Intro to Acts 2:42-47

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/9/2017 9:45 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Intro to Acts 2:42-47

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 2:42-47

            Message of the verses:  “42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

            John MacArthur entitles this seventh chapter in his commentary on the book of Acts “The First Christian Fellowship.”  I have to say before we begin this section that these verses have been misinterpreted and although it is my practice to read commentaries as I do my Spiritual Diaries, therefore I don’t know at this time if I will find things in the commentaries that will make this point of misinterpretation or not.

            John MacArthur writes “The epistles of the New Testament shape the doctrine for the life of the church.  Acts traces the application of that doctrine in the history of the early church.  This passage describes the historical outworking of God’s ideal in the first local church.  It describes the new-born church in its prime, when it possessed a purity of devotion to the risen Lord unmatched in succeeding generations.” 

            He goes on to write “In this brief cameo of life in the early church, three distinguishing dimensions emerge that reveal this to be a remarkable assembly.  They manifested spiritual duties and spiritual attitudes, and the result was spiritual impact.”

            There have been people who looked at this section and said that the church was like socialism or communism because of the early church sharing everything with each other.  My understand of this is that it was out of love and perhaps that is why MacArthur wrote that this early church community is unlike any other since the church began.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Since this church was the one that best represented Christianity then I want to learn what made it so good in the eyes of the Lord.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Lord will show me the things that I can change to make things better as I worship the Lord.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “The Lord (Jesus)” (Acts 9:5).

Today’s Bible question:  “What city did Jesus say would be surrounded by enemies?”

Answer in our next SD.

8/9/2017 10:01 AM