Act 2:45, 6:1 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 45. And sold . That is, they sold as much as was necessary in order to procure the means of providing for the wants of each other. Possessions . Property, particularly real estate. This word κτηματα refers, properly, to their fixed property, as lands, houses, vineyards, etc. The word rendered goods , υπαρξεις, refers to their personal or movable property. And parted them to all . They distributed them to supply the wants of their poorer brethren, according to their necessities. As every man had need . This expression limits and fixes the meaning of what is said before. The passage does not mean that they sold all their possessions, or that they relinquished their title to all their property; but that they so far regarded all as common as to be willing to part with it IF it was needful to supply the wants of the others. Hence the property was laid at the disposal of the apostles, and they were desired to distribute it freely to meet the wants of the poor, . This was an important incident in the early propagation of religion; and it may suggest many useful reflections. (1.) We see the effect of religion. The love of property is one of the strongest affections which men have. There is nothing that will overcome it but religion. That will; and one of the first effects of the gospel was to loosen the hold of Christians on property. (2.) It is the duty of the church to provide for the wants of its poor and needy members. There can be no doubt that property should now be regarded as so far common as that the wants of the poor should be supplied by those who are rich. Comp. . (3.) If it be asked why the early disciples evinced this readiness to part with their property in this manner, it may be replied, 1st, that the apostles had done it before them. The family of the Saviour had all things common. 2nd. It was the nature of religion to do it. 3rd. The circumstances of the persons assembled on this occasion were such as to require it. There were many of them from distant regions; and probably many of them of the poorer class of the people in Jerusalem. In this they evinced what should be done in behalf of the poor in the church at all times. (4.) If it be asked whether this was done commonly among the early Christians, it may be replied, that there is no evidence that it was. It is mentioned here, and in . It does not appear that it was done even by all who were afterwards converted in Judea; and there is no evidence that it was done in Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, Rome, etc. That the effect of religion was to make men liberal, and willing to provide for the poor, there can be no doubt. See . But there is not proof that it was common to part with their possessions, and to lay it at the feet of the apostles. Religion does not contemplate, evidently, that men should break up all the arrangements in society; but it contemplates that those who have property should be ready and willing to part with it for the help of the poor and needy. (5.) If it be asked whether all the arrangements of property should be broken up now, and believers have all things in common, we a prepared to answer-- No . For, 1st, this was an extraordinary case. 2nd. It was not even enjoined by the apostles on them. 3rd. It was practised nowhere else. 4th. It would be impracticable. No community where all things were in common has long prospered. It has been attempted often, by pagans, by infidels, and by fanatic sects of Christians. It ends soon in anarchy, and licentiousness, idleness, and profligacy; or the more cunning secure the mass of property, and control the whole. Till all men are made alike , there could be no hope of such a community; and if there could be, it would not be desirable. God evidently intended that men should be excited to industry by the hope of gain; and then he demands that their gains should be devoted to his service. Still, this was a noble instance of Christian generosity, and evinces the power of religion in loosing the hold which men commonly have on the world. It rebukes also those professors of religion--of whom, alas! there are many--who give nothing to benefit either the souls or bodies of their fellow-men. (*) "goods" or, "Substance" (c) "parted them"

Acts 2:45

Verse 45. And sold. That is, they sold as much as was necessary in order to procure the means of providing for the wants of each other.

Possessions. Property, particularly real estate. This word κτηματα refers, properly, to their fixed property, as lands, houses, vineyards, etc. The word rendered goods, υπαρξεις, refers to their personal or movable property.

And parted them to all. They distributed them to supply the wants of their poorer brethren, according to their necessities.

As every man had need. This expression limits and fixes the meaning of what is said before. The passage does not mean that they sold all their possessions, or that they relinquished their title to all their property; but that they so far regarded all as common as to be willing to part with it IF it was needful to supply the wants of the others. Hence the property was laid at the disposal of the apostles, and they were desired to distribute it freely to meet the wants of the poor, Acts 4:34,35. This was an important incident in the early propagation of religion; and it may suggest many useful reflections.

(1.) We see the effect of religion. The love of property is one of the strongest affections which men have. There is nothing that will overcome it but religion. That will; and one of the first effects of the gospel was to loosen the hold of Christians on property.

(2.) It is the duty of the church to provide for the wants of its poor and needy members. There can be no doubt that property should now be regarded as so far common as that the wants of the poor should be supplied by those who are rich. Comp. Mt 26:11.

(3.) If it be asked why the early disciples evinced this readiness to part with their property in this manner, it may be replied,

1st, that the apostles had done it before them. The family of the Saviour had all things common.

2nd. It was the nature of religion to do it.

3rd. The circumstances of the persons assembled on this occasion were such as to require it. There were many of them from distant regions; and probably many of them of the poorer class of the people in Jerusalem. In this they evinced what should be done in behalf of the poor in the church at all times.

