Excerpts from books.
WADE, J. W. (1987).
Acts: Unlocking the Scriptures for You. Cincinnati, OH: Standard. Exportado
de Software Bíblico Logos, 09:58 22 de janeiro de 2018.
The Aftermath of
Pentecost (Acts 2:41–47)
A successful evangelistic meeting is a high point in the life of a
congregation, but what happens after the last amen is said? All too often, a
church returns to its old comfortable rut. But not the Jerusalem church. It had
no ruts to return to. What an exciting future this church had! How often does a
new church begin with three thousand charter members? And with no traditions to
live up to and no sacred cows to feed?
The Believers
Continued Together (41, 42)
How did the apostles cope with such a large group of people without any
kind of an organization? No doubt, they soon developed some kind of an
organization to handle the situation, but the organization was not nearly as
important as what they did.
First of all, the
apostles devoted themselves to teaching. These first converts, since they all came from
Jewish backgrounds, had a clear understanding of the God revealed in the Old
Testament. But they needed to build a Christian faith on top of this Jewish
foundation, and that’s exactly what the apostles began to help them do.
The need for sound teaching in modern churches is much greater because
most people do not come into the church today with anything resembling a clear
understanding of God and His purposes as revealed in the Old Testament. We
could only wish that churches today put as much emphasis upon teaching as did
the apostles. Is there any wonder then that the church today is filled with
Biblical illiterates who have only the vaguest notion about what Christianity
really is and what is required of them as Christians?
These new Christians
also devoted themselves to the “fellowship.” The word translated “fellowship” is a rich one.
It is sometimes rendered “communion,” or “sharing,” or “participation.” It
suggests having things in common, whether these be goods, service to others, a
love of the Lord, or their hope of Heaven. It is used, for example, in 1
Corinthians 10:16 to refer to the Lord’s Supper and is in some versions
translated “participation.” In 2 Corinthians 8:4, Paul compliments the churches
of Macedonia for sharing (“fellowship” in the King James Version) in his
ministry in Corinth. Their sharing took the form of providing financial
support, which allowed Paul to pursue his preaching and teaching full time. In
Galatians 2:9, the same word is used to indicate the approval of James, Peter,
and John (“the right hand of fellowship”) to Barnabas and Paul to preach among
the Gentiles.
One way this new body
of believers had fellowship was in the “breaking of bread.” Some commentators seem to think
that this refers only to the sharing of a common meal together. Although this
practice is mentioned in Acts 2:46, it seems much more likely that the
“breaking of bread” in Acts 2:42 has reference to the Lord’s Supper. In the
first century, the Lord’s Supper was often referred to as “the breaking of
bread.” It came to be a regular weekly observance (Acts 20:7), although in
those early days of the church it may have been observed daily.
One wonders where such a large group of people could have assembled all
in one place. The temple area would afford such a place, but it seems likely
that they also met in several places, such as homes and businesses, to observe
the Lord’s Supper. Before long, the church came under persecution, making it
necessary to meet in homes rather than in public places.
Prayer was another
activity that characterized the Jerusalem church. Since these people came from Jewish
backgrounds, frequent prayer was a part of their religious heritage. They had
before them the example of the Pharisees, who were notorious for their long,
elaborate prayers. While they engaged in private and family prayers, here the
reference seems to be to their prayers in public worship.
Peter’s sermon on Pentecost had filled the hearts of his hearers with a
conviction of their sins. This sense of awe was sustained in their hearts by
the miracles that were performed by the apostles (Acts 2:43). This “fear,” as
the King James Version expresses it, was not necessarily confined to the
believers. Since many of these miracles were probably done in public, and the
results of even the private miracles would become a matter of public knowledge,
others outside the body of believers must have become aware of them. Some
undoubtedly were moved by these signs to become believers, as the evidence of a
growing church indicates. Others, however, only hardened their hearts and began
to seek ways to stop the miracles and silence the apostles.
Benevolent Believers
(44, 45)
Yet another mark of the Jerusalem church was its concern for the needy.
We wish that Luke had given us more details about how they accomplished this.
Certainly, those who had food shared it with those who hungered, and those with
homes provided shelter for the homeless. But clearly their benevolence went
beyond this. They even sold their possessions and gave to those in need. It
would appear that at first, the apostles were responsible for administering
this benevolence. But soon this became such a task that they had little time
for their teaching and preaching. As a result, others were appointed to look
after the tables (Acts 6:2–4).
Unified Believers (46)
Another characteristic of this church was its unity. The New
International Version omits the expression of unity found in most translations
of Acts 2:46 (“with one accord,” KJV; “by common consent,” Phillips; “with one
mind,” NASB and NEB). Satan had not yet found a way to arouse the divisive
spirit that has proved so devastating to the church across the centuries. Day
by day, they met in the temple for worship. Since Christians had not yet felt
the wrath of the authorities, they were free to use the temple. Because the
temple was not a convenient place for meals, they took their meals together
from house to house.
Joyous Believers (47)
Yet another feature marked this church—its joyous praise of God. This
was apparent to everyone, Christians and non-Christians alike. Perhaps this
feature is more likely to be missing from the modern church than any other. At
least, outsiders do not get the immediate impression that Christians are a
joyous lot.
All of these qualities found in the early church at Jerusalem had one
important consequence—it was a growing church. Christian leaders today are
greatly concerned about church growth, and rightly so. Many formulas have been
suggested to achieve this growth. Every one of these formulas may have some
value, but the church at Jerusalem, without any scientific studies or volumes
of statistics, had a successful formula. Their total commitment led to a joyous
and winsome life-style that proved irresistible to those outside its ranks.
By Ivan Teixeira
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