The Church Revived
Intro:
1. Scriptural Proof Concerning the Pentecost Experience (2:14–21). Peter began his sermon by quoting Joel 2:28–32, a prophecy which spoke of God’s outpouring of the Spirit on all His people. Joel depicted this as a sign of the last days, when God would visit His people in a special way.
2. Scriptural Proof Concerning Christ’s Messiahship (2:22–36). Peter now needed to convince the Jewish crowd that Jesus was God’s promised Messiah. This he sought to do by proving and that the Messiah must die and rise again, that the resurrection was a sign of the Messiah. He began by introducing them to Jesus, with emphasis on His death and resurrection. Then he quoted Psalm 16:8–11 to prove that the Messiah, a descendant of David, would conquer death, just as Jesus had done in His resurrection. Finally, he quoted Psalm 110:1 as an Old Testament text that also points to the resurrection and exaltation of the Messiah.
3. Invitation and Response (2:37–41). Having set forth Jesus as their Messiah, Peter now called on his Jewish audience to repent and be baptized, and they would receive the same Spirit that they had just witnessed so powerfully. The response was also miraculous. Three thousand were added to the Christian community that day
Since the time of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9), the nations of the earth were divided by language, unable to come together as a result of their rebellion against God. In God’s Old Testament redemptive acts, he singled out the Jewish nation to mediate his blessing to the world, and therefore the good news of God’s grace was communicated only in the Hebrew language. With the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, however, the curse of Babel begins to unravel. No longer is the gospel confined to Hebrew; it is available directly to all nations and all languages. The restored order of God’s kingdom begins to break into the dark and confused world of sin. This gives us hope today. The gospel triumphs in a world still groaning under the curse of sin (Rom. 8:22). One day Christ’s reign will be fully realized, and the effects of sin will fall away completely.
Peter instructs the people how to call on the Lord’s name (2:21): be baptized in Jesus’ name. Because baptism was a sign of conversion to Judaism normally reserved for pagans, Peter’s demand would offend his Jewish hearers and cost them respectability.
He calls for a public, radical testimony of conversion, not a private, noncommittal request for salvation with no conditions. “In the name of Jesus Christ” distinguishes this sort of baptism, requiring faith in Christ, from other ancient baptisms; this phrase simply means that the person being baptized confesses Christ. (Acts always uses this phrase with “be baptized”—the passive, never the active; it does not denote a formula said over the person being baptized, but rather indicates the confession of faith of the person receiving baptism; see 2:21 and 22:16.)
Considering Josephus’s estimate of six thousand Pharisees in all Palestine, three thousand conversions to the new Jesus movement in Jerusalem is no small start! The temple mount had many immersion pools that worshipers used to purify themselves ritually; mass baptisms could thus be conducted quickly.
2:37. Verses 37–40 contain the application of Peter’s sermon. The verb cut (katenygēsan) means “to strike or prick violently, to stun.” The convicting work of the Spirit (cf. John 16:8–11) in their hearts was great.
2:38–39. Peter’s answer was forthright. First they were to repent. This verb (metanoēsate) means “change your outlook,” or “have a change of heart; reverse the direction of your life.” This obviously results in a change of conduct, but the emphasis is on the mind or outlook. The Jews had rejected Jesus; now they were to trust in Him. Repentance was repeatedly part of the apostles’ message in Acts (v. 38; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 13:24; 17:30; 19:4; 20:21; 26:20).
Adding 3,000 to the original 120 begins the church’s astonishing growth in these early days, which increases to 5,000 by 4:4 (cf. 2:47; 5:14; 6:1, 7; 9:31; 21:20).
The Jews generally looked on baptism as a rite only for Gentile converts (i.e., proselytes), not for one born a Jew. It symbolized the break with one’s Gentile past and the washing away of all defilement. So when Jews accepted baptism in the name of Jesus on hearing Peter’s message, it was traumatic and significant for them in a way we in our mildly christianized culture have difficulty understanding. But as a result of Peter’s preaching, “about” 3,000 took the revolutionary step of baptism. And thus, Luke tells us, the congregation of believers in Jesus came into being at Jerusalem—a congregation made up of the original 120 (1:15) and progressively augmented (as the imperfect form of the verb prostithēmi [“added to”] seems to suggest) by about 3,000 others.
Vance Havner made that statement and he was right. The early church had none of the things that we think are so essential for success today—buildings, money, political influence, social status—and yet the church won multitudes to Christ and saw many churches established throughout the Roman world. Why? Because the church had the power of the Holy Spirit energizing its ministry. They were a people who “were ignited by the Spirit of God.”
