Christian Community

Introduction

We might ask ourselves: after I identify with Jesus as Messiah, what comes next.

Acts 1:13-15 has already given an indication.

Luke will now build on that.

Jesus always wanted disciples, learners.

Mt. 28:18-20.

Learning must continue, and God has given a structure for learning to occur.

Much of modern Christianity has become more oriented toward activity.

We are in perpetual nursery school.

God wants us to grow. This occurs through teaching.

We are not to think of ourselves as individuals sufficient to ourselves.

Acts will caution against it.

Eager Learning and Sharing

Luke continues the model from Acts 1 and demonstrates that those statements pointed toward something normative.

Apostolic leadership continues even with a larger group.

προσκαρτερέωa; προσκαρτέρησις, εως f: to continue to do something with intense effort, with the possible implication of despite difficulty—‘to devote oneself to, to keep on, to persist in.

Luke stresses their eagerness or the intensity of their effort to learn.

This, of course, implies neither trusting Jesus nor being immersed in water bestows on a believer all the knowledge they will ever need to acquire.

Teaching can provide instruction for those who are new and for those who are not.

Learning is an integral part of serving God.

Fellowship here implies the existence of a functioning community.

This could be used in the sense of a formal association, eg. a union.

It could also connote sharing of goods.

This is what the text will go on to emphasize.

In addition to eagerness in the instruction and the fellowship, they also continued in two additional things that both echo Acts 1:13-15:

Breaking of bread: more than likely, given what is to come, a reference to sharing meals.

Prayers.

Introduction (Part 2):

In part 1, we got a general portrait of the immediate sense of community those who believed and were baptized had.

In part 2, we want to slow down and think about some of the particulars.

The role of the apostles.

Respect: deterrents to their authority

The consistent aspects of community life from beginning through the close of the NT.

We struggle with the idea of authority, in part because American culture assumes the power of the individual to know their own truth.

Church culture is not a place for individualism.

3 Jn: Diotrophes.

Yet, in spite of the clear authority needed for instruction, there is also the need for unity.

Recognition of Apostolic Authority

Apparently, the apostles continued to use “portents and signs” among the congregation.

This is instilled respect for them.

They dared not challenge the authority of the apostles. They were not Israel and Moses.

Numbers 16: the Korah incident

The people who had not been around Jesus learned from the others and from these portents to respect the apostles.

As Luke will soon show, this was a group who lived in humility.

There was no selfishness or self-assertiveness here.

Four Characteristics of Believers

Luke says they were:

Unified: this term implies more than just at the same location.

Had common sharing (not selfish): Galatians 6

They sold their property and possessions: 1 Tim. 5; 2 Thess. 3 (Examples of abuse).

They were dividing them to whoever was having need. Galatians 6 (caring for one another’s burdens)

The main verbs have concomitant things:

Continuing daily with one heart (unity) in the temple. (Public)

Breaking bread privately.

They received sustenance in gladness and gentleness/simplicity of hearts.

Praising God

Having favor toward all the people: they had a good reputation, but they also did not despise the general public.

The Lord added those being saved to their unity.

Overall, we see a portrait of respect for authority and concern for one another from a group of people who didn’t know each other. The only thing that brought them together was their shared identity in Jesus.