Acts 2
Tongues of fire verse 1- 4
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come
they were all with ONE ACCORD in ONE PLACE
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a
rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where
they were sitting and there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of FIRE
and it sat upon each of them
and they were all FILLED with the Holy Ghost
and began to speak with other tongues
as the Spirit gave them utterance
Message in all known languages verse 5- 12
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews – devout men
out of every nation under heaven
Now when this was noised abroad – the multitude came together
and were confounded
BECAUSE that every man heard them
speak in his own language
And they were all amazed and marveled – saying one to another
BEHOLD – are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
and how hear we every man in our own tongue
wherein we were born?
Parthians – Medes – Elamites – and the dwellers in Mesopotamia
and in Judaea – Cappadocia – Pontus – Asia – Phrygia
Pamphylia – in Egypt and in parts of Libya about Cyrene
and strangers of Rome – Jews and proselytes
Cretes – Arabians – we do hear them speak in our tongues
the wonderful WORKS of God
And they were all amazed – and were in doubt saying one to another
What mean this?
Critics always available verse 13
Others mocking said – These men are full of new wine
Peter’s message: Joel verse 14- 21
But Peter – standing up with the eleven – lifted up his voice
and said unto them
You men of Judaea – and all you that dwell in Jerusalem
be this known unto you and hearken to my words
FOR these are not drunken – as ye suppose
seeing it is but the third hour of the day
BUT this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel
And it shall come to pass in the last days –said God
I will pour out of MY Spirit upon all flesh
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy
and your young men shall see visions
and your old men shall dream dreams
and on MY servants and on MY handmaidens
I will pour out in those days of MY Spirit
and they shall prophesy
and I will show wonders in heaven above
and signs in the earth beneath blood – fire – vapor of smoke
the sun shall be turned into darkness
the moon into blood before that great
and notable day of the Lord come
and it shall come to pass
that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord
SHALL BE SAVED
Peter’s message: King David verse 22- 31
You men of Israel – hear these words
Jesus of Nazareth – a MAN approved of God among you
by miracles – wonders – signs
which God did by HIM in the midst of you
as you yourselves also know
HIM – being delivered by the determinate counsel
and foreknowledge of God
You have taken – and by wicked hands have crucified and slain
WHOM God hath raised up – having loosed the pains of death
BECAUSE it was not possible that HE should be held of it
FOR David speaks concerning HIM
I foresaw the Lord always before my face – for HE is on my right hand
that I should not be moved
THEREFORE did my heart rejoice – and my tongue was glad
moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope
BECAUSE YOU will not leave my soul in hell
neither wilt YOU suffer YOUR Holy One
to see corruption
YOU have made known to me the ways of life
YOU shalt make me full of joy with YOUR countenance
Men and brethren
let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David
that he is both dead and buried
and his sepulcher is with us unto this day
Therefore being a prophet
and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him
that of the fruit of his loins – according to the flesh
HE would raise up Christ to sit on his throne
He seeing this before spoke of the resurrection of Christ
that HIS soul was not left in hell
neither HIS flesh did see corruption
Peter’s message: Resurrection of Jesus verse 32- 36
This Jesus hath God raised up – whereof we all are witnesses
therefore being by the right hand of God exalted
and having received of the Father
the promise of the Holy Ghost
HE has shed forth this
which ye now see and hear
FOR David is not ascended into the heavens – BUT he said himself
The LORD said unto my Lord
Sit YOU on MY right hand
until I make YOUR foes YOUR footstool
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly
that God has made that same Jesus – WHOM you have crucified
both Lord and Christ
Results of Peter’s message verse 37- 40
Now when they heard this – they were PRICKED in their heart
and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles
Men and brethren – What shall we do?
