Page 21 - Acts Student Textbook

What did church look like? (2:42-47)

Luke opens with "They were continually devoting themselves"(2:42). Luke uses this concept often (cf.
1:14; 2:42, 46; 6:4; 8:13; 10:7). Notice the things they did when together: teaching (cf. 2:42; 4:2, 18;
5:21, 25, 28, 42), fellowship, breaking of bread (i.e., this possibly refers to the Lord's Supper. prayer
(cf. vv. 43-47). These are the things we must teach new believers! These new converts were hungry
for truth and community.

So they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching (2:42). The early Christians
made it their goal to grow in the word of God. They knew that they would only know God’s will for
their lives through the teachings of the apostles. There could be no revelation from God without the
involvement of apostles. Today we have the message they revealed in the written word, so we no
longer need living apostles in that sense (2Timothy 3:16,17; Ephesians 3:3-5; 1 Corinthians 14:37).
Since there could be no direct revelation without living apostles, and since there are no apostles
living today, then we have all truth in the Scriptures.

Miraculous attestation: 2:43 "Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe" This is an IMPERFECT PASSIVE
(deponent) INDICATIVE. We get the English "phobia" from this term "awe" or "fear." God's presence
and power caused a holy atmosphere, even unsaved sinners were aware of the sacredness of the
time and place!

Attitude toward material possessions (vv. 44-45): 2:44 "and had all things in common" they valued
the lives of their weak and needy Christians more than their material possessions. These early
believers had a great love for one another. Christians today need to regain this love and sense of the
presence and power of God among us (cf. John 17:11,21,22,23)!!

Atmosphere of worship (vv. 46-47): 2:46 "with one mind". The early church was characterized by
this unity of purpose (cf. 1:14; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12). This is not to say that they agreed on everything, but
that their hearts and minds were knit together in kingdom priorities instead of personal preferences
or agendas.

Fellowship meals: "breaking bread from house to house" (2:26). If "breaking bread" was a technical
designation for the Lord's Supper (cf. Luke 22:19 and esp. in contexts of agape meals [1 Cor. 11:17-
22; 2 Pet. 2:13-14; Jude v. 12] in the early church, ex. Acts 20:7), then this refers to daily communion
in local homes (but it must be admitted that it is also used of a regular meal in Luke 24:30,35). Here
Uttly warns “Be careful of your dogmatic denominational traditions about the when, where,
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frequency, and form of the Lord's Supper. The heart is the key!”
The Lord’s act: "the Lord was adding" (2:47). This is an IMPERFECT ACTIVE INDICATIVE. The Bible
emphasizes the sovereignty of God. Nothing happens apart from God's will. Nothing surprises God.
However, this OT way of asserting monotheism (i.e., one causality, see Special Topic at 2:39) has
been misunderstood. There is a need for balance between Man’s free will and God’s sovereignty.

17 Ibid, (Acts 2:46)
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