Acts 4:37

Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. HAVING LAND. The Levites, though, as a tribe, they had no inheritance, might, and did acquire property as individuals (see ). SOLD IT, AND BROUGHT THE MONEY, AND LAID IT AT THE APOSTLES' FEET. This is specified, not merely as a signal example of that spirit of generous self-sacrifice which pervaded all, but to introduce to us-in connection with this his first offering to the Lord Jesus-a name which the sequel of this history has rendered dear to every Christian. Remarks: (1) The weakness of the recent attempts to shake the credit of this book, considered as authentic history, is strikingly seen in the light of such a chapter as this. Look at the bearing of the two parties. Awed by the signal miracle so openly performed, yet dete...

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...

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

HAVING LAND, SOLD IT,.... Whether this was in Cyprus, or in Judea, is not certain; nor how he came by it, whether he had bought it, as the priests and Levites might, and as Jeremiah, who was of the priests, bought a field at Anathoth, Jeremiah 32:9 or, whether it was his wife's dowry; for the Levites had nothing by inheritance: they had forty two cities, and the six cities of refuge to dwell in, and the field of the suburbs of these cities; which field or land was never to be sold, but to be a perpetual possession, Leviticus 25:34 but now the ceremonial law was abolished, and this precept was not attended to, if the land was of this sort. Moreover, the Jewish doctors interpret the above law otherwise; and understand it only of changing, and not of selling, which they allow of; one of their canons runs

ACTS 4:37 pro.j tou.j po,daj The Textus Receptus, following î57, 74 A B D P Y and most minuscules, reads para. tou.j po,daj, whereas E 36 94 180 307 327 453 1884 _al_ read pro.j tou.j po,daj. Since para. tou.j po,daj is the more urbane expression, and since there is no fluctuation of witnesses in Acts 4:35 and Acts 5:2, where para. tou.j po,daj appears, it is altogether probable that in...

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

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

LAND Literally. field, as in Luke 14:18....

_having land_ Lit. _a field_. It seems likely that Joses is chosen as an example of the primitive liberality of the Christian body, because there was something remarkable in the kind of gift or the nature of the sacrifice which he made....

UNANIMITY AND LOVE AMONG THE FIRST CHRISTIANS...