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 you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
FOR the promise is to you – and to your children
and to all that are afar off
even as many as the Lord our God shall call
And with many other words did he testify and exhort – saying
Save yourselves from this untoward generation
Biblical Church begins verse 41- 47
THEN they that GLADLY received his word were baptized
and the same day there were added to them about
THREE THOUSAND SOULS
And they continued stedfastly in the
apostle’s doctrine – fellowship breaking of bread – prayers
And fear came upon every soul – and wonders and signs
were done by the apostles
And all that believed were together – and had all things COMMON
and sold their possessions and goods
and parted them to all men – as every man had need
And they – continued DAILY with ONE ACCORD in the temple
and breaking bread from house to house
did eat their meat with GLADNESS
and SINGLENESS OF HEART
PRAISING God
and having favor with all the people
And the Lord added to the church DAILY such as should be saved
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (3661 “accord” [homothumadon] means in one mind, with one passion, in unison, by common consent, or unanimously)
DEVOTION: Harmony is hard to find today in most churches. There is much discord in the churches today. There is usually someone who likes to say they are the devil’s advocate at board or business meetings.
One way to understand what the first group of individuals that gathered in the upper room for prayer is to think of a choir. I was never able to sing in a choir because I don’t have the voice that would work together with other voices. The only ones that I work together with are those who can sing off key.
A good choir sings together in harmony. It sounds great. Everyone is singing their part of the chords. This is what was happening in the upper room. They were united to pray for the moving of the Holy Spirit in their life. Jesus told them to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They were waiting.
Once the Holy Spirit came there was a united message that was presented to the people who had come to Jerusalem for the feast. Peter made the message plain.
Everyone needed to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The sacrifices of the Temple were no longer needed as Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for sins.
The Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak in the known languages of those present. Each nationality heard the message of salvation in their language. They were without excuse. No one could say that they didn’t understand the message. They had to make an individual choice to listen and change or to walk away.
That is the same choice every person today has regarding the message of salvation. Everyone is given an opportunity to become a believer. If they reject the message they will face eternity in the lake of fire. If they accept the message which three thousand did on the day of Pentecost they will spend eternity in heaven.
CHALLENGE: The church is supposed to be united in their message and their actions. There doesn’t need to be any discord in the church. Everyone has to sing in unity regarding the truth of the Word of God and the message of salvation.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (1941 “call on” [epikaleomai] means to call on a deity for assistance or protection, to appeal too, to ask for help, aid, to invoke, or be people of)
DEVOTION: Basic to our understanding of the Word of God is the fact that everyone, except Christ, that is born into this world is heading to the lake of fire for eternity. We are born dead in trespasses and sins. We are the walking dead as far as our relationship to the LORD Jesus Christ is concerned. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” is what the Scripture states. We can’t measure up to the standard God has set for HIS children. When born we are part of the family of the devil. Repentance is necessary for there to be a change in direction for our life.
Christ entered the world to provide a way to come to life in the eyes of God. HE died on the cross for our sins, so that, we can move from a state of deadness to life. Without HIM we have no relationship with the Father.
The message of Pentecost and today is that if an individual realizes his/her sin and confesses that sin to Jesus they can be born again or saved. Once this change happens in the life of an individual they can walk with the LORD. They can receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in their life, so that, they can know what needs to change in their daily life.
Our goal once we become a believer is to please the LORD. The Holy Spirit through the Word of God or Bible and prayer can show us how to live different. We will never be perfect or sinless in this life but we can learn to sin less with HIS help.
Have you trusted the LORD Jesus Christ to be your Savior? Have you called upon the name of the LORD to be saved?
CHALLENGE: Each of us has to make that choice. No one can make it for us. It is a personal commitment to turn from sin and walk in a new direction. What direction are you walking in today?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (4342 “stedfastly” [proskartereo] means to be earnest towards, to persevere, be constantly diligent, to attend assiduously all the exercises, to adhere closely to, wait on continually or attend continually upon)
DEVOTION: On the day of Pentecost the church had its beginning. The Old Covenant was over. The moral law of God was still in effect but the ceremonial law was ended.
There were three thousand saved after Peter’s first message. These individuals were earnest towards four characteristics of this new group called the church. In the Old Testament those who wanted to be followers of the TRUE God had to join the Jews. In the New Testament during the Church age, all nations had to join the church. The church is made up of all individuals who are willing to repent and follow the LORD.
