Acts 4:31When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~30 AD. Upper room or house church. The apostles had just been threatened by the Sanhedrin and released. They gathered to pray for boldness, not safety.
The emotion here: amazed at witnessing such supernatural confirmation
The original word
parrhēsia (παρρησία) — fearless speech, especially before authorities who could harm you
Why it matters
This happened immediately after Peter and John were arrested for healing the lame man at the temple gate
Read with care
What most readers miss in Acts 4:31
They prayed for boldness to keep preaching, not for protection from persecution
Common misconceptionPeople think this was a nice spiritual feeling. It was a literal earthquake that confirmed God's approval of their decision to defy the religious authorities.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Acts 4:31
Bible Genome reading
Acts 4:31 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Acts 4:31 comes from the book of Acts, written during the early_church period. These words are attributed to Luke. The dominant emotion in this verse is joyful, with a comfort power of 80% and a tone that is celebratory. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include power, boldness. Notable phrases: place was shaken; filled with Holy Spirit; spoke with boldness.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same joyful
“For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, …”
— Isaiah 9:6
“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22
“"Death, where is your sting? Hades, where is your victory?"”
— 1 Corinthians 15:55
“Rejoice always.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
Your reflection
What does Acts 4:31 mean to you, today?
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