Acts 2:46

Act 2:46-47. And continuing daily with one accord — With unanimity and fraternal affection; in the temple — At the appointed hours of public service. This was their place of rendezvous: and here they worshipped not only on sabbaths, and solemn feast-days, but every day: for to worship God is the daily work of a true Christian, and where there is opportunity, the oftener it is done publicly the better. God loveth the gates of Zion, and so must we: and to have fellowship with God in his ordinances, is the best fellowship we can have with one another. And breaking bread from house to house — For they associated as frequently as they could at other times, each family that was of ability entertaining their brethren, especially those that were sojourners in Jerusalem; they eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart — With the greatest joy, on the part of those who made the entertainments; and with disinterested simplicity of heart, in those who received them; and on all sides with the sincerest sentiments of devotion and friendship. Thus did these first Christians carry the same holy and happy temper in which they worshipped God, through all their common actions, eating and working with the same spirit wherewith they prayed, and received the Lord’s supper! Praising God — For the riches of his grace to them, for the wonderful things he had done for them, in redeeming them by the life, death, and resurrection of his Son, for the assurances he had given them of their justification and regeneration through him, and for the bright prospects he had opened before them, of glory and felicity for ever in his presence and kingdom. Having favour with all the people — That is, with the generality of them, particularly the common people. So wonderfully had the fear, spoken of Act 2:43, the signs and wonders wrought by the apostles, and the astonishing events which had taken place, restrained the spirit of persecution; which, however, was soon revived, and broke forth in all its fury: and no wonder; for the carnal mind will still be enmity against God, however the outward manifestations of that enmity may, on certain occasions, be checked for a season. In this remarkable passage, then, we have a striking picture of the primitive church, and that in its first days: its state of infancy, indeed, but the state of its greatest innocence. 1st, The members of it were regular in their attendance on holy ordinances, and abounded in all instances of piety and devotion. For Christianity, received in the power of it, will cause men to delight in communion with God in all those ways wherein he has commanded us to meet him, and has promised to meet us. They were, therefore, constant in their attendance on the preaching of the word; frequently received the Lord’s supper, celebrating that memorial of their Master’s death, as persons who were not ashamed to own their relation to, and dependance upon him, who had been crucified; they continued instant in prayer, social and public, as well as private; and abounded in praise and thanksgiving. 2d, Their charity was as eminent as their piety, their joining together in holy ordinances tending greatly to endear them to one another, and to unite them together in disinterested friendship and brotherly affection. Hence they were peculiarly loving and kind to one another, had a deep concern for each other’s welfare, and were constantly ready to help each other in any way in their power, suffering no one to want what another had. 3d, God owned them for his people, giving daily and signal tokens of his presence with them, and delight in them, bearing testimony to the word of his grace, and causing his power so to attend the ministration of it, that the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified, his kingdom enlarged, and multitudes, both of men and women, were added to the society of the faithful.

O, what an age of golden days! O, what a choice, peculiar race! Join’d by the unction from above, In mystic fellowship of love.

Meek, simple followers of the Lamb, They lived, and spake, and thought the same They joyfully conspired to raise Their ceaseless sacrifice of praise.

With grace abundantly endued, A pure, believing multitude; Wash’d in the Lamb’s all-cleansing blood Anointed kings and priests to God!

Ye different sects, who all declare, Lo, here is Christ! and Christ is there! Your stronger proofs divinely give, And show me where the Christians live.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 2:46. Προσκαρτεροῦντες, κ.τ.λ.) There are four important points here; continuing stedfastly (persevering) in the temple, breaking bread, they partook of, and praising: The fourth of these properly coheres with the first; the third with the second.—ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, in the temple) in public; as κατʼ οἶκον, at home, in private [Engl. Vers., from house to house].—κλῶντες, breaking) Heb. שבר, to break, or to give fragments. Their daily partaking of food is signified, with which often was conjoined the administration of the Eucharist: ch. Act 20:7, note; 1Co 11:20-21: for it is not probable that in this book of Acts no mention at all should occur of the Holy Supper, whereas there is so frequent mention of baptism; but mention of it is made in a guarded (covert) manner, as was usual at that time, 1Co 10:15 (where Paul is speaking of the Lord’s Supper), and less frequently. Scripture most wisely holds the middle course between those things which are well known, and those which are proper to be concealed.—τροφῆς, food) Christianity loves exemption from earthly cares, as also simplicity, and shrinks from a variety of arts and professions. Such a life is commended throughout the whole book of Ecclesiastes.—ἀγαλλιάσει, with [‘gladness’] exultation) This is the fruit of faith, and a characteristic mark of truth.—ἀφελότητι, simplicity or singleness) Without anxiety for the future, and without envy, as far as those richer than themselves were concerned, without unreasonable (perverse) shame, as far as those poorer than themselves were concerned.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act_2:46. καθʼ ἡμέραν] daily. See Bernhardy, p. 241.

