Of One Heart and Soul

Introduction

We are in the midst of the section of Acts which is the Apostle’s witness to Jerusalem. The section begins in chapter 3 and goes all the way into chapter 8. We saw in Chapter 3 the “sign and wonder” done by Peter and John in healing the lame man, who was then able to enter the temple with the Apostles.

The response from the religious establishment was one of agitation as these commoners were doing signs and wonders as well as teaching the people. And although the Apostles were not authorized by the religious establishment to teach the people, we know that Christ, who has all authority, authorized the Apostles to teach in the Great Commission. So, the entire episode can be boiled down to authority. Who is the proper authority? The religious establishment or Jesus Christ?

After being released, the Apostles gathered with the church and told them what had happened. In response, the gathered church prayed the Scriptural promises of Psalm 2 and Psalm 8 back to God, and requested that the Lord would “...take note of their threats, and grant that Your slaves may speak Your word with all confidence,” (Acts 4:29). And we read at the end of the passage,

Acts 4:31 LSB

And when they had prayed earnestly, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with confidence.

Now in today’s passage, we will get a glimpse of this New Covenant community. And if you recall, the pattern goes like this:

Signs and wonders accomplished by the Apostles

Resistance of the Old Covenant community

A picture of the New Covenant community

And this pattern repeats three times between chapters 3 through 8, as the Apostles obey the Great Commission in their witness to Jerusalem.

The title of this message is taken from verse 32, “...one heart and soul...”. The theme will be Hospitality: My life for yours. There are two sections in this text:

The Greatest Commandments (Acts 4:32-35, 1 John 3:16-18)

A Contrast (Acts 4:36-5:11, 1 John 3:10)

The Sacrifice of Christ (Acts 4:36-37, Matthew 20:25-28)

The Sacrifice of Cain (Acts 5:1-11, Genesis 4:3-6, Joshua 7:16-26)

*Let’s pray and seek the Lord’s blessing on the preaching of His Word.*

The Greatest Commandments

Acts 4:32–35 (LSB)

And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and not one was saying that any of his possessions was his own, but, for them, everything was common. And with great power the apostles were bearing witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

Here we see a community of people who are truly living out the greatest and second greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-31).

Deuteronomy 6:5 LSB

“You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

Leviticus 19:18 (LSB)

‘You shall not take vengeance, and you shall not keep your anger against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.

This passage is not meant to guide our civics.

“Civics is a social science that deals with the rights and duties of citizens. It encompasses the study of government, its workings, and the role of citizens within it.” (Perplexity: Collins & Merriam-Webster)

Luke here is not concerned with the top-down civil arrangement that would enforce communism. He is not making a case for the abolishment of private property. And we know this, not only because it would undermine the basis of the 8th commandment (Exodus 20:15), but also because Peter makes a strong statement regarding private property in Acts 5:4, stating that Ananias’ property was indeed his own and under his authority.

This passage is concerned with self-sacrificing love. This self-sacrificing love establishes private property because if you have something then you can sacrifice it. If you own nothing, then it is impossible for you to sacrifice it. Is that clear? If we truly had all things in common so that nothing belonged to any of us, then there would be no way for us to exercise charitable giving. We give sacrificially when we give what is ours lawfully to someone else. This concept is foreign to lost souls. and this is the point that Luke will be illustrating for us by means of two examples.

There are two ways to fail at self-sacrifice: The poor way and the rich way.

The Poor Way to Fail

If you have nothing and are a burden on those who have something, and you do not care to improve your situation, then you are stealing. If your lifestyle is established on the expectation of the charitable giving of others, then you are breaking the 8th commandment. And this applies to all communities. The home, church, and society.

We can steal in the home when we expect mom to always do stuff for us, or when we expect dad to always buy stuff for us or fix stuff for us. Or when spouses always expect the other person to do things without any thought of giving themselves. When we expect others to do things for us. When that is our expectation, we are stealing.

We can steal in society if we abuse welfare or social services, especially emergency services. Or when we vote in such a way that will redistribute the wealth of others towards ourselves. If you establish your lifestyle with the expectation of government disbursements of tax dollars to you with no intention of improving our situation, then you are stealing.

We can steal in the church in a similar manner. If we view the church as a spiritual service to and for us rather than to and for God, we are stealing. If you have no intention of gaining spiritual maturity and you end up seeking spiritual help for the same problems over and over again, then you are stealing.

Paul says,

Ephesians 4:28 (LSB)

He who steals must steal no longer, but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need.

Having something to share is the state of being that Paul advocates here. If you are not “laboring with your own hands so that you have something to share,” then you are stealing. And this can be applied in the home, church, and society. Hence, why John Smith in the Jamestown colony said, “if you do not work, then you do not eat.” Which is a quotation from 2 Thessalonians 3:10. This is the poor way to fail.

