A Healthy Body of Christ

Acts 2:42-47

Main Idea: In this summary of the early church, Dr. Luke gives several significant descriptions of a healthy body of Christ.

1. Descriptions of a Healthy Body
   1. Devotion to the Word (2:42a,43)
   2. Devotion to one another (2:42b,44)
   3. Devotion to the breaking of bread (2:42c,46)
   4. Devotion to prayer (2:42d)
   5. Radical generosity, especially within the church (2:45)
   6. Constant interaction with one another (2:46a)
   7. Gathering in both large and small groups (2:46b)
   8. A spirit of awe, gladness, and praise to God (2:43a,46-47a)
   9. Displaying an attractive faith (2:47b)
   10. Daily evangelism (2:47c)
2. Checking Our Vital Signs
   1. Vital sign 1: Biblical nourishment
   2. Vital sign 2: Loving fellowship
   3. Vital sign 3: Vibrant worship
   4. Vital sign 4: Word and deed outreach

As my friend Jim put on his robe in preparation to walk across the stage to receive his doctorate, his young son asked him where they were going. Jim said, “Your daddy is graduating today. I’m going to become a doctor.”

His curious son asked, “Well, where’s your little black bag?” So Jim tried to explain to him the difference between a doctor of ministry and a doctor who helps the physically ill. But after receiving such a clarifying explanation, the son replied, “So, where’s your little black bag?”

Even without a bag, Jim was and still is a wonderful doctor—a spiritual doctor for the body of Christ.

Thinking about this story reminds me that there are many similarities between those who care for physical bodies and those who care for Christ’s spiritual body. Don’t miss this. Luke, the author of Acts, is actually a double doctor! He really was a physician who took care of fractures and colds and illnesses, but as a Christian on mission he also understood and strengthened the figurative body of Christ. In this passage Dr. Luke tells us what characterized the early Spirit-filled congregation—what made it healthy, dynamic, and alive. He basically records the diet and exercise regimen of a healthy body of Christ.

Before jumping into verse 42, let’s pause to remember how this church was born. Peter preached a Christ-exalting sermon, and as a result of the Spirit and the Word at work, three thousand people were saved. (That’s a pretty good day!) God builds his church by his Word. Just as God spoke creation into existence in Genesis, he speaks this new creation—this new community—into existence through his mighty Word.

The church is God’s plan. That plan is bigger than the random conversion of a few individuals. Christianity is personal but not individualistic. It’s corporate. Jesus is saving a people for himself (Titus 2:14). This fact is made plain here in Acts 2; it has also been emphasized in Acts 1, as the people gathered together (1:14; 2:1). The communal nature of the church is reiterated throughout the New Testament and is illustrated by the fact that the epistles, or letters, were written to churches or in reference to churches.

Based on the importance of the church, it is imperative that we understand what the church is supposed to be and do.

Descriptions of a Healthy Body of Christ

Devotion to the Word (2:42a,43)

Luke tells us that the church was devoted to certain activities. At the top of the list is the study of the apostles’ teaching, perhaps noted for emphasis since the Word of God informs everything else. Here, then, is the diet of a healthy body of Christ. Based on Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 and the rest of the messages and descriptions in the book of Acts, the apostles taught everyone about the Messiah from the Scriptures.

In this Spirit-filled congregation the people didn’t abandon study of the Word because the Spirit was at work. If you’re walking in the fullness of the Spirit, you will be drawn to the Bible. All true spiritual awakenings involve healthy teaching from it (e.g., Neh 8). Consider the apostle Paul. Was anyone more Spirit filled or Spirit led than this man? Yet we repeatedly find him teaching the gospel message from the Word of God (18:11; 19:10; 20:20,31); it is central to his life. He repeatedly urges Titus and Timothy to teach sound doctrine to churches because there’s no substitute for it (e.g., 1 Tim 4:16; Titus 2:1). Healthy congregations, Paul knows, consume a healthy diet of sound doctrine. They feast on the Word of God, which tells the message of the Savior.

This truth is a great reminder that pastors must lay down any desire to preach opinions and must avoid the temptation to entertain or to play with people’s emotions. Each must instead see and embrace his role as God’s spokesperson. Each must seek to please an audience of One. Pastors must believe Scripture is sufficient to build up and bless the church. Churches, in turn, must submit to God’s Word when it is faithfully taught. The early church here in Acts is demonstrating such humility before the Word.

In verse 43 Luke mentions the apostles’ awe-inspiring signs and wonders. These signs weren’t merely power displays; they validated the apostles’ teaching. While the Lord may choose at any moment to perform a miracle, we must recognize the apostles’ uniqueness. And we should realize that the miracles about which we read were serving the message.

