ἐστερεοῦντο τῇ πίστει, were established in the faith. This verb is peculiar to the Acts, and is used (Acts 3:7; Acts 3:16) of the strengthening of the limbs of the lame man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. So its employment here indicates that thus the Church was now prepared to make great progress. The barrier to Gentile admission was removed, and so the number of Christians multiplied daily.

στερεόω is found both in the literal and metaphorical senses in the LXX. The former is mostly concerning God, ὁ στερεώσας τὴν γῆν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ (Isaiah 42:5). In a figurative sense (Proverbs 20:21) διαλογισμοὶ ἐν βουλῇ στερεοῦνται.

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Old Testament