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. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
all things were common property - "This is not contradictory but complementary to Isa 65:21-23, for it was evidently their investments that they sold and the proceeds of which they brought to the apostles for distribution among the needy. Any who resided in houses of their own evidently continued to possess and occupy them (e.g., John Mark, Acts 12:12) but even these they did not consider their own but freely shared them with others." (Stam)
"This is nothing less than a foretaste of the kingdom reign of Christ. Indeed, these disciples, supernaturally motivated and controlled, are practicing the kingdom program in anticipation of Messiah's return. 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. We have already seen in Acts 2:44-45 that, '...all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.' It was not a question of whether or not they felt led to give their all for the common good. This was expected of them and they all did it. Here in Acts 4 this is emphasized again as one of the contributing factors to the blessedness of their state...But this is not God's program for 'this present evil age.' Think of the disillusionment that would come to any person practicing this program today! That even the opponents of dispensational truth know this in their hearts is evidenced by the fact that they do not practice it. And think of the bewilderment of the person who, reading this passage and sincerely seeking to practice the Pentecostal program, should then read for the first time in Paul's epistles, written later, about the 'the poor saints which are at Jerusalem' (Rom 15:26) and his declaration: 'But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel' (1 Tim 5:8). Such a person, unless he had some theory to uphold, would surely conclude that a great dispensational change had taken place since Pentecost." (Stam)
Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles - "He is more commonly known by the name which was given him by the apostles, Barnabas, which represents the Hebrew 'Bar-Nabuyah, 'Son of prophetic exhortation'. The Greek equivalent, added by St. Luke for his Gentile readers, may be translated either 'Son of exhortation' or 'Son of consolation'. The new name was probably given him either now or at some later period because of something special in his teaching (see Acts 11:22-23; 13:1). We know from the context that he was a Levite by birth, and that he was a native of Cyprus. We find him here selling his possessions and handing over the proceeds to the apostles. Later, it was he who took Saul of Tarsus by the hand after his conversion and vouched for his sincerity (Acts 9:27). He, again, was the one chosen by the apostles to go and inspect the new departure in the work at Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:22-24). After fetching Paul thither (Acts 11:25-30), he continued to teach at Antioch till he accompanied his friend to Jerusalem, to carry alms to the poor Christians there (Acts 11:30). Returning to Antioch with Paul (Acts 12:25) and his cousin Mark (whose mother Mary lived in Jerusalem), he was chosen by the Holy Spirit as Paul's fellow-labourer, and accompanied him in the first great missionary journey to Cyprus, Antioch (of Pisidia), Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Chs. 13-14). After returning to Antioch in Syria, Paul and he attended the Council at Jerusalem convened to consider the question of circumcising Gentile converts (Acts 15; Gal 2:1-10). After the favourable decision of that Council, they returned to Antioch, and it was apparently at this juncture that Barnabas was influenced unfortunately by Peter's inconsistent conduct (Gal 2:11-13). He then separated from Paul over the question of taking Jon Mark as their fellow-labourer, and went off with Mark to Cyprus (Acts 15:37-39). We thereupon lose sight of him. The title of 'apostle' is given to him in Acts 15:14." (Walker)
Barnabas ... who owned a tract of land - "Since Levites could not own land in Israel, Barnabas likely owned land in Cyprus." (Ryrie)
"Originally, the Levites had no property (Deut 10:8-9); but, later, we find instances of their holding it (Jer 32:7-12). Barnabas' field was evidently in Palestine, and we find his relative Mary also possessing a house in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12)." (Walker)
Cyprus - "An island in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea between the convergent coasts of Cilicia and Syria. Its greatest breadth is sixty miles, and its extreme length one hundred and forty-five. It was called 'Chittim' in the Old Testament times. In early days it was famous for its timber and copper, as also for pottery, etc. After being subject in turn to the Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks, it passed into the possession of the Romans in 58 B.C. It was attached by them at first to the province of Cilicia, but was made a separate province about 30 B.C. For some time it remained an 'imperial' province, but afterwards became a 'senatorial' one, and was such when St. Paul visited it. The seat of government was a Paphos, but Salamis was the largest and most important town in the island. Jews settled there in the tie of Ptolemy (about 295 B.C.). And a considerable colony of them lived there thenceforward. The dispersion after the death of Stephen carred Christians to Cyprus (Acts 11:19), and Cypriots were among those who preached at Antioch (Acts 11:20). We find Paul and Barnabas preaching there in their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4-12), and also Barnabas proceeding thither again, in company with Mark, after his separation from Paul (Acts 15:39-40). Cyprus is mentioned again in Acts 21:3, 16; 27:4. (Walker)