The four characteristics of a Biblical church include the four things mentioned in this verse.
First was the apostles’ doctrine or teaching. There was good expository preaching from Peter at the first sermon and it continued after the day of Pentecost. They only had the Old Testament but it spoke volumes concerning Christ and his kingdom. We are to still use the Old Testament in our teaching of the TRUTHS of God.
Secondly, they wanted to have fellowship. Our fellowship today is around a meal. They had a meal but so much more. They sold all their earthly possessions and shared with the church the money from the sales. They went house to house with their services. They were given to hospitality. Are we given to hospitality today?
The third characteristic of the church was the breaking of bread. We know that this was the obedience to Christ’s command to the disciples at the last supper. They were to break bread together until HE returned. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper at least once a month but they did it daily. One of the purposes of the LORD’S Supper is to examine our lives to evaluate our closeness to the LORD.
Finally, they gathered and prayed together. Prayer was important to the early church. They gathered daily and prayed. We gather weekly in many churches to pray and that is usually the least attended service in our churches. Are we Biblical churches if our prayer meetings are so poorly attended? Now we need to compare the church we presently attend with this first church. How does it match? Are we earnestly working toward these four characteristics in our churches?
Remember the early church had people joining DAILY. How often do we have people joining our churches? Is our present church diligent in their practices of these four essential? Do we care?
CHALLENGE: Encourage your pastor by asking who you can visit this month for the LORD. If each one reaches one – imagine what could happen in the local church.
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: 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. (20 “gladness” [agalliasis] means joy, exultation, extremely joyful, to rejoice greatly, exulting delight, transcendent gladness, or felicity)
DEVOTION: The hundred and twenty were with one accord in the upper room before the Holy Spirit filled them with the ability to speak in the known languages of those present on the day of Pentecost.
Now there were over three thousand believers who were with one accord going to the Temple to witness to their fellow Jews. They were sharing meals together in the houses of those who had become believers. No one was hungry. They ate together with much rejoicing in the LORD.
There was also a singleness of heart that kept the people enjoying one another. There was no conflict until there was a need for the widows of the Greeks that needed to be fed and then we had the first group of deacons.
Our church times of fellowship around a meal together should show the same type of spirit as was there on the first day of the church. There should be an atmosphere of joy and gladness when the body of believers gathered to eat together. Fellowship is important for the growth of the church and the growth of the individual believer.
There should be no clicks in the church. There should be a sharing of friendship with the whole group. This will cause the church to move out into the community with a testimony of unity. Word gets out into the community if the church is getting along together or if it is fighting with one another.
Our testimony in the community is important to the LORD. HIS desire is for us is that we should reach all those who are in our community for the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Our unity will cause that to happen.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Prayers verse 42
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Day of Pentecost verse 1
One accord verse 1
One place verse 1
Wonders verse 19
Signs verse 19
Continued stedfastly verse 42
Apostles’ doctrine
Fellowship
Breaking of bread
Prayers
Continued daily in temple verse 46, 47
One accord
Breaking bread
Gladness
Singleness of heart
Praising God
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Joel verse 16- 21
David verse 25- 28, 34
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
God verse 17, 22, 36
My Spirit verse 17
God raised up Christ verse 24, 32, 33
Father promised the Holy Ghost verse 33
Lord verse 34
Lord our God verse 39
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Lord verse 20, 21, 25, 34, 36, 47
Jesus verse 22, 32, 36, 38
Jesus of Nazareth verse 22
A Man approved of God verse 22
Miracles verse 22
Wonders verse 22
Signs verse 22
Crucified verse 23, 36
Slain verse 23
Loosed from pains of death verse 24
Right hand verse 25
