Acts

4:32-37

2. The early church in Jerusalem, 1:12-6:7

xi] The life of the early Christians

This passage parallels chapter 2:42-47 (esp. v44, 45). In chapter 2, Luke describes the life of the early church, a life alive with the Spirit. In this chapter he describes the continuation of that life, and in the passage before us reveals the church's continuing experiment with communalism. The passage serves to introduce the sad circumstances surrounding the death of Ananias and Sapphira. In fact, both the example of the church and the specific example of Barnabas, serve as foils for Ananias and Sapphira's sin.

tou plhqouV (oV) gen "all" - of the multitude. The genitive is descriptive. As the word is sometimes used of a civic or religious gathering, Luke may mean "congregation", even "assembly (church)", or better, "community."

twn pisteusantwn (pisteuw) aor. part. "[all] the believers" - those who believed, the believing ones. Participle as a substantive. "The whole body of those who had placed their faith in Jesus", Barclay.

yuch (h) "mind" - [one in heart and soul]. Given that the "heart", for a Jew, equates with "the seat of reason / intelect / thinking", and the "soul" the "center of will / decision making", we may be better to go with "all felt the same way about everything", CEV.

twn uJparcontwn (uJparcw) "possessions" - of the possessions. As a substantive participle, "possessions". "Not one of them considered anything his personal property", Moffatt.

idion adj. "his own" - ones own

koina adj. "shared" - common, shared. "Each member regarded his private estate as being at the community's disposal", Bruce.

dunamei (dunamiV) "power" - strength, power / capability. Probably in the sense of how their preaching affected the crowds; "with great effect", Weymouth.

cariV te megalh hn epi pantaV autouV "and much grace was upon them all" - and great grace was upon all of them. It is possible that the favour extended toward the apostles comes from the crowd, "they were all accorded great respect", NJB, but divine favour is more likely, "God poured rich blessings on them all", TEV, or in a more general sense, "a wonderful spirit of generosity pervaded the whole fellowship", Phillips.

endenhV adj. "needy" - in need, needy. "None of their members was ever in want", NJB.

kthtoreV (wr oroV) "owned" - owner, possessor, creator. "All who possessed estates and houses", Barclay.

pwlounteV (pwlew) pres. part. "from time to time ........ sold them" - selling. The present tense indicating ongoing action and the participle may be taken as temporal, "whenever a property owner sold land or a house they would ...."

twn pipraskomenwn (pipraskw) pres. pas. part. "the sales" - [the proceeds] of the things being sold. "The proceeds of the sales", Barclay.

etiqoun (tiqhmi) imperf. "put it" - were placing [at the feet of the apostles]. The imperfect expressing ongoing/durative action. "Entrusting it to the apostles' care."

diedidoto (diadidwmi) imperf. pas. "distributed" - distribute, offer here and there. "Then they would give the money to anyone who needed it", CEV.

kaqoti "as" - in proportion as, according as. The surplice church funds were distributed to anyone "according as" they had need.

oJ epiklhqeiV (epikalew) aor. pas. part. "whom [the apostles] called" - the one having been named, called by a title or surname. The participle is adjectival.

estin meqermhneuomenon (meqermhneuw) pres. pas. part. "[which] means" - [which] being translated means. A present paraphrastic construction.

uiJoV (oV) "son" - son. The word "son" is used here in the sense of inheriting a particular personal quality. So "son of encouragement" would mean that Barnabas possessed a gift of encouragement as if inheriting it from the father of encouragement.

paraklhsewV (iV ewV) "[son of] encouragement" - exhortation, encouragement/consolation. Given the two meanings of this word, the meaning of Barnabas' name is either "son of the prophet" or "son of refreshment."

pwlhsaV (pwlew) aor. part. "sold" - having sold. Attendant circumstance participle identifying action accompanying the main verb "brought".

uJparcontoV (uJparcw) pres. part. "owned" - belongong, possessing [to him a field]. The participle is adjectival, "a field which he owned". "Sold his farm", Phillips.

agrou (oV) "field" - a piece of land. Interestingly, Luke normally uses the word cwpion for a piece of land. It is possible that this uncommon word means not so much of a piece of land, but a property with a dwelling on it, a country estate, "farm".

hnegken (ferw) aor. "he brought" - he carried, brought [the wealth, proceeds]. "He brought the proceeds to the apostles and entrusted it to their care."

Acts Introduction.

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