7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Verse 7 is a brief progress report of what was happening to the church at this juncture.
6:7
Then the word of God spread,
Verse 7 delineates the dynamic growth of the church.
and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,
The early church continued to grow in numbers in the city of Jerusalem.
and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Many priests of Israel became Christians.
PRINCIPLE:
There is a danger in putting priorities on things of lesser value.
APPLICATION:
The primary duty of the apostles was to pray and preach the Word. It is a danger for pastors of the modern church to neglect the study of the Word and its delivery. Pastors can easily neglect prayer as well. A pastor must put priority on the things of greatest value when ministering to his church (Eph 4:12). To let counseling, administration, or visiting the sick take precedence over the Word and prayer is a common mistake of the modern pastor. How can a congregation mature in Christ without solid teaching from God’s Word?
