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Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. (Acts 2:44-45)

There was something special about the early church. They certainly were not perfect, but there was a spiritual life, courage, and true sense of community among them that gives a powerful pattern for believers since their time.

These two verses are a great description of this. We read, all who believed were together. There was an impressive unity and community among believers. We read in Acts 2:41 that among the Jewish people gathered at that Pentecost, some 3,000 responded to Peter’s preaching. Many of those 3,000 new believers came from far away to Jerusalem for Pentecost as pilgrims.

These visitors repented, believed, and were baptized. Afterwards, they didn’t just go their own way – they wanted to grow in their faith and following of Jesus, so all who believed stayed together.

The Jewish people of that day had a tremendous custom of hospitality during any major feast such as Pentecost. Visitors were received into private homes, and no one could charge for giving a bed or a room to a visitor, or for supplying their basic needs. The first Christians took this tremendous feast-time hospitality and made it an everyday thing.

They didn’t just share their lives; they also shared their material possessions. We read that they had all things in common. With so many visitors among the first 3,000 believers, many of them didn’t have jobs. But Christians shared and provided for each other. The early family of Christians had to share if they were to survive.

There have been more than a few people who claim that this was an early expression of communism, or “Christian Communism.” I think that this a misleading and dangerous claim. This was different from communism in at least two important ways. First, it was voluntary. No one forced believers to share their material possessions. No one made them sell their possessions and their goods and to divide them among all. This was voluntary and led by the Holy Spirit.

Forced collectivism – in the form of communism or many forms of socialism – has been a great evil in the world. The goal of a better world through forced collectivism was the claimed justification of the murder of up to 100 million people in the 20^th century.

The other difference is that this was temporary. We don’t have any evidence that this continued very long. Instead, it was the spontaneous response to an immediate need.

Yet, there is something wonderful in that they sold their possessions and their goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

The power of God was evident among them because Jesus became much more important to them than their possessions. It was true community.

We all want this kind of community – it sounds wonderful! So today, pray that God would begin with you and give you a sharing heart.

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And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. (Acts 2:42)

It was one of the most amazing days in Church History, or in all history – the day of Pentecost, the birth-day of the Church. That day 3,000 souls were added to the original 120 believers after Jesus ascended to heaven.

On Pentecost the sound of the rushing wind, the tongues of fire, Peter’s preaching, and the conversion of 3,000 were all remarkable events. But the things described in Acts 2:42 were the abiding legacy of God’s work. We read that they continued steadfastly in things that become the foundation for every healthy church.

First, they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. This means they relied on the apostles to communicate to them who Jesus was and what He had done. They had just trusted in Jesus; now they wanted to know more – so they continued steadfastly in the truth. There was to be no departure from the apostles’ doctrine, because it was the truth of God.

Thankfully, God allows us to sit under the apostles’ doctrine today – the New Testament record. Every Bible teacher should seek to be unoriginal in the sense that we don’t have our own doctrine, but the apostles’ doctrine.

Then, they continued steadfastly in fellowship. The ancient Greek word koinonia (translated here as fellowship) has the idea of association, communion, fellowship, and participation; it means to share in something.

The Christian life is meant to be full of fellowship, of sharing one with another.

– We share the same Lord Jesus.
– We share the same truth that guides our life.
– We share the same love for God
– We share the same desire to worship Jesus.
– We share the same struggles.
– We share the same victories.
– We share the same duty of living for Jesus.
– We share the same joy of communicating the gospel.

They also continued steadfastly in the breaking of bread. Even though they lived so close to the time when Jesus was crucified, they still never wanted to forget what He did on the cross. How much more important is it for us to never forget?

Finally, they continued steadfastly in prayers. Whenever God’s work is done, God’s people gather for prayer and worship. The original here has the sense of “the prayers” – speaking of arranged services for God’s people to worship, pray, and hear God’s word together.

These four things – the apostles’ doctrine, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and in prayers were a foundation for the health of the early Church. Everything else we read about the power and glory of those early Christians flows from this solid ground.

May you be blessed enough to belong to a congregation with this foundation, and may you do what you can to strengthen that foundation, building only on it. Today, in whatever way God gives you opportunity, find a way to pursue these things.

Click here for David’s commentary on Acts 2

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38)

With stunning boldness, Peter preached to a crowd gathered for the feast of Pentecost. Peter first explained the unusual events that day as evidence of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter told them that the Spirit was poured out because Jesus the Messiah had come and completed His work, but He was also rejected by most of His people. Peter called his fellow Jews to account for the way they rejected their Messiah, and their response was remarkable. Cut to the heart, they asked Peter “What shall we do?”

Peter told them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. His first word to them was repent, but Peter’s next words were also important, telling them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

For these Jews to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ would be an expression of their belief and complete trust in Jesus. The Jewish people were completely familiar with ceremonial washings. The temple area was dotted with dozens of mikveh, pools of water for ritual immersion. These ceremonial washings were a regular part of Jewish religious life.

