The Ethic of a Christian- pt 8- community
The words “and brought you to myself” express not merely the arrival at Sinai but the entering into covenant relationship (which is ultimately a family relationship) with the only true God.
This represents the separation of his chosen people from the general world population, or, stated in terms of the overall biblical plan of redemption, the beginning of the outworking of his intention to bring close to himself a people that will join him for all eternity as adopted members of his family
They were not to be a people unto themselves, enjoying their special relationship with God and paying no attention to the rest of the world. Rather, they were to represent him to the rest of the world and attempt to bring the rest of the world to him
In the present verses the focus is upon the community that Jesus will establish as a result of his Passover departure. Its distinctive quality was to be marked by a new commandment
In the establishment of communities, one of the principle factors of success is the establishing of boundaries for action, which we call laws. These laws are based on community or national covenants, whether stated or unstated. These covenants that lie behind the laws, rules, or commands are absolutely crucial
These two verses of John thus encapsulate the coming of the new era and the new community. This new community, in fact, epitomized God’s consistent intention in the Old Testament of calling out a people who are to be recognized by their love for God (
Quite possibly v. 42 should be viewed separately, as a conclusion to the Pentecost narrative. Thus viewed, it provides a glimpse into the manner in which the new converts were incorporated into the believing community
The second activity to which they devoted themselves was “the fellowship.” The Greek word used here (koinōnia) is one Paul often employed, but it appears only here in all of Luke-Acts. Its basic meaning is “association, communion, fellowship, close relationship.”
The word koinōnia is not used, but other terms express the same reality. First, they are said to have been “together” (epi to auto). This Greek phrase is notoriously difficult to translate, occurring five times in Acts (1:15; 2:1, 44, 47; 4:26). It seems to depict the gathered community, with a strong emphasis on their unity. This unity is further expressed by their holding “everything in common”
The imperfect tense is used, indicating that this was a recurrent, continuing practice: their practice was to sell their property and goods and apportion the proceeds whenever a need arose. This is much more in keeping with the Old Testament ideal of community equality, of sharing with the needy so that “there will be no poor among you”
With maturity comes a stability born of spiritual experience. Some Christians attain it quite early; others never attain it, but to the end of their days run eagerly after the latest religious fashion, the “wind of doctrine” that happens to be blowing most strongly at the time. They fall an easy prey to the specious sophistries of religious propagandists, for they have never learned to recognize the standard by which all religious teaching must be judged, or else they recognize it only in theory, but have never learned to make use of it. Therefore they are taken in “by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles
The “unity of the faith” to which he desires his readers to attain, along with himself, depends not simply on the initial act of faith by which one enters into the family of God, but on that ever-increasing appreciation of all that is involved in Christian faith for living and thinking. And this appreciation is best reached in fellowship with one another.
A community of believers which manifests this “unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God” is a mature church, in which the doctrine of the body of Christ is not merely honored in word but exhibited in deed as a living reality
