Acts 2:40-47 CSB
With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, "Be saved from this corrupt generation!" [41] So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. [42] They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. [43] Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. [44] Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. [45] They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. [46] Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, [47] praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Fellowship Together
Zipporah’s hands trembled as she dipped the hyssop branch into the earthen bowl. The lamb’s blood—still warm—dripped thick and dark onto the doorpost. Inside their mud-brick home, her husband Reuven cradled their firstborn son against his chest, eyes fixed on the crimson stain spreading across the wooden lintel. The bleating of sheep had fallen silent across their quarter of Goshen. Now only the whispers of Jewish families huddled around roasted lamb and bitter herbs broke the eerie quiet. Outside, the Egyptian night grew heavy with anticipation. In the distance, a dog howled. Zipporah clutched her shawl tighter and hurried inside, securing the door behind her. “It is finished,” she whispered, joining her family at the table, unleavened bread in hand. They waited, ears straining for the sound they prayed would pass them by.
This is a visual scene of the first Passover, an event commemorated by the Jewish nation every year. For Christians, Jesus has become our Paschal Lamb. Instead of the blood on the doorposts of Egypt, His blood stained the old rugged cross—a sacrifice that carries through the centuries for us. When Jesus tells us to take the Lord’s Supper and do it in “remembrance,” the Greek word used is anamnesis. This is more than just a mental memory; it is a re-calling, a re-presenting. It is the act of bringing a past event into the present so that it becomes real and effective in this very moment. Just as the Jewish families at Passover didn’t say, “This is what happened to our ancestors,” but rather, “This is what the Lord did for us when He brought us out of Egypt,” we recognize that Christ’s sacrifice is our own personal rescue.
Following Peter’s Spirit-led preaching, about three thousand souls were added to the church. They accepted God’s calling through the Word and followed in water baptism as Peter directed. These first believers of a fledgling church devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teachings. They witnessed miracles performed through the Holy Spirit and saw their numbers grow daily. As the faithful remnant of Israel, they understood they were descendants of Abraham and continued going to the Temple.
Their devotion was expressed through deep fellowship. They did not just meet at the temple; they opened their homes to one another. Much like the Apostles who kept a single purse during Jesus’ earthly ministry, these believers held all things in common, sharing what they had and distributing to anyone in need. When they gathered from house to house to eat, it was surely more than just a common meal; it included the Lord’s Supper. They were celebrating their fellowship with one another and their living fellowship with Jesus.
In addition to sharing meals, they prayed together. Corporate prayer is a powerful thing. We are promised that when two or three are gathered in the Lord’s name, He is there among them. The early church didn’t just survive; they thrived because they remained vertically focused on the Lord while horizontally connected to one another.
Reflection Questions
- The early church “devoted themselves” to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship. In our busy modern lives, what are the things we often “devote ourselves” to that might be crowding out our time with God’s Word and His people?
- When you take the Lord’s Supper, do you see it as a “mental memory” of a past event, or as an anamnēsis—a moment where the sacrifice of Jesus becomes real and effective for you right now?
- The first believers shared their possessions so that no one had need. How can we better practice this kind of “sincere heart” fellowship in our own communities today?
Prayer
Father,
We thank You for the gift of the Church. Thank You for the blood of the Lamb that covers us and brings us out of the Egypt of our sins. Help us to be like the first believers—devoted to Your Word, eager for fellowship, and sincere in our prayers. Open our hearts to hold our possessions loosely so that we might care for those in need. May our homes be places of joy and our lives be a witness that draws others into Your family every day.
Amen.
