Thousands Baptized at Pentecost in JerusalemBible World
2:44Acts 2:44
And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
All that believed being together and having all things common meant they lived in united fellowship, willingly selling possessions and goods and sharing the proceeds so every person's need was met, regarding nothing as their own but all as the Lord's entrusted to them. This belonged to the Pentecost outpouring after the disciples spent about ten days together in prayer, confession, and putting away differences, when heaven signified that Christ was enthroned and the Spirit was poured out, and about three thousand were baptized and added to the church in a day. Their common life was the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit in one accord, revealing Christ's love in tender, self-denying words and deeds, gladness, and care for souls. It did not establish a forced community system or surrender of all property into a common fund, but a free benevolence in which resources were placed under the apostles' care to relieve the poor, shelter the persecuted, and support the spread of the truth. That Pentecost unity stands as the pattern God's people today must recover and study, using all they own with liberality for preaching Christ and uplifting humanity, through which a united church will again win thousands.
Pentecost Context and Meaning
Acts 2:44 belongs to the Acts 2:1-47 account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the life and growth of the early church in its infancy after Christ's ascension, when it no longer had His personal presence. The church began its existence by praying for the descent of the Holy Spirit in obedience to Christ's commission to preach the gospel. After ten days of prayer and deep heart-searching the disciples put away all differences that had existed among them and drew close together in Christian fellowship.
The setting was Jerusalem during a great religious festival, where the believers were together with one accord in one place, having spent about ten days together confessing sins and praying for the Holy Spirit in obedience to Christ's command not to depart from Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father. The outpouring was heaven's communication that Christ had been received and crowned in the heavenly courts and His inauguration was complete. It fulfilled Joel's promise of the Spirit poured out on all flesh as preached by Peter, giving power to be witnesses of the risen Saviour to the multitudes assembled there.
About three thousand souls were added the same day through Peter's preaching and were baptized and added to the church. That body included many whose conviction began from impressions received at the time of Jesus' trial and condemnation, which worked on their minds and appeared afterward when they were added. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers, and fear came upon every soul while many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. They continued daily with one accord in the temple and from house to house eating with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, while the Lord added daily such as should be saved. Believers being together in that love and fellowship and unity was the first love expressed in the simplicity of the gospel.
All that believed being together and having all things common meant united fellowship in which they gathered together and held possessions in common. They sold possessions and goods and parted them to all as every man had need, sharing their goods so that each person's needs could be met.
Having all things common did not mean surrendering all property to form a common fund or community system. Those with money and property willingly sold and placed resources under the apostles' care to be distributed according to need. In this way the poor would not lack and the work of spreading the truth would be supported. Fellow Christians driven from homes and livelihoods received homes and food. No one said what he possessed was his own, but everything was regarded as the Lord's and held as entrusted property, lived as one family under the Holy Spirit's work and given back to God with liberality for the advance of the reformation, the support of poor believers, the relief of the needy, and the help of the helpless.
Spirit-Filled Unity and Pattern
The common life described was the teaching and result of people filled with the Holy Spirit, who were together in one accord and unity through which the Spirit of God worked powerfully. They lived together in fellowship and shared what they had, not treating possessions as their own but regarding everything as the Lord's. This sharing belonged to Pentecost as one family life produced by the Spirit's work in hearts, a spirit believers should still have.
After the descent of the Holy Spirit the believers lived together in loving communion in the simplicity of the gospel, with one desire for the salvation of souls. They rejoiced in the sweetness of fellowship with saints, tender, thoughtful, self-denying, and willing to make any sacrifice for the truth's sake. In willing obedience to the new commandment to love one another as Christ loved them, they revealed that love in daily association by unselfish words and deeds that kindled love in other hearts. So closely united to Christ were they that the power of a Saviour who justifies by His righteousness was magnified and all His requirements could be fulfilled. This condition was the first love expressed in charity and benevolence through self-denial and self-sacrifice for others, later lost when criticism and fault-finding entered and now to be recovered by remembering, repenting, and doing the first works.
Their unity expressed the grace of Christ in words and works, with lips speaking to the praise of God and hands stretched out in beneficence for the help of the perishing. No one said what he possessed was his own, but all that was owned was held for the advance of the reformation and given back to God of His own with liberality. They were united in purpose and willing to use resources to the fullest for preaching Christ and Him crucified throughout the world. The outpouring of the Spirit was to awaken that missionary spirit in believers to work for others, and at Pentecost thousands were converted in a day.
The chapter is held up as a pattern for united effort in carrying the gospel forward in a broader way. It is applied to establishing a strong representation of the message in Washington, to believers living and working together, and to gathering to speak Christ's praise and testimony and glorify God with kind words. Responsible workers counseling and praying together express the same Christian unity, which has a life and power that cannot be gained otherwise. God's people today are urged to study this Pentecost history because they must pass through similar experiences. Recovering this primitive Christianity and first love after criticism and fault-finding entered would bring new life and power, show the contrast between truth and error, and enable God through a united church to convert sinners.
The shared life reflected God's principle of benevolence that comes when selfish interests are rejected, entrusted property is managed responsibly, and the Holy Spirit is obeyed. Moved by the Spirit, believers used earthly goods to support poor believers, uplift humanity, advance God's work, spread the gospel, relieve the needy, and help the helpless. Many later Christians followed this apostolic example by sacrificing worldly possessions for Christ's cause. Their shared interest that drew them into close fellowship through the Spirit's blessing is to lead believers to pray together and help others attend the camp-meeting.
