⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe^[a] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

1) Who is the “they” that Luke is referring to in this passage?
Understanding the context helps us define what group of people Luke is referring to in this passage. The first group is the disciples. We know from the previous chapter that the eleven disciples (minus Judas) plus the addition of a new disciple, Mathias, were present. As chapter two begins, it references several different people groups that were present in Jerusalem. (Acts 2:1-13). There were both Jews and Gentiles included in this group.

2) What events preceded all that was going on v. 42-47?
This event in the New Testament marks the start of the New Testament church. In chapter 1 of Acts, Jesus tells the disciples to wait for the promised Holy Spirit, then we see Jesus ascend to Heaven. At the start of chapter 2, Pentecost is taking place and the Holy Spirit is given just as Jesus promised. Immediately following this event, Peter, in the power of the Spirit, begins to preach to all who will listen. As Peter concludes his sermon and many (upwards of 3000 plus) become believers, the description given by Luke in v. 42-47 is how people responded as they came to know the Lord and how they interacted with each other as new and old believers.

3) Why does Luke tell us that their numbers increased? Why is that important?
The actual number isn’t significant, but what is important is that people began to believe! Those who maybe knew about Christ, perhaps even saw Him during His ministry, or are just now hearing about Him for the first time are now seeing and hearing differently. They are hearing Peter’s words and, coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit on Earth, are dramatically and radically being transformed. The exact number of people isn’t the important thing here, the fact there were droves of people coming to the Lord is what Luke wants us to know.

1) Who is the “they” that Luke is referring to in this passage?”
“They” could include anybody in your everyday life that claims Jesus as Lord. The community of believers covers all generations, male and female, the east to the west, and even the greatest of sinners. The gospel and the community of believers is for everyone!

2) How does Pentacost change my everyday?
Pentecost radically changed the way believers worship and commune with one another. Up to this point, the Holy Spirit had not been imparted to every believer, only a few choice followers and for very specific purposed. From this point forward in history, God indwelled every believer and sealed for all eternity the fate of those who choose to accept and follow Christ. The Holy Spirit binds believers together and allows for authentic community between Christ followers that is characterized by humility, grace, authenticity, and an eternal fellowship.

3) Why does Luke tell us that their numbers increased? Why is that important?
We know that numbers ultimately don’t matter. If even one person is effected and transformed by the gospel, the community of believers expands. Pentecost was a powerful and unique time in history that we get a glimpse of through Luke’s words. It is important to know, and Luke wanted us to know, the power of the Holy Spirit, from His first moments on Earth until now is dramatic and life-changing. Many came to believe because they listened, were prompted, and obeyed. They became part of the body of believers and it radically changed how they did life with each other. Luke paints a picture of perfect fellowship and gives us an example of authentic community between believers bonded by the Holy Spirit. This is the same community that we find today when we allow ourselves to know and be known by other believers.

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Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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