On προσκαρτερεῖν ἐν, to be diligent in visiting a place, comp. Susann. 6.

ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ] as confessors of the Messiah of their nation, whose speedy appearance in glory they expected, as well as in accordance with the example of Christ Himself, and with the nature of Christianity as the fulfilment of true Judaism, they could of course have no occasion for voluntarily separating themselves from the sanctuary of their nation; on the contrary, they could not but unanimously (ὁμοθυμ.) consider themselves bound to it; comp. Luk_24:53.

κλῶντες ἄρτον] breaking bread, referring, as in Act_2:42, to the love-feasts. The article might stand as in Act_2:42, but is here not thought of, and therefore not put. It would mean: their bread.

κατʼ οἶκον] Contrast to ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ; hence: at home, in meetings in their place of assembly, where they partook of the meal (perhaps in detachments). Comp. Phm_1:2. So most commentators, including Wolf, Bengel, Heinrichs, Olshausen, de Wette. But Erasmus, Salmasius, and others explain it domatim, from house to house. So also Kuinoel and Hildebrand. Comp. Luk_8:1; Act_15:21; Mat_24:7. But there is nowhere any trace of holding the love-feasts successively in different houses; on the contrary, according to Act_1:13, it must be assumed that the new community had at the very first a fixed place of assembly. Luke here places side by side the public religious conduct of the Christians and their private association; hence after ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ the express κατʼ οἶκον was essentially necessary.[141]

μετελάμβανον τροφῆς] they received their portion of food (comp. Act_27:33 f.), partook of their sustenance. Plat. Polit. p. 275 C: παιδείας μετειληφέναι καὶ τροφῆς.

Act_2:46 is to be paraphrased as follows: In the daily visiting of the temple, at which they attended with one accord, and amidst daily observance of the love-feast at home, they wanted not sustenance, of which they partook in gladness and singleness of heart.

ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει] this is the expression of the joy in the Holy Spirit, as they partook of the daily bread, fructus fidei et character veritatis, Bengel. And still in the erection of the kingdom believers are ἄμωμοι ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει, Jud_1:24. This is, then, the joy of triumph.

ἀφελότης] plainness, simplicity, true moral candour. Dem. 1489. 10 : ἀφελὴς καὶ παῤῥησίας μεστός. The word is not elsewhere preserved in Greek, but ἀφέλεια is (Ael. V. H. iii. 10, al.; Polyb. vi. 48. 4).

[141] Observe how, on the one hand, the youthful church continued still bound up with the national cultus, but, on the other hand, developed itself at the same time as a separate society, and in this latter development already put forth the germs of the distinctively Christian cultus (comp. Nitzsch, prakt. Theol. I. p. 174 ff., 213 ff.). The further evolution and independent vital power of this cultus could not but gradually bring about the severance from the old, and accomplish that severance in the first instance in Gentile-Christian churches.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 2:46 . ὁμοθυμαδόν , see note on Act 1:14 . προσκαρτεροῦντες , cf. Act 1:14 . ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ : we are not told how far this participation in the Temple extended, and mention is only made in one place, in Act 21:26 , of any kind of connection between the Apostles or any other Christians and any kind of sacrificial act. But that one peculiar incident may imply that similar acts were not uncommon, and their omission by the Christians at Jerusalem might well have led to an open breach between them and their Jewish countrymen (Hort, Judaistic Christianity , pp. 44, 45). No doubt the Apostles would recommend their teaching to the people by devout attendance at the Temple, cf. Act 3:1 , Act 5:20 ; Act 5:42 , like other Jews. κατʼ οἶκον , R.V. “at home” (so in A.V. margin). But all other English versions except Genevan render the words “from house to house” (Vulgate, circa domos ), and this latter rendering is quite possible, cf. Luk 8:1 , Act 15:21 ; Act 20:20 . If we interpret the words of the meeting of the believers in a private house ( privatim in contrast to the ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ , palam ), cf. Rom 16:3 ; Rom 16:5 , 1Co 16:19 , Col 4:15 , Phm 1:2 , it does not follow that only one house is here meant, as Wendt and Weiss suppose by referring to Act 1:13 (see on the other hand Blass, Holtzmann, Zöckler, Spitta, Hort) there may well have been private houses open to the disciples, e.g. , the house of John Mark, cf. Dr. Edersheim, Sketches of Jewish Social Life , pp. 259, 260. Hilgenfeld, with Overbeck, rejects the explanation given on the ground that for this κατʼ οἴκους , or κατὰ τοὺς οἴκους , would be required an argument which does not however get over the fact that κατά may be used distributively with the singular according to him all is in order if Act 2:42 follows immediately upon 41 a , i.e. , he drops 41 b altogether, and proceeds to omit also the whole of Act 2:43 ; Act 2:45 . κλῶντες ἄρτον : the question has been raised as to whether this expression has the same meaning here as in Act 2:42 , or whether it is used here of merely ordinary meals. The additional words μετελάμβανον τροφῆς have been taken to support this latter view, but on the other hand if the two expressions are almost synonymous, it is difficult to see why the former κλῶντες ἄρτον should have been introduced here at all, cf. Knabenbauer in loco . It is not satisfactory to lay all the stress upon the omission of the article before ἄρτον , and to explain the expression of ordinary daily meals, an interpretation adopted even by the Romanist Beelen and others. In the Didache 1 the expression κλάσατε ἄρτον , chap. iv. 1, certainly refers to the Eucharist, and in the earlier chap. ix, where the word κλάσμα occurs twice in the sense of broken bread, it can scarcely refer to anything less than the Agape (Salmon, Introd. , p. 565, and Gore, The Church and the Ministry , p. 414, on the value of the Eucharistic teaching in the Didache 1 ). μετελ .: the imperf. denotes a customary act, the meaning of the verb with the gen [133] as here is frequently found in classical Greek; cf. LXX, Wis 18:9 , 4Ma 8:8 , AR., and Act 16:18 . ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει : exulting, bounding joy; Vulgate, exultatione , “extreme joy,” Grimm, used by St. Luke twice in his Gospel, Luk 1:14 ; Luk 1:44 only twice elsewhere in the N.T., Heb 1:9 , quotation, and in Jud 1:24 . The word, though not occurring in classical Greek, was a favourite in the LXX, where it occurs no less than eighteen times in the Psalms alone. This “gladness” is full of significance it is connected with the birth of the forerunner by the angel’s message to Zacharias, Luk 1:14 ; the cognate verb ἀγαλλιάω , - άομαι , common to St. Luke’s Gospel and the Acts, denotes the spiritual and exultant joy with which the Church age after age has rejoiced in the Song of the Incarnation, Luk 1:47 . ἀφελότητι καρδίας : rightly derived from a priv. and φελλεύς , stony ground = a smooth soil, free from stones (but see Zöckler, in loco , who derives ἀφέλεια , the noun in use in Greek writers, from φέλα , πέλλα , Macedon. a stone ). The word itself does not occur elsewhere, but ἀφέλεια , ἀφελής , ἀφελῶς are all found (Wetstein), and just as the adj [134] ἀφελής signified a man ἁπλοῦς ἐν τῷ βίῳ , so the noun here used might well be taken as equivalent to ἁπλότης (Overbeck) “in simplicity of heart,” simplicitate , Bengel. Wendt compares the words of Demosthenes, ἀφελὴς καὶ παρρησίας μεστός .

[133] genitive case.

[134] adjective.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The faithful came together at the beginning with great fruit, not only to the hearing of the word, but also to meat.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

daily . . . in the temple--observing the hours of Jewish worship.

and breaking bread from house to house--rather, "at home" (Margin), that is, in private, as contrasted with their temple-worship, but in some stated place or places of meeting.

eat their meat with gladness--"exultation."

and singleness of heart.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 46. They, continuing daily with one accord in the temple] They were present at all the times of public worship, and joined together in prayers and praises to God; for it in not to be supposed that they continued to offer any of the sacrifices prescribed by the law.

Breaking bread from house to house] This may signify, that select companies, who were contiguous to each other, frequently ate together at their respective lodgings on their return from public worship. But κατ οικον, which we translate from house to house, is repeatedly used by the Greek writers for home, at home, (see margin,) for though they had all things in common, each person lived at his own table. Breaking bread is used to express the act of taking their meals. The bread of the Jews was thin, hard, and dry, and was never cut with the knife as ours is, but was simply broken by the hand.

With gladness and singleness of heart] A true picture of genuine Christian fellowship. They ate their bread: they had no severe fasts; the Holy Spirit had done in their souls, by his refining influence, what others vainly expect from bodily austerities. It may be said also, that, if they had no severe fasts, they had no splendid feasts: all was moderation, and all was contentment. They were full of gladness, spiritual joy and happiness; and singleness of heart, every man worthy of the confidence of his neighbour; and all walking by the same rule, and minding the same thing.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

46. Continuing in the temple We must note that they did frequent the temple for this cause, because there was more opportunity and occasion offered there to further the gospel. Neither were they drawn with the holiness of the place, seeing they knew that the shadows of the law were ceased; neither meant they to draw others by their example to have the temple in any such reverence; but because there was there great concourse of people, who having laid aside their private cares, wherewith they had been drawn away elsewhere, did seek the Lord; they were continually in the temple, that they might gain such unto Christ. There might be another reason which might induce them hereunto, that they might have a mutual conference and imparting of doctrine amongst themselves, which they could not have done so conveniently in a private house, especially seeing they were so, many.

