The Meaning of Acts 5:42 Explained

Acts 5:42

KJV: And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

YLT: every day also in the temple, and in every house, they were not ceasing teaching and proclaiming good news -- Jesus the Christ.

Darby: And every day, in the temple and in the houses, they ceased not teaching and announcing the glad tidings that Jesus was the Christ.

ASV: And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  daily  in  the temple,  and  in every  house,  they ceased  not  to teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ. 

What does Acts 5:42 Mean?

Verse Meaning

This treatment did not deter the apostles at all. Instead they continued explaining (Gr. didasko) and evangelizing (euaggelizomai) daily, publicly in the temple and privately from house to house (cf. Acts 2:46), declaring that Jesus was the Messiah (cf. Acts 28:31).
"It [1] is a statement that has nuances of defiance, confidence, and victory; and in many ways it gathers together all Luke has set forth from Acts 2:42 on." [2]

Context Summary

Acts 5:27-42 - Folly Of Fighting Against God
The high priest and his party could not forget the imprecation of Matthew 27:25. It haunted them. Compare Peter's description of the Cross as the tree with Deuteronomy 21:23 and Galatians 3:13; also his own usage of the phrase in 1 Peter 2:24. Notice in Acts 5:31 the divine order-Jesus must be Prince, if He is to be Savior. It is because that order is not observed, and men therefore seek to derive His benefits before they concede His rights, that He is unable to deliver them. Christ must be the enthroned Lord and Master of your life, if you want to be saved to the uttermost. See Romans 10:9, r.v. Repentance is His gift equally as forgiveness. Mark that reference to the witness of the Holy Spirit, Acts 5:32. Let us never stand in pulpit or class without being first assured that the truth we utter is such that He can endorse.
Gamaliel had been Paul's teacher. He was very astute and non-committal. He said, "Let us wait and see; the truth will conquer." He expected that the new enthusiasm would die down if it were let alone. He knew that a draught of wind fans a fire. But he lived to see his mistake. We must be warned by Acts 5:42 not only to preach Christ as king in the Temple, but also at home. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 5

1  After that Ananias and Sapphira his wife,
3  at Peter's rebuke had fallen down dead;
12  and that the rest of the apostles had wrought many miracles;
14  to the increase of the faith;
17  the apostles are again imprisoned;
19  but delivered by an angel bidding them preach openly to all;
21  when, after their teaching accordingly in the temple,
29  and before the council,
33  they are in danger to be killed;
34  but through the advice of Gamaliel, they are kept alive, and are only beaten;
41  for which they glorify God, and cease no day from preaching

Greek Commentary for Acts 5:42

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Every day ( πασαν ημεραν — pāsan hēmeran ). Accusative of extent of time, all through every day. In the temple and at home ( εν τωι ιερωι και κατ οικον — en tōi hierōi kai kat' oikon ). This was a distinct triumph to go back to the temple where they had been arrested ( Acts 5:25 ) and at home or from house to house, as it probably means (cf. Acts 2:46 ). It was a great day for the disciples in Jerusalem. They ceased not ( ουκ επαυοντο — ouk epauonto ). Imperfect middle. They kept it up. Jesus as the Christ ( τον Χριστον Ιησουν — ton Christon Iēsoun ). Jesus is the direct object of the participles διδασκοντες — didaskontes (teaching) and ευαγγελιζομενοι — euaggelizomenoi (preaching or evangelizing) while “the Christ” ( τον Χριστον — ton Christon ) is the predicate accusative. These words give the substance of the early apostolic preaching as these opening chapters of Acts show, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah of promise. Gamaliel had opened the prison doors for them and they took full advantage of the opportunity that now was theirs. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 5:42

Acts 14:23 And when they had appointed for them elders in every church [χειροτονησαντες δε αυτοις κατ εκκλησιαν πρεσβυτερους]
They needed also some form of organization, though already churches. Note distributive use of κατα — kata with εκκλησιαν — ekklēsian (Acts 2:46; Acts 5:42; Titus 1:5). Χειροτονεω — Cheirotoneō (from χειροτονος — cheirotonos extending the hand, χειρ — cheir hand, and τεινω — teinō to stretch) is an old verb that originally meant to vote by show of the hands, finally to appoint with the approval of an assembly that chooses as in 2 Corinthians 8:19, and then to appoint without regard to choice as in Josephus (Ant. XIII. 2, 2) of the appointment of Jonathan as high priest by Alexander. So in Acts 10:41 the compound προχειρατονεω — procheiratoneō is used of witnesses appointed by God. But the seven (deacons) were first selected by the Jerusalem church and then appointed Elder Hovey rightly holds against Hackett that teaching was a normal function of these elders, pastors or bishops as they were variously called (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:9; 1 Corinthians 12:28, 1 Corinthians 12:30; Ephesians 4:11). [source]
Hebrews 10:2 Else they would not have ceased? [επει ουκ αν επαυσαντο]
Ellipsis of condition after επει — epei (since if they really did perfect) with the conclusion of the second-class condition To be offered Regular idiom, participle (present passive) with παυομαι — pauomai (Acts 5:42). Because Δια — Dia with the accusative of the articular infinitive, “because of the having” Rather “consciousness of sins” as in Hebrews 9:14. Having been once cleansed Perfect passive participle of καταριζω — katharizō “if they had once for all been cleansed.” [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 5:42 mean?

Every then day in the temple and in house not they ceased teaching proclaiming the good news that the Christ [is] Jesus
πᾶσάν τε ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ καὶ κατ’ οἶκον οὐκ ἐπαύοντο διδάσκοντες εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὸν Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν

πᾶσάν  Every 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: πᾶς  
Sense: individually.
ἡμέραν  day 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἡμέρα  
Sense: the day, used of the natural day, or the interval between sunrise and sunset, as distinguished from and contrasted with the night.
ἱερῷ  temple 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: ἱερόν  
Sense: a sacred place, temple.
οἶκον  house 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: οἶκος  
Sense: a house.
ἐπαύοντο  they  ceased 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: παύω  
Sense: to make to cease or desist.
διδάσκοντες  teaching 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: διδάσκω  
Sense: to teach.
εὐαγγελιζόμενοι  proclaiming  the  good  news  that 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: εὐαγγελίζω  
Sense: to bring good news, to announce glad tidings.
Χριστὸν  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.
Ἰησοῦν  [is]  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.