The temple meetings were probably focused on prayer since Jesus had said that was supposed to be a house of prayer (Mt. It is entirely possible that the apostles had common set of instruction which they regularly passed along to new converts. It was this devotion that helped establish the church with power and effectiveness. People around the Christians wanted favor from the gods, and eastern religions spoke about experiences of enlightenment, but an actual love relationship with God was something no one else was offering. The Believers in Acts 2 were to eat, pray, work, and take communion with one another (Acts 2:42-46). Communal living would have allowed a community for those new believers. The early Christians would get together often. Genres: Emotional, Powerful, Reflective. While this passage cannot be properly interpreted to any support kind of required sharing such as communes or communism, it is certainly a good description of the love that should exist between believers that results in practical action of compassion. WebOne of the major differences between the church of today and the beginning of the church was that the early church was much more evangelistic (Rom 15:19, 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8, Acts 13:1-26:32) as Paul testified in Romans 1:8 writing, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.. Communal living just doesnt seem to make sense in any society relative to the entire new testament teaching. Thirdly, the community was dedicated to the breaking of bread, which probably was a description of an act of communion. Throughout the book of Acts we slowly see the presence of miracles dwindle, and this is supported by Paul who says in 1 Corinthians 13:8-19 that they [prophesies] will cease, they [tongues] will be stilled. Why is doctrine so important? Acts is written by Luke to share acts of the Holy Spirit and empower believers to bear witness of the good news of Jesus and establish the Church. Every believer was then, gathering in Jerusalem, selling everything they had, and living communally in earnest expectation that Jesus would return still in their lifetime and the kingdom would be on all gears. Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension all prove that He is Lord and Christ, but they had crucified Him. Do you think he would still tell us to sell all we have? Acts 2:42 is often seen and quoted on many everyday items and is also a passage pastors seem to speak on more. If not, you can be, but that does mean getting involved with others because neither you nor they can be in fellowship with one another if you are not somehow involved with each other. We need to be in community with fellow believers regularly, yet still work hard. Purpose: To show the Old Testament promises of How does your fellowship compare? I do not say that to spite dispensationalism, but I do think there is a reasoning away that happens when we speak of signs and miracles. Read the Passage: Acts 2:40-47 Receiving the Word (2:4041) Some believers have suggested that the instance of voluntary communal sharing in the early church presents a model for all Christians to follow (cf. This would allow for not only the fellowship of believers but also the opportunity to introduce Jews to the message of Jesus Christ. What is the importance of prayer? I Have a Dream | Sunday Everyday, Blessed are the Poor in Spirit Matthew 5:3 | Reading Acts, Acts 4:32-5:16 A Christian Community | Reading Acts, The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World. As for the next question what is happening in Acts 2 and 2 Thessalonians 3? Too many people read into this text this way, but rather it is so much more and deeper than that. Acts 2:42-47, Acts That is taking the idea of fellowship way out of context of what God wants it to be. Acts 2 Those who had resources voluntarily shared what they had as anyone might have need. 3:6-7). What has become automatic in our Christian teaching is that there must be a teaching, breaking of bread, prayers and good fellowship in order to be doing Christianity right. Acts 2:42-47 A GLIMPSE OF THE EARLY CHURCH - Klang WebThe Early Church: Acts 1-12 (200 pages) Preface; The Promise of Power (Acts 1) The Holy Spirit Comes (Acts 2) Powerful Healing, Bold Testimony (Acts 3:1-4:22) Power and For example, in 1-2 Thessalonians, Paul urges believers and members of the church not to leave their jobs and become uninvolved in daily life. As we learned last year in our study of Philippians Christians need to learn to be content in all circumstances. COmmunion is almost a joke sometimes because all it is is a scripture reading and we eat bread or crackers and drink grape juice. Lastly, the fourth practice is that of devoting themselves to prayer, which is a possible reference to the daily prayers that took place in the temple. It is hard to Love God and love people when we are not around people. Appendix 2. NKJV says if anyone will not work. What is the difference between want and need? None of us are displaced travelers, nor have we given up our professions. The heart of breaking of bread, or sharing a meal/communion with others, is very admirable and is a beautiful representation of Christ, even in these modern times. 3:6). In Acts 2, we see some of the earliest Christians with very specific teachings from the apostles that actually witnessed Jesus on earth. And most people are not willing to sacrifice that much of their lives. Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Why or why not? What is the Church? | Bible Story | LifeKids - YouTube Acts 2 Church Web42 They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. There could also be many more reasons, however, my main focus will be on these two reasons. Context is also crucial to understanding 2 Thessalonians 3 and the instructions that are seemingly contrary to this pattern in Acts. What was their attitude toward these things? The meetings from house to house would have included the four elements in verse 42, discussion of the Communal living is another descriptor of that specific community, and living in common only appears here in Acts 2 (Long, 2011, para. Acts 2 My friend John DeHaan, former director of CRWRC (now known as World Renew), has taught me the key An important element we miss in this discussion is the apocalyptic expectation that the early church inherited from their brothers and sisters who followed Judaism. Peter then goes on to clearly present that Jesus is the promised Messiah that they needed to call on for salvation. WebThe book of Acts is a record of the growth of the early church, started by Jesuss disciples and then expanded by the Apostle Paul. Since a major interest in this series of studies is how to apply the book of Acts, it is critical to ask if Luke is describing an ideal Christian community, or the specific community in Jerusalem. Acts 2:38-41: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Listen to article. And lastly, Acts 2 says the believers were devoted to prayer. WebOne modern Christian writer describes how the early church worked together to carry out Gods will after Jesus Christ ascended. Fourth, they devoted themselves to prayers. That was not done here in Acts. The reason Christians are so quick to apply Acts 2:42 but not Acts 2:43 could be a plethora of reasons. My understanding of answering the last question (Acts 2 vs 2 Thessalonians 3): 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. What pleased many in this early church was to give all of it to the apostles for distribution among those who were needy. Being followers of Christ is to be first and foremost with the other things of life added to that and not the other way around. They discredit Gods work but accrediting it to modern-day advancements, so simply believing in the act of miracles has become a struggle in itself. Consider a few of the potential pitfalls and misunderstandings. What they did not expect was that Israel, especially leadership (Acts 4:3, 18), would reject their gospel and the inauguration of the kingdom would be put on hold. In this particular case many of them had left their jobs and old lifestyles to follow Jesus. What about you? Acts 2 The Early Church What was their attitude? That is the real fruit of Christian service. Do you have stuff? If you can work then, work. The Local Congregation. These verses will give us a good look at the early church in Jerusalem, and what their day-to-day life was like. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:16, 17, Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? This doesnt mean that the believers arent devoted to the apostles teachings either, but that they should also be devoted to doing good work. 43 And everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. I think it is safe to say that most professing Christians today do not follow this example. We should not neglect two-thirds of what it means to be living and operating in a Christian community. WebActs 2:41-47 describes the churchs first love, and thus it describes the deeds that one who has lost his first love must once again do. 6. Characteristics of a Healthy Church (Acts 2:41-47) Acts 2 ESV - The Coming of the Holy Spirit - When - Bible Gateway 158 Myers Corners Road Not sharing prayer requests for an hour and then praying for 5 minutes at a prayer meeting, or holding a Pentecost meeting with lectures for 2 hours, and a 20 second blessing prayed at the end.. I challenge you to consider your own heart in this matter. Dave is right when he says we need to find a way to incorporate these basic devotions into our everyday lives and in our churches. Were the Early Christians Communists or Socialists? Why do some professing believers minimize or even disdain doctrine? This is not unlike how some reacted to the idea of the world ending in 2012. As we discussed in class, it is important to take the time to learn and understand the setting of the early church in its historical context. But it seems clear that there were a few simple things that this early church was doing. Jesus has been resurrected from the dead and has shown Himself to His disciples and many others while giving them additional instructions concerning the kingdom of God (1:1-3). the Early Church Bring understanding of the importance of community and some hints from Acts 2 about how the church was to operate and relate to one another. So does this mean that if they are unable to find work, they should continue to be supported by the community? What were some of the daily activities of the early Christians? Acts 4 says the same thing with slightly different words. I understand what you say. the Early Church in Acts WebActs 2:41-47 describes the churchs first love, and thus it describes the deeds that one who has lost his first love must once again do. Some wonder what it means while others are mocking saying they must be drunk. Either that or I would assume they were a talented magician and fraudster. Acts of the Apostles, abbreviation Acts, fifth book of the New Testament, a valuable history of the early Christian church. For that matter if somebody did demonstrate that they could perform miracles to me I would almost certainly assume that person was one of the false prophets that Jesus described in Matthew 24:24 who work great signs and wonders. These devout Jews understood that the religious system they had been under as developed by the Scribes and Pharisees had led them astray. From teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer, all of these