Holy One verse 27
Fruit of David’s loins verse 30
Sit on David’s throne verse 30
Christ verse 30, 31, 36, 38
Resurrection of Christ verse 31
Right hand of Father verse 34
Name of Jesus Christ verse 38
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Holy Ghost verse 4, 33, 38
Filled with Holy Ghost verse 4
Spirit gave believers other languages verse 4, 17, 18
Pour out Holy Spirt verse 17
Promise of the Holy Ghost verse 33
Gift of the Holy Ghost verse 38
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
God verse 11, 17, 22- 24, 30, 32, 33, 36, 39, 47
Wonderful Works of God verse 11
Approved of God verse 22
Determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God verse 23
Lord our God verse 39
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Devout men verse 5
Every nation verse 5
Confounded verse 6
Own language verse 6, 11
Amazed verse 7
Marveled verse 7
Parthians verse 9
Medes verse 9
Elamites verse 9
Mesopotamia verse 9
Cappadocia verse 9
Pontus verse 9
Asia verse 9
Phrygia verse 10
Pamphylia verse 10
Egypt verse 10
Libya verse 10
Cyrene verse 10
Rome verse 10
Cretes verse 11
Arabians verse 11
All flesh verse 17
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Doubt verse 12
Mocking verse 13
Drunk verse 13, 15
Wicked verse 23
Corruption verse 27, 31
Foes verse 35
Sins verse 38
Untoward generation verse 40
Fear verse 43
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
One accord verse 1, 46
Filled with Holy Ghost verse 4
Speaking in known tongues verse 4
Prophesy verse 17, 18
Vision verse 17
Dream dreams verse 17
Servants verse 18
Call on the name verse 21
Saved verse 21, 47
Way of life verse 28
Full of joy verse 28
Witnesses verse 32
Pricked in their heart verse 37
Repent verse 38
Baptized verse 38, 41
Remission of sins verse 38
Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost verse 38
Promise verse 39
Called verse 39
Testify verse 40
Exhort verse 40
Gladly received verse 41
Apostle’s doctrine verse 42
Fellowship verse 42
Breaking of bread verse 42, 46
Prayers verse 42
Signs and wonders verse 43
Believed verse 44
All things common verse 44
Provide for fellow believers verse 45
Gladness verse 46
Singleness of heart verse 46
Praising God verse 47
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jerusalem verse 5, 14
Galilaeans verse 7
Every man in own tongue verse 8
Judaea verse 9, 14
Jews verse 10
Proselytes verse 10
Men of Israel verse 22
David verse 25- 31, 34
Heart rejoice
Tongue was glad
Rest in hope
Not leave soul in hell
House of Israel verse 36
Church (New Testament people of God)
Peter verse 14, 37
Eleven verse 14
Apostles verse 37, 43
Added three thousand souls verse 41
Added to church daily verse 47
Last Things (Future Events)
Last days verse 17
Hell verse 31
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QUOTES regarding passage
2:46–47 Verse 46 sets forth the dual locale of their life together. They remained faithful to their Jewish worship, devoting themselves “with one accord” (“together”) in the temple. The word translated “with one accord” (homothymadon) is commonly used in Acts to express unity of purpose and particularly applies to the “one heart and mind” (4:32) of the Christian fellowship (cf. 1:14; 2:1; 4:24; 5:12; 15:25). F. Stagg, however, points out that single-mindedness is not always a good thing. The same word is used of the angry mobs that rushed upon Stephen (7:57) and Paul (19:29). For the Christian community, fellowship and unity of purpose are salutary only when rooted in fellowship with Christ and in the unity of his Spirit. The structure of Acts should remind us of this—the unity of the Christian community derives from and is guided by the gift of the Spirit that lies at the heart of its life together.
The Christian presence in the temple testifies not only to their remaining faithful to their Jewish heritage but also evidences their zeal for witness. In Jerusalem the temple was the primary place where crowds would be found, and there the Christians went to bear their witness (3:11–12; 5:21, 42). If the temple was the place of witness, homes were the place for fellowship. In the intimacy of the home setting, a common meal was shared together, probably including the Lord’s Supper as well. It was a time marked by rejoicing in their fellowship with one another and with the Spirit and by their own openness and sincerity (aphelotēs). On the giving end, they expressed their joy by praising God for his presence in their life together (v. 47). On the receiving end, they experienced the favor of the nonbelieving Jewish community in Jerusalem. God responded to their faith and blessed the young community, adding new converts daily.154 Indeed, as with the young Jesus, so it was for the growing church—favor with God and favor with humanity (Luke 2:52).
