What is the theme of this chapter?
The persecution, the prayer, and the provision.
What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 31-32
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.
What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?
Again, when reading this chapter, I must keep in mind who the audience is — the nation Israel, not the Body of Christ.
Additional observations/questions:
Up to this point, Christ's death still not looked at as a good thing; they were told to repent because they had murdered the Messiah.
Also, I think Stam said it well regarding the people selling their possessions in this chapter:
"...It is strange that those who claim that the Sermon on the Mount applies to the present day to do not practice its precepts as these disciples did by selling their all and giving to the poor. Instead, they water down the plain commands of Matt 5:40-42; 6:19, 25, 31-34; 10:9; Luke 12:32-33; 18:22, etc., to make them fit the day in which we live. They interpret these commands to mean that we should not permit the laying up of earthly treasures to hinder our spiritual blessing or usefulness; that we should be willing to sell all for Him if necessary and to 'give to him that asketh' if the Lord should so direct! The believers at Pentecost did not seek to evade our Lord's plain commands in this way. Understanding clearly what the kingdom program was, they joined heartily to carry it out. They took seriously the warnings of our Lord about disobeying these commands: Matt 5:19; 7:26-27. The disciples, we say, took these words to heart...They were quite unlike those modern theologians who insist that the Sermon on the Mount is for our obedience, yet practice only certain parts of it, entirely disregarding commands which would be difficult, if not impossible, to carry out today."
See also: http://tis-justme.blogspot.com/2011/09/sell-everything.html
The persecution, the prayer, and the provision.
What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 31-32
And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.
What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?
Again, when reading this chapter, I must keep in mind who the audience is — the nation Israel, not the Body of Christ.
Additional observations/questions:
Up to this point, Christ's death still not looked at as a good thing; they were told to repent because they had murdered the Messiah.
Also, I think Stam said it well regarding the people selling their possessions in this chapter:
"...It is strange that those who claim that the Sermon on the Mount applies to the present day to do not practice its precepts as these disciples did by selling their all and giving to the poor. Instead, they water down the plain commands of Matt 5:40-42; 6:19, 25, 31-34; 10:9; Luke 12:32-33; 18:22, etc., to make them fit the day in which we live. They interpret these commands to mean that we should not permit the laying up of earthly treasures to hinder our spiritual blessing or usefulness; that we should be willing to sell all for Him if necessary and to 'give to him that asketh' if the Lord should so direct! The believers at Pentecost did not seek to evade our Lord's plain commands in this way. Understanding clearly what the kingdom program was, they joined heartily to carry it out. They took seriously the warnings of our Lord about disobeying these commands: Matt 5:19; 7:26-27. The disciples, we say, took these words to heart...They were quite unlike those modern theologians who insist that the Sermon on the Mount is for our obedience, yet practice only certain parts of it, entirely disregarding commands which would be difficult, if not impossible, to carry out today."
See also: http://tis-justme.blogspot.com/2011/09/sell-everything.html
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