Acts 4:34, commentary and pictures

Neither was there any lack because in the Jerusalem emergency many new believers had been driven from homes, livelihoods and friends for faith in Christ, and those who owned lands, houses or money freely sold and entrusted the proceeds to the apostles to distribute to each according to need. That sharing was wholly voluntary and cheerful, wrought by the outpouring of the Spirit that made them of one heart and soul, with love for souls, for one another and for the gospel far stronger than love for money or earthly inheritance. It does not require a general surrender of all property into a common stock or the sale of homes that are needed. It lays down an enduring principle for stewards of God-lent means that no claim on property is to come before Christ's claims, but houses, lands and possessions are to stand open to Him as the needs of His cause and of the worthy suffering poor require. What matters now is enlarged, unselfish benevolence, with each sacrificing as God moves him — those with abundance giving a portion, those in costly homes exchanging for cheaper shelter to lend the means, and even the poor and the small gift giving all at cost of self-denial to sustain truth, publish the gospel and relieve the needy. Such help must be given while it can do good, for later giving cannot atone for withholding in the hour of need, and it will bring lasting treasure in heaven, while selfish pretense like that of Ananias and Sapphira in keeping back part while claiming to give all meets God's condemnation.

Jerusalem Emergency Sharing

Neither was there any among them that lacked because an emergency at Jerusalem had to be met. Many converts had been driven from homes and livelihoods for conscience and faith in Christ, cut off from family and friends, thrown out of business and exiled from their homes by zealous bigotry, and the large number gathered there had to be provided with food, shelter, homes and sustenance. Those who had lost homes and livelihoods because of their faith were thus provided for through the willing generosity of those with possessions.

Those who owned lands or houses or had money sold them and brought the prices of the things sold. They laid the means at the apostles' feet, entrusting it to the apostles' care. The apostles made distribution to every person according as he had need, so that no one among them lacked necessities and no one was in want.

The sharing was voluntary, willing and cheerful, with no one compelled to give up possessions. It was the effect of the pouring out of the Spirit of God, which made believers of one heart and soul with unity and one common interest in the mission and in the success of the work entrusted to them. Their love for fellow believers and for sinners, for the gospel and the cause they had espoused, was far greater than their love for money, possessions and earthly heritage.

By acting out faith in works they treated earthly wealth not as their own but as means to support others and the gospel and to help others hear it. They called nothing they possessed their own and used all their earthly goods to support the poor believers. In this they testified that they accounted human souls of far greater value than any earthly heritage.

Principle and Present Duty

The selling of lands and houses so that no one lacked stands as a lesson to Christians to the end of time, laying the principle for those handling means lent by God under the last message of mercy. In those days each believer felt he had no claim upon his property that could make the claims of Christ secondary, but let Christ fully into houses, lands and possessions as far as the needs of His cause required and the needs of the worthy, suffering poor required. Love for sinners was expressed in active benevolence to extend the truth to others and in gifts to the needy saints, with enlarged rather than contracted ideas of duty. The same Spirit-led stewardship calls believers now to treat entrusted property not as their own but to use God's blessings and resources for the good of humanity and the advancement of His kingdom.

It does not mean a general relinquishing of all property or the forming of a community where no one had any claim above another and all property was put into a common stock fund. It does not mean that people must sell the homes they need. What it does mean is submitting property to forward the work as the cause of Christ extends beyond expectation and is to be carried forward with unabated zeal. It means using the Lord's goods to sustain the truth, to publish the glad tidings of the gospel, and to invest means in missionary work so that more people might be converted. It means remembering property is lent on trust and not to be used improvidently, but to relieve the needy and help the helpless, the class for whom Christ manifested the greatest pity and most tender compassion.

Applied now, believers who recognize the urgency of saving souls and the needs of the work should sacrifice possessions freely to support God's work when God moves them to recognize its needs. Those with abundance should willingly sacrifice a portion of their property, those with expensive homes can exchange them for cheaper shelter and freely lend their means to spread the truth, and even those in poverty are to invest all they have in the work of Christ rather than keep resources for themselves, feeling the world's salvation depends on their service and standing ready to follow the Lord's direction. Giving is a privilege, and even a small gift can represent great sacrifice when it requires self-denial. Those who benefit from such giving can in turn practice self-denial and give to support others, allowing the work to continue to God's glory.

Wealth should be used to meet people's needs while it can do good, for giving only after the needy have suffered does not make up for withholding it when help was needed. Such sacrifice involved real deprivation when the cause had few supporters and little money, yet it was promised lasting treasure in heaven and a great reward if endured to the end. No one was compelled to give up possessions, for the giving was voluntary and willing. Yet the generous occasion became a temptation to the selfish and covetous, showing hereditary and cultivated traits were not cleansed in all, as Ananias with Sapphira dared lying and fraud by appropriating part for themselves while representing that they had given the whole, though God would have accepted a part honestly given.