Verses 43–46 give an ideal portrait of the young Christian community, witnessing the Spirit’s presence in the miracles of the apostles, sharing their possessions with the needy among them, sharing their witness in the temple, sharing themselves in the intimacy of their table fellowship. Their common life was marked by praise of God, joy in the faith, and sincerity of heart. And in it all they experienced the favor of the nonbelievers and continual blessings of God-given growth. It was an ideal, almost blissful time marked by the joy of their life together and the warmth of the Spirit’s presence among them. It could almost be described as the young church’s “age of innocence.” The subsequent narrative of Acts will show that it did not always remain so. Sincerity sometimes gave way to dishonesty, joy was blotched by rifts in the fellowship, and the favor of the people was overshadowed by persecutions from the Jewish officials. Luke’s summaries present an ideal for the Christian community which it must always strive for, constantly return to, and discover anew if it is to have that unity of spirit and purpose essential for an effective witness. (Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 121–123). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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46 Here Luke shows that the early Jerusalem believers expressed their faith through daily adherence to the accustomed forms of their Jewish heritage. They not only ate together in their homes in a spirit of gladness and sincerity but also found a large measure of favor among the people. “Every day” (kath’ hēmeran) applies to the whole sentence (which NIV breaks into two sentences) as far as the words “all the people” in the middle of v. 47 and ties together a number of complementary ideas.
The favorite meeting place of the early believers was in the temple (cf. Luke 24:53), at the eastern edge of the outer court called Solomon’s Colonnade (cf. 3:11; 5:12). There, in typically Semitic fashion, they carried on their discussions and offered praise to God. As Jews who were Christians and also Christians who were Jews, they not only considered Jerusalem to be their city but continued to regard the temple as their sanctuary and the Law as their law. Evidently they thought of themselves as the faithful remnant within Israel for whose sake all the institutions and customs of the nation existed. As such, their refocused eschatological hopes (cf. Mal 3:1) and all their desires to influence their own people were associated with the city of Jerusalem, the Jerusalem temple, and the Mosaic law. For both theological and practical reasons, therefore, as well as because of the inevitable tug of the traditional, the early Christians in Jerusalem sought to retain their hold on the religious forms they had inherited and to express their new faith through the categories of the old.
But while they met formally for discussion and worship in the temple precincts, they took their meals in their own homes (kat’ oikon, lit. “by households”). The noun trophē (“food,” “nourishment”) in the phrase “they were sharing in the food” (metelambanon tropēs; NIV, “ate together”) implies a substantial meal (cf. 9:19; 27:33–34), which it is said they ate with gladness and sincerity of heart. (Longenecker, R. N. (1981). The Acts of the Apostles. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: John and Acts (Vol. 9, p. 291). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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2:46–47. The activities described in verses 42–47 would tend to separate the church from traditional Judaism even though every day (cf. v. 47) they continued (proskarterountes; cf. v. 42) to meet together in the temple courts.
One of the subthemes of Acts is joy, because a victorious church is a joyful one. This is seen in verses 46–47 and numerous other times (5:41; 8:8, 39; 11:23; 12:14; 13:48, 52; 14:17; 15:3, 31; 16:34; 21:17). In their fellowship they broke bread in their homes and ate together (cf. 2:42) with joy. (The word praising [ainountes] is used only nine times in the NT, seven of them by Luke: Luke 2:13, 20; 19:37; 24:53; Acts 2:47; 3:8–9; Rom. 15:11; Rev. 19:5).
