What do you mean by an
Acts 2:42 Community?
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42
In Acts 2:42 God gave us a model for how to grow a local assembly and maintain unity among the believers. These principles remain just as important today as they did at the beginning of the church. As we come together to live out these four elements, we are united as one body under the headship of Jesus Christ (Col. 1:18).
- The Apostles Teaching
Bottom line: The Word of God anchors everything else. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Rom. 10:17
From the beginning, a priority for believers has been learning the truth from the Word of God. The written witness of the Apostles when moved by the Holy Spirit became the New Testament. Jesus and the Apostles’ use of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament, also speaks to us of their continued relevance and significance. The Apostle John tells that Jesus is the Word of God and He was God (John 1:1-2, 14). That means Jesus was the great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh. The Apostles took what they learned directly from Jesus and passed that knowledge to believers.
- Fellowship
Bottom line: We are all in connection with one another – no person stands on their own. Often overlooked, fellowship, Koinonia, in Greek is a complex idea that is difficult to translate but carries with it the notions of sharing, participation, unity, and intimacy. It values togetherness over isolation. Not networking, but rather, journeying through this life together with each other and with Christ. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
- Breaking of Bread
Bottom line: the Breaking of Bread is one of two ordinances (the other is baptism). A key distinctive of our Chapel is that we break bread each week by sharing in communion at the Lord’s table (Luke 22:19-20). As we give praise and thanks in remembrance of Jesus who died for us, we are reminded that we are spiritually united. (1 Cor. 11:23-26)
- The Prayers
Bottom line: The final element is prayer. Prayer is essential to the vibrant Christian life. We are a praying community with a variety of opportunities throughout the week for prayer, congregational as well as men and women separately. It is typical for us to offer thanks to God through song and words. (Psalm 95:1-11, Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19). Not only that but we bring our requests and our needs before the Lord (Phil. 4.6). Finally, through the power of Christ we are able to stand before the Lord on behalf of our brothers and sisters and ask for His power to work in their lives. (Eph. 6:18, 1 Tim 2:1).