More Than Numbers

When Luke wants his readers to know of the church’s numerical growth, he begins with their growing faith. We statistic-obsessed moderns always seem to want to know, “How many?” But the real questions are, “Where’s God working?” and “What’s happening as a result?” Luke reports on Paul and Timothy’s visits to the various churches, and the excitement is evident among the churches. Not surprisingly, numerical growth follows. When the people of God sense the movement of the Spirit in their midst, they want to be part of the adventure more and more. Whether it’s curiosity or the sense that God is working new wonders, we can’t stay away! With talk of struggling missions and closing churches, it’s easy to be discouraged about the numerical future of the church. But where the Gospel strengthens, the Spirit cultivates, and we too will increase “in numbers daily.”