Acts 2:42–6:7 describes the earliest days of the church at Jerusalem and covers the first three to five years of the new messianic movement (i.e., from A.D. 30 to the mid-thirties). Luke deals with the events of this period by means of a thesis paragraph followed by a series of vignettes that illustrate that paragraph.
“devoted” (proskartereō) is a common one that connotes a steadfast and singleminded fidelity to a certain course of action.
(1) The first feature is “the apostles’ teaching.”Considering that Jesus spent so much time teaching the crowds and his inner band of followers, it is not surprising that teaching had an important place in the early church. Jesus himself instructed his disciples to teach obedience to those who had been baptized (Matt. 28:20).
apostles’ teaching. This likely included Jesus’ own teaching (Matt 28:20) and stories about him recalled by the apostles (see the qualification for an apostle in 1:21–22). The apostles were the guardians of this material, which was originally passed down orally and eventually put into written form in our Gospels.
Teaching. The first activity of follow-through care mentioned is “the apostles’ teaching” (v. 42). Teaching was so important to the life of the church that when Paul gave Timothy a list of qualifications for elders, the only ability-related qualification mentioned was the ability to teach (1 Tim. 3:2). All the other qualifications had to do with the behavior, character, and reputation of the person.
The “apostles’ teaching” would have been particularly important in the early church because of their special relationship to Christ and his promise to them that the Holy Spirit “will guide [them] into all truth … and … will tell [them] what is yet to come” (John 16:13). With time the church developed a comprehensive body of teaching, so that Paul told the Ephesian elders that he had given them “the whole will and purpose of God” (20:27). At the end of his life he urged Timothy, “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you” (2 Tim. 1:13–14). Later the church came to recognize that certain books with connections to the apostles best represented that “good deposit,” and the canon of the New Testament came into being. The New Testament along with the Old Testament has become the basis for our teaching today. A key, then, for follow-through care today is to teach people the Bible.
But how do we know that the seed of eternal life is germinating in them? If there is such a seed, it will hunger for the nourishment of the Word. Peter states this principle by using a metaphor from human life: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).
(2) The word koinonia, which Luke uses for “fellowship,” is a favorite word of Paul’s, though this is the only time it appears in Luke’s writings. Its basic idea is sharing, but it is used also to denote intimacy and fellowship in general.
But the nineteen occurrences of koinonia in the New Testament suggest that the church used this word for the unique sharing that Christians have with God and with other Christians.
The important point is that the fellowship touched the pocketbook too!
fellowship. Lit. “partnership,” or “sharing.” Because Christians become partners with Jesus Christ and all other believers (1 John 1:3), it is their spiritual duty to stimulate one another to righteousness and obedience (cf. Rom. 12:10; 13:8; 15:5; Gal. 5:13; Eph. 4:2, 25; 5:21; Col. 3:9; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 3:13; 10:24, 25; 1 Pet. 4:9, 10).
The definite article (tē) in “the fellowship” (tē koinōnia) implies that there was something distinctive in the gatherings of the early believers. With the influx of three thousand on the Day of Pentecost and with daily increases to their number after that (cf. 2:47), they must have had some externally recognizable identity.
The believers also had “sincere hearts” when they met. The word translated “sincere” can mean single-minded devotion, the absence of pretense, or simplicity and generosity. Bruce thinks the context favors generosity. While it is difficult to decide on the exact meaning here, we can confidently say that it signifies an openhearted attitude, where there is no pretense and performance in the way the believers behaved. The joy came from the heart, because people were not trying to impress anyone. They had developed an attitude toward each other that enabled them to truly enjoy each other.
The fellowship is the main thing. The food is secondary, as Jesus tried to show Martha (Luke 10:38–42).
apostles’ teaching. This likely included Jesus’ own teaching (Matt 28:20) and stories about him recalled by the apostles (see the qualification for an apostle in 1:21–22). The apostles were the guardians of this material, which was originally passed down orally and eventually put into written form in our Gospels.
fellowship. Greek koinōnia; participating together toward a common goal. breaking of bread. Probably a communal meal followed by the Lord’s Supper (v. 46)
What is clear is that when God is present by his Spirit, there is unity and mutual care. The Holy Spirit desires to work in us both individually and collectively. He brings forth love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in individuals and in the community of believers (Gal. 5:22–23).
