Acts 2:42
- Pentecost began with the disciples praying to God, continued with them being filled with the Spirit, which in turn led to Peter preaching about the crucified Jesus, which in turn led to 3000 being saved, which in turn led to this. What an amazing day!
- The apostles were commissioned by Jesus to teach what Jesus has commanded (Matthew 28:20). The apostles’ teachings are preserved today as the New Testament.
- The fellowship that exists between Christians is more than just “having a good time” together, it is a fellowship formed by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:13).
- It was common in the Jewish community to eat together as a sign of fellowship and friendship. It was in such a communal meal that Jesus instituted the Eucharist. Christians continued to eat together as a sign of fellowship and celebrated the Eucharist in this meal as well. (See 1 Corinthians 11:17-34).
- The disciples followed the appointed Jewish prayer times (Acts 3:1) but also prayed spontaneously together (Acts 4:24).
Acts 2:43
- Although God is love and the Christian community is wonderful, there is also a seriousness to the Christian faith. God is fearsome and his presence can make the mightiest man tremble like an aspen leaf (2 Chronicles 20:29).
Acts 2:44-45
- This different way of being a church was unique to the Jerusalem church and was probably due to the fact that they were convinced that Jesus would return shortly (2 Peter 3:9) and that many of the new disciples were from other countries and were in need of financial support if they were to remain in Jerusalem.
- This community of property was voluntary (Acts 5:4) and shows how extremely self-sacrificing the first Christians were. The well-being of other people became more important than their own well-being.
Acts 2:46-47
- The first Christians had a wonderful daily community that included prayer, joy and food. As a result, they praised God, were loved by the people around them and people were saved every day.
- It was God Himself who saw to the growth of the church.
- The fact that the Christians were in the temple every day and that they were loved by the people shows that they were still regarded by others and themselves as an intra-Jewish movement.