Monday Devo
Scripture:
Acts 4:32-35
32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
32 All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. 33 The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. 34 There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them 35 and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need.
Commentary:
4:34 The believers’ sharing exemplified the OT ideal of there not being a needy person among them—that is, there should be no poor in the community of faith (cf. Deut. 15:4–11). To realize this ideal the Christians would sell some of their goods and bring the proceeds to the apostles for distribution to the needy. Neither their sharing nor their bringing offerings should be seen as any sort of communal ownership such as was practiced by the Essenes and by later Christian monks, for the practice was strictly voluntary (see Acts 5:4 and note on 2:44). Such sacrifice and giving is seen as exemplary.
Questions:
- In Acts 4 we see Pentecost 2.0, as believers are praying for more boldness, are filled with the Holy Spirit, and the meeting place is shaken. And, once again, the result is boldness, power, unity and GENEROSITY. It's interesting that there is no sermon about being generous, Peter doesn't have to exhort them to help one another financially. They are just so moved by the Spirit and their passion for the Gospel that generosity is a natural byproduct. What do you think it is about an outpouring of the Spirit that produces generosity?
- Think about your own life. Have you ever noticed a connection between oneness with God and a spirit of generosity in your own life?
Prayer Topics:
- That you would seek to be filled with the Spirit.
- That you would be moved to generosity.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)(Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:27, 44; John 14:25-26, 15:27, 16:12-13, 17:20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)(Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:27, 44; John 14:25-26, 15:27, 16:12-13, 17:20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 3:5; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21)
No Comments