Devotion to One Another (2:42b,44)

Having noted the diet of the healthy church, we now move to its exercise regimen. Its first exercise is fellowship. The first-century Christ followers shared a common way of life. They were spiritually united as “believers,” and this spiritual union worked itself out into practical acts of love and support.

Such fellowship with one another is tied to the Christian’s fellowship with the Father (cf. 1 John 1:3). Out of our common fellowship with the Father through Jesus, we enjoy fellowship with our spiritual brothers and sisters. If people are out of fellowship with Christ, then they will be out of fellowship with the church. And if people are out of fellowship with Jesus’s people, that is an indicator they may be out of fellowship with Jesus. That’s how strong the Christ-church union is.

The “one another” passages in the New Testament underscore the significance of and the early spirit of real devotion to the community of faith. Each of these teachings should be considered and prayed both for the spiritual growth of our own hearts and for those of our congregations:

• I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. (John 13:34)
• We who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. (Rom 12:5)
• Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. (Rom 12:10)
• Outdo one another in showing honor. (Rom 12:10)
• Instruct one another. (Rom 15:14)
• The members would have the same concern for each other. (1 Cor 12:25)
• Serve one another through love. (Gal 5:13)
• Carry one another’s burdens. (Gal 6:2)
• With patience, bearing with one another in love. (Eph 4:2)
• Be kind and compassionate to one another. (Eph 4:32)
• Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ. (Eph 5:21)
• In humility consider others as more important than yourselves. (Phil 2:3)
• Do not lie to one another. (Col 3:9)
• Encourage one another. (1 Thess 4:18)
• Always pursue what is good for one another. (1 Thess 5:15)
• Let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works. (Heb 10:24)
• Don’t criticize one another, brothers and sisters. (Jas 4:11)
• Do not complain about one another. (Jas 5:9)
• Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. (Jas 5:16)
• Be hospitable to one another without complaining. (1 Pet 4:9)
• All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. (1 Pet 5:5)
• Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)
• No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us. (1 John 4:12)

While it’s a challenge to cultivate and maintain edifying fellowship, it’s also an amazing blessing that we within the church enjoy. Consider the privilege you have. You get to spend time with brothers and sisters in the faith. Do you realize what a source of encouragement and blessing they can be to you and you can be to them? In his classic book, Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, “It is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brothers and sisters” (20). May we never forget that.

Devotion to the Breaking of Bread (2:42c,46)

“The breaking of bread” is probably a reference to the Lord’s Supper. The sacramental memorial was likely enjoyed in the context of a meal. Here in Jerusalem the church daily reflected on the torn body and poured-out blood of Christ. After these earliest days the church grew, became more stable, and spread out geographically. Then it seems “the church began to take the Lord’s Supper in conjunction with the meal they shared together in the evening on the Lord’s Day” (Hamilton, “How Often Should We Take the Lord’s Supper?”; emphasis added). The pattern of weekly communion is demonstrated in 20:7.

It’s not my purpose to dive into all of the arguments about the Lord’s Table. I simply want to point out the Christ-centered nature of this community. The apostles preached to the ear about Jesus, and the Table preached to the eye about Christ. Healthy church bodies are filled with affections for the crucified and risen Savior. Let’s not miss the big E on the eye chart! Everything the church does should be all about Jesus.

Devotion to Prayer (2:42d)

Throughout the book of Acts we find illustrations of the church’s vibrant prayer life (e.g., 4:31; 12:5; 13:1-3). The apostles too were seriously devoted to prayer (6:4). The church practiced both free and formal times of prayer. The believers prayed together corporately. They personally prayed without ceasing. They prayed in the temple, in homes, as they walked along the road, as they encountered the sick and afflicted, before they preached sermons, before they heard sermons, while they were being persecuted, in planned times of intense intercession over particular situations, as they offered thanks for their food, as they gave thanks to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, as they praised God in song, and as they offered up petitions for the Father to meet daily needs.

All of this reminds us that a healthy church is a praying church. The early church had few earthly resources, but that didn’t keep them from shaking the world for Christ because they had heavenly resources. These they experienced through dependent prayer.

Radical Generosity, Especially within the Church (2:45)

Luke stresses the practical outworking of fellowship in verse 45. Extraordinary sharing and mercy ministry, especially within the household of God, marked the early church community.

Some see this picture and that of 4:32-37 and shout, “Communism!” But that’s an inaccurate charge. The church didn’t abandon the idea of owning private property. The fact that stealing is a sin, for instance, demonstrates that some things belong to individuals. Luke points out that “no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own” (4:32; emphasis added). The Bible doesn’t teach communism, but it does teach radical generosity! These early Christians basically said, “We don’t need stuff. We need to love our brothers and sisters. If we can share our possessions to serve them, we’re happy to do it.”

