Sermon Tone Analysis

Preaching Guide Acts 2:41-47

Preached at Hayden Baptist Church  May 3, 2009

By Kevin Jordan

41* So those who received his word were baptized, and /z/there were added that day about three thousand souls.

*42* And /a/they devoted themselves to the apostles’ /b/teaching and the /c/fellowship, to /d/the breaking of bread and the prayers.

*43* And awe/4/ came upon every soul, and /e/many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

*44* And all who believed were together and /f/had all things in common.

*45* And /f/they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.

*46* And day by day, /g/attending the temple /h/together and /i/breaking bread in their homes, they received their food /j/with glad and generous hearts, *47* praising God and /k/having favor with all the people.

And the Lord /l/added to their number /m/day by day those who /n/were being saved.[1]

*41* οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀποδεξάμενοι τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθησαν καὶ προσετέθησαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ψυχαὶ ὡσεὶ τρισχίλιαι.

*42* ῏Ησαν δὲ προσκαρτεροῦντες τῇ διδαχῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ, τῇ κλάσει τοῦ ἄρτου καὶ ταῖς προσευχαῖς.

*43* ἐγίνετο δὲ πάσῃ ψυχῇ φόβος, πολλά τε τέρατα καὶ σημεῖα διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἐγίνετο.

*44* πάντες δὲ οἱ πιστεύοντες ἦσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ εἶχον ἅπαντα κοινὰ *45* καὶ τὰ κτήματα καὶ τὰς ὑπάρξεις ἐπίπρασκον καὶ διεμέριζον αὐτὰ πᾶσιν καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν· *46* καθʼ ἡμέραν τε προσκαρτεροῦντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, κλῶντές τε κατʼ οἶκον ἄρτον, μετελάμβανον τροφῆς ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει καὶ ἀφελότητι καρδίας *47* αἰνοῦντες τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἔχοντες χάριν πρὸς ὅλον τὸν λαόν.

ὁ δὲ κύριος προσετίθει τοὺς σῳζομένους καθʼ ἡμέραν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό.[2]

I.              Introduction – Acts 2:41

a.     2:41 - those who were saved were baptized by them.

aorist passive

                                          i.

apodexamenoi  tov logon- they received the word graciously, this participle is adjectival

                                         ii.

*ἀποδέχομαι* (1) as giving a friendly reception to someone /welcome, receive favorably/ (LU 8.40);

                                        iii.

(2) as understanding and receiving a message favorably /receive, accept/ (AC 2.41);

                                        iv.

(3) as being content with what someone has done /recognize, acknowledge, praise for/ (AC 24.3)

1.      Friberg, Timothy ; Friberg, Barbara ; Miller, Neva F.: /Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament/.

Grand Rapids, Mich.

: Baker Books, 2000 (Baker's Greek New Testament Library 4), S. 66

                                         v.

The word they received translates into the gratitude of the people in vs. 47.

b.    ἐβαπτίσθησαν and προσετέθησαν both aorist passive indicative

                                          i.

Indicating that God was the unspoken mover of this event.

ii.

The apostles and other believers facilitated the water baptism but the people were also baptized in the Spirit.

This spirit baptism is the true mark of salvation.

Given the passive tense of the verb it is likely that Luke speaks not just of the water symbol but also of the actual Spirit baptism.

iii.

Spirit baptism is even more in focus with the addition of the second verb.

The passive indicates that it is God who added these sinners to the body.

The Spirit did the work on this day.

No man took credit.

II.

Vs.

42-47

a.     2:42 - Ησαν is the main verb of this section - like the other verbs of the section it is imperfect active.

b.

All verbs in 42-47 are imperfect active highlighting the continual nature of the events described.

c.

Likewise all the participles in 42-46 are present active indicating there continuous nature.

d.    vs.

47 has σῳζομένους which is present passive.

Only God could add these souls to the assembly.

i.

So the people were saved by God and baptized by the Apostles- v.41

                                         ii.

The people were enabled to receive the Word of Peter and the Apostles

                                        iii.

The people received the Word graciously and with eager hearts.

They were favorable to the preaching of the Apostles.

iv.

God added them to the fellowship making them disciples of the ongoing work of the apostles in Jerusalem

The number shows the tremendous impact of the Word and particularly the Spirit's potency

I.              The people devoted themselves - the sense is of continual devotion to these things.

a.     Apostle's Teaching – dative

                                          i.

The usage here indicates that the teaching was not simply a onetime event nor a cognitive experience but rather a discipleship time.

.

                                         ii.

The combination of devotion and teaching is what makes discipleship possible.

Without devotion and teaching there will be no discipleship.

iii.    the teaching was not their own but rather the working of the Holy Spirit.

The passive use of the ἐβαπτίσθησαν and προσετέθησαν shows the fruit of the Lord's power.

iv.

they were making disciples as Jesus had said they would.

Acts is a summation of the great Commission revealing that God's power is in place for the work of the Gospel in all the world.

Men from all nations were gathered.

b.    Fellowship – dative

                                          i.    as below - common life, common faith and common salvation.

/Common /in the sense of that which is shared among the disciples.

The implication is not economic but rather theological.

The apostles introduced the new converts into a whole new life that they themselves where just discovering.

1.     *D.* */koinós/* *in the NT*.

a.     1.

Tit.

1:4 speaks of the “common” faith and Jude 3 of the “common” salvation.

In Acts 2:44; 4:32 the disciples live a “common” life, following the example of Jesus (Lk.

8:1ff.)

and anticipating the last days (Dt.

15:4).

This life in community is not based on economic theory, legal socialization, or philosophical imitation of nature, but expresses the loving fellowship which renounces ownership (cf.

Lk. 12:33) in order to help others (Acts 2:45).

The phrase in Acts (“having all things or everything in common”) is a Hellenistic one.

i.

*NT *New Testament cf.

/confer/, compare.

Kittel, Gerhard ; Friedrich, Gerhard ; Bromiley, Geoffrey William: /Theological Dictionary of the New Testament/.

Grand Rapids, Mich.

: W.B. Eerdmans, 1995, c1985, S. 448

                                         ii.    the focus here is of what is shared and renders in the broadest of terms.

κοινωνίᾳ is receiving the action of the participle προσκαρτεροῦντες.

The people were devoting themselves as a matter of will and in response to the work of the Spirit.

iii.

The fellowship is an extension of the Apostle's teaching.

In and of itself the fellowship would have no purpose.

The connection τῇ διδαχῇ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῇ κοινωνίᾳ,[1] between teaching and fellowship is intended.

The fellowship flowed from the teaching bourne out in the testimony of the Apostle's own fellowship.