Total Picture (TTP) I

Acts 2:⁴² “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer” (emphasis added).

There must be common ground before there can be common wealth. The early church did not just have financial common wealth alone, they also had spiritual common wealth. This is where a lot of communities of faith get this wrong. The early church had spiritual common wealth, they shared spiritual wellbeing. How? The Bible says, “…the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching… and to prayer”. These people could pray for one another and they were committed to what they were taught.

Scripture also shows us that they also had emotional and relational common wealth. “…the believers devoted themselves… to fellowship…” Unfortunately, that is the only thing that the erroneous communities focus on. But the first two were there for a purpose. Then the Bible shows us that they had a physical and financial common wealth. “…the believers devoted themselves… to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper)…”. They devoted themselves to sharing everything, including food and finances – this is huge!

We see clearly that the early church had a spiritual common ground and common wealth. They had an emotional and relational common ground and common wealth. And they had a physical and financial common ground and common wealth. Acts 2:⁴⁴ (Voice, emphasis added) “There was an intense sense of togetherness among all who believed; they shared all their material possessions in trust. ⁴⁵ They sold any possessions and goods that did not benefit the community and used the money to help everyone in need.” It is clear from scripture that common wealth must be wholistic for it to be realistic and scriptural. To have spiritual shared wellbeing without having a physical and financial shared wellbeing is unscriptural.

For us to pray together and pronounce blessings on our brothers but ignore their needs is unscriptural. 1 Jn.3:¹⁷ (NIV) “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” If you have spiritual common wealth and you do not have physical exchanges of common wealth, God says something is wrong with that. The Voice Translation says, “If a person owns the kinds of things we need to make it in the world but refuses to share with those in need, is it even possible that God’s love lives in him?”

Prayer: Father, I pray for the Church, that we will all devote ourselves to Your Word, to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer, in Jesus Name. Amen!