A word study of the Book of Acts of the Apostles
After reading the Acts of the Apostles from beginning to end recently, I was struck not only by St. Luke’s emphasis on the apostles’ “boldness” and “speaking boldly” in that book but also the world’s response to that boldness.
The two words St. Luke uses for boldness and speaking boldly are Παρρησία (parrésia) and Παρρησιάζομαι (parrésiazomai), respectively. While he does not use these words at all in his own gospel, he uses these words 12 times in the Book of Acts of the Apostles.
Παρρησία (parrésia): Boldness, confidence, openness, plainness, frankness, bluntness. Pronounced “par-ray-SEE-ah”, from the Koine Greek words for “all” and “to flow”.
Παρρησιάζομαι (parrésiazomai): To speak boldly, to be confident, to speak freely. Pronounced “par-ray-see-AH-zom-ahee”, from the Koine Greek middle voice of Παρρησία (parrésia).
A gift of the Holy Spirit
The word Παρρησία (parresia) first appears in the Book of Acts in Acts 2:29 in Peter’s speech after the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles at Pentecost:
““Brethren, I may say to you confidently (parresias) of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.” Acts 2:29 RSVCE
After speaking boldly (Acts 4:13), Peter and John are arrested, inspiring the disciples to also pray for boldness:
Now when they saw the boldness (parresian) of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they wondered; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13 RSVCE
A few verses later, the believers pray:
And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness (parresias). Acts 4:29 RSVCE
Indeed, St. Paul clearly tells the Ephesians in his letter to them that this boldness is something to be prayed for:
Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth boldly (parresia) to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may declare it boldly (parrēsiasōmai), as I ought to speak. Ephesians 6:18-20 RSVCE
In the Book of Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke underscores the importance of parresia and parrésiazomai when, in the very last verse in the book, he tells us that St. Paul maintained this gift of boldness even when under house arrest in Rome near the end of his life and ministry:
So he stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness (parresias), without hindrance. Acts 28:30-31 LEB
The World’s Response to Parresia
St. Luke makes great effort to describe the world’s two-fold response to the apostles’ Spirit-impelled boldness: tremendous conversion and intense opposition.
Conversion
Christian boldness is shown to bear great fruit in the Book of Acts. After the Holy Spirit fell on Pentecost, some 3000 souls were baptised in Jerusalem (Acts 2:37-41). The number of conversions continued to increase in Jerusalem thereafter (Acts 5:14; 6:1,7; 12:24). After Jerusalem, souls were converted in Judea, Galilee and Samaria (Acts 8:4-8; 9:31,42). Then in Antioch (11:21), in Antioch of Pisidia (13:45,49), in Iconium (14:1), in Derbe and Lystra (Acts 16:5,15), in Thessalonica (Acts 17:4), in Athens (Acts 17:34), in Ephesus (Acts 19:20), and finally, in Rome (Acts 28:23, 30-31).
Opposition
The apostles’ boldness also generated much opposition. St. Luke uses words connoting riots, disturbances, commotions and uproars at least 28 times in the Book of Acts and he employs words denoting plots, conspiracies and ambushes at least 8 times in the book.
For example, “uproars” (θορυβέω, thorubeo) occur in Thessalonica (17:5-9) and in Jerusalem (21:27-36). A group of Ephesian silversmiths instigated a riot (τάραχος, tarachos) against St. Paul in Ephesus (19:21-41).
Plots (ἐπιβουλή, epiboule) were laid against St. Paul in Damascus (Acts 9:243-25), in Greece (Acts 20:3), and in Jerusalem (Acts 23:12-22). Murderous ambushes (ἐνέδρα, enedra) were attempted against St. Paul at least twice (23:12-22 and 25:3).
A Prayer
That the gift of boldness unleashes both the grace of conversion and intense opposition is a significant theme of the Book of Acts. Let’s make our own the prayer of the disciples after the arrest of Peter and John, while acknowledging that the gift of boldness will change lives and generate opposition:
Grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, Lord. Acts 4:29 RSVCE
