Question 1

In Acts 12:24, what is the grammatical subject that is said to “grow and multiply,” and why might that matter for interpretation?

Accepted Answer

The subject is “the word of God.” The sentence presents the message itself as the thing increasing and multiplying, rather than directly saying “the church grew” or “the disciples increased.” Interpreters often note that this wording keeps attention on the proclaimed message and its spread. It still implies people are receiving it, but the verse does not provide numbers or identify particular agents in this summary line. In context, it also contrasts with the preceding violence and political events, suggesting the outcome of the episode is continued expansion, not stoppage.

Question 2

How do Acts 12:24–25 function as a bridge between scenes in the narrative flow of Acts?

Accepted Answer

They close one episode and open the next. Verse 24 summarizes the enduring forward movement after the crisis involving James, Peter, and Herod. It acts like a concluding headline: despite turmoil, the message keeps spreading. Verse 25 then shifts attention to Barnabas and Saul, last foregrounded in the famine-relief mission. The verse marks their assignment as completed and repositions them for what follows. The effect is a smooth transition from a Jerusalem-centered conflict scene to the next stage of travel and wider outreach.

Question 3

What does Acts 12:25 explicitly say Barnabas and Saul had done before traveling again?

Accepted Answer

It says they had “fulfilled their service.” The word translated “service” refers to a concrete task of help or ministry, and in the immediate story it aligns with the relief effort previously mentioned for Judea. The verse highlights completion: they finish what they were sent to do and then move on. The narrative does not detail the steps of the service here (who they met, how aid was distributed), but the completion note is important because it frames their next movement as a transition after a finished assignment, not an abandonment mid-task.

Question 4

What is the main interpretive question created by the wording “returned to Jerusalem” in Acts 12:25?

Accepted Answer

The question is about direction: are Barnabas and Saul returning to Jerusalem, or returning from Jerusalem after being there? Some English Bibles read “returned to Jerusalem,” while others read “returned from Jerusalem,” reflecting different judgments about the underlying wording and how it fits the storyline. The larger narrative has them involved with Antioch and a relief visit connected to Judea, so interpreters ask which reading best matches that sequence. Either way, the verse’s main emphasis remains that their service was completed and travel resumed.

Question 5

Why does Acts 12:25 identify “John” with the additional name “Mark,” and what does the verse itself allow us to conclude?

Accepted Answer

The double naming (“John, whose surname was Mark”) functions as clarification for the reader. It identifies which John is meant and sets him up as a recognizable figure for later scenes. From this verse alone, the safe conclusion is that he is a known individual with two names and that he joins Barnabas and Saul as a traveling companion. The text does not explain why he has two names, what his exact role will be, or how his presence affects the mission; it simply marks his entry into the traveling network.

Question 6

Taken together, what relationship do these verses suggest between opposition and the advance of the message?

Accepted Answer

They place the advance of the message after a cluster of hostile actions and political maneuvering, and they summarize the result as continued growth. The verses do not claim opposition is the only cause of growth, but they do show it is not the final word. By immediately stating that “the word of God grew and multiplied,” the narrator interprets the preceding turmoil as failing to stop the movement. Verse 25 then reinforces continuity by showing key leaders completing service and moving forward, implying the mission’s momentum carries on through setbacks.

Acts 12:24-25

Scripture