Acts 2:45

45 And they began selling [their] possessions and property, and distributing these [things] to all, to the degree that anyone had need.

Acts 2:45 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 2:45

And sold their possessions and goods.
&c.] Their houses and lands, their fields and vineyards, their goods, moveable or immoveable:

and parted them to all men;
that were of their society, not to others:

as every man had need:
the rich sold their estates, and divided them among the poor, or gave them such a portion thereof as their present exigencies required. This was done by Jews, and by Jews only; who, when they embraced the Gospel of Christ, were informed that the destruction of their city, and nation, was at hand; and therefore they sold their estates before hand, and put them to this use; which was necessary to be done, both for the support of the Gospel in Judea, and for the carrying and spreading of it among the Gentiles: but is not to be drawn into a precedent, or an example in after times; nor is ever any such thing proposed to the Christian churches, or exhorted to by any of the apostles.

Acts 2:45 In-Context

43 And fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were being performed by the apostles.

44 And all who believed were in the same [place], and had everything in common.

45 And they began selling [their] possessions and property, and distributing these [things] to all, to the degree that anyone had need.

46 And every day, devoting themselves [to meeting] with one purpose in the temple [courts] and breaking bread from house [to house], they were eating [their] food with joy and simplicity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding every day to the total [of] those who were being saved.

Footnotes

• [a] *The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here ("began selling")
• [b] *Literally "the"; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun