And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
Believers who sold houses and lands brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet to be distributed to every person according as he had need. This met an emergency at Jerusalem where many new converts were cut off from family and friends, driven from homes and livelihoods, and needed food and shelter so that none lacked. No one was forced to surrender possessions, but they gave voluntarily and cheerfully with self-denial, even accepting privation and cheaper shelter to help banished brethren. Their liberality was the effect of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which made them of one heart and soul and their love for brethren and the cause greater than love for money and possessions. It does not teach a general surrender of all property into a common stock where no one has claims above another, but that property is held as the Lord's goods in trust to be used as far as the needs of His cause and the worthy poor require, a lesson in active benevolence for Christians to the end of time.
Apostolic Sharing in Need
Those who sold houses and lands brought the proceeds and laid them at the apostles' feet, entrusting the money to the apostles for the work of God. The apostles held the means under their care and direction and distributed to every person according as he had need. Believers thus placed their resources at the apostles' disposal so that each received what was required.
The sharing met an emergency at Jerusalem, where a large company of converts had gathered and needed homes and food. They had been cut off from family and friends, thrown out of business, driven from homes and livelihoods, and exiled for following Christ. This provision supplied urgent needs for food, shelter and homes, so that none among them lacked or was left in want.
The giving was voluntary, with no one forced to surrender possessions. Those who had money and possessions cheerfully sacrificed them, with self-denial and privation, because they valued fellow believers and the gospel mission more than possessions. Those permitted to keep homes gladly received banished brethren, while others sold property, accepted cheaper shelter, and freely lent means to help others hear the gospel. Though poor, they gave all and remained ready to serve and suffer for the truth wherever directed.
The common resources could become a temptation to selfishness, covetousness and dishonesty. Ananias and Sapphira tried to appear to give everything while secretly keeping part, placing only part of their proceeds at the apostles' feet while falsely pretending to have given all. That pretense was fraud and dishonesty known to God. Withholding means until the needy have suffered and the opportunity to advance God's work has passed is too late, and such delayed offering is rejected.
Spirit's Motive and Pattern
The generous sharing that put resources at the apostles' feet for distribution according to need was the effect of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That outpouring made believers of one heart and soul with one common interest in the success of their mission. It is the antidote for selfish love of the world, and when the love of Christ takes full possession of the heart believers become self-sacrificing and benevolent to save others. Their love for their brethren and for the cause became greater than their love for money and possessions. By acting out their faith they proved that they counted souls of far greater value than any earthly inheritance or heritage, following Him who for their sakes became poor that through His poverty they might be made rich, and this spirit gives power to influence hearers.
The laying of means at the apostles' feet does not teach a general relinquishing of all property into a common stock or community fund where no one has claims above another. Rather each believer felt he had no claim upon his property that could make the claims of Christ secondary. They let Christ fully into their houses, lands and possessions as far as the needs of His cause required and the needs of the worthy poor. They treated none of their possessions as their own but used all their earthly goods to support poor believers. Property is lent to them in trust, it is not their own but the Lord's goods, and it is not to be wasted.
That unselfish giving remains a lesson for all Christians to the end of time, expressing love for sinners in active benevolence to extend the truth to others and in gifts to needy saints, with ideas about giving greatly enlarged. The same Holy Spirit will have the same influence on hearts today, leading believers to use the Lord's goods to advance His work, to publish the glad tidings of the gospel, and to relieve the needy and help the helpless, for whom Christ showed the greatest pity and most tender compassion. Faithful giving helps supply missionary needs, sustains God's suffering poor and the cause of truth, and its example can lead others to give and support further conversions. When God's principle of benevolence is accepted wholeheartedly and obeyed, the apostolic experience is brought again. The same principle must actuate those who believe they are living under the sound of the last message of mercy, holding means lent them of God to be handled under Christ's claim, moved by seeing the cause extending far beyond expectation and in ardent expectation that the work will be carried forward with unabated zeal.
In the early work of the cause, when only a few had accepted the truth, they sold houses and lands, accepted cheaper shelter, and freely lent their means to spread the truth and support the work. They endured privation for others' benefit, and their sacrifice was counted as treasure stored in heaven and will receive a great reward if they endure to the end. The same pattern was echoed when the contributions of Gentile churches for the poor were laid at James's feet for distribution according to need. Those gifts gave tangible evidence of their love and sympathy for the Jerusalem church and their desire for harmony with Jewish believers, and they showed that Paul kept his promise to remember the poor.