This practice (which caught the attention of outsiders) happened because regenerate people should be generous people. The federal government can’t enforce this kind of logic. Just imagine a news bulletin like this: “Hey, you guys, just pray about what you ought to give for this year’s taxes! That’ll cover our national needs!” Such an approach, of course, wouldn’t work because the vast majority of citizens would suddenly turn into misers, their selfishness forcing the government to grind to a halt. But the church gives freely, voluntarily, sacrificially, and generously to the work of God’s kingdom because Jesus changed their hearts and they want to invest in what he’s doing in the world. This church knew their Savior gave them the pattern and the power for generosity (2 Cor 8:9). The best and most sustainable model for generous giving is a deep understanding and appreciation of grace (2 Cor 9:6-15).

Alongside his point about their generosity, Luke also highlights the extreme sensitivity of the church. The people were aware of the needs within the community; thus, no one was permitted to go to bed hungry. No one slept on the street. But while the church clearly displayed kindness and mercy to those outside the community, they gave particular attention to the needs of their brothers and sisters (cf. Gal 6:10).

Constant Interaction with One Another (2:46a)

The church lived out this shared life “every day.” They were involved in one another’s lives. While the church has to love those outside the family in order to fulfill its mission, a healthy church meets together as a family regularly. The author of Hebrews says,

Let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching. (Heb 10:24-25)

Half the job of a good church member is showing up! You can’t build relationships if you aren’t meeting with God’s people.

Gathering in Both Large and Small Groups (2:46b)

The church met both at the “temple” and “house to house.” One gathering was large, and one was small. The believers had to have a large space to meet in since three thousand people can’t fit into someone’s home. The temple area provided them a place for a large, formal, corporate gathering while their homes were wonderful places for more informal, intimate gatherings. Many Christians today emphasize one but not the other. The early church, though, devoted themselves to meeting in both.

A Spirit of Awe, Gladness, and Praise to God (2:43a,46-47a)

The early church’s gatherings contained a wonderful spirit of praise that was both joyful and reverent. Luke mentions “awe” (v. 43) and “joyful . . . hearts” (v. 46). Both are linked to vibrant praise. There are times to rejoice with gladness, perhaps with lots of instrumentation and celebratory worship; there are also times to be still before the Lord in meditation, silence, and contemplation.

Some people find it difficult to praise God when things aren’t working out according to plan. But I like to remind them gently that while life may be hard at the moment, they should imagine how much harder life would be without the Savior. How terrible it would be if this life was all there is! As people redeemed by Jesus, we should praise God constantly—not merely when we feel like it.

Pray for your local church that a spirit of awe and gladness would replace any boredom or gloom. Pray for God to renew a heart of praise in his people.

Displaying an Attractive Faith (2:47b)

Not everyone loved the early church. Just read the next few chapters to see what I mean. But some people were impacted greatly as they observed the believers’ way of life. What attracted outsiders? Surely the Christ-exalting praise and the Christlike love of the early church influenced others. In John 13 Jesus told his disciples that love for one another would get people’s attention (John 13:34-35). We have an example of this reality at work in Acts 2.

The Christians sacrificially cared for one another and also cared for outsiders. A few years after Acts was written, a man named Aristides commented on the reasons for the spread of Christianity. He wrote the following to Emperor Hadrian in AD 125:

If one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheer-fulness. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each one of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food. (The Apology of Aristides,XV)

Another ancient document describing the compelling nature of Christianity comes from the mid-300s. Emperor Julian angrily tried to stop the spread of Christianity. He said that a reason for its growth was due to Christians’ “charity to the poor”: “The impious Galileans not only feed their own poor but ours as well,” he complained, “welcoming them to their agape; they attract them, as children are attracted, with cakes” (Epistle to Pagan High Priests).

What amazing descriptions of the King’s people! Our broken world needs compassion, and the watching world needs to see Christians demonstrating it. In turn, many will be attracted to the faith.

Daily Evangelism (2:47c)

How were people added to the number of believers? Ultimately, the Lord added them. He alone converts people. But the Lord uses means, and that means in Acts was faithful evangelism on the part of the people. People were converted daily because believers were evangelizing daily.

A healthy church will have a burden for outsiders. They will boldly and compassionately proclaim the gospel to their friends and neighbors and coworkers. The early church enthusiastically communicated the gospel within their own networks, and the Lord worked mightily through their steady witness.

Checking Our Vital Signs

We could group these ten marks of a healthy church into four categories: (1) biblical nourishment, (2) loving fellowship, (3) vibrant worship, and (4) word and deed outreach. Each expresses the various relationships we have as Christians: our relationship with God (categories 1 and 3), our relationships with one another (category 2), and our relationship to the world (category 4).

