts 2:47 has a well-known variant. The earliest Greek manuscripts (P74, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) omit the words 'τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ' (to the church) and instead read 'ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό' (together) at the end of the verse. The Cambridge Bible and Adam Clarke note this: the phrase 'to the church' was likely added by later scribes to clarify the sense. The KJV and the Textus Receptus include 'to the church.' Modern critical editions (NA28, UBS5) place 'ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό' in the verse. The difference does not affect the main meaning, the community is being gathered. The verb 'προσετίθει' (imperfect, 'was adding') is undisputed, as is the present participle 'σῳζομένους.'
Reception History
In the early church, Acts 2:47 was read as a summary of the ideal Christian community: united, worshipful, and growing. Augustine cited it to illustrate the unity of the Spirit and the church as the ark of salvation. In the medieval period, the verse supported the idea of the church as the exclusive sphere of salvation, 'The Lord added those being saved' meant that outside the church there was no ordinary hope. During the Reformation, both Catholics and Protestants used the verse differently: Catholics to uphold visible church membership, Protestants to emphasize that God alone adds true believers, visible church membership being mixed. Later, the Wesleyan tradition (Clarke, Wesley) focused on the character of those added, they were 'saved from their sins,' not just outwardly affiliated. The modern phrase 'favor with all the people' has been used in discussions of Christian witness and public reputation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Worship and witness are intertwined. The church praised God and enjoyed public favor. The people’s response was not a strategy but a fruit, a lifestyle that attracted attention.
- Salvation is not just a past decision but a present reality. The participle 'being saved' (σῳζομένους) is present passive, something God is doing in the community continuously. Those added were not merely making a profession; they were undergoing a transformation.
- Growth is God’s work, not ours. The verb 'added' has the Lord as subject. The early church planted and watered, but God gave the increase. This frees us from the burden of manufacturing results.
Five-point outline
- Praising God, the congregation’s first direction was upward (for their blessings, their salvation, their fellowship).
- Having favor with all the people, consistent Christian living earns respect even from outsiders.
- The Lord kept adding, divine action, not human effort, built the church.
- Day by day, ongoing, habitual, not a one-time event.
- Those being saved, salvation is a process of rescue that continues throughout the believer’s life.
Illustration hooks
- A neighborhood where a Christian family is known for kindness and helpfulness, neighbors may not share their faith but respect them, and some eventually ask questions.
- A church potluck where the warmth and generosity of ordinary members make newcomers feel safe enough to return and hear more about Jesus.
- The quiet, persistent growth of a garden: you water and weed, but you cannot force a plant to grow. The growth is its own response to sun and soil, a picture of God adding as we tend the ground.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If we are supposed to have favor with all people, does that mean we should never face opposition?
- How can I know if I am 'being saved' right now, not just saved in the past?
- What is my part in church growth if it is ultimately the Lord who adds?
Leading a Discussion
Acts 2:47 describes a community that is both turned toward God and present in society. The words 'praising God' and 'having favor with all the people' are linked. The result of this dual orientation is that God himself expands the community daily. As you discuss this verse, pay attention to the language, especially the verbs, because they reveal how the first Christians understood salvation and growth.
Discussion questions
- What does the phrase 'praising God' tell you about the emotional and spiritual climate of the early church? How does that connect to their unity and generosity?
- The Greek says they had 'favor with all the people.' In what sense was this true, given that persecution soon broke out (Acts 4:1, 3)? How do you reconcile public favor with opposition?
- Verse 47 says the Lord 'kept adding' (imperfect tense) to the assembly. Why is it significant that the subject is 'the Lord' and not the apostles or the church?
- The participle 'those being saved' (σῳζομένους) is present tense and passive. What does this suggest about the nature of salvation, is it past, present, future, or all three?
- Compare Acts 2:47 with Acts 5:14 ('More believers were added to the Lord'). What is the relationship between being added to the Lord and being added to the community?
- How does the idea that salvation is an ongoing process affect the way you think about your own spiritual life today? Does it bring comfort or challenge?
- Suppose your congregation began to focus more on praising God and living in a way that earns respect. What practical changes might follow? What barriers might arise?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Luke 2:52 | And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. |
| Luke 19:48 | They couldn’t find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said. |
| Acts 2:39 | For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” |
| Acts 2:41 | Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. |
| Acts 4:21 | When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done. |
| Acts 4:33 | With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all. |
| Acts 5:13 | None of the rest dared to join them; however, the people honored them. |
| Acts 5:14 | More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues the common translation "such as should be saved" is wrong; the Greek means "those who were saved" already from their sins. He insists the early Church admitted only genuine converts who had been saved, not unbelievers or sinners.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the early believers' favor with all the people did not mean everyone was converted. Their consistent, humble lives earned general respect and silenced opposition. He stresses that the Lord alone added to the church those who were being saved, and such growth comes through faithful living.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees the believers' favor with the people as the natural fruit of an innocent life, but he insists that adding daily to the church belongs to God alone. Ministers labor in vain unless the Spirit makes it effective. Being gathered into the church is itself the means of attaining salvation.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the oldest manuscripts read "day by day together such as were in the way of salvation" rather than "added to the church." This shifts the emphasis from a fixed institution to an ongoing process: those who had begun salvation and needed perseverance to complete it.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that the Lord Himself adds people to the church, not human effort. The phrase “such as should be saved” points to divine election: those added are the ones God has appointed for salvation, making church growth a work of sovereign grace.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill distinguishes two kinds of church additions: those made by the Lord, who are truly saved and will persevere, and those made merely by human decision, who may fall away. He stresses that daily accessions came through God's work, not human effort, and only those whom God had chosen and regenerated were truly added.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that the first Christians were not united merely by a shared confession that Jesus was the Messiah; that alone could not have formed a lasting community. The power of the Holy Spirit, working through apostolic preaching, transformed their hearts and created a genuine, loving fellowship.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Acts 2:42 refers specifically to the newly converted three thousand, not the whole church, because verse 44 introduces the entire body of believers separately. He also stresses that the community of goods was entirely voluntary, driven by love, not by legal compulsion or any form of communism.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the early church as the primitive church in its state of greatest innocence, like infancy. He emphasizes that true Christianity, when embraced in its power, will lead believers to be constant and diligent in all the appointed ordinances of worship, particularly the apostles' teaching, fellowship, and prayer.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek text uses a present participle, meaning "those that were being saved," not a future tense. He argues that salvation is a present, progressive condition, not merely a future event or a past decision, and that this ongoing reality should not be obscured in translation.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that those the Lord added were saved specifically from their sins — delivered from both the guilt of sin and its power over them. Salvation here is not a vague concept but a concrete release from sin's penalty and its ongoing hold on a person's life.