(4.) If it be asked whether this was done commonly among the early Christians, it may be replied, that there is no evidence that it was. It is mentioned here, and in Acts 4:32-37, 5:1-4. It does not appear that it was done even by all who were afterwards converted in Judea; and there is no evidence that it was done in Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, Philippi, Rome, etc. That the effect of religion was to make men liberal, and willing to provide for the poor, there can be no doubt. See 2Cor 8:19, 9:2, 1Cor 16:2, Gal 2:10. But there is not proof that it was common to part with their possessions, and to lay it at the feet of the apostles. Religion does not contemplate, evidently, that men should break up all the arrangements in society; but it contemplates that those who have property should be ready and willing to part with it for the help of the poor and needy.

(5.) If it be asked whether all the arrangements of property should be broken up now, and believers have all things in common, we a prepared to answer--No. For,

1st, this was an extraordinary case.

2nd. It was not even enjoined by the apostles on them.

3rd. It was practised nowhere else.

4th. It would be impracticable. No community where all things were in common has long prospered. It has been attempted often, by pagans, by infidels, and by fanatic sects of Christians. It ends soon in anarchy, and licentiousness, idleness, and profligacy; or the more cunning secure the mass of property, and control the whole. Till all men are made alike, there could be no hope of such a community; and if there could be, it would not be desirable. God evidently intended that men should be excited to industry by the hope of gain; and then he demands that their gains should be devoted to his service. Still, this was a noble instance of Christian generosity, and evinces the power of religion in loosing the hold which men commonly have on the world. It rebukes also those professors of religion--of whom, alas! there are many--who give nothing to benefit either the souls or bodies of their fellow-men.

(*) "goods" or, "Substance" (c) "parted them" Isa 58:7, 2Cor 9:1,9, 1Jn 3:17

Acts 6:1

CHAPTER 6

Verse 1. In those days, etc. The first part of this chapter contains an account of the appointment of deacons. It may be asked, perhaps, why the apostles did not appoint these officers at the first organization of the church? To this question we may reply, that it was better to defer the appointment until an occasion should occur when it should appear to be manifestly necessary and proper. When the church was small, its alms could be distributed by the apostles themselves without difficulty; but when it was greatly increased in when its charities would be multiplied, and when the distribution might give rise to contentions, it was necessary that this matter should be entrusted to the hands of laymen, and that the ministry should be freed from all embarrassment, and all suspicions of dishonesty and unfairness in regard to pecuniary matters. It has never been found to be wise that the temporal affairs of the church should be entrusted in any considerable degree to the clergy; and they should be freed from such sources of difficulty and embarrassment.

Was multiplied. By the accession of the three thousand on the day of Pentecost, and of those who were subsequently added, Acts 4:4, 5:14.

A murmuring. A complaint--as if there had been partiality in the distribution.

Of the Grecians. There has been much diversity of opinion in regard to these persons, whether they were Jews that had lived among the Gentiles, and who spoke the Greek language, or whether they were proselytes from the Gentiles. The former is probably the correct opinion. The word here used is not that which is usually employed to designate the inhabitants of Greece, but it properly denotes those who imitate the customs and habits of the Greeks, who use the Greek language, etc. In the time when the gospel was first preached, there were two classes of Jews-- those who remained in Palestine, who used the Hebrew language, etc., and who were appropriately called Hebrews; and those who were scattered among the Gentiles, who spoke the Greek language, and who used, in their synagogues, the Greek translation of the Old Testament called the Septuagint. These were called Hellenists, or, as it is in our translation, Grecians. Jn 7:36. These were doubtless the persons mentioned here--not those who were proselyted from Gentiles, but those who were not natives of Judea, who had come up to Jerusalem to attend the great festivals of the Jews.

See Acts 2:5,9-11. Dissensions would be very likely to arise between these two classes of persons. The Jews of Palestine would pride themselves much on the fact that they dwelt in the land of the patriarchs, and the land of promise; that they used the language which their fathers spoke, and in which the oracles of God were given; and that they were constantly near the temple, and regularly engaged in its solemnities. On the other hand, the Jews from other parts of the world would be suspicious, jealous, and envious of their brethren, and would be likely to charge them with partiality, or of taking advantage in their intercourse with them. These occasions of strife would not be destroyed by their conversion to Christianity, and one of them is furnished on this occasion.

Because their widows, etc. The property which had been contributed, or thrown into common stock, was understood to be designed for the equal benefit of all the poor, and particularly it would seem for the poor widows. The distribution before this seems to have been made by the apostles themselves--or possibly, as Mosheim conjectures, (Comm. de rebus Christianovum ante Constantinure, p. 139, 118,) the apostles committed the distribution of these funds to the Hebrews, and hence the Grecians are represented as murmuring against them, and not against the apostles.

In the daily ministration. In the daily distribution which was made for their wants. Comp. Acts 4:35. The property was contributed doubtless with an understanding that it should be equally and justly distributed to all classes of Christians that had need. It is clear from the Epistles that widows were objects of special attention in the primitive church, and that the first Christians regarded it as a matter of indispensable obligation to provide for their wants, 1Timm 5:3,9,10,16, Jas 1:27.

(*) "Grecians" "Hellenistic Greeks" (e) "against the Hebrews" Acts 9:29, 11:20 (a) "neglected" Acts 4:35 (+) "ministration" "distribution of alms"