With the first of seven summary progress reports (cf. Acts 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:30–31) Luke brought this section of Acts to a close: each day others were being saved. The church grew rapidly right from the start! (Toussaint, S. D. (1985). Acts. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 360). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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The Christians you meet in the Book of Acts were not content to meet once a week for “services as usual.” They met daily (Acts 2:46), cared daily (Acts 6:1), won souls daily (Acts 2:47), searched the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11), and increased in number daily (Acts 16:5). Their Christian faith was a day-to-day reality, not a once-a-week routine. Why? Because the risen Christ was a living reality to them, and His resurrection power was at work in their lives through the Spirit.
The promise is still good: “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13). Have you called? Have you trusted Jesus Christ to save you? (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 411). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books)
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2:46 Day by day … in the temple. Believers went to the temple to praise God (v. 47), observe the daily hours of prayer (cf. 3:1), and witness to the gospel (v. 47; 5:42). breaking bread from house to house. This has reference to the daily means that believers shared with one another. gladness and sincerity of heart. The Jerusalem church was joyful because its single focus was on Jesus Christ. See notes on 2Co 11:3; Php 3:13, 14. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Ac 2:46). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
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Ver. 46. And they continued daily with one accord in the temple, &c.] Every day they went up to the temple, at the time of prayer, or whenever any religious service was to be performed; this was their constant practice, and in this they agreed: and breaking bread from house to house; either administering the Lord’s supper in private houses, as the Jews kept their passover, sometimes administering it at one house, and sometimes at another; or because their number was so large, that one house could not hold them, they divided themselves into lesser bodies; and some met, and had the ordinance administered to them in one house, and some in another: or this may be understood of their common meals, which they ate together at one another’s houses in great love and friendship; for they did eat their meat with gladness; with great thankfulness to the God of their mercies for their daily food, acknowledging that all came from him, and that they were undeserving of it, and with much cheerfulness and affability one among another, without murmuring and repining at their lot, or envying each other, or grudging what each other partook of: and also with singleness of heart: without deceit and hypocrisy; either in their thanksgivings to God, or in their welcome and entertainment of each other; and with great sincerity, openness, and frankness before God, and one another. The Syriac version joins this clause with the beginning of the next verse, with singleness of heart, praising God. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 2, p. 163). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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h. A Spiritual People (2:46)
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their [food] with gladness and singleness of heart.
Spirituality is not something with which we clothe ourselves just on Sundays. Notice what the Holy Spirit links together: the Temple and the table. Those who were in love with the Lord found their way to the place of prayer. They went to the Temple because, as yet, it had not dawned upon those first believers that the Temple and its worship were obsolete. It would take Stephen to teach them that. The Temple court was a commodious and convenient place to meet for worship and for fellowship. The spiritual person will seek out the gathering place of God’s people.
That spirituality will then spill over into the mundane aspects of life. It will bring people together in hospitality. The commonplace things of life, such as eating and drinking, will be sanctified into a sacrament. The joy of the Lord will add a new dimension of gladness to everything. Life will not be compartmentalized into the sacred and the secular, but both will be wedded in a marriage of blessing and bliss. (Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Acts: An Expository Commentary (Ac 2:46). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.)
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They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ACTS 2:42
I hope you’re already part of a church family—not as a spectator but as a committed, involved participant in a community of followers of Jesus Christ. But if you’re not, here are five things you should look for as you consider establishing yourself in a church. If you’re already an active member and any of these things are lacking in your congregation, consider what you can do and how you can be praying for these characteristics to blossom there:
1. Is it anchored in the Scriptures? Is the Bible clearly taught as the authoritative Word of God? Is the gospel of Jesus Christ the anchor, motivating you to live and proclaim the transforming grace of God in every area of
your life?
2. Does it have a sense of community? Is there a connectedness between people when the service is over on Sunday morning? Does there seem to be authenticity and honesty in the relationships?
3. Is it characterized by worship? Today’s culture is incredibly self-centered. You need an interruption in your week to jerk you out of that stream and say, “There’s something much bigger than me going on here. Life is not about me; it’s about who God is and what He’s doing.”
4. Is there opportunity for involvement? Is this a church where you’re encouraged to minister to others? One of the greatest joys of life is to be used by the Lord God Almighty in another human being’s life.