On this day Peter told them to do a different kind of mikvah – to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Go to the water for a ceremonial cleansing of your sin – but do it in the name of Jesus the Messiah. Recognize that He is the one who truly cleanses you from your sins, and He does it because He the the guilt and judgment you deserved. Peter had already explained the crucifixion of Jesus to the crowd; now they needed to trust in that work for their cleansing.

Peter didn’t present baptism as an option, or as something they could concern themselves with in a few years. They needed to immediately stop looking to their temple ceremonies for cleansing from sin and start receiving it in the name of Jesus Christ and in no other name.

Some Christians think baptism is something that we do for God, and others think it is something God does for us. In truth, it is something of both. Certainly, baptism is something we do – Peter had to tell them, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. At the same time, baptism acts out what God does in us when we put our trust in the person and work of Jesus: our sins are forgiven, cleansed away.

The Bible says the followers of Jesus should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

Have you obeyed? If so, thank God for the washing away of your sins by what Jesus did for you!

Click here for David’s commentary on Acts 2

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)

A large crowd heard the bold preaching of the Apostle Peter, and God did a remarkable work by the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke, the author of Acts, tells us now when they heard this, they responded with the question: “What shall we do?” The Jewish people gathered in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost was so moved that they asked Peter the preacher how they should respond.

It is wrong to think that Peter gave no kind of invitation or challenge to his listeners. We know that he did because Acts 2:40 says, and with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” What we read in Acts 2 is a summary, and Peter clearly did exhort them to respond. He invited his listeners to be saved.

Even so, the crowd showed an amazing response, asking What shall we do? It has been said that in normal seasons of Christian work the evangelist seeks the sinner. Yet in times of revival or awakening, things change: the sinner seeks the evangelist. This Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 was one of those great seasons of God’s work. When God is working on someone’s heart, they want to come to Him; they will act to come to God.

When we see this response from the crowd, it also helps us to put the events of that day of Pentecost into perspective. The exercise of the gift of tongues produced nothing in those who heard it except for astonishment and mocking. It wasn’t until the gospel was preached that conviction from the Holy Spirit came. This was the work God really wanted to accomplish.

The people responded this way because they were cut to the heart. This is a good way to describe the conviction of the Holy Spirit. They now knew that they were responsible for the death of Jesus (as each of us are), and that they had to do something in response to this responsibility.

When you think about it, Peter had some previous experience with cutting. When Jesus was arrested, Peter cut off the right ear of one of the men who came to arrest Jesus (John 18:10). All that was an embarrassing mess that Jesus had to clean up. John 18:10 showed Peter in his fleshly nature, doing the best he could with a literal sword of human power.

When the resurrected Jesus changed Peter’s life and when the power of the Holy Spirit had come upon him, he did some much more effective cutting; cutting hearts, opening them to Jesus. This is what Peter could do in the power of the Spirit, doing God’s best with the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word. Which sword was more powerful?

Don’t ever doubt the power of God to cut hearts and to change lives!

Click here for David’s commentary on Acts 2

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know. (Acts 2:22)

As Peter preached to this large crowd in Jerusalem on Pentecost, he began by explaining the strange sights and sounds were actually evidence of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Peter explained it by quoting the Bible.

This was remarkable. In the midst of a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, when there were signs and wonders and speaking in tongues, what did Peter do? Essentially, he said, “Let’s have a Bible study and look at the prophet Joel.” In fact, in his Acts 2 sermon, Peter quoted from three different Old Testament passages: Joel 2:28-32, Psalm 16:8-11, and Psalm 110:1.

This focus on God’s word did not quench the move of the Holy Spirit; it fulfilled what the Holy Spirit wanted to do. All the signs and wonders and speaking in tongues were preparing for this work of God’s word.

Unfortunately, some people seem to set the work of God’s Word against the work of the Holy Spirit. They almost think it’s more spiritual if there is no Bible study.

Yet, when Peter finished explaining the Joel 2 passage, he wasn’t finished with his sermon. He said to the crowd, Men of Israel, hear these words. Many people would think it would be enough for Peter to stop after the quotation from Joel, considering all we have in it. Joel told us of:

– An outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17).
– Miraculous dreams, visions, and prophecy (Acts 2:17-18).
– Signs and wonders regarding the Day of the Lord (Acts 2:19-20).
– An invitation to call on the name of the Lord and be saved (Acts 2:21).

As great as all those things are, it wasn’t enough, because Peter had not yet spoken about the saving work of Jesus. Everything until this point had been an introduction, explaining the strange things they just saw. Now Peter would bring the essential message to the crowd saying, Men of Israel, hear these words. Peter had already said something like this at the very start of his sermon (let this be known to you, and heed my words, Acts 2:14). Peter wanted people to pay attention, and he spoke as if he had something important to say – something some preachers fail to do.

After that “second introduction,” Peter spoke some essential words. He proclaimed to them Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst.

Understanding the prophet Joel and the work of the Holy Spirit were both good and important – but it was still essential to proclaim Jesus. We long to know more of God’s word, and to experience more of the move of the Holy Spirit. But we can never neglect the essential proclamation of Jesus Christ – the Savior of the World.

Click here for David’s commentary on Acts 2