The Spirit’s ministry also brings forth conversions and numerical growth, as we see that “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). The Spirit produces not only inward spiritual growth but also expansion and growth of the church (though we recognize in later chapters of Acts that these may come in stages and are not always without challenge, persecution, or seeming delay). Gospel-fueled, Spirit-empowered growth is a repeated theme that runs throughout the rest of Acts, as we see that “more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (5:14) and “the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily” (16:5; see also 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 13:49; 19:20).
had everything in common. They sold property and possessions. Not communalism or communism since this giving is voluntary (5:4) and since people still retain personal possessions like homes (12:12; 17:5) and property (4:37). A better analogy is that the church views itself as a family, and healthy families take care of their own. See 4:32, 34–35.
2:44 all things in common. See 4:32. This phrase conveys not that the early Christians lived in a commune or pooled and redistributed everything equally, but that they held their own possessions lightly, ready to use them at any moment for someone else, as needs arose.
While Acts implies that overt persecution of Christians came somewhat later, in certain instances economic and social sanctions were undoubtedly imposed on the early believers. So the communal life described in vv. 44–45 should be understood, at least in part, as a response to these pressures. Such treatment of minority groups is not uncommon, as both ancient and contemporary history show.
One key aspect of fellowship that helps us grow in the faith is spiritual accountability (implied in v. 44 but clearer in 4:32–5:11). Hebrews 10:24 describes such accountability: “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
We live private lives without interference from others. We will open up certain segments of our lives to certain people because that is a necessary part of living in society. But that comes nowhere close to the biblical ideal of devoting ourselves to the fellowship (v. 42) and having “everything in common” (v. 44). If we have emotional problems, for example, we go to a professional therapist who is not part of our regular social contacts and who helps us in a detached manner. In this way we find solutions for our problems without having others invade our lives and disturb our privacy.
I told him that television and the availability of services for needs that the church once met has taken away from people the need for being deeply involved in a Christian community. He told me that we should view this as an opportunity facing the church. Life without community creates a deep void in people’s lives, which the church can fill admirably if we would get down to truly practicing Christian community.
Note also that the other three features mentioned in 2:42—teaching, fellowship, and prayer—are spiritual activities, which suggests that this fourth one—the breaking of bread—is also a spiritual activity (i.e., the Lord’s Supper).
Paul said that this meal is a proclamation of that which lies at the heart of the Christian gospel, the death of Christ (1 Cor. 11:26).
Table fellowship denoted intimacy
The early Christians acknowledge that Jesus owns both them and their property (cf. 4:32); they sell off property to meet needs as they arise (4:34–35) and open their homes as meeting places for fellow Christians (2:46). These actions do not reflect an ascetic ideal, as in some Greek and Jewish sects, but instead the practice of radically valuing people over possessions. Such behavior reportedly continued among Christians well into the second century, and it was long ridiculed by pagans until pagan values finally overwhelmed the church.
The early Christians acknowledge that Jesus owns both them and their property (cf. 4:32); they sell off property to meet needs as they arise (4:34–35) and open their homes as meeting places for fellow Christians (2:46). These actions do not reflect an ascetic ideal, as in some Greek and Jewish sects, but instead the practice of radically valuing people over possessions.
prayer. The church’s lifeblood (cf. 1:14, 24; 4:31; 6:6)
References to “prayer” are frequent both in the summary statements and the narrative of Acts (in addition to 2:42, see 1:14, 24; 4:24–31; 6:4, 6; 9:40; 10:2, 4, 9, 31; 11:5; 12:5; 13:3; 14:23; 16:25; 22:17; 28:8).
“Everyone” (pasē psychē), in contradistinction to “all the believers” (pantes hoi pisteusantes) of v. 44, refers hyperbolically to nonbelievers in Jerusalem who knew of the events of Pentecost and were observing the life of the early congregation in the months that followed.
“Everyone” here could refer both to the believers and to outsiders who saw and heard what was happening in the church. These people could sense that God was at work. The miracles could also be signs to the Jews that the new age they were looking for was dawning. In the book of Acts such signs are closely connected to the evangelistic ministry of the church.
The church was unified (Acts 2:44), magnified (Acts 2:47a), and multiplied (Acts 2:47b). It had a powerful testimony among the unsaved Jews, not only because of the miracles done by the Apostles (Acts 2:43), but also because of the way the members of the fellowship loved each other and served the Lord.
It is the Lord himself who adds to his church, and thus the title ho kyrios (“the Lord”) appears first in the sentence not only for grammatical reasons but also for emphasis. The force of the present participle tous sōzomenous (“those who were being saved”) is iterative, suggesting that they were added as they were being saved.
In the meantime the church grew numerically (v. 47b). Luke never writes that these new conversions took place primarily through the preaching of the apostles.
But it was “the Lord” who “added to their number.” Ultimately, God is the evangelist. Paul wrote, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow