INSTRUCTIONS: Pray. Read the text. Then use the questions below as guides to write out what you have learned from the text. You can go as deep or as basic as you choose. You may choose to only answer based on the text you are studying, or you may decide to use other passages from the Bible, commentaries, or additional outside sources of information. You can answer in any order. You may choose to spend one day in only answering from the text and another day filling in information from other sources. You may add additional details that are not asked for in the narrative study format, such as historical context, archeological information, or questions you have for further study. Always complete your own study before reading my example so that you do not limit your own thinking.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Characters Who is this story about?  List all of the people in the story and what you know about them.  In addition, there maybe animal, plant, and supernatural characters in the story.  Of course, every story will include God as a main character.  Sometimes, His presence is obvious, but sometimes, you must look deeper to find Him in the story.

Setting:  Where and When?  Check out maps to understand the relationship of ancient places to modern countries.  How is this place connected to other places that you have read about? Is this place different from the locations just before this story started? Where will the characters go after this story is finished? Does this place have any spiritual significance?  Part of the answer to this question might be a specific date and time of day, but a more important answer looks at what events happened before, what events happened after, and most importantly, what other events are occurring simultaneously.  It is important to compare the events of the Bible with other historical events that were happening at the same time, but it is even more important to compare various Bible stories and events with each other.  For example, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel all provide differing perspectives on what was happening during one specific time period, so the other two books can provide a lot of insight to explain the situations occurring in a story from one of the other books.

Plot (Problem and Solution) What is the problem happening in the story?  Why is the problem happening?  Could the problem have been avoided?  What are the consequences that result from the problem?  Was the problem resolved?  If so, how was the problem resolved?  What was God’s preferred solution?  What solutions did humans try that were not in alignment with God’s way of handling situations?

Text-to-Text  Does anything remind you of other verses that you have read in the Bible?  Do you want to search deeper for more texts that speak about this subject?  If so, what is the consensus of the texts that you found, i.e., what lessons were communicated by the majority of the texts and were they different from the story that you are studying?

Text-to-World  What general lessons about life are in the text?  What similarities do you see between the story and our modern world?  What differences are there between the story and today’s world?

Text-to-Self  What specific application can you find for your own life, i.e., what message is the Holy Spirit trying to give you from this story?  Have you ever experienced any situation similar to the story?  Would you have reacted differently than the characters?  If so, why

Text-to-God  What does this story reveal about God and the way that He interacts with humans? Did God approve or disapprove? How do you know? Is there anything confusing about God in this story?

My Example Bible Study

Note: You can go much deeper than this example with lots of connections and details. You can also use this narrative format for studying the Bible at a more basic level with fewer connections and skipping textual cross-references. This format can be used to suit your own needs at the present time. You may decide to fill in more information at a later date when you have more time. I recommend that you either type or write your ideas because this is an attempt to understand the Bible at a deeper level. Thus, you may want to refer back to your notes and add information as you learn more.

Characters:  The main characters are new converts who were being baptized by the apostles.  The previous section lets us know that there were many more than 3,000 because that is how many who were baptized on the first day, and it says that the numbers were being added to every day.  We also know that these were Jews from many areas of the Roman Empire, including Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, Rome, Cretans and Arabians. They included both Jews by birth and Jewish proselytes who had originally been Gentiles.  Thus, these new converts were a multi-national, multi-lingual group, including some hometown Jews from the city of Jerusalem itself.  However, they were homogeneous in that they were all believers in Yahweh and had been devoutly worshipping at the temple.  Thus, there was nothing controversial or divergent from Judaism about their basic beliefs before they became Christians.  They were sincere in their desire to be part of the kingdom of heaven and accept Jesus as their Master.  This was shown by their activities.  They were happy, helpful, generous, and full of praise for God.

The other group mentioned are the apostles.  The apostles were busy teaching these new converts about Jesus’ teachings.  They were also performing many miracles and signs so that the converts were confident that the apostles and their teachings were in favor with Yahweh.

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are present.  The people were praising God because of His blessings.  They were accepting salvation through Jesus.  The Spirit was providing signs and wonders to confirm the teachings of the apostles and convicting people of the truth and transforming their characters to be like Jesus.

Other nonconverted Jews are also in the story.  It says that the new converts were finding favor with “all people.”  Thus, even people who had not been baptized were looking favorably on this new movement.  They were seeing transformed characters and signs and considering this movement to be advantageous even if they were not yet committed to it.

Setting:  Where and When?:  This story took place in Jerusalem.  The apostles had not yet begun preaching outside of the city.  The people–both newly converted and experienced followers of Jesus–were meeting and eating together in each other’s homes.  The people were also meeting in the temple.  It says that they went to the temple daily.  They could not have been going there to sacrifice, so they must have been going there to speak with each other and anyone who would listen about spiritual matters.  I think the temple complex may have been one of the few places large enough for the apostles to meet with large groups of converts and to teach them.  Thus, they were probably going there more to have a place to teach converts rather than to try to proselytize new church members.  However, I am sure that they also knew that many other nonbelievers in Jesus would gather around to hear the words that they were speaking to the newly baptized members, and thus more believers were gained by holding their classes in the temple.  Also, the temple would have been a place where the scriptures were read, so they may have also gone there to hear the scriptures.  In other locations, they would later routinely go to the synagogue, partly to make converts, but also because it was the place to hear the scriptures of God read.