biblical practices are just as relevant for the early community of believers in Acts as they are to current believers in the modern world. Worship. No in the sense that he does not expect us to quit our jobs and give away everything that we have. The communal living aspect is interesting. This was probably based on the foundation of Jesuss practice of communal eating and drinking together as a group, as the same word is used in Luke 21:19 and 24:35. Acts 2:37-47. He is still the same now as he was then; we just cant see him physically, but that shouldnt take any of his credibility away. There are churches however such as the Bruderhof communities that structure their living style off of Acts 2. WebActs 2:42 2. It is a matter of belief and receiving by faith what He promises. I believe that at the core, classical dispensationalism is based on one simple fundamental (wrong) idea- that Paul was completely right in everything he wrote (and said and did), and everyone else was wrong, including Jesus ( at least for us for today as Gentiles). He is the founder of Ministry Bubble a content creation company that helps people turn their ideas into ministry to serve the local church. That is why Bible is the center of our name. Fellowship is the next basic element of church life. There is no other group of believers who appear to have left their jobs to devote themselves to spiritual activity. When did the church begin 1. Paul warned in 2 Timothy 4:3,4 that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths. It is now quite common to find churches, many of them large, that teach very little from the Scriptures, or they use the Bible as a reference, but they actually teach what they want to believe instead of what it says. The house church movement is wrong to advocate only small churches meeting from house to house. A Praying Church these early Christians knew that they could not meet life in their own strength. I wanted to understand the mindset and thought process that would allow a Bible Scholar who believes passionately in The Total Inerrancy of every word in the 66 Books of the Bible to be dismissive of the Sermon on the Mount and say It doesnt apply to me today.. Yet, it was so they would not be a burden to those around them just as Paul had done so with them. Early Church I think that Jesus practice of common meals was the foundation for this practice they all ate and drank together as one group. draw a picture about something you hear during the sermon. I, personally, find it that we do not see Jesus when a miracle happens. Therefore hearing it spoken and seeing it more, resonates with people to a different extent and makes people practice it more without even realizing it. Every group has doctrine for they teach something. We also have weekly prayer times for men, women and at home Bible studies, and then once a month we set aside a Sunday evening for corporate prayer and intercession. Questions to consider in discussing the sermon with others. Secondly, if indeed God was punishing them, then wouldnt that mean that we are REQUIRED to live in a communal type way? If you are saved, then praise God for what He has already done in your life. Give to the poor what you can and imitate Pauls example by earning a living that you may give back as well. Teaching, preaching, breaking bread, and prayer are simple actions of the church that are modeled by Christ along with the early church. God, in His grace, extended the offer of forgiveness to the very people who had been most responsible for Christs death; He granted the very city where the Lord was crucified the honor of 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. We must know Gods scripture in our hearts, we need a community of believers around us to get through the times of temptation, we need to pour into those who are struggling and we need to be in constant communication with God. Four Characteristics of the First Church (Acts 2:42-47) One of Pauls defenses of his apostleship to the Corinthians was that he did the signs, wonders and miracles of a true apostle (2 Cor. I could not image the amount of confusion the people, even the apostles, must have felt during these events. First, it is easy to show up for teaching and food, but no matter how hard I try I cannot seem to muster even a little miracle. Prayer is the final element to which they were devoted. 2 Thessalonians 3:12 says Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living (ESV). If our churches are to be devoted to the apostles teaching, then our members need to be God performed miracles throughout the New and Old Testaments, miracles were widely popular throughout Bible times. Its a unique concept that even with the time and cultural differences we can still see similar practices and traditions within biblical times as we do now. I do not believe we will be effective as a church in carrying out Gods plan for us without prayer. This seems to be referring to both spiritually and physically. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. Believer's. The reading from Acts is a the Early Church Differ From The Church Each book entails its own focus and purpose. Web32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. We are the church. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Are you committed to prayer in any manner similar to these early Christians? Acts was written in Greek, presumably by St. Luke the Evangelist. Acts 2 I know that some people do that even today, but I would not say that that is expected of us. The real reason people scorn doctrine is because they do not want to be held accountable to the truth. I happen to think it is not the best way, but creeping out Americans (while a great deal of fun) is not the best measure of correct behavior.