Acts 4: 32 37 Life Among The Believers

Target year level: Year Four

Scripture text

Acts 4:32-37

³² Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. ³³ With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴ There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. ³⁵ They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶ There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). ³⁷ He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

Introduction

The Acts of the Apostles is the second part of a two-part work, Luke-Acts. Luke-Acts is sometimes thought of as a novel in two parts: the Gospel gives an account of the life and mission of Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the rapid expansion of the early church. The two books were probably written in the latter decades of the first century.

Even though the works are anonymous, authorship is traditionally attributed to Luke. Today, many scholars accept that the author was an inhabitant of Antioch in Syria and a companion of Paul. Luke was writing for Greek speaking, Gentile(non-Jewish) Christians. Luke’s interpretation of events is influenced by his desire to show how Christianity is compatible with citizenship in the Roman Empire, that is, how one can believe in Jesus and, at the same time, be loyal to (if not worship) the emperor.

The author paints a portrait of Jesus who is the fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel. The promises are fulfilled in unexpected ways, in that they include everyone: Jews and gentiles, men and women, tax collectors and outcasts. In the Gospel, Jesus is hospitable and caring for the poor and the marginalised.

Luke emphasises the role of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel and Acts. He also gives significance to the parts played by Mary and a number of women disciples.

For further information, see the Teacher Background information, Who wrote the Gospels and when?and theThe New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), Introduction to Acts.

World behind the text

Luke lived in Antioch in Syria (now Turkey) which was an important centre in the Roman Empire. Also, Antioch was one of the earliest centres of Christianity and it was there that the followers of Christ were first called Christians. The city had a pluralistic society and the Christians who lived there were both Jews and gentiles. There were tensions between the two groups, who disagreed about how to be faithful followers of Jesus: the Jews believed it essential to follow traditional devotions and practices, including circumcision, Sabbath observance as well as dietary and purity regulations; the gentiles, on the other hand, saw no need for these old ways.

The destruction of the Jerusalem temple by the Romans was a major blow to the confidence of both groups. This catastrophe shook their faith in the God of Israel, who made so many promises to the chosen people and whose Kingdom was proclaimed by Jesus. So, it was important for Luke to write about Jesus in a way that showed that he was the fulfilment of God’s promises.

In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke’s aims were to show how the work of Jesus continued in the early church and to help his community to understand their role in salvation history. It was especially important for gentile Christians to understand that God’s plan – foretold in the history of Israel - was still unfolding in the life of the church, as it expanded to include both Jews and gentiles.

World of the text

In this passage, Luke writes a brief overview of the ideals of the earliest Christian communities. Here, the focus is on the voluntary renunciation of personal goods, which was emphasised by Jesus in the Gospel (Luke 12:33; 14:33; 18:22). This idealised vision of the common life is the second time that Luke has made such comments (see Acts 2:43-47). However, it would seem that the radically selfless gesture of Barnabas was the exception rather than the rule, since it was memorable enough to record for posterity.

World in front of the text

For us, Luke’s vision of the common life might seem a little exaggerated, but what inspired Luke was generosity of spirit and selfless caring for others. These are ideals that contemporary Christians can live up to in our everyday lives. We don’t have to sell everything we own and donate the proceeds to the church, but we can overcome our greed for ‘stuff’ and learn to share for the sake of those in need.