Acts 4:35

And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. AND LAID THEM DOWN AT THE APOSTLES' FEET - as. they sat, it may be, in the meetings above the rest; but the expression may be meant here figuratively, from the practice of disciples to sit literally beneath their masters....

32-37 The disciples loved one another. This was the blessed fruit of Christ's dying precept to his disciples, and his dying prayer for them. Thus it was then, and it will be so again, when the Spirit shall be poured upon us from on high. The doctrine preached was the resurrection of Christ; a matter of fact, which being duly explained, was a summary of all the duties, privileges, and comforts of Christians. There were evident fruits of Christ's grace in all they said and did. They were dead to this world. This was a great evidence of the grace of God in them. They did not take away others' property, but they were indifferent to it. They did not call it their own; because they had, in affection, forsaken all for Christ, and were expecting to be stripped of all for cleaving to him. No marvel that they were of one heart and soul, when they sat so loose to the wealth of this world. In effec...

Verse Acts 4:35. _LAID - DOWN AT THE APOSTLES' FEET_] To show how cordially and entirely they parted with them. And they entrusted the management of the whole to those men to whom they found God had entrusted the gifts of his Holy Spirit, and the doctrine of the kingdom of heaven....

AND LAID THEM DOWN ... - That is, they committed the money received for their property to the disposal of the apostles, to distribute it as was necessary among the poor. This soon became a burdensome and inconvenient office, and they therefore appointed men who had special charge of it, Acts 6:1, etc....

EXPOSITION ACTS 4:1 THE CAPTAIN OF THE TEMPLE. Only here and Acts 5:24, and Luke 22:4, Luke 22:52 in the plural some have thought that the commander of the Roman garrison of the castle of Antonia is here meant. But as the scene is laid in the court of the temple, this is very improbable. Josephus ('Ant. Jud.,' 20, Luke 6:2) speaks of an officer apparently of the temple, who was called ὁ στρατηγός, and was certainly a Jew by his name Ananus, and being, as Josephus relates farther ('Bell Jud.,' 2, 12. 6), the son of the high priest Ana

AND LAID THEM DOWN AT THE APOSTLES' FEET,.... Showing great veneration and respect to the apostles, and a sort of neglect and contempt of their worldly substance; and signifying that they entirely delivered them to the apostles, and subjected them to their disposal: AND DISTRIBUTION WAS MADE UNTO EVERY MAN, ACCORDING AS HE HAD NEED; though they had all things in common, yet there was an order observed; a man might not go to the common stock and take out of it what he would; but as all was committed to the care of the apostles, and was in their power; the distribution was made by them, to every man, to the original proprietors, as well as to others, and that not as much as a man would have, or he might crave; but as much as he needed, for the present, of which the apostles were the judges....

CHAPTER 4 __ 1. Their Arrest (Acts 4:1). 2. The Result of the Testimony (Acts 4:4). 3. Peter and John before the Rulers and Elders (Acts 4:5). 4. Peter's bold witness (Acts 4:8). 5. The astonished Sanhedrin and their Release (Acts 4:13). 6. With their own company (Acts 4:23). 7. The saved multitude (Acts 4:32). The enemy begins now his acts, and the first indication is gi

THE STATE OF THE CHURCH (_cf. Acts 2:42_). The expression _the_ multitude of the believers (about 5000 according to Acts 4:4) was one heart and soul, is proverbial for entire harmony. None took a selfish view of his property; all was common. The apostles fulfilled their commission of bearing witness to the Resurrection of Jesus (Acts 1:22; Acts 2:32) with great emphasis, and the community afforded an attractive spectacle. The prophecy of Deuteronomy 15:4 was fulfilled to them; this was the secret of their attractiveness; it was attained by the voluntary generosity o

ARREST (Acts 4:1-4)...

DISTRIBUTION, &C.. it was distributed. HE. any one. Greek. _tis_, as in Acts 4:34....