Virtually every church will be stronger in some areas of church life than others, but we shouldn’t neglect any of them. The church that God is renewing by his Spirit does them all with increasing faithfulness and vitality.

As you think about your local church, consider these four areas. Mentally test both yourself and your congregation, and pray for the Spirit to renew you and the church.

Vital Sign 1: Biblical Nourishment

Do you understand the gospel? Are you sitting under the authority and teaching of the Word, regularly and humbly? Are other brothers and sisters admonishing you? Are you submitting to hard truth and repenting in light of it? Are you being renewed in the gospel daily? Are you teaching the Bible to others?

The early church clearly loved the Word of Christ and the Christ of the Word. We need the Word personally, and we need relationships centered on it. Dietrich Bonhoeffer talks about seasons when we as believers are in great need of brotherly admonishment:

The Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. . . . The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure. (Life Together,23)

You may be in need right now, or you may need to be the brother or sister giving the Word to someone else. Whatever the case, act appropriately. We can’t live by bread alone. We need every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4).

Vital Sign 2: Loving Fellowship

Do you have fellowship with God through Jesus? Are you working at building deep relationships with others in the church? Could it be that you love the idea of community more than the actual people in your church? Are you complaining about a lack of community rather than asserting yourself to serve and love others in your congregation? Do you show up to events and meetings faithfully? Do you arrive early enough to interact with people on Sunday, or are you a ninja, slipping in late and excusing yourself before the service ends? Are you involved in others’ lives throughout the week? Are you sensitive to the needs of your brothers and sisters? Are you grateful for them? Have you told them about what they mean to you?

“Devoted” implies work and accountability. Community involves two-way commitment. We have to work at it. It’s particularly difficult for those who live in a transient area or in places where people are spread out. Still, God can work mightily to make community happen. See the need for it in this passage and work to do life with others. If God has already blessed you with Christian brothers and sisters who care for one another, pause to thank the Father. To quote Bonhoeffer again, “The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer” (Life Together, 19).

Vital Sign 3: Vibrant Worship

Are you praising God with other brothers and sisters in large and small gatherings? How do you approach the Lord’s Table? Do you attend services repentantly and joyfully? Are you experiencing awe and joy in your Christian life? Are you praying with other brothers and sisters? Are you grateful for the privilege of gathering corporately?

Many Christ followers around the world lack the privilege of gathering regularly with a local body of believers because they’re serving in unreached places or live under threat of punishment should they gather in groups. All of them comment on how much they wish to gather with the saints to worship the King. When you gather in your local church body, remember what a great and holy privilege it is to hear the Word, to sing songs of praise, and to enjoy the Lord’s Supper in community.

Vital Sign 4: Word and Deed Outreach

Concerning word outreach, how are you doing at speaking the gospel to the unbelievers in your networks? Are you practicing “Philip evangelism,” going out into the neighborhood sharing the gospel as Philip did? Are you practicing “Andrew evangelism,” inviting people to come and experience a corporate worship service as Andrew did? If you truly love Christ, you will share him.

How are you doing at deed outreach? Are you involved in a ministry to the poor? Are you serving your brothers and sisters as they have need? Are you practicing gospel-driven generosity? Those who love Christ actively love others.

In my local church we challenged one another with our “555 Plan.” We each identified at least five unbelievers in five of our networks (familial, vocational, commercial, geographical, and recreational). We then committed to do one of five activities: to pray for them, to serve them, to give gospel-centered literature to them, to invite them, and to speak the gospel to them. As we continue to grow in our outreach within the city, we need the Lord to help us be ever more effective in our witness to outsiders as we declare the gospel clearly and display it compassionately.

The picture of the early church Acts gives is remarkably and refreshingly simple. These believers did the basics well. And perhaps within that truth is a clue as to where many modern church problems begin. It’s easy to get away from these primary activities. But as we, the body of Christ, return to this simple spiritual diet-and-exercise plan, we can partner with the Great Physician to see renewal in our local church bodies.

Reflect and Discuss

1. What’s the most challenging aspect of this text for you? Why?
2. What’s the most encouraging aspect of this text? Explain your answer.
3. What are some contemporary challenges we face in imitating this early Christian community?
4. Which of these ten descriptions most resonated with you? Why?
5. With regard to these four vital signs, which is your local church’s greatest strength?
6. With regard to these four vital signs, which is your local church’s greatest weakness?
7. What are some changes you can make and steps you can take to address some of these weaknesses personally?
8. What is the biggest obstacle standing between you and deep, genuine relationships with other believers?
9. Do you think outsiders observing your local church would be attracted to the faith because of it? Why or why not?
10. How might you more fully devote yourself to the study of the Scriptures and prayer?