Exponential Growth Begins
Immediately, we begin to see a shift:
- Acts 9:31 – “…the church… grew in numbers.” (The Greek implies multiplication.)
- Acts 12:24 – “But the word of God grew and multiplied.”
Later, Paul would codify the principle of spiritual multiplication for his disciple Timothy:
2 Timothy 2:2 – “Entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
That verse describes four generations:
Paul → Timothy → Faithful people → Others
For Paul, spiritual multiplication meant:
- He regularly shared the Gospel using a reproducible model
- He brought Timothy alongside him to show him how to do it
- Timothy was expected to train other faithful people
- Those people would train others still
This replicating process—embedded in every believer—caused exponential growth in the early Church.
Key Differences Between Addition and Multiplication
| Addition | Multiplication |
| Centralized leaders do the work | Every believer is equipped and sent |
| Growth depends on events | Growth depends on relationships |
| Discipleship is a program | Discipleship is a lifestyle |
| Growth is linear | Growth is exponential |
| Focus on gathering | Focus on going and sending |
Why This Shift Still Matters
Sadly, many—perhaps most—modern churches still operate in addition mode:
- Programs attract people.
- Staff and pastors do the witnessing at church.
- Growth is slow—if it happens at all.
Some pastors even publicly state that laypeople’s role is simply to invite others to church, leaving the actual witnessing to the pastor.
This is classic addition mode.
By contrast, missional movements—like the early house churches, the underground Church in China, or disciple-making models like Evangelism Explosion (EE)—operate through multiplication:
- Simple, reproducible training (clear outlines)
- Rapid leadership handoff (trainees become trainers)
- Focus on spiritual generations, not just attendance
A Word from Billy Graham
One day I had the privilege of speaking with the great evangelist Dr. Billy Graham. I asked him:
- Why did you write the foreword to Evangelism Explosion?
- Why did you support EE so widely?
- Why did you allow Dr. Sterling Huston to give so much of his time and energy to a different ministry?
He thought for a moment, then said:
“John, if I were to fill a stadium with 100,000 people,
and all 100,000 accepted Christ,
and I did that every night of the year for all my life,
yet I were the only one doing it,
I would actually be further behind the day I died than the day I started…”
Dr. Graham understood the value of spiritual multiplication. So did Dr. D. James Kennedy.
It’s a principle that has changed the world—and still can.
In fact, it’s the only one that can.Because of this principle, the early Church grew at a rate unmatched in history.
Church Expansion (AD 30s–300s): A Summary
| Period | Key Events & Trends |
| AD 30–70 | Apostles spread the Gospel across the Roman Empire; Paul reaches Asia Minor, Greece, Rome |
| AD 70–100 | After Jerusalem’s destruction, Christianity spreads rapidly among Gentiles; house churches multiply |
| 2nd Century | Explosive growth in North Africa, Egypt, Gaul (France), and Asia Minor; apologists emerge |
| 3rd Century | Severe persecution, but Christianity thrives; informal networks and local bishops emerge |
| Early 4th Century | The Great Persecution under Diocletian fails; Christianity is legalized under Constantine (AD 313) |