The Rich Way to Fail

If you have something to share, which is the state for which Paul advocates, then you are wealthy. And if one who is wealthy sees that a brother or a sister needs something, and does not provide it sacrificially, then how can they be the child of God? This is what John says,

1 John 3:16–18 (LSB)

By this we have known love, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

If you have labored so that you have, in any of those spheres: home, church, society, and you are not giving or sharing what you have gained, then you are breaking the 6th commandment and hating your brothers and sisters.

A note on need:

we are talking about actual needs such as shelter/heat, clothing, and food. What you would need if you were stranded in the wilderness: shelter, heat, clothing, and food. We are not talking about the “needs” of our wealthy society. There are plenty of things that we view as “needs” in our society simply because our personal standards of living are so elevated. Just to give a few examples, electricity, internet, phones, plumbing, these are all modern amenities which are very nice, but they do not constitute a true need. If a person is getting welfare from the community, then that should cover the very basics of their existence: food, clothing, heat, and shelter. Nothing more.

So, if you see a brother or a sister who has this level of need: food, clothing, heat, shelter and you do nothing, then you are breaking the 6th commandment and you are hating your brother, presupposing that it is within your power to help them.

This kind of self-sacrificing love is foreign to the lost. They believe that the only way to establish general welfare in an equitable manner in a society is by abolishing private property so that the State can distribute produced resources to anyone that has a need. They cannot fathom a type of giving wherein a person chooses to give away what they lawfully own. It is foreign to the world to see true sacrificial love. As Christians, we believe differently. We establish property rights and we encourage the building of wealth. And in a Christian society, there would be no one that has a need because we would all be willing to sacrifice what we have for the sake of the other person.

This puts everything in its proper place: a person works to build up wealth/resources (which are viewed as positive tools), and if a brother or sister through catastrophe develops a true need, then the wealthy person can exercise charity by giving to them sacrificially. Wealth is a good thing to seek, but it is an evil thing to serve. We serve God with everything that we have. We give Him ourselves because we are not our own, we were bought with a price. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

A Contrast

Luke is telling his readers that the promises of a New Covenant wherein God would write His law on the hearts of His people, that fulfills the greatest Commandments, in other words, a true people of God, has been established (Jeremiah 31:33-34). This is being fulfilled. These people are living with love to God and neighbor as they ought. They are upholding the 6th and 8th commandments particularly: building wealth so that they can care for any that might have need.

And to illustrate what was happening here in this New Covenant community, Luke gives us two examples: Joseph (Barnabas) and Ananias. And this passage makes so much more sense if it is guided by the end of verse 35, “…as any had need.” If a person needed something, then this community was willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of that person. This is hospitality. Doug Wilson wrote a book titled My Life for Yours: A Walk through the Christian Home. I highly recommend it. He talks about a lot of this in that book. When we welcome others into our community, teach them to be disciples of Jesus, share our food and resources with them, we are exercising Christian hospitality.

An ethical principle

There are two questions we need to ask when we are confronted with someone who is requesting assistance:

Does this person have a legitimate need (safety, shelter, heat, food)?

Do I have the capacity to meet the need without harming myself or my family?

If the answer is yes and yes, then you should help them. Sometimes that help will be getting them in touch with the people that ought to be helping them. Other times, it will mean us helping them. Each situation will be different and we must exercise discernment as good stewards.

As we address this passage I want to highlight three principles that will guide my interpretation.

Its connection to other narratives: Cain and Abel, Achan, Nadab and Abihu, and Uzza.

That the Spirit of God now dwelt among His people. The Spirit was poured out during Pentecost and again in Acts 4:31. The Spirit will keep His temple pure. This should be a terrifying thought. Christ will refine His church. His bride will be pure.

The end of Acts 4:35, “…as any had need.” Keeping in mind what a true “need” is.

The Sacrifice of Christ

Acts 4:36–37 (LSB)

Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a field, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

What he did with his might: his resources (including strength/energy, motivation, thinking, money, land, etc…) was a reflection of his heart and soul. He gave sacrificially for the benefit of any that had need within his community. The New Temple community was giving their Temple tax (Exodus 30:11-16) and is reminiscent of how the Israelites would harvest their grain, leaving some for those in need. In other words, they would not maximize their profits at the expense of the destitute (Leviticus 9:9-11).

It also represents self-sacrifice. Rather than using the profits from the sale of goods for himself, he chose to give it to his community. Rather than thinking selfishly about his resource, he was thinking corporately about his resources. The question should be how we can use our wealth in society, not take wealth from society. And this is exemplified by Christ,

Matthew 20:25–28 (LSB)

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

My life for yours. That is the Christian ethos and the grounding of hospitality. I will prefer you above me. I will love my neighbor as I love myself. This is how we are called to exercise hospitality to everyone, but especially to our own brothers and sisters (John 13:34-35). This is how a Christian community operates: we build wealth and we use it to better our community. We do not hoard it for ourselves but we use it. In so doing, there will not be a needy person among us (Acts 4:34). And remember, we do not belong to ourselves. We belong to God. It is simply our reasonable service rendered when we give ourselves wholly to God (Romans 12:1-2). God gets everything. No exceptions.

