Most Read Bible Verses---#50---Acts 2:42

Acts 2:42 (NLT)

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Right after Pentecost, verse 41 states that “about three thousand souls” were saved and added to the number of believers in Jesus Christ.  And what then?  All of them devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.  Not some of them or a few of them, but ALL of them.  They also devoted themselves to fellowship, eating together including taking communion together, and praying together.  These were the essential four ingredients of this very dynamic first century church.   It must be remembered that these ingredients are still essential for a dynamic 21^st century church.  Indeed, these are the essential ingredients for building the kingdom of God.   

The key action verb in this passage is “devoted”.  To be devoted means to be constantly diligent, to adhere closely, to persevere.  That was the mindset and intent of the first Christians as it should be all Christians today.  They were constantly diligent and adhered closely to the apostles’ teaching.  What were they teaching?  Well, the Bible does not specify this, but the word “teaching” in the Bible always means “didache” or “doctrine”; that is, the basic beliefs of the faith.  They were diligent to the doctrine being taught by the apostles and closely adhered to those basic beliefs being taught.   

They were devoted not only to teaching, but also to fellowship and eating and praying together.  Fellowship (“koinonia”) is best described by Hebrews 10:24-25 that using two key action verbs that all Christians should be doing to one another—stimulating and encouraging.  We are to stimulate one another to be more loving/forgiving/caring and to do good deeds for one another; and we are to encourage one another to keep growing in our Christlikeness.  My deceased friend, Matt Lemmons, gave all of us a great example of how this should/must be done.  One great way to do all this is simply to use the spiritual gift(s) that the Lord has given you to help one another grow, to bring in new believers, and build up the kingdom of God.  Do you know how the Lord has gifted you?  What do you really enjoy doing in the church?  Are you responding to an inner calling to get more involved in a certain ministry? 

Don’t forget the importance of prayer.  Not only individual/private prayer, but also praying with and for one another (James 5:16).  As someone once said, “Daily prayer is the gymnasium of the soul”.  Are you exercising your spirit through being daily devoted to prayer?