Study on Acts 2:46
"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" -Acts 2:46
Keywords: Daily, house to house, Gladness, Singleness...
Gladness {Strongs G20}- Gr. agalliasis/ἀγαλλίασις / 1. exultation, extreme joy
Singleness {Strongs G858}- Gr. aphelotēs / ἀφελότης / 1. an unalloyed benevolence expressed in act.
Let us stop for a moment, reflect on this passage and then back up to verses 44-45:
"44 all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."
Does this sound like the church we claim inclusion to? Are our possessions limitted not only to ourselves? John MacArthur stated, "There was ownership in the early church-believers didn't live in a commune-but no one owned anything to the exclusion of someone who had a need." Can we truly say that we follow the biblical example of a new testament church? Or have we become desensitized by the American Dream...
God doesn't expect us to play the part of the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-23)... But he does expect us to give it all up if He asks us to...
May we examine our part in the "church", as determined by the "level of faith" we have been measured (Rom. 12:3) Let us analyze our hearts, and see what we are willing to place on the altar as Abraham placed Isaac..
Genesis 22:1-3
1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
But Abraham had faith that God would repay him despite his sacrifice...
Hebrews 11:17-19
17By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."
God has not required us to offer anything but our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). What a joy it is to know that we will not be required to slay our firstborn for the sake of God... However let us culminate all of our doings as this passage in Ephesians implies;
Ephesians 2:8-10
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(Many stop here, but continue reading...)
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Let's look at verse 10...
Keywords:
Workmanship {Strong's G4161}- poiēma / ποίημα- Gr. 1) that which has been made 2) a work
a) of the works of God as creator
Ordained {Strong's G4282}- proetoimazō / προετοιμάζω- Gr. 1) to prepare before, to make ready beforehand
Walk {Strong's G4043}- peripateō / περιπατέω- Gr. 1) to walk
a) to make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities
b) Hebrew for, to live
1) to regulate one's life
2) to conduct one's self
3) to pass one's life
With all of this noted, Ephesians 10 speaks to us in a profound way. It alludes to the ultimate sovereignty of God, that He is in control, that he, created us, in Christ (John 1:3), and has these works laid out before us to fulfill. The passage does a beautiful job blending together a glimpse at the preemptive properties of God and the free will of man. We see this when we then stumble upon the word Walk. As we see, it translates literally to make one's way and to make due use of opportunites. All of which indicate a submissive action. If we choose to be insubordinate to the word of God, then we do not fulfill his workmanship. Conclusively, if we do not fulfill the works that God has foreordained, we perceive ourselves to be that of what we are not; the workmanship of Christ.
This comes full circle back to Acts 2:46. If we are the workmanship of Christ; what are we willing to lay upon the altar for his service? As Romans 12 tells us, it should be our lives. We are not all called to sell all of our possessions and give them to the poor, but as the model example of the new testament church shows us in Acts, we should be ready and willing to break bread from house to house, eating our meat with gladness and singleness of heart, making available our possessions to those who are in need, and continuing this in one accord, in thanksgiving, daily.So look around you. You may say that the church, as a central entity, is the conduit of your reasonable act of worship. Which goes into the world on your part doing as these verses imply. To which the word of God subtly rebukes (V46) "continuing daily with one accord in the temple". The early believers did not have a "church" edifice, but they did have a central conduit of worship, the synagogue. Even after gathering to worship, they continued in their own way from house to house in fellowship (Heb. 10:25). Let us not stand without excuse, let us go into the world, offering what we may, to break bread with those without, and to open our hearts and homes to those in need, and let us do so with "gladness and singleness of heart."
Keywords: Daily, house to house, Gladness, Singleness...
Gladness {Strongs G20}- Gr. agalliasis/ἀγαλλίασις / 1. exultation, extreme joy
Singleness {Strongs G858}- Gr. aphelotēs / ἀφελότης / 1. an unalloyed benevolence expressed in act.
Let us stop for a moment, reflect on this passage and then back up to verses 44-45:
"44 all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."
Does this sound like the church we claim inclusion to? Are our possessions limitted not only to ourselves? John MacArthur stated, "There was ownership in the early church-believers didn't live in a commune-but no one owned anything to the exclusion of someone who had a need." Can we truly say that we follow the biblical example of a new testament church? Or have we become desensitized by the American Dream...
God doesn't expect us to play the part of the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-23)... But he does expect us to give it all up if He asks us to...
May we examine our part in the "church", as determined by the "level of faith" we have been measured (Rom. 12:3) Let us analyze our hearts, and see what we are willing to place on the altar as Abraham placed Isaac..
Genesis 22:1-3
1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
2And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
3And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
But Abraham had faith that God would repay him despite his sacrifice...
Hebrews 11:17-19
17By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
18Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
19Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."
God has not required us to offer anything but our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2). What a joy it is to know that we will not be required to slay our firstborn for the sake of God... However let us culminate all of our doings as this passage in Ephesians implies;
Ephesians 2:8-10
8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9Not of works, lest any man should boast.
(Many stop here, but continue reading...)
10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Let's look at verse 10...
Keywords:
Workmanship {Strong's G4161}- poiēma / ποίημα- Gr. 1) that which has been made 2) a work
a) of the works of God as creator
Ordained {Strong's G4282}- proetoimazō / προετοιμάζω- Gr. 1) to prepare before, to make ready beforehand
Walk {Strong's G4043}- peripateō / περιπατέω- Gr. 1) to walk
a) to make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities
b) Hebrew for, to live
1) to regulate one's life
2) to conduct one's self
3) to pass one's life
With all of this noted, Ephesians 10 speaks to us in a profound way. It alludes to the ultimate sovereignty of God, that He is in control, that he, created us, in Christ (John 1:3), and has these works laid out before us to fulfill. The passage does a beautiful job blending together a glimpse at the preemptive properties of God and the free will of man. We see this when we then stumble upon the word Walk. As we see, it translates literally to make one's way and to make due use of opportunites. All of which indicate a submissive action. If we choose to be insubordinate to the word of God, then we do not fulfill his workmanship. Conclusively, if we do not fulfill the works that God has foreordained, we perceive ourselves to be that of what we are not; the workmanship of Christ.
This comes full circle back to Acts 2:46. If we are the workmanship of Christ; what are we willing to lay upon the altar for his service? As Romans 12 tells us, it should be our lives. We are not all called to sell all of our possessions and give them to the poor, but as the model example of the new testament church shows us in Acts, we should be ready and willing to break bread from house to house, eating our meat with gladness and singleness of heart, making available our possessions to those who are in need, and continuing this in one accord, in thanksgiving, daily.So look around you. You may say that the church, as a central entity, is the conduit of your reasonable act of worship. Which goes into the world on your part doing as these verses imply. To which the word of God subtly rebukes (V46) "continuing daily with one accord in the temple". The early believers did not have a "church" edifice, but they did have a central conduit of worship, the synagogue. Even after gathering to worship, they continued in their own way from house to house in fellowship (Heb. 10:25). Let us not stand without excuse, let us go into the world, offering what we may, to break bread with those without, and to open our hearts and homes to those in need, and let us do so with "gladness and singleness of heart."
Comments
Post a Comment