The Sacrifice of Cain

Acts 5:1–11 (LSB)

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge. And bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your authority? Why is it that you laid this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard. And the young men rose up and wrapped him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. Now there was an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you were paid this much for the land?” And she said, “Yes, that much.” Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” And immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard these things.

Connection to Prior Narratives

Luke is setting up a contrast by starting this section with the word “but...”. Just as there was a difference between the offering of Abel and the offering of Cain (Genesis 4:3-6), there is a difference between the offering of Joseph and the offering of Ananias. One cannot lightly disregard the stipulations of the thrice holy God regarding how we approach Him as Uzzah did when he reach out and touched the Ark of the Covenant and was killed (Numbers 4:15, 2 Samuel 6:6-7). Nadab and Abihu did the same thing when they offered strange fire to the Lord and were also struck dead (Leviticus 10:1-2).

There is a similarity here also with the story of Achan. After the victory of Jericho, Achan covets the riches, takes them, and hides them in his tent. And although he admits his guilt, he and his entire household are stoned with stones and burned with fire (Joshua 7:16-26). Also Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, who was given leprosy when he through deception received some of the riches from Naaman, the Syrian general healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:20-27). And lastly, there is an allusion here to Judas, who acted out of a covetous heart when he sold the Lord for money, and by pretense of devotion (a kiss) actually betrayed the King of kings (Luke 22:47-48).

Elements of all of these stories that have preceded this text about Ananias and Sapphira are present here. They retain some of the money for themselves but desire to appear pious by claiming they are giving all that they have to the Apostles. It is essentially lying to hide a covetous heart. The broke the 9th and 10th commandments. Just on the basis of these stories that have preceded it now does not seem so harsh or unexpected that God would deal with those who prove to be His enemies in this manner: suddenly killing them. And this is similar to Paul’s warning about partaking of the Lord’s Supper unworthily. It was the cause of death in Corinth.

Holiness of God’s New Temple

Similarly, the reason God killed many of the persons that I just listed, is because they profaned God’s holiness. Especially Nadab and Abihu and Uzzah. The consequences for doing so are often death. We sometimes forget that the presence of our Lord is in and among His people, the church. When Ananias and Sapphira conspired to lie to the Apostles, they were lying to the Holy God and profaning His Holy Temple by their sinful presence and activity. They were purged from the Temple.

Are we profaning His temple?

Do you harbor sin in your heart?

Are you acting with a show of piety in order to cover your sin?

Be assured that your sin will find you out. You may be able to lie to us, but it is impossible for you to lie to God. There is a true opportunity for forgiveness in Christ. Therefore, repent of your sins and believe on Christ as your savior. Otherwise, you will also be purged from the Temple community.

The 6th Commandment: Murder

Lastly, I point you to the end of Acts 4:35 where it says that they distributed to whom? Any that had need. I make this point loosely for two reasons.

The reason Peter gives in the text for the judgment is lying to the Holy Spirit (who is equated with God in verse 4. A strong case for the Trinity). It is not because they did not meet the physical need of someone in the community.

No commentators that I read make this point.

By withholding some of their proceeds, they were able but unwilling to meet the needs of anyone in their community. This demonstrated a lack of Christian hospitality and demonstrated a breech of the 6th commandment.

Westminster Larger Catechism (#136) in answer to the question, “What are the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment?” says,

“…the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful and necessary means of preservation of life.”

If you grant my definition of “need” (heat, food, shelter, clothing), then Ananias and Sapphira, despite demonstrating ability, simply said “no” to this moral responsibility that they had as members of this community. Doing so was an infraction of the 6th commandment and so required death.

And twice the text tells us that “great fear” came on all who heard these things. This is as it should be for it is a fearful thing to find oneself guilty of rebellion against the Holy God and in His hand, at His mercy. This is where we find ourselves.

For those of us who have and continue to repent of our sins and believe in Christ, we find comfort, peace, joy, and blessing at the Table of our Lord. Where he grants us gifts to remind us of His love and care for His people.

For those of you who have yet to repent of your sins and believe on Christ, I now invite you to do so. You are invited to sit at peace with God through Christ. He is offering you salvation and he has sent us to tell you about it. The invitation is yours. Will you come?

Summary

In this passage we see the New Covenant community living out the Greatest Commandments: Loving God and loving neighbor. We were reminded to be good citizens who labor so that we may give. And we applied it to every sphere: the household, the church, and society. Do not steal by lazy expectation of service and do not kill by withholding what you ought to give.

We sew the contrast between Joseph (Barnabas) and Ananias and Sapphira. One gives everything and the other profanes the holy temple through the sin of deception. The result of a covetous, deceitful, and murderous heart is death. So, the call to repentance goes forth and the invitation to sit at covenant table of our Lord, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.