Bible Commentary

Acts 2:46

The Pulpit Commentary on Acts 2:46

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

Day by day continuing steadfastly for they continuing daily, A.V.; at home for from house to house, A.V.; they did take their food for did eat their meat, A.V. In the temple. It is very remarkable that at this early age of the Church's existence Christians did not deem themselves separated from their Jewish brethren, or from the Old Testament institutions.

Christianity was but Judaism perfected; the gospel the full blossoming of the Law. The first Christian Jews, therefore, did not conceive of themselves as quitting the religion of their fathers, but rather hoped that their whole nation would in a short time acknowledge Jesus to be the Christ.

Christian institutions, therefore—the prayers, the breaking of bread, the prophesyings and speaking with tongues, and the apostolic teachings—were supplemental to the temple service, not antagonistic to it; and the church took the place rather of the synagogue than of the temple (see 'Dict.

of Bible:' "Synagogue"). At home. This version hardly represents the true idea of the original; κατ οἶκον represents the private Christian place of meeting, as contrasted with the temple. The meaning is not that every disciple broke bread in his own house, but that they broke bread at the house where the Christian assemblies were held, whether one or more.

We have already seen the Church gathered together "in an upper room" (), in "one place," in "a house" (, ), and "together" (; see too ); and we know that as the synagogue was called הלָּפִּתְ תיבֵּ, house of prayer, or תסֶנֶכְּהַ תיבֵּ, the house of assemblage, so the Christian place of meeting was called ὁ κυριακὸς οἷκος; the Lord's house, whence the word "church."

(For breaking bread, see above, .) They did take their food. The link of connection is the ἀγάπη or love-feast, which formed an important part of the κοινωνία, or common life, of the early Christians.

The whole description is a beautiful picture of Christian unity, piety, love, and joy.

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commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Acts 2:1-47EXPOSITIONJoseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Acts 2:37-47Effects of the Divine power upon the heart. I. COMPUNCTION. Fear is awakened by every drawing near of God to man. And with fear is closely connected the sense of sin. Stated from the other side, the truth is: behind the…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Acts 2:37-47Holy baptism. As the sermon preached by St. Peter on the day of Pentecost was the first sermon preached in the Church of God, so the baptism of which we have here an account was the first ministration of that sacrament.…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Acts 2:41-47Effects of the Pentecostal day. I. IMMEDIATE CHANGE ON THE PART OF MANY. Three thousand were found receptive to the truth, so powerfully attested in word and deed, and submitted to baptism. II. PERSEVERANCE IN DISCIPLES…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Acts 2:41-47Spiritual fervor. The Pentecostal outpour was more than a mere flashing forth of Divine energy, suddenly emitted and immediately withdrawn; it was the communication of Divine power which remained in the Church and resul…Joseph S. Exell and contributorscommentaryMatthew Henry on Acts 2:42-47In these verses we have the history of the truly primitive church, of the first days of it; its state of infancy indeed, but, like that, the state of its greatest innocence. They kept close to holy ordinances, and aboun…Matthew HenrycommentaryThe Fellowship of the DisciplesTHE FELLOWSHIP OF THE DISCIPLES. We often speak of the primitive church, and appeal to it, and to the history of it; in these verses we have the history of the truly primitive church, of the first days of it, its state…Matthew HenrycommentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Acts 2:42-47The first regime of the body of Christ's disciples as a Christian community. "And they continued steadfastly … such as should be saved." It may be conceded that the history in these verses acknowledges to some appearanc…Joseph S. Exell and contributors