The Acts 2:44-47: Are We The Contemporary Church Model?

[Anointed Sister]

Greetings I am researching and working on a project about the New Testament model of the local body of believers and would like some input from others. I would appreciate your comments as it relates to Are We modeling the Acts'--New Testament Church?

In Acts 2: 44- 47 and Acts 4:32 -35 the people after accepting Christ as savior as well as the teachings of the apostles the people gave to the needs of one another so that "no person" was in lack. Acts 2 states that they [the people] had all things in common and were in one accord. While Act 4 states: 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

I have tried to imagine what the models of the Acts churches would feel and look like in our contemporary setting and local bodies of believers. I believe this to be a model for local communities of believers as well as the contemporary Catholic Church (universal church) at large. Yet, I find myself questioning how did the above models take shape? Did the communities of believers just begin to share after being empowered by the Holy Spirit or did they each (individually and corporately) go through a process of transformation in time? How did they get to the place of personal sharing so that there was no lack among them? What steps did they (individually and corporately) have to master? Were they alone given a certain measure of grace to manifest such selflessness? Where are we as parts of the Body of Christ in the model? Surely, we are not in one accord because we allow so many issues to build walls of separations between us. But and how are we journeying towards our destiny in God's plan for the building of the kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven?

[James Pierce]

AS,

A famous Danish theologian said that the Christianity we see today are so distant from the teachings of the new testament, much less, the teachings of the old testament. There is one thing that the Church has forgotten, and that is the Torah and the Prophets. The Torah is the teachings of the law. This must be the foundation for our standard of living. Once Christianity makes that happen, then the rest will build from it.

[Scott R. Newman]

Act 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Good question indeed. In the book of ACTION, called Acts those who witnessed the resurrection of Christ experienced the Oneness of God and all His glory as He defeated death on the cross for all to see and to be eye witnesses to the power of God. It was through experiencing the resurrection that brought these men and women to one accord as the brethren.

At one time those 12 Disciples (students) couldn't conceive all of Christ's words while in the form of man, even though they have seen His wonders and signs and His words were something they have never heard before, such as the Sermon on the Mount. However, after the Disciples scattered when Jesus was being beated, tortured and ultimately crucified on the cross, they went all of them back to their old jobs. Depressed and saddened, yes of seeing their best friend die in a excruciating way. Their world was rocked as well as their hope was lost. Jesus appeared to the Disciples on many occasions afterwards in HIs heavenly body to even meet the Disciple called Peter on the shores as He was cooking fish. He asked Peter if he loved Him. Well if you love me, Jesus replied then feed my sheep, care for the lambs.

In other words, if you love me like you say you do, you will do what I have instructed you to do. It was then they went from being Disciples (students) to Apostles (sent ones). They were on missionary journeys to tell the whole world about Jesus and only through Him are your sins forgien. They forsook all and gave up great jobs with benefits to go on missionary journeys to do the continuing works of Christ to preach the Gospel to the world of the unevangelized, so we too can have the awesome oppurtunity to experience and know the greatest demonstration of Love the world has ever seen. They were not instructed to be like monks and live in monasteries. They were to be ambassadors, one who is on an errand to seek and to save that which is lost, to destroy the many works of satan and to tell that satan is defeated by the blood of the lamb. They did not allow the strongholds of material possessions to hinder this movement to spread the Good News of Jesus the Christ. If Jesus is the Good News, the bad news is that apart from Christ they...PERISH! And God's hope was that noone should perish. It is not fair for one to hear the Gospel of Christ and the free gift of salvation twice, while others in the world have not heard it once.

It was through the 12 Apostles who sacrificed and suffered at a cost to their very lives that we have been accepted into the Kingdom of God to spend eternity with Him. It was through their suffering who saw the suffering Christ and His resurrected body that the world now boasts of over 1.4 billion Christians who will be included and numbered as the sons/daughters of Christ. What if these same 12 Apostles allowed their homes and other material strongholds to stop them from experiencing the greatest move of living abundantly in Christ by denying self, picking up His cross (sign of suffering) and following Christ and being obedient to the call to "Go Ye Therefore......" so that we can have the fullnest thereof of God's Word. That came with a heavy price for you and me and all to know Him. Those who witnessed His resurrection didn't just build a temple (church) and be fed and became full on the riches of Jesus the Christ and to keep His marvellous light to themselves like as in a cult.

Today, this generation of believers are responsible for this generation of unbelievers to spread that same Good News to the nations of the unreached and unevangelized so they too can have the oppurtunity to have peace that surpasses all understanding that can come only through believing and trusting in only Jesus the Christ.

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
Rom 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek: for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him:
Rom 10:13 for, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15 and how shall they preach, except they be sent? even as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of good things!

We are Acts 29!!! Go and look that book up and you will see....YOU~~

God Bless

Scott