5. Does it build men? I’m not minimizing ministry to women and children, but a lot of the struggles in our families and culture could become points of victory if men were equipped with a vision for manhood and
were living it out.
DISCUSS
Give your church—or the church you are considering—a letter grade in each of these five areas. Compare grades and talk about how you can help your church become more effective. (Moments with You by Dennis & Barbara Raney)
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FROM MY READING
In that secret place, the Father is waiting for us. He is as certainly there as He is in heaven. Be reverent, as Moses when he took the shoes off his feet. Be trustful, because you are having an audience with One who loves you more than any other. Be comforted, because there is not problem He cannot solve, no knot He cannot untangle. (p. 114 The Best of F.B.Meyer)
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The image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonise in pitch and tone. As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ’s church. (Strong, J. (2001). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
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2 Peter 3
Some people will scoff at the Day of the Lord, but we ought to purify ourselves for it.
INSIGHT
Most people agree that the world cannot last forever. Eventually the hydrogen in the sun will burn out, and the sun will grow cold, destroying the earth in the process. So how will the earth end? The Bible tells us that the day will come when the heavens and the earth will be destroyed by fire. It may not happen soon, but it will happen. Since all of us must face “the end” sometime, Peter writes that as we look forward to these things, we should accept salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Quiet Walk)
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DELIVERANCE
This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. 1 John 5:6
The great business of the Messiah who was to come was to deliver the people from the thralldom and bondage of sin and its consequences. Men and women, as a result of their sin, were under the wrath of God. They needed to be delivered from the power of the world, the flesh, and the devil—the power of sin both inside and outside. So the Messiah, the Savior, had to make expiation for our sin and set us free from its power. This was His great task. And John tells us that Jesus Christ came as the Messiah and has done that, and we see Him doing it as we look at His baptism and as we see His death on the cross. His baptism, in a sense, is the beginning of His power as the Messiah—He came as the Messiah by “water.” Through that He identifies Himself with our sin, and it is upon the cross that He deals with it, expiates it, and delivers us from the wrath of God and therefore from the power of sin and the power of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Now I think we see why John does not refer to Christ’s birth in his Gospel. He has been pointing to Christ as the Messiah, fixing his attention upon that, that Jesus is the Son of God. So he does not refer to the birth; but he does refer to the baptism. And so I think we see very clearly why it is that we have this phrase “not by water only, but by water and blood.” The Lord Jesus Christ did not merely identify Himself with us and our sins—He went further. He dealt with it not in water only, but also in blood. His death is an absolute essential in addition to the baptism.
A Thought to Ponder: Through His baptism Christ identifies Himself with our sin, and it is upon the cross that He deals with it.
(From Life in God, pp. 78-79, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Zechariah’s Visions: Horns and Carpenters
“Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. And I said unto the angel that talked with me, What be these? And he answered me, These are the horns which have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 1:18-19)
Immediately after seeing the horsemen that were sent to determine the state of the earth, Zechariah observes four “horns” amid the myrtle trees. Zechariah is told they represent the authorities responsible for scattering the people of the two nations of Judah and Israel, destroying Jerusalem in the process as well.
The image of horns usually refers to empires in other passages of Scripture. The horns of the goats in Daniel 7 and 8 and the horns of the seven-headed dragon used in Revelation 13 and 17 are good examples. Zechariah may have understood this specific vision as a reference to Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image recorded in Daniel 2. We would identify those horns as Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. It is possible that the previous empires of Egypt and Assyria would have been included, but the context does not specify.
The purpose of this vision seems to lie in the task of the four carpenters that appear following the horns (Zechariah 1:20). The Hebrew could be better understood by our words “craftsmen” or “artisans” since they were assigned the task to “fray [terrify] them, to cast out the horns of the Gentiles, which lifted up their horn over the land of Judah to scatter it” (Zechariah 1:21).
Even though human history seems to creep by, God will execute His plans for all nations. God’s sovereignty has “determined the times before appointed” (Acts 17:26), and He has often assured us that His Word “shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
(HMM III, The Institute for Creation Research)
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