Breaking bread from house to house. Luke signifieth unto us, that they did not only show some token of true godliness publicly, but that the course and tenor of their private life was alone in that respect. For whereas some do think that in this place, by breaking of bread is meant the Holy Supper, it seemeth to me that Luke meant no such thing. He signifieth, therefore, unto us, that they used to eat together, and that thriftily. For those which make sumptuous banquets do not eat their meat together so familiarly. Again, Luke addeth, in singleness of heart; which is also a token of temperance. In sum, his meaning is to declare, that their manner of living was brotherly and sober. Some do join simplicity and gladness with the praise of God; and both texts may well be allowed. But because there can be no singleness of heart in praising God, unless the stone be also in all parts of the life, therefore it is certain, that there is mention made thereof in this sense, that the faithful did always use the same in all places. And we must also note the circumstance of time, that, being environed and beset with many dangers, they were merry and joyful. The knowledge of God’s love toward us, and the hope of his protection, do bring us this goodness with them, that we praise God with quiet minds, whatsoever the world doth threaten. And as Luke spoke a little before of the public estate of the Church, so he declareth now what form and manner of life the faithful did use; that we may learn by their example a thrifty fellowship in our manner of living, and in all our whole life to embrace singleness, to enjoy the spiritual joy, and to exercise ourselves in the praises of God. Furthermore, the singleness of heart reacheth far; but if you join it in this place with breaking of bread, it shall signify as much as sincere love, where one man dealeth plainly with another, neither doth any man craftily hunt after his own profit. Yet had I rather set the same against that carefulness, wherewith worldly men do too much torment themselves. For when as we do not cast our care upon the Lord, this reward hangeth over our heads, that we tremble and quake even when we take our rest.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(46) Continuing daily with one accord in the temple.—At first it would have seemed natural that the followers of a Teacher whom the priests had condemned to death, who had once nearly been stoned, and once all but seized in the very courts of the Temple (Joh_8:59; Joh_10:31; Joh_7:45), should keep aloof from the sanctuary that had thus been desecrated. But they remembered that He had claimed it as His Father’s house, that His zeal for that house had been as a consuming passion (Joh_2:16-17), and therefore they had attended its worship daily before the Day of Pentecost (Luk_24:53); and it was not less, but infinitely more, precious to them now, as the place where they could meet with God, than it had been in the days of ignorance, before they had known the Christ, and through Him had learnt to know the Father. The apparent strangeness of their being allowed to meet in the Temple is explained partly by the fact that its courts were open to all Israelites who did not disturb its peace, partly by the existence of a moderate half-believing party in the Sanhedrin itself, including Nicodemus, Joseph of Arimathæa, and Gamaliel (Act_5:35); and by the popularity gained for a time by the holiness and liberal almsgiving of the new community.

Breaking bread from house to house.—Better, with the margin, at home—i.e., in their own house. The Greek phrase may have a distributive force, but Rom_16:5, 1Co_16:19, Col_4:14, where the same formula is used, seem to show that that is not the meaning here. They met in the Temple, they met also in what, in the modern sense of the word, would be the “church” of the new society, for the act of worship, above all, for the highest act of worship and of fellowship, for which the Temple was, of course, unsuitable.

Did eat their meat . . .—We have again the tense which implies a customary act. The words imply that as yet the solemn breaking of bread was closely connected with their daily life. Anticipating the language of a few years later, the Agapè, or Love-feast, was united with the Eucharistic Communion. The higher sanctified the lower. It was not till love and faith were colder that men were forced to separate them, lest (as in 1Co_11:20-21) the lower should desecrate the higher.

Gladness and singleness of heart.—This “gladness” is significant. The word was the same as that which had been used by the angel to Zacharias (Luk_1:44) in announcing the birth of the Forerunner. The verb from which the noun was derived had been employed by our Lord when He bade His disciples rejoice and be glad (Mat_5:12). The literal meaning of the word translated “singleness,” which does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, was the smoothness of a soil without stones. Thence it came to be used for evenness and simplicity, unity of character; thence for that unity showing itself in love; thence, by a further transition, for unalloyed benevolence, showing itself in act.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

46. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple] The Greek is more emphatic. Render, And day by day attending continually with one accord, &c.

At the Temple they were likely to meet with the greatest number of devout listeners; and we shall find that the first Christians did not cease to be religious Jews, but held to all the observances of their ancient faith, its feasts, its ritual, and its hours of prayer, as far as they could do so consistently with their allegiance to Jesus. We find (Act_21:20-24) the elders of the Church in Jerusalem urgent on St Paul that he should shew his zeal for the Law by taking upon him the vow of a Nazarite, and should so quiet the scruples of Jews, and of such Christian brethren as were more zealous for the Law than St Paul himself.

and breaking bread from house to house] Perhaps better, breaking bread at home; though the A. V., if rightly understood, gives the sense very well. What is meant is, that the specially Christian institution of the breaking of bread was not a part of the service in the Temple, but was observed at their own homes, the congregations meeting now at one house now at another. The connection of the Lord’s Supper with the Passover meal at its institution, made the Christian Sacrament essentially a service which could be celebrated, as at the first institution it was, in such a room as that where the Passover meal was eaten.

did eat their meat] i.e. took their food, their ordinary meals.

with gladness, &c.] because those who were able to contribute to the support of the poorer members of the Church were delighted to do so, and thus all over-anxious care for the morrow was removed from the whole community.

singleness of heart] Having but one end in view, that the faith of Christ should be spread abroad as widely as possible.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Praising God,.... Not only for their temporal mercies and enjoyments of life, which they partook of in so delightful and comfortable a manner; but for their spiritual mercies, that the Lord had been pleased to call them by his grace, and reveal Christ to them, and pardon them who had been such vile sinners, give them a name, and a place in his house, and favour them with the ordinances of it, and such agreeable and delightful company as the saints were, they had fellowship with:

having favour with all the people; they not only behaved with such true and sincere love towards one another in their church state, but with so much wisdom, courteousness, and affability towards them that were without, and walked so becoming the profession they made, that they gained the good will of the generality of the people:

and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved: partly by the conversation of these young converts, and chiefly by the ministry of the word, many souls were won and gained to Christ, were wrought upon, and converted, whose hearts the Lord inclined to give up themselves to the church, and walk with them in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord; and these were such whom God had chosen to salvation by Jesus Christ, and whom he had redeemed by his precious blood, and who were now regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit of God, and so should certainly be saved; which is not always the case of persons added to churches, many of whom have not the root of the matter in them, and so fall away; but is of those who are added by the Lord, for there is a difference between being added by the Lord, and being added by men.

Next: Acts Chapter 3

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

Ver. 46. Breaking bread] Friendly feeding together, and (after their love feasts) celebrating the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s day at least: whence it was anciently called Panis Hebdomadarius. {a} That of George Tankerfield, a martyr in Queen Mary’s days, was singular and extraordinary. For when the hour drew on that he should suffer, he called for a pint of Malmsey and a loaf, that he might eat and drink that in remembrance of Christ’s death and passion, because he could not have it ministered unto him by others, in such manner as Christ commanded. And then he kneeled down, making his confession to the Lord, with all which were in the chamber with him. And after that he had prayed to the Lord, and had read the institution of the holy Supper by the Lord Jesus, out of the evangelists, and out of St Paul, he said: O Lord, thou knowest I do not this to derogate authority from any man, or in contempt of those which are thy ministers; but only because I cannot have it ministered according to thy word. And when he had so spoken, he received it with thanksgiving.

{a} Moris, erat convesci et convivari et celebrare caenam Dom. Tertul.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

With one accord - Compare Act 1:14; Act 2:1.

In the temple - This was the public place of worship; and the disciples were not disposed to leave the place where their fathers had so long worshipped God. This does not mean that they were constantly in the temple, but only at the customary hours of prayer - at nine o’clock in the morning, and at three o’clock in the afternoon.

And breaking bread - See the notes on Act 2:42.

From house to house - In the margin, “at home.” So the Syriac and Arabic. The common interpretation, however, is, that they did it in their various houses, now in this and now in that, as might be convenient. If it refers to their ordinary meals, then it means that they partook in common of what they possessed, and the expression “did eat their meat” seems to imply that this refers to their common meals, and not to the Lord’s Supper.

Did eat their meat - Did partake of their food. The word “meat” with us is applied to “flesh.” In the Bible, and in Old English authors, it is applied to “provisions” of any kind. Here it means all kinds of sustenance; what nourished them - τροφῆς trophēs - and the use of this word proves that it does not refer to the Lord’s Supper; for that ordinance is nowhere represented as designed for an ordinary meal, or to nourish the body. Compare 1Co 11:33-34.

With gladness - With rejoicing. This is one of the effects of religion. It is far from gloom; it diffuses happiness over the mind; it bestows additional joy in the participation of even our ordinary pleasures.

Singleness of heart - This means with a sincere and pure heart. They were satisfied and thankful. They were not perplexed or anxious; nor were they solicitous for the luxurious living, or aspiring after the vain objects of the people of the world. Compare Rom 12:8; 2Co 1:12; Col 3:22; Eph 6:5.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

In the temple. Although by the death of our Saviour, the ceremonies and sacrifices were abrogated, and the new alliance had succeeded to the old, still it was not in the design of God, that the faithful should separated themselves from the rest of the Jews, or entirely give up the observances of the law. They continued to observe them, as long as the utility of the Church required it, but they observed them not as Jews. Thus they avoided giving scandal to the weak, and driving them from submitting to the doctrines of the Church. They disposed them insensibly to a more pure and spiritual worship. (St. John Chrysostom, in Act. hom. vii.) --- This was burying the synagogue with honour.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

In the temple; in the court and porches of the temple, whither the people did use to resort at the time of the morning and evening sacrifice and prayers, that by means of the great concourse at such times they might have the better opportunity to preach the gospel amongst them; casting that net where they found most fish.

Breaking bread; not only celebrating the eucharist, but their love feasts which they usually had at that time, as 1Co 11:21,22.

From house to house; now here, now there, as they could conveniently; the richer also entertaining their poorer brethren at their tables.

Did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart: if the former words be understood of the Lord’s supper, then these words speak the great spiritual strength, cheer, and comfort they got by it: if we understand them of the ordinary meats which they willingly bestowed one upon another, the rich were more than recompensed with inward peace and satisfaction, for what they gave unto their poor brethren.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

46. Daily… in the temple—They not only forsook not the old Jewish temple service, but were specially punctual at the morning and evening sacrifices (Joh_1:29) and other services therein, even after the great atonement, following the example of Jesus. To the Jews they thereby still appeared to be true Jews, only with the peculiarity of a special sort of piety, and a belief that the expected Messiah had come in the person of Jesus.

One accord—The accord of perfect Christian unity.

From house to house—In social worship at their various dwellings.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Day by day continuing steadfastly for they continuing daily, A.V.; at home for from house to house, A.V.; they did take their food for did eat their meat, A.V. In the temple. It is very remarkable that at this early age of the Church"s existence Christians did not deem themselves separated from their Jewish brethren, or from the Old Testament institutions. Christianity was but Judaism perfected; the gospel the full blossoming of the Law. The first Christian Jews, therefore, did not conceive of themselves as quitting the religion of their fathers, but rather hoped that their whole nation would in a short time acknowledge Jesus to be the Christ. Christian institutions, therefore the prayers, the breaking of bread, the prophesyings and speaking with tongues, and the apostolic teachings were supplemental to the temple service, not antagonistic to it; and the church took the place rather of the synagogue than of the temple (see "Dict. of Bible:" "Synagogue"). At home. This version hardly represents the true idea of the original; kat oi+kon represents the private Christian place of meeting, as contrasted with the temple. The meaning is not that every disciple broke bread in his own house, but that they broke bread at the house where the Christian assemblies were held, whether one or more. We have already seen the Church gathered together "in an upper, (Act_1:13) in "one place," in "a house", (Act_2:1, Act_2:2) and "together"; (ver. 44; see too Act_4:31) and we know that as the synagogue was called hL; Pit tyBe, house of prayer, or tsnKh tyBe, the house of assemblage, so the Christian place of meeting was called oJ Kuriakov oikov; the Lord"s house, whence the word church. " (For breaking bread, see above, ver. 42.) They did take their food. The link of connection is the ajgaph or love-feast, which formed an important part of the koinwnia, or common life, of the early Christians. The whole description is a beautiful picture of Christian unity, piety, love, and joy.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Continuing daily - breaking the bread - in the Lord's Supper, as did many Churches for some ages. They partook of their food with gladness and singleness of heart - They carried the same happy and holy temper through all their common actions: eating and working with the same spirit wherewith they prayed and received the Lord's Supper.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

This chapter concludes with giving us an account how these primitive Christians spent their time together in the service of God, and in great simplicity and sincerity amongst themselves. They continued daily in the temple; that is, at the usual time of prayer they joined with the Jews in their prayer in the temple: We must not think that they preached sermons, and administered sacraments in the temple; that would not be endured as appeareth Act 4:1.

But having performed their public devotions daily in the temple at the accustomed times of prayers there, they used to resort to a private and particular place to celebrate the Lord’s supper, and afterwards took their ordinary and necessary repast with gladness and singleness of heart.

And thus these holy Christians conversing together with great simplicity, and sincerity, they went on cheerfully in their Christian course, praising God for what he had done for them and by them; and their holy and harmless conversation procured them favour with the generality of the people, who had not their hearts possessed with the prejudice against Christianity, as the Pharisees had. And thus, by the purity blameableness of their lives, the Lord daily added more and more converts to his infant Christian church.

Learn thence, That the work of a thorough and saving conversion upon the hearts, and in the lives of men, is God’s work. It was not the mighty rushing wind, nor the miracle of the fiery cloven tongues, nor St. Peter’s sermon, not any of these, nor all of these, that did or could alone produce this great effect without God, and the internal operation of his Holy Spirit. Therefore it is expressly said, That the Lord added to the church, not St. Peter, nor all the apostles.

Yet note, 2. That though God and his Holy Spirit be the author and efficient cause, yet the preaching of the gospel, and an exemplary conversation agreeably thereunto, were the subordinate helps and instrumental means conducing thereunto. The continued daily in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. And thereby the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

HOUSEHOLD PREACHING

46. “And they were daily persevering with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house; they received their food with gladness and purity of heart, praising God and having grace toward all the people.” Here we find that the hundred and twenty, augmented by the mighty force of the three thousand converts, turned loose on the metropolis and the surrounding country, preaching from house to house. This explains the reason why five thousand more were speedily converted, at once swelling the Pentecostal church to eight thousand. The great delinquency of the present age is this original policy of preaching to people in their homes. Here we see that they entered family circles indiscriminately, preaching and praying till they convert them to the Christhood of Jesus, the great salient truth and fact of apostolic preaching, then they seal their profession of discipleship by baptism and confirm them by the eucharist. This is the grand open field for the holiness people to win a crown of glory, evangelize the world and bring back our King. So let us go preaching from house to house as they did at Pentecost. When I was sanctified thirty years ago I at once became an indefatigable household preacher. I ran all over my circuit regardless of membership in my church or any other, entering every house and preaching the living Word. My conference soon fell into the habit of sending me to the hardest and deadest appointments in all the land. While I ran into every house, prayed and preached in every home, prevailing on them to come to my meeting, which I kept running the whole year, God came down, shook the whole country with the tread of a spiritual earthquake, mighty revivals swept like cyclones, and while all the churches in my boundary were signally blessed and received many additions to their membership, I used to go up to my annual conference at the end of the year and report in my own pastorate three times as many members as I began with. Sad to say, the apostolic household preaching in the church of the present day is a lost art. The preacher goes round calling on his own members only, talks to them a few minutes about “Vanity Fair” and does not so much as pray for them. He would better stay at home. Such pastoral visiting is an insult to the common salvation and a grief to the Holy Ghost.

William B. Godbey, Commentary on the New Testament (1896–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

46, 47. The further history of the Church, for a short time, is condensed into this brief statement: (46) " And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, received their food with gladness and singleness of heart, (47) praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added those saved every day to the Church. "

Whether the disciples continued to offer sacrifices or not-on which question see Com. xxi. 18-26-that they should "continue daily with one accord in the temple," was most natural. The temple had been, to them and their fathers, for many generations, the house of God and the place of prayer. The apostles had been led to its sacred precincts by the Savior himself, and here it was that the Holy Spirit had come upon them. Their most holy associations were connected with it, and it would have been doing great violence to their feelings to require them at once to abandon it. This natural reverence for the place continued till its destruction by Titus; and even to this day, the hill where the temple once stood has a peculiarly sacred place in the hearts of Christians. The "breaking bread," klontes arton, mentioned in this sentence, is not the "breaking of the loaf," e klasis touartou of verse 42 ; but refers to common meals of which they partook "from house to house." This is evident from the connection: "breaking bread from house to house, they received their food with gladness and singleness of heart." It was that breaking of bread in which they "received their food," which was not done in partaking of the emblematic loaf. There is no evidence that the emblematic loaf was ever broken in mere social gatherings. It belongs exclusively to the Lord's day.

By the expression "singleness of heart" is meant the concentration of their affections and desires upon a single subject. This devotion and concentration of thought could but result, as it did, in giving the disciples "favor with all the people," and causing daily additions to the Church.

Those added to the Church daily were not "such as should be saved," as rendered in the common version, but tous sozomenous, the saved. In what sense they were saved, is a question of some importance. Dr. Hackett says: "The doctrine is that those who embrace the gospel adopt the infallible means of being saved." This is, undoubtedly, true doctrine; but it is not what is taught in the passage; for Luke speaks not of those who daily embraced the means of salvation, but of those who were saved. The view expressed by Alexander, that "men are said to be saved, not only in reference to the final consummation, but to the inception of the saving work," is a nearer approach to the true conception, but still falls short of it. It is not an inception of the saving work, of which Luke speaks, but the salvation referred to is complete; the parties spoken of being called "the saved. " Both these learned commentators, by keeping their minds fixed upon a future state as offering the only fulfillment of the word " saved, " have failed to discover the exact sense in which it is here used by the historian. Primarily, the term save means simply to make safe. In the religious sense, it means to make safe from the consequences of sin. If men had never sinned, they could not be saved, seeing they would be already safe. But having sinned, they are saved when they are made safe from the consequences of their sins. This is done when their sins are forgiven. At the moment a penitent sinner obtains pardon, he is, so far as the past is concerned, completely saved. It is in this sense that the parties in this case added to the Church are called " the saved. " Paul uses the term in the same sense when he says of God, "According to his mercy he saved us, by the laver of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Spirit."