Believers who sold houses and lands brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet to be distributed to every person according as he had need. This met an emergency at Jerusalem where many new converts were cut off from family and friends, driven from homes and livelihoods, and needed food and shelter so that none lacked. No one was forced to surrender possessions, but they gave voluntarily and cheerfully with self-denial, even accepting privation and cheaper shelter to help banished brethren. Their liberality was the effect of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which made them of one heart and soul and their love for brethren and the cause greater than love for money and possessions. It does not teach a general surrender of all property into a common stock where no one has claims above another, but that property is held as the Lord's goods in trust to be used as far as the needs of His cause and the worthy poor require, a lesson in active benevolence for Christians to the end of time.
Apostolic Sharing in Need
Those who sold houses and lands brought the proceeds and laid them at the apostles' feet, entrusting the money to the apostles for the work of God. The apostles held the means under their care and direction and distributed to every person according as he had need. Believers thus placed their resources at the apostles' disposal so that each received what was required.
The sharing met an emergency at Jerusalem, where a large company of converts had gathered and needed homes and food. They had been cut off from family and friends, thrown out of business, driven from homes and livelihoods, and exiled for following Christ. This provision supplied urgent needs for food, shelter and homes, so that none among them lacked or was left in want.
The giving was voluntary, with no one forced to surrender possessions. Those who had money and possessions cheerfully sacrificed them, with self-denial and privation, because they valued fellow believers and the gospel mission more than possessions. Those permitted to keep homes gladly received banished brethren, while others sold property, accepted cheaper shelter, and freely lent means to help others hear the gospel. Though poor, they gave all and remained ready to serve and suffer for the truth wherever directed.
The common resources could become a temptation to selfishness, covetousness and dishonesty. Ananias and Sapphira tried to appear to give everything while secretly keeping part, placing only part of their proceeds at the apostles' feet while falsely pretending to have given all. That pretense was fraud and dishonesty known to God. Withholding means until the needy have suffered and the opportunity to advance God's work has passed is too late, and such delayed offering is rejected.
Spirit's Motive and Pattern
The generous sharing that put resources at the apostles' feet for distribution according to need was the effect of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That outpouring made believers of one heart and soul with one common interest in the success of their mission. It is the antidote for selfish love of the world, and when the love of Christ takes full possession of the heart believers become self-sacrificing and benevolent to save others. Their love for their brethren and for the cause became greater than their love for money and possessions. By acting out their faith they proved that they counted souls of far greater value than any earthly inheritance or heritage, following Him who for their sakes became poor that through His poverty they might be made rich, and this spirit gives power to influence hearers.
The laying of means at the apostles' feet does not teach a general relinquishing of all property into a common stock or community fund where no one has claims above another. Rather each believer felt he had no claim upon his property that could make the claims of Christ secondary. They let Christ fully into their houses, lands and possessions as far as the needs of His cause required and the needs of the worthy poor. They treated none of their possessions as their own but used all their earthly goods to support poor believers. Property is lent to them in trust, it is not their own but the Lord's goods, and it is not to be wasted.
That unselfish giving remains a lesson for all Christians to the end of time, expressing love for sinners in active benevolence to extend the truth to others and in gifts to needy saints, with ideas about giving greatly enlarged. The same Holy Spirit will have the same influence on hearts today, leading believers to use the Lord's goods to advance His work, to publish the glad tidings of the gospel, and to relieve the needy and help the helpless, for whom Christ showed the greatest pity and most tender compassion. Faithful giving helps supply missionary needs, sustains God's suffering poor and the cause of truth, and its example can lead others to give and support further conversions. When God's principle of benevolence is accepted wholeheartedly and obeyed, the apostolic experience is brought again. The same principle must actuate those who believe they are living under the sound of the last message of mercy, holding means lent them of God to be handled under Christ's claim, moved by seeing the cause extending far beyond expectation and in ardent expectation that the work will be carried forward with unabated zeal.
In the early work of the cause, when only a few had accepted the truth, they sold houses and lands, accepted cheaper shelter, and freely lent their means to spread the truth and support the work. They endured privation for others' benefit, and their sacrifice was counted as treasure stored in heaven and will receive a great reward if they endure to the end. The same pattern was echoed when the contributions of Gentile churches for the poor were laid at James's feet for distribution according to need. Those gifts gave tangible evidence of their love and sympathy for the Jerusalem church and their desire for harmony with Jewish believers, and they showed that Paul kept his promise to remember the poor.