all things were common property - "This is not contradictory but complementary to Isa 65:21-23, for it was evidently their investments that they sold and the proceeds of which they brought to the apostles for distribution among the needy. Any who resided in houses of their own evidently continued to possess and occupy them (e.g., John Mark, Acts 12:12) but even these they did not consider their own but freely shared them with others." (Stam)
"This is nothing less than a foretaste of the kingdom reign of Christ. Indeed, these disciples, supernaturally motivated and controlled, are practicing the kingdom program in anticipation of Messiah's return. 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. We have already seen in Acts 2:44-45 that, '...all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.' It was not a question of whether or not they felt led to give their all for the common good. This was expected of them and they all did it. Here in Acts 4 this is emphasized again as one of the contributing factors to the blessedness of their state...But this is not God's program for 'this present evil age.' Think of the disillusionment that would come to any person practicing this program today! That even the opponents of dispensational truth know this in their hearts is evidenced by the fact that they do not practice it. And think of the bewilderment of the person who, reading this passage and sincerely seeking to practice the Pentecostal program, should then read for the first time in Paul's epistles, written later, about the 'the poor saints which are at Jerusalem' (Rom 15:26) and his declaration: 'But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel' (1 Tim 5:8). Such a person, unless he had some theory to uphold, would surely conclude that a great dispensational change had taken place since Pentecost." (Stam)
Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles - "He is more commonly known by the name which was given him by the apostles, Barnabas, which represents the Hebrew 'Bar-Nabuyah, 'Son of prophetic exhortation'. The Greek equivalent, added by St. Luke for his Gentile readers, may be translated either 'Son of exhortation' or 'Son of consolation'. The new name was probably given him either now or at some later period because of something special in his teaching (see Acts 11:22-23; 13:1). We know from the context that he was a Levite by birth, and that he was a native of Cyprus. We find him here selling his possessions and handing over the proceeds to the apostles. Later, it was he who took Saul of Tarsus by the hand after his conversion and vouched for his sincerity (Acts 9:27). He, again, was the one chosen by the apostles to go and inspect the new departure in the work at Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:22-24). After fetching Paul thither (Acts 11:25-30), he continued to teach at Antioch till he accompanied his friend to Jerusalem, to carry alms to the poor Christians there (Acts 11:30). Returning to Antioch with Paul (Acts 12:25) and his cousin Mark (whose mother Mary lived in Jerusalem), he was chosen by the Holy Spirit as Paul's fellow-labourer, and accompanied him in the first great missionary journey to Cyprus, Antioch (of Pisidia), Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Chs. 13-14). After returning to Antioch in Syria, Paul and he attended the Council at Jerusalem convened to consider the question of circumcising Gentile converts (Acts 15; Gal 2:1-10). After the favourable decision of that Council, they returned to Antioch, and it was apparently at this juncture that Barnabas was influenced unfortunately by Peter's inconsistent conduct (Gal 2:11-13). He then separated from Paul over the question of taking Jon Mark as their fellow-labourer, and went off with Mark to Cyprus (Acts 15:37-39). We thereupon lose sight of him. The title of 'apostle' is given to him in Acts 15:14." (Walker)
Barnabas ... who owned a tract of land - "Since Levites could not own land in Israel, Barnabas likely owned land in Cyprus." (Ryrie)
"Originally, the Levites had no property (Deut 10:8-9); but, later, we find instances of their holding it (Jer 32:7-12). Barnabas' field was evidently in Palestine, and we find his relative Mary also possessing a house in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12)." (Walker)
Cyprus - "An island in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea between the convergent coasts of Cilicia and Syria. Its greatest breadth is sixty miles, and its extreme length one hundred and forty-five. It was called 'Chittim' in the Old Testament times. In early days it was famous for its timber and copper, as also for pottery, etc. After being subject in turn to the Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks, it passed into the possession of the Romans in 58 B.C. It was attached by them at first to the province of Cilicia, but was made a separate province about 30 B.C. For some time it remained an 'imperial' province, but afterwards became a 'senatorial' one, and was such when St. Paul visited it. The seat of government was a Paphos, but Salamis was the largest and most important town in the island. Jews settled there in the tie of Ptolemy (about 295 B.C.). And a considerable colony of them lived there thenceforward. The dispersion after the death of Stephen carred Christians to Cyprus (Acts 11:19), and Cypriots were among those who preached at Antioch (Acts 11:20). We find Paul and Barnabas preaching there in their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4-12), and also Barnabas proceeding thither again, in company with Mark, after his separation from Paul (Acts 15:39-40). Cyprus is mentioned again in Acts 21:3, 16; 27:4. (Walker)
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