From: Acts 2:42-47
The Baptisms (Continuation)
The Early Christians
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Commentary:
42-47. This is the first of the three summaries contained in the early chapters of
Acts (cf. 4:32-35 and 5:12-16).. In simple words it describes the key elements in
the ascetical and liturgical-sacramental life of the first Christians. It gives a vivid
spiritual profile of the community which now—after Pentecost—extends beyond the
Cenacle, a contemplative community, more and more involved in the world around
it.
42. “The sacred writer”, St. John Chrysostom observes, “draws attention to two
virtues in particular—perseverance and fellowship and tells us that the Apostles
spent a long period instructing the disciples” (”Hom. on Acts”, 7).
“The Apostles’ teaching”: the instruction normally given new converts. This is not
the proclamation of the Gospel to non-Christians but a type of “catechesis” (which
became more structured and systematic as time went on) aimed at explaining to
the disciples the Christian meaning of Sacred Scripture and the basic truths of
faith (out of this grew the credal statements of the Church) which they had to
believe and practise in order to attain salvation.
Catechesis—an ongoing preaching and explanation of the Gospel within the
Church—is a phenomenon to be found even in the very early days of Christianity.
“An evangelizer, the Church begins by evangelizing itself. A community of belie-
vers, a community of hope practised and transmitted, a community of fraternal
love, it has a need to listen unceasingly to what it must believe, to the reasons
for its hope, to the new commandment of love” ([Pope] Paul VI, “Evangelii
Nuntiandi”, 15).
If catechesis is something which converts and in general all Christians need,
obviously pastors have a grave duty to provide it. “The whole of the book of the
Acts of the Apostles is a witness that they were faithful to their vocation and to
the mission they had received. The members of the first Christian community
are seen in it as ‘devoted to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the brea-
king of bread and prayers’. Without any doubt we find in that a lasting image
of the Church being born of and continually nourished by the word of the Lord,
thanks to the teaching of the Apostles, celebrating that word in the Eucharistic
Sacrifice and bearing witness to it before the world in the sign of charity” (John
Paul II, “Catechesi Tradendae”, 10).
The “fellowship” referred to in this verse is that union of hearts brought about by
the Holy Spirit. This profound solidarity among the disciples resulted from their
practice of the faith and their appreciation of it as a peerless treasure which they
all shared, a gift to them from God the Father through Jesus Christ. Their mutual
affection enabled them to be detached from material things and to give up their
possessions to help those in need.
The “breaking of bread” refers to the Blessed Eucharist and not just to an ordi-
nary meal. This was a special way the early Christians had of referring to the
making and distribution of the Sacrament containing the Lord’s Body. This
expression, connected with the idea of banquet, was soon replaced by that of
the “Eucharist”, which emphasizes the idea of thanksgiving (cf. “Didache”, IX,
1). From Pentecost onwards the Mass and Eucharistic communion form the
center of Christian worship. ‘From that time onwards the Church has never failed
to come together to celebrate the Paschal Mystery, reading those things ‘which
were in all the Scriptures concerning Him’ (Luke 24:27), celebrating the Eucharist
in which ‘the victory and triumph of His death are again made present’ (Council
of Trent, “De SS. Eucharista”, Chapter 5), and at the same time giving thanks to
God” (Vatican II, “Sacrosanctum Concilium”, 6).
By receiving the Eucharist with a pure heart and clear conscience the disciples
obtain the nourishment needed to follow the new life of the Gospel and to be in
the world without being worldly. This connection between the Eucharist and
Christian living was something Pope John Paul II vigorously reminded Catholics
about when he said in Dublin, “It is from the Eucharist that all of us receive the
grace and strength for daily living—to live real Christian lives, in the joy of knowing
that God loves us, that Christ died for us, and that the Holy Spirit lives in us.
“Our full participation in the Eucharist is the real source of the Christian spirit that
we wish to see in our personal lives and in all aspects of society. Whether we
serve in politics, in the economic, cultural, social or scientific fields—no matter
what our occupation is—the Eucharist is a challenge to our daily lives.
“Our union with Christ in the Eucharist must be expressed in the truth of our lives
today—in our actions, in our behavior, in our lifestyle, and in our relationships with
others. For each one of us the Eucharist is a call to ever greater effort, so that we
may live as true followers of Jesus: truthful in our speech, generous in our deeds,
concerned, respectful of the dignity and rights of all persons, whatever their rank
or income, self-sacrificing, fair and just, kind, considerate, compassionate and
self-controlled. [...] The truth of our union with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is
tested by whether or not we really love our fellow men and women; it is tested by
how we treat others, especially our families. [...] It is tested by whether or not we
try to be reconciled with our enemies, on whether or not we forgive those who hurt
us or offend us” (”Homily in Phoenix Park”, 29 September 1979).
43. The fear referred to here is the religious awe the disciples felt when they saw
the miracles and other supernatural signs which the Lord worked through His
Apostles. A healthy type of fear, denoting respect and reverence for holy things,
it can cause a great change of attitude and behavior in those who experience it.
An outstanding example of this sense of awe is St. Peter’s reaction at the mira-
culous catch of fish: “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord”: as St. Luke
explains, “he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the catch of the fish
they had taken” (Luke 5:9).
44. Charity and union of hearts lead the disciples to sacrifice their own interest
to meet the material needs of their poorer brothers and sisters. The sharing of
possessions referred to here was not a permanent, “communistic” kind of sys-
tem. The more well-to-do Christians freely provided for those in need. Each of
the disciples retained ownership of such property as he or she had: by handing
it over to the community they showed their charity.
“This voluntary poverty and detachment”, Chrysostom comments, “cut at the
selfish root of many evils, and the new disciples showed that they had under-
stood the Gospel teaching.
“This was not recklessness of the kind shown by certain philosophers, of whom
some gave up their inheritance and others cast their gold into the sea: that was
no contempt of riches, but folly and madness. For the devil has always made it
his endeavor to disparage the things God has created, as if it were impossible to
make good use of riches” (”Hom. on Acts”, 7).
A spendthrift who wastes his resources does not have the virtue of detachment;
nor can someone be called selfish because he retains his property, provided that
he uses it generously when the need arises. “Rather than in not having, true
poverty consists in being detached, in voluntarily renouncing one’s dominion over
things.
“That is why there are poor who are really rich. And vice-versa” ([St] J. Escriva,
“The Way”, 632).
46. In the early days of the Church the temple was a center of Christian prayer
and liturgy. The first Christians regarded it as God’s house, the House of the
Father of Jesus Christ. Although Christianity involved obvious differences from
Judaism, they also realized that Christ’s message was an extension of Judaism;
for a while, it was quite natural for them to maintain certain external aspects of
the religion of their forefathers.
In addition to this legitimate religious instinct to venerate the one, true, loving
God, whom Jews and Christians adore, St. Jerome suggests that prudence
may have dictated this practice: “Because the early Church was made up of
Jews,” he says, “the Apostles were very careful not to introduce any innova-
tions, in order to avoid any possible scandal to believers” (”Epistle”, 26, 2).
However, the temple was not the only place in the holy city where Christians
met for prayer and worship. The reference to “breaking bread in their homes”
reminds us that the Christian community in Jerusalem, as also the communi-
ties later founded by St. Paul, did not yet have a building specially reserved for
liturgical functions. They met in private houses—presumably in suitable rooms
specially prepared. For financial as well as policy reasons (persecutions, etc.)
it was not until the third century that buildings designed solely for liturgical
purposes began to be erected.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
No commentary of 1 Peter tonight — I got the Acts session twice.