Here is the text for the lesson and I'll try to attach the video soon.
Lesson 6 Acts 2:42-47
Introduction Acts 2:40-41
Act 2:40-41 NASB And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation!" (41) So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
We know how they were saved - by obeying the message given by the Holy Spirit through Peter.
Peter preached Jesus, pointed out their sin in killing the messiah, then told them to be forgiven they needed to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins. The in v41 we find that those who received his word were baptized and were added that day which is how people call on the name of the Lord for salvation by obeying Jesus’ plan to enter His church.
Act 2:42 NASB They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
“They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching”
Mat 28:18-20 NASB And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
The Apostles were obeying Jesus and teaching Jesus’ will from their time with Him and through revelation from the Holy Spirit. The early church/Christians were faithful in sticking with the apostles’ teaching it was later that Christians had to be warned –
Heb 10:25 NASB not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
If we are not assembling together then we cannot be doing what they did in Acts 2:42
Act 2:42 NASB They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Col 2:8 NASB See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
We know from the book of Acts they went about preaching Jesus - not feel good philosophy, not manmade traditions, not the elementary principles of the world, they taught “according to Christ” and people responded by being baptized – and nothing has changed for us today -
Heb 13:8-9 NASB Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (9) Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.
We should only be teaching the tried and true, firm and foundational, unchanging Bible and unchanging Jesus. Like Paul went on to do in later years for example -
1Co 15:1-4 NASB Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, (2) by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. (3) For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Heb 6:1-2 NASB Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, (2) of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment.
Repentance, faith baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and judgement are all foundational teachings. Which is why we see these things mentioned so much in Acts as the church is getting started and they went about preaching Jesus – the source of eternal salvation to those who obey Him.
Heb 5:9 NASB And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
Act 2:42 NASB They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
An interesting word in NASB translated as: - contribution (2), fellowship (12), participation (2), sharing (3). It carries the sense of joint participation or contribution.
G2842
κοινωνία
koinōnía; gen. koinōnías, fem. noun from koinōnéō (G2841), to share in. Fellowship with, participation.
(I) Participation, communion, fellowship (Act_2:42; 1Co_1:9; 1Co_10:16; 2Co_6:14; 2Co_8:4; 2Co_13:14; Gal_2:9, "right hands of fellowship," the pledge of communion; Eph_3:9 [TR]; Php_1:5, "your fellowship in the gospel," accession to it; Php_2:1; Php_3:10; Phm_1:6; 1Jn_1:3, 1Jn_1:6-7).
(II) Communication, distribution, a metonym for contribution, collection of money in behalf of poorer churches (Rom_15:26; 2Co_9:13; Heb_13:16).
Syn.: eleēmosúnē (G1654), compassion, beneficence, alms; metochḗ (G3352), partnership.
Rom 15:26 NASB For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
2Co 9:12-13 NASB For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God. (13) Because of the proof given by this ministry, they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
Php 1:5 NASB in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.
Act 2:42 NASB They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
They were jointly participating and giving and working together in the work and worship of the church. Everyone gave and did their part or share so that they had a close fellowship of the believers as we can see from the following verses -
Act 2:44-46 NASB 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,
Col 3:16-17 NASB Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (17) Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
With the word of Christ as the basis we are to teach and admonish one another in our singing and our singing is to be with thankfulness in our hearts to God. And do all in the name of the Lord Jesus or by His authority. No license for our innovation here. The one another of teaching and admonishing with our singing is that joint participation or fellowship in our worship. We sing the same words at the same time one to another we are all in agreement in heart and mind and we sing based on the word of Christ.
Eph 5:15-21 NASB Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, (16) making the most of your time, because the days are evil. (17) So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (18) And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, (19) speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; (20) always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; (21) and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Again we speak to one another – that reciprocal joint participation in speaking through our singing – note not playing an external instrument but the melody or music is made with the heart. The heart is the instrument the Lord wants in our worship to Him and our voice to each other as a teaching mechanism so our singing has to be intelligible, sensible, and scriptural.
Act 2:42 NASB They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Teaching/preaching/Bible study/singing giving and contributing and now breaking of the bread
Act 20:7 NASB On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.
1Co 10:16-17 NASB Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? (17) Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.
1Co 16:1-2 NASB Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also. (2) On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come.
We see that they gathered on the first day of the week, Sunday, to partake of the Lord’s Supper/Communion – a memorial service where Jesus’ death is remembered as He requested. Also they were to give their contribution on the first day of every week.
1Co 11:23-26 NASB For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." (25) In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.
Prayer:
1Ti 2:1-4 NASB First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, (2) for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (3) This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1Th 5:17 NASB pray without ceasing;
As you read and study the gospels you will find that Jesus was a praying man and so are His followers. We have already seen the apostles and others praying in Acts 1:14 and in 1:24 when they were choosing a successor to replace Judas Iscariot, later in Acts we see them praying often such as when faced with persecution and in prison. As we just read in 1 Corinthians 11 Jesus prayed in instituting the Lord’s Supper by giving thanks. Prayer is the Christians open channel to God. Likewise, the Bible is God’s communication to us.
Act 2:42 NASB They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
We have seen in one verse an outline of the worship of the church. A key part of it was that they were “continually devoting themselves” to these activities which indicates their fervency and faithfulness. As we see in other places they partook of the Lord’s Supper and took up the contribution on the first day of every week. No such restriction is placed on preaching/teaching, singing, or praying.
Let us look at verses 46 and 47 before we close today.
Act 2:46-47 NASB 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.
As part of their continuous devotion they met together in the temple daily, in a public place, and ate their meals together in their homes with gladness and sincerity of heart. They were so genuine the people noticed it and they had favor with all the people and were attracting others to the faith on a daily basis “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Later we see instances where they would meet and worship in individual homes.
V47 “those who were being saved”
Col 1:13-14 NASB For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, (14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
1Co 15:20-24 NASB But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (21) For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (23) But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at His coming, (24) then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power.
Salvation rescues us from the domain of Satan and transfers us to the kingdom of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. Then at the end of time Christ will hand over the kingdom to God. There is our path to God and heaven through Jesus and His kingdom which is His church.
They were saved by hearing the good news of salvation in Jesus, being confronted and convicted in regards to their sin, believing in Jesus that He is the Christ the Son of God, repenting of their sins, and being baptized for the remission of their sins, then being continually devoted to worshipping and working with other Christians, and being faithful.
Mat 28:19 NASB "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Lesson 6 – Acts 2:42-47 Scripture References
Acts 2:40-41
Acts 2:42
Matthew 28:18-20
Hebrews 10:25
Colossians 2:8
Hebrews 13:8-9
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Hebrews 6:1-2
Hebrews 5:9
Romans 15:26
2 Corinthians 9:12-13
Philippians 1:5
Acts 2:44-46
Colossians 3:16-17
Ephesians 5:15-21
Acts 20:7
1 Corinthian 10:16-17
1 Corinthians 16:1-2
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
1 Timothy 2:1-4
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Acts 2:46-47
Colossians 1:13-14
1 Corinthians 15:20-24
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