Thursday Acts 4:32-37

The early church was a unique community.

Click here for an online Bible. Acts 4:32-37

Here we get a picture of what the early church was like. There was mutual concern and care for each other. The basis for this community was that they were of one heart and one mind. They were all completely devoted to Christ and the mission of the church. Nobody considered their property as their own. They understood that God was the owner of all. They took care of each other.

Notice that Luke does not say that everybody liquidated all of their assets and gave everything to the church. He says that they took care of needs as they arose. People who had the means provided money for the common good. The selfless generosity was not limited to wealthy people. Everybody contributed. But he specifically notes that those who had property even donated the proceeds from the sale of their properties to the church.

An example of someone selling property was Barnabas. Luke introduces Barnabas here. We will see much more of Barnabas in the coming chapters. Here we get a picture of the character of Barnabas. He must have been an encourager since the apostles gave him the name “son of encouragement.” We also see his selfless generosity.

We can still take care of each other. Every now and then a person will give me an envelope full of cash and ask me to give it to someone that they know is in need. They give cash and use me as an intermediary because they know that this way the money can not be traced back to the source. It is nice to see the surprise and gratitude of the recipient. But a bigger joy for me is to see the selfless love and generosity from a brother or sister in Christ.