58 14 Habits of Highly Effective Disciples
Interpreting the Scriptures
Community Life within the Early Church (Acts 2:42–47)
2:42. The early followers of Jesus devoted themselves to four central
activities: 1) learning the apostles’ teaching, 2) deepening the fellow-
ship among the believers, 3) breaking bread together, and 4) praying.
Because these early Jewish Christians were experiencing a dramatic shift
in their beliefs, they needed to understand clearly that Jesus was indeed
the expected Messiah. The basic message of the apostles’ preaching was
that Jesus was the long-awaited king, but one who suffered, died, and
was resurrected from the dead. This new community of believers was
connected to one another through their relationship with this crucified-
and-risen Messiah.
The Greek term for fellowship, koinonia, is only used once in Acts
and refers to close, mutual relations among believers. The breaking of
bread likely referred to both sacred and common meals (that is, sharing
together in the Lord’s Supper and simply sharing meals together). This
table fellowship undoubtedly provided opportunities for worship, shar-
ing, and learning. They also devoted themselves to prayer, which may
have included times of formal prayer associated with Judaism, in addi-
tion to more intimate times of prayer as they shared with one another
and worshiped together in their new community of faith.
2:43. Those within the community and those in contact with the believ-
ers were both filled with a sense of awe, or reverent fear, as they observed
the “wonders and signs” enacted by the apostles. Jesus performed mira-
cles; now his followers were doing the same. The healing of the paralytic
described in the following chapter became a striking example of one of
these wonders which pointed to the new life found through Jesus.
2:44–45. The fellowship mentioned in verse 42 goes beyond the deep
friendships idealized by a number of Greco-Roman philosophers.
This community of believers demonstrated their unselfish love for one
another by selling property and other belongings in order to meet the
needs of those within the group. This act of hospitality was especially
important for those who had traveled to Jerusalem for Pentecost. They
needed financial assistance as they remained in Jerusalem to learn more