All that believed being together and having all things common meant they lived in united fellowship, willingly selling possessions and goods and sharing the proceeds so every person's need was met, regarding nothing as their own but all as the Lord's entrusted to them. This belonged to the Pentecost outpouring after the disciples spent about ten days together in prayer, confession, and putting away differences, when heaven signified that Christ was enthroned and the Spirit was poured out, and about three thousand were baptized and added to the church in a day. Their common life was the result of being filled with the Holy Spirit in one accord, revealing Christ's love in tender, self-denying words and deeds, gladness, and care for souls. It did not establish a forced community system or surrender of all property into a common fund, but a free benevolence in which resources were placed under the apostles' care to relieve the poor, shelter the persecuted, and support the spread of the truth. That Pentecost unity stands as the pattern God's people today must recover and study, using all they own with liberality for preaching Christ and uplifting humanity, through which a united church will again win thousands.
Pentecost Context and Meaning
Acts 2:44 belongs to the Acts 2:1-47 account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the life and growth of the early church in its infancy after Christ's ascension, when it no longer had His personal presence. The church began its existence by praying for the descent of the Holy Spirit in obedience to Christ's commission to preach the gospel. After ten days of prayer and deep heart-searching the disciples put away all differences that had existed among them and drew close together in Christian fellowship.
The setting was Jerusalem during a great religious festival, where the believers were together with one accord in one place, having spent about ten days together confessing sins and praying for the Holy Spirit in obedience to Christ's command not to depart from Jerusalem until they received the promise of the Father. The outpouring was heaven's communication that Christ had been received and crowned in the heavenly courts and His inauguration was complete. It fulfilled Joel's promise of the Spirit poured out on all flesh as preached by Peter, giving power to be witnesses of the risen Saviour to the multitudes assembled there.
About three thousand souls were added the same day through Peter's preaching and were baptized and added to the church. That body included many whose conviction began from impressions received at the time of Jesus' trial and condemnation, which worked on their minds and appeared afterward when they were added. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers, and fear came upon every soul while many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. They continued daily with one accord in the temple and from house to house eating with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, while the Lord added daily such as should be saved. Believers being together in that love and fellowship and unity was the first love expressed in the simplicity of the gospel.
All that believed being together and having all things common meant united fellowship in which they gathered together and held possessions in common. They sold possessions and goods and parted them to all as every man had need, sharing their goods so that each person's needs could be met.
Having all things common did not mean surrendering all property to form a common fund or community system. Those with money and property willingly sold and placed resources under the apostles' care to be distributed according to need. In this way the poor would not lack and the work of spreading the truth would be supported. Fellow Christians driven from homes and livelihoods received homes and food. No one said what he possessed was his own, but everything was regarded as the Lord's and held as entrusted property, lived as one family under the Holy Spirit's work and given back to God with liberality for the advance of the reformation, the support of poor believers, the relief of the needy, and the help of the helpless.
Spirit-Filled Unity and Pattern
The common life described was the teaching and result of people filled with the Holy Spirit, who were together in one accord and unity through which the Spirit of God worked powerfully. They lived together in fellowship and shared what they had, not treating possessions as their own but regarding everything as the Lord's. This sharing belonged to Pentecost as one family life produced by the Spirit's work in hearts, a spirit believers should still have.
After the descent of the Holy Spirit the believers lived together in loving communion in the simplicity of the gospel, with one desire for the salvation of souls. They rejoiced in the sweetness of fellowship with saints, tender, thoughtful, self-denying, and willing to make any sacrifice for the truth's sake. In willing obedience to the new commandment to love one another as Christ loved them, they revealed that love in daily association by unselfish words and deeds that kindled love in other hearts. So closely united to Christ were they that the power of a Saviour who justifies by His righteousness was magnified and all His requirements could be fulfilled. This condition was the first love expressed in charity and benevolence through self-denial and self-sacrifice for others, later lost when criticism and fault-finding entered and now to be recovered by remembering, repenting, and doing the first works.
Their unity expressed the grace of Christ in words and works, with lips speaking to the praise of God and hands stretched out in beneficence for the help of the perishing. No one said what he possessed was his own, but all that was owned was held for the advance of the reformation and given back to God of His own with liberality. They were united in purpose and willing to use resources to the fullest for preaching Christ and Him crucified throughout the world. The outpouring of the Spirit was to awaken that missionary spirit in believers to work for others, and at Pentecost thousands were converted in a day.
The chapter is held up as a pattern for united effort in carrying the gospel forward in a broader way. It is applied to establishing a strong representation of the message in Washington, to believers living and working together, and to gathering to speak Christ's praise and testimony and glorify God with kind words. Responsible workers counseling and praying together express the same Christian unity, which has a life and power that cannot be gained otherwise. God's people today are urged to study this Pentecost history because they must pass through similar experiences. Recovering this primitive Christianity and first love after criticism and fault-finding entered would bring new life and power, show the contrast between truth and error, and enable God through a united church to convert sinners.
The shared life reflected God's principle of benevolence that comes when selfish interests are rejected, entrusted property is managed responsibly, and the Holy Spirit is obeyed. Moved by the Spirit, believers used earthly goods to support poor believers, uplift humanity, advance God's work, spread the gospel, relieve the needy, and help the helpless. Many later Christians followed this apostolic example by sacrificing worldly possessions for Christ's cause. Their shared interest that drew them into close fellowship through the Spirit's blessing is to lead believers to pray together and help others attend the camp-meeting.