The fact that the Lord added the saved, or pardoned, to the Church, justifies two conclusions: first, That men are entitled to membership in the Church the moment they are pardoned; second, That men should join the Church, not as a means of obtaining pardon, but because they have already obtained it. The former conclusion shows that it is unscriptural to admit, as some parties do, that certain persons are pardoned, and yet refuse them Church-fellowship. The latter condemns the practice observed by others, of received persons to membership "as a means of grace ;" i. e., as a means of obtaining pardon.

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

46. Continuing daily … in the temple. They gathered there for the purpose of teaching the multitudes. Breaking bread from house to house. Eating their food from house to house. It may refer to observing the Lord's Supper in private residences.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

they continued with one purpose

Possible meanings are 1) "they continued meeting together" or 2) "they all continued to have the same attitude."

they broke bread in homes

Bread was part of their meals. AT: "they eat meals together in their homes" (See: Synecdoche)

with glad and humble hearts

Here "heart" is a metonym for a person's emotions. AT: "joyfully and humbly" (See: Metonymy)

praising God and having favor with all the people

"praising God. All the people approved of them"

those who were being saved

This can be stated in active form. AT: "those whom the Lord saved" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

temple

bread

joy

humble

heart

praise

God

favor

lord

save

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

46. καθ’ ἡμέραν τε κ.τ.λ., and day by day attending continually with one accord, &c.

At the Temple they were likely to meet with the greatest number of devout listeners; and we shall find that the first Christians did not cease to be religious Jews, but held to all the observances of their ancient faith, its feasts, its ritual, and its hours of prayer, as far as they could do so consistently with their allegiance to Jesus. We find (Act 21:20-24) the elders of the Church in Jerusalem urgent on St Paul that he should shew his zeal for the Law by taking upon him the vow of a Nazirite, and should so quiet the scruples of Jews, and of such Christian brethren who were more zealous for the Law than St Paul himself, and the Apostle saw no reason why he should not comply with their request.

κλῶντές τε κατ’ οἶκον ἄρτον. Render, breaking bread at home; though the A.V., if rightly understood, gives the sense very well. What is meant is, that the specially Christian institution of the breaking of bread was not a part of the service in the Temple, but was observed at their own homes, the congregations meeting now at one house, now at another. The Vulg. has ‘circa domos.’ The connexion of the Lord’s Supper with the Passover meal at its institution made the Christian Sacrament essentially a service which could be celebrated, as on the first occasion it was, in the dining-room of a dwelling-house.

τροφῆς, i.e. their ordinary meals.

ἀγαλλιάσει, with gladness. Because those who were able to contribute to the support of the poorer members of the Church were delighted to do so, and thus all over-anxious care for the morrow was removed from the whole community.

ἀφελότητι καρδίας. Vulg. ‘simplicitate cordis.’ Having but one end in view, that the faith of Christ should be as widely spread abroad as possible.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

46.] καθʼ ἡμ … ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ—see Luk 24:53. The words need not mean, though they may mean, that they were assembled in Solomon’s porch, as in ch. 5:12—but most probably, that they regularly kept the hours of prayer, ch. 3:1.

κατʼ οἶκον] domi, ‘privatim’ (Beng.), as contrasted with ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ. So also Wolf, Scal., Heinr., Olsh., Meyer, De Wette:—not, domatim, ‘from house to house,’ as Erasm., Salmasius, Kuinoel, al.:—the words may bear that meaning (see Luk 8:1), but we have no trace of such a practice, of holding the ἀγάπαι successively at different houses.

The κλάσις τ. ἄρτου took place at their house of meeting, wherever that was: cf. ch. 12:12; and see ver. 42 note.

μετ. τροφ.] they partake of food:—see reff.;—viz. in these agapæ or breakings of bread.

ἀφελότητι] In good Greek, ἀφέλεια: the adj. ἀφελής (see Palm and Rost) originally implying “free from stones or rocks” (ἀ, φελλεύς, stony or rocky land), and thus simple, even, pure.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

With one accord [ομοθυμαδον] . See on Mt 18:19.

From house to house [κατ οικον] . Better, as Rev., at home, contrasted with in the temple. Compare Phl 1:2; Col 4:15; 1Co 16:19.

Did eat their meat [μετελαμβανον τροφης] . Rev., take their food. Partake would be better, giving the force of meta, with. Note the imperfect : "continued to partake."

Singleness [αφελοτητι] . Only here in New Testament. Derived from aj, not, and felleuv, stony ground. Hence of something simple or plain.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.