The time is from the day of Pentecost, about ten days after Jesus’ ascension, to the stoning of Stephen, about 3 ½ years later, although the situation would begin changing before Stephen’s trial and death because there would be arrests of the apostles and breaks in the unity of believers (Ananias and Sapphira / the Greek widows) during those 3 ½ years as the fledgling movement experienced growing pains and created new procedures and started to lose the 100% approval of society that they experienced at the beginning.

Plot (Problem and Solution):  The new converts needed more education in the ways of the kingdom of heaven. They were learning these lessons from the apostles.  They were meeting as often as possible to gain knowledge of their new Master and how their lives needed to change.  They learned that they needed to help others and that money was not as important as living for God.  They were experiencing the benefits of unity with each other.  They were gaining closeness to God through prayer.  They were learning to love each other through social interactions.  When they would find out about a need, they would sell a possession and give it to those who needed it.  They were eager to provide funds for each other and for the apostles.  They were part of a growing popular movement as others joined their group. 

Thus, they were modifying their lives according to the teachings of Jesus and trying to please God.  They did this through meeting in the temple to learn, socializing and worshipping with each other at home, and through charity.  They were becoming poorer in material goods, but they felt no need or anxiety about this situation because they had faith that their Lord would take care of them.  They were being transformed.

Text-to-Text:  This reminds me of when the children of Israel donated their jewelry for the building of the temple.  “And they came, everyone whose heart stirred him, and everyone whose spirit moved him, and brought the LORD’s contribution to be used for the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments. So they came, both men and women. All who were of a willing heart brought brooches and earrings and signet rings and armlets, all sorts of gold objects, every man dedicating an offering of gold to the LORD. And every one who possessed blue or purple or scarlet yarns or fine linen or goats’ hair or tanned rams’ skins or goatskins brought them. Everyone who could make a contribution of silver or bronze brought it as the LORD’s contribution. And every one who possessed acacia wood of any use in the work brought it. And every skillful woman spun with her hands, and they all brought what they had spun in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen. All the women whose hearts stirred them to use their skill spun the goats’ hair. And the leaders brought onyx stones and stones to be set, for the ephod and for the breastpiece, and spices and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense. All the men and women, the people of Israel, whose heart moved them to bring anything for the work that the LORD had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the LORD”  (Exodus 35:21-29).  “and said to Moses, ‘The people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the LORD has commanded us to do.’ So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, ‘Let no man or woman do anything more for the contribution for the sanctuary.’ So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more”  (Exodus 36:5-7).  I think maybe the new converts felt that they were like their forefathers building the tabernacle.  I think that they were enthusiastic about serving Jesus and felt that they were accomplishing a great work for God.

The details of these monetary contributions to the group will be enlarged upon later when Barnabas sells land and presents it to the apostles.  “There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need”  (Acts 4:34-35).  This shows that the giving was organized so that it was first presented to the apostles and from there distributed to those in need rather than simply given directly from one Christian to another without any rhyme or reason..

This situation in Acts reminds me of Jesus speaking of the fields ready for harvest (at the well with the Samaritan woman).  “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor”  (John 4:35-38).  The apostles may have been sowing a few seeds, but for the most part, they were simply reaping the harvest that Jesus had spent three and a half years preparing.  The multitudes joining the ranks of the followers of The Way had knowledge of Jesus before the apostles ever spoke to them.

Text-to-World:  My cynical mind says that this way of life could not last long before corruption set in.  Ananias and Saphira are examples of the hypocritical opportunists who would come in to prey on a group like this today.  However, the apostles and Holy Spirit were on guard against such predators and protected the early church.  The question is what do we do about the predators today?  There are con artists, power-hungry petty dictators, sexual predators, false teachers, and other wolves among the sheep.  There are many Christians who are living with one foot still in the world and others with hidden addictions and secret sins.  There are Christians who fall after standing strong and having people depend on them.  When they fall, they bring others down with them. The tares and the wheat are growing together.  In Jesus’ parable, He said that this would continue until the end.  “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”  (Matthew 13:30).  I guess that we just continue to look to Jesus as our example and be aware that not everyone will be innocent givers like they were in the first church, but that does not change our own need to follow the example of the first followers that Acts 2 describes.

Text-to-Self:  How do we protect the innocent and keep them growing in grace with so much messiness in the church?  How do we bring the half-committed into full commitment?  I think maybe it can only come about by first committing myself totally to Jesus and His Way and then by praying for the Holy Spirit to do the work of convicting and weeding out the harmful elements.  I do not like being responsible for decisions in trying to protect one member of the church from another member of the church and not knowing what is the best course of action.  God knows best, and I have to trust that He can recreate new hearts filled with the innocent giving and love that Acts 2 describes as being present in the first church in Jerusalem.  I must just follow His guidelines and rules and pray that any choices I have to make with regard to two non-innocent parties in a dispute will not cause harm and will lead to the greatest good possible in the situation.

Text-to-God: The story of how the first church interacted with each other at the beginning shows us how God would wants us to be as a church.  God unselfishly gave Himself to us, and He wants us to do the same with each other.  God is patient and knows that we need instruction before we can be mature followers, so He gives us teachers and situations where we can grow and mature before expecting us to be leaders in our own right.  God understands our needs and provides for filling them. 

The day would come when these converts would be scattered to the winds by persecution.  When that day came, they would be the leaders who brought new people to Jesus.  Some of these people would be the first to carry the message of salvation to the Gentiles.  These were missionaries in training.  God showed them the kind of people He wanted them to be and the manner in which He wanted them to interact with others, before He allowed the world to interfere.  He will do the same for us today.  God knows my needs, and He will give me the tools necessary to succeed.