“And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.”
Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events - the 'great fear' (phobos megas) now extends beyond those present to 'all who heard,' expanding the circle of awe. Luke's use of 'whole church' (holē tē ekklēsia) is significant; this is the first explicit reference to the ekklēsia as a unified entity in Acts. The fear is not terror but reverent awe, the appropriate response to a God who dwells among his people in consuming holiness.
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