Exploring the Book of Acts: Missional CommunitySýnishorn

Generosity and Holiness

Through the apostles’ preaching in the temple, the church grew to about 5,000 (Acts 4:4). Nonetheless, the depth of unity they had after Pentecost continued to be the norm, especially their commitment to meet one another’s material needs. In the midst of this beautiful picture of solidarity and voluntary generosity, a couple came forward with twisted hearts and ulterior motives. God protected the young new community through swift judgement on them. Their terrifying deaths underscore the importance of holiness, integrity, and fear of the Lord in our life together.

Read Acts 4:43-5:11 and then consider:

1. In Acts 4:32, Luke describes the whole group as having ‘one heart and soul.’ Commenting on this passage, John Wesley wrote, ‘Their loves, their hopes, and their passions were joined.’ How is their practical care for one another an expression of their unity?
2. Barnabas’ generosity is a great encouragement to the apostles. What individuals in your context or church’s history have been models of using their funds for the sake of other believers?
3. The passage challenges our attitude towards one another and towards wealth. How seriously do we take meeting the needs of fellow believers? What impedes our generosity?
4. What was Ananias and Sapphira’s motivation in lying about the proceeds from selling their land? What do their deaths reveal about the significance of deception and pretence within the church?
5. In the 1920s and 1930s, revival spread across East Africa as clergy and believers committed to holding one another accountable to high moral character. As we seek God for a new move of his Spirit in the global Church today, will you be committed to regularly repenting and confessing any form of lying or untruthfulness?