At Pentecost after Peter preached 3,000 people were saved. Then after the lame man was healed and Peter preached 5,000 men were added to the church. The church was persecuted, but it continued to preach the gospel and the church grew.
In today’s passage we can see how the church was internally. The church didn’t just grow numerically, but was a fellowship of love. Actually, it was because of the fellowship of love, the church grew. Today let’s look at this fellowship of love.
I. The church is a community of love (vs. 32)
The church was one in heart and mind and they shared what they had with each other. They sold their possessions and land and divided it up among everyone. However, we can see that this is not communal living.
1. “his possessions” Each person had his own possessions.
2. In chapter 5 Annaias and Sapphira’s sin was not that they didn’t sell part of the land and saved it for themselves, but that they took out money from the money that they received when they sold the land for themselves, and lied saying that that was all the money. That wasn’t necessary because according the verse 4 that was their land. The money that they received from selling it was theirs to use as they wanted.
3. “There was no needy person among them.” (vs. 34) This does not mean that everyone was the same. There were some poor, some rich, but no one was needy.
Therefore this passage is not suggesting communal living. What it is suggesting is a way of thinking. They were one in heart and mind so as a result no one thought that their possessions were their own. As it was necessary they shared their possessions with others. They were able to naturally share their possessions because they had that way of thinking. In order for us to have that kind of action we have to have that kind of thinking.
Matt. 12:34
What is important is not what we say, but what we are thinking. What we are thinking is what we will say. In order to share our possessions, we have to have that kind of thinking. The first church was like this. Their heart and mind were one.
Romans 12:15
Their fellowship was a fellowship of sharing joy and sadness. Therefore, their fellowship was a fellowship of love. Therefore, “No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.” (32) They did not share because they had to, but out of love. They thought of others before themselves. As a result, “much grace was upon them all.” (vs. 33)
II. Their fellowship of love was power for evangelism. (33)
When the believers were one in heart and shared their possessions, then they were able to in great power witness to Christ. The source of “great power” was their deep fellowship.
John 17:21
Matt. 5:38-44
When the church is a community that loves each other, then it will be able to witness in great power. Also they will be blessed.
III. As a member of the community of love (vs. 34- 37)
The members of the early church tried to live by love. In verse 36 and 37 Barnabas who is called Joseph is introduced. Later Barnabas will be responsible for introducing Paul to the church and pulled Paul into the lime light. To convince the church who had been persecuted by Paul and was fearful of him to accept him was a very difficult thing to do. Therefore he was accepted not into the Jerusalem church, but into the Antioch church. When the Antioch Church sent out missionaries, they chose Paul. As a result the Gospel was spread throughout the world. It was Barnabas that led Paul to that work. He was truly the “Son of encouragement.” Why does Luke mention Barnabas here.
1. In Acts Barnabas will appear many times so Luke decides to introduce him here.
2. vs.34 and 35’s wonderful fellowship of love is an explanation to how Barnabas was able to show love. Barnabas was a Levite. Levites couldn’t own their own land. They were to serve the Lord and their inheritance was God Himself. However, the other tribes gave 1/10th of their land to the Levites so they began to have land.
Jeremiah 32:9
Therefore, there were Levites who owned land like Barnabas. Barnabas sold his land and gave the money to the church. This was because he saw the poor and felt pity on them. He was living by the love of God. It was because in one heart and mind he was praying in the early church. It doesn’t matter how much property a person has. What is important is how much he is living in the Love of God, how much he is praying in one heart and mind. This is what Luke wanted to tell us. Barnabas means encouragement. However, Barnabas wasn’t so naturally. He became so by the love of God.
Let’s live like Barnabas. We need to realize that the church is a community of love, and live in the love of God that flows through the church. To do that we need to have the same heart and thinking as Jesus. Also we need to remember that we are a member of this community of love and pray in one heart and mind.