Acts 2:42

They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.

BSB

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

KJV

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

ASV

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.

BBE

And they kept their attention fixed on the Apostles' teaching and were united together in the taking of broken bread and in prayer.

Original Greek

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Ἦσαν Ēsan They were G1510 δὲ de now G1161 προσκαρτεροῦντες proskarterountes steadfastly continuing G4342 τῇ tēa in the G3588 διδαχῇ didachēa teaching G1322 τῶν tōn of the G3588 ἀποστόλων apostolōn apostles G652 καὶ kai and G2532 τῇ tēa (the) G3588 κοινωνίᾳ koinōnia in fellowship G2842 καὶ kai and G2532 τῇ tēa in the G3588 κλάσει klasei breaking G2800 τοῦ tou of the G3588 ἄρτου artou bread G740 καὶ kai and G2532 ταῖς tais in the G3588 προσευχαῖς proseuchais prayers G4335

The early church

"And they continued steadfastly and with one accord in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship." Here are two virtues, perseverance and concord. "In the Apostles' doctrine," he says: for they again taught them; "and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer." All in common, all with perseverance.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts
"And they continued" it is written, "steadfastly in the doctrine" (or, "teaching") "of the Apostles": for it was not for one day, no nor for two or three days that they were under teaching as being persons who had gone over to a different course of life. "And they continued with one accord in the Apostles' doctrine," etc. The expression is not "together," but "with one accord," ("and daily," he says afterwards, "they were continuing with one accord in the temple,") i.e. with one soul.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts
And here again in his conciseness, he does not relate the teaching given; for as young children, the Apostles nourished them with spiritual food.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 42–47

In these verses we have the history of the truly primitive church, of the first days of it; its state of infancy indeed, but, like that, the state of its greatest innocence. They kept close to holy ordinances, and abounded in piety and devotion; for Christianity, when admitted in the power of it, will dispose the soul to communion with God in all those ways wherein he has appointed us to meet him, and has promised to meet us. The greatness of the event raised them above the world, and the Holy Ghost filled them with such love, as made every one to be to another as to himself, and so made all things common, not by destroying property, but doing away selfishness, and causing charity. And God who moved them to it, knew that they were quickly to be driven from their possessions in Judea. The Lord, from day to day, inclined the hearts of more to embrace the gospel; not merely professors, but such as were actually brought into a state of acceptance with God, being made partakers of regenerating grace. Those whom God has designed for eternal salvation, shall be effectually brought to Christ, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of his glory.

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Cross-references

32

Topics

DecisionFellowshipCharacterCommunionEucharist (The Lord'S Supper)

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.