Acts 2:44Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

To devote themselves wholly to this work, they laid aside all cares for the support of the society of believers, who received sustenance from the generosity of the other brethren.

They occupied themselves only with teaching.

Their miracles also drew everyone's attention. They healed illnesses of every kind, so that the sick were brought to them from the surrounding towns.

In both teaching and wonderworking Peter was first. The power of God was poured forth through him in such abundance that even his shadow gave relief to the sick.

For their part, the Apostles wished to make full use of the fruits of the Old Testament preparation.

Therefore at first they did not separate themselves from their kinsmen. As we see, they went with everyone into the Jewish temple for prayer.

In their own worship and way of life they retained rules and ordinances compatible with the spirit of Christianity.

According to the testimony of Hegesippus, the Jews' respect for the Apostle James went so far that the people gladly listened to his instructions and rejoiced in his miracles.

The new spiritual condition that they were now experiencing could not be understood by anyone outside the Church.

By this state they were separated from the rest of the world of themselves.

It gathered them into one distinct whole, binding its members by unity of views, hopes, moral disposition, and way of life.

Further, each believer must have desired to be closer to the Apostles, so as constantly to have the possibility of learning from them the truths of Christ.

They also wished to participate daily in Christian worship, in the Mystery of the Eucharist, whose first celebrants were of course the Apostles.

Finally, the greatest significance here belonged to that brotherly love which was the first distinguishing mark of the first Christians.

Because of it they had all things in common.

They sold possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

In this mutual assistance there was nothing compelled or determined by law. It was the free work of each one's brotherly love.

This is clearly expressed by the Apostle Peter in his rebuke of Ananias and Sapphira; Acts 5:3-4.

In the life of the first Christians we thus see the fulfillment of the Savior's commandment.

"As I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love among yourselves"; Jn 13:34-35.

In fulfilling this commandment, every Christian considers it improper to look upon his estate and property as something he alone should use.

On the contrary, he thinks that God has endowed him with greater earthly goods than others precisely so that, moved by love, he may help his needy brethren.

In this way he brings benefit to the community on his own part.

The first Christians consider themselves brethren, members of one family, in which the Apostles are the householders, teachers, and stewards.

It had divided them into isolated individuals who cared only for themselves and were heartless toward the needs of others.

The spirit of evangelical love conquered this self-interest in the believers.

They "sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

This was the first experience of that common life which later found a place in Christian cenobitic monasticism.

Thus the first Christians lived, "praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved."

They were all together. That is, they gathered in one place; compare Acts 1:15 and Acts 2:1. They did so for instruction, prayers, and liturgical actions in general; compare Lk 24:53.

As before the day of Pentecost, this was not difficult. With the believing pilgrims returning to their homeland, the community remaining in Jerusalem was probably not numerous.

Still, it too did not always gather in one place, since there were also private gatherings in houses (v. 46). Yet in spirit, in brotherly mutual goodwill and love, the whole community was constantly together; compare Chrysostom and Theophylact.

“They had all things in common,” and so forth. By comparing this depiction of the life of the first Jerusalem Christian community with regard to property with the similar depiction later (Acts 4:32–5:4), it is beyond doubt that this community had a communion of possessions.

This communion, however, was not compulsory or legalized, and still less was it coercive. It was entirely voluntary, founded on brotherly love for neighbors and compassion for the needy.

There was no abolition of property rights here; compare Acts 5:4. Rather, those who had property voluntarily shared it fraternally with those who had none.

They sold possessions, that is, immovable property, houses, lands, and the like, as well as every kind of movable property. They shared with the poor either themselves or through the Apostles, handing over to their disposal the money received from selling property; Acts 4:34–37.

Thus was expressed the living force of faith and brotherly love among the members of this first Christian community in Jerusalem.

In the small community of the Lord’s disciples during His earthly life, there was a common purse from which the daily needs of the whole community were met (Jn 12:6; Jn 13:29). It was composed of voluntary offerings.

This was probably the model in this respect for the earliest Christian community in Jerusalem. It was joined with the exact fulfillment of the Lord’s commandment: “Sell your possessions and give alms,” and similar words; Lk 12:33 and parallels.

How long such communion of possessions remained in the Jerusalem community is unknown. Its traces soon disappear from history.

It probably did not last long, only while this community was still small. In a large community, despite its high Christian significance, such a practice presents considerable inconveniences; compare Acts 6:1.

It is also noteworthy that no such communion of possessions is seen in other Christian communities founded by the Apostles, apart from the first Jerusalem community.

Perhaps the inconveniences of this practice, experienced in that community, deterred the Apostles, when establishing other communities, from the thought of introducing the custom of such communion of possessions.

In their writings they only urged Christian beneficence and mutual brotherly love. They did not take upon themselves the duty of establishing common treasuries.

Only from time to time did they collect alms for poor churches and deliver them; Acts 11:29–30; 1 Cor 16:1, and others.

They did so to such a degree that they did not regard anything they had as their own.

Therefore they freely and willingly shared everything with those in need, even selling their estates and all property in order to satisfy everyone's needs.

But this does not mean that those who had nothing disposed of what belonged to others, or that no one retained any property.

Everything was done by the owners themselves and according to the needs of those whom they considered needy, of course in what was necessary.

Besides this sharing of possessions, which was expressed by all in the form of voluntary private help to the poor, founded on brotherly love and compassion for the needy, there was also common Church property then, as there is now.

It had received its beginning even under Jesus Christ, Who said: "Sell your possessions and give alms" (Lk 12:33).

From this property the ordinary needs of the whole society were met; see Jn 12:6; 13:29.

With the increase of Christians, especially a very numerous increase, this property could grow considerably through many voluntary offerings.

Together with this, the forms of help from this property also increased.

But it is clear that as soon as this property increased, it also quickly became exhausted.

Therefore the later history of the Church of Jerusalem does not show wide-ranging assistance to the needy.

It does show that there were many needy people there.

For this reason, for example, the Apostle Paul often reminded Christians in other places to help the Christians of Jerusalem, and they did so; see 1 Cor 16:1.

Therefore all teachings about common property that are not founded on the consent and disposition of the owners have nothing in common with the fellowship that existed among the first Christians.

There, before all else and above all else, spiritual unanimity, one heart, was valued.

With the forced division of property this cannot exist. There can only be enmity, envy, and malice.

These can never produce either equality or the satisfaction of needs.

There can be no moral value whatever in the forcible distribution of property.

In Christian sharing of possessions according to the will of their owners, this appears in the owners and is reflected beneficially in those who receive in the name of the Lord, with thanksgiving to Him.

Those who give also perform this with joy in the Lord.

Forced sharing of possessions, despotic communism, is robbery. It can in no way guarantee an equal distribution of goods, and still less public order.

For whoever can rob can also commit every kind of violence.

Therefore communism is the tyranny of violence, which does not recognize the higher laws: Christian love and the rights of the individual person.

It makes exception only for the rights of self-appointed men and usurpers of power.