Luke’s
summary statement of Acts 2.42 records that salvation unified the believers as
a community while establishing a new initiation in joining the band of Jesus
followers. The believers remain a very Jewish community in Acts 2. Luke records
the first Christians as demonstrating a devoted
life to the Apostle’s teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. These
disciplines are supporting the growth and transformation of the early church in
connection with their Jewish roots by praying at the temple (3.1; 6.9) and
observing Jewish traditions (10.9-17). Minear describes the work of the Holy
Spirit in transforming the early believers as; “the very emergence of faith is
a work of the Spirit, for it bespeaks the weaving of a new fabric of relationship,
personal and social, earthly and heaven, human and divine.”[1]
The reception of Jesus as Lord and Savior changed the worldview. The commitment
of the believer was no longer a cultural religious commitment, but a devotion
to radical change within the believer and in the view of the world.
“Devoted”
is defined in several dictionaries with a common theme of staying the course
and remaining faithful. The TDNT
defines προσκαρτερἐω as
“to be devoted to.”[2] TDNT
explains the meaning of the word with examples consistently focused and
persistently loyal. Strong’s Greek agrees with the TDNT adding, “continually devoting themselves.”[3]
Louw-Nida further describes “devoted” as meaning; “to continue to
do something with intense effort, with the possible implication of and despite
difficulty—‘to devote oneself to, to keep on, to persist in’.”[4] The choice of
words that Luke uses is descriptive of the passion recorded in the passages
following Acts 2.42.
I
agree with Bock’s assessment that the imperfect periphrastic construction of
the verb speaks directly to an active and ongoing devotion. Devoted (προσκαρτερἐω) is used
ten times in the NT, and six of the ten are in the book of Acts (1.14; 2.42;
2.46; 6.4; 8.13; 10.7). Bock describes their devotion mentioned in Acts 2.42 as
“echoes of their unity of mind as described in Acts 1.14.”[5]
The early Christians demonstrated unity of mind, which encouraged their actions
of living a committed to God and to each other.
Seeking to be devoted to God and to each other...you know I love ya, Don
[1] Paul Sevier Minear. “Holy People, Holy
Land, Holy City: The Genesis and Genius of Christian Attitudes.” Int. 37
1 Ja (1983), 23.
[4]
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A.
“προσκαρτερἐω" #662
L&N (elect. 2nd
edition.) 1996. New York: United Bible Societies.
[5] Darrell L. Bock, Acts. (BECNT;
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007). 149.
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