Acts 2:42–47
The first community: teaching, breaking bread, prayer and sharing goods
Study it word by word42And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.
43And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.
44And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45And they were selling their properties and possessions and distributing them to all, as anyone had need.
46And every day continuing with one mind in the temple and breaking bread at home, they shared food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding every day to their number those who were being saved.
In its context
40And with many other words he testified and kept urging them, saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation.”
41So those who received his word were immersed, and on that day about three thousand persons were added.
…
Its words in the original
- ἦσανēsan· be
Be, exist.
- προσκαρτεροῦντεςproskarterountes· be ready, devote oneself
Be always ready; persevere, devote oneself to something.
- διδαχῇdidachēi· teaching
Teaching.
- ἀποστόλωνapostolōn· apostle, one sent
Apostle: "one sent", a messenger with a mission. This was the name given to the Twelve whom Jesus chose.
- κοινωνίᾳkoinōniai· fellowship, sharing
Fellowship, sharing: having life and goods in common; also the help that is shared.
- κλάσειklasei· breaking
Breaking, the breaking of bread.
- ἄρτουartou· bread
Bread; also food in general.
- προσευχαῖςproseuchais· prayer
Prayer.
- ἘγίνετοEgineto· become, happen
Become, happen, come about; be born.
- ψυχῇpsychēi· soul, life
Soul: a person's life, the person himself.
- φόβοςphobos· fear
Fear; also reverent respect.
- πολλάpolla· much, many
Much, great; in the plural, many.
- τέραταterata· wonder
Wonder, portent.
- σημεῖαsēmeia· sign
Sign, a wonder that points to something.
- πιστεύοντεςpisteuontes· believe
Believe, trust.
- εἶχονeichon· have
Have, possess, hold.
- ἅπανταhapanta· all
All, every one without exception.
- κοινάkoina· common, unclean
Common; unclean by the ritual rules.
- κτήματαktēmata· property
Property, possession, estate.
- ὑπάρξειςhyparxeis· possessions
Possessions, property, what one owns.
- ἐπίπρασκονepipraskon· sell
Sell.
- διεμέριζονdiemerizon· divide, distribute
Divide up, share out.
- καθότιkathoti· because, as
Because, since; also according as.
- χρείανchreian· need
Need; what is lacking.
- ἡμέρανhēmeran· day
Day. "In the days of" someone: in their time.
- ὁμοθυμαδὸνhomothymadon· with one accord
With one accord, all with the same mind; also together.
- ἱερῷhierōi· temple
Temple: the whole sacred precinct in Jerusalem, with its courts and porches.
- κλῶντέςklōntes· break
Break, especially bread.
- οἶκονoikon· house
House; also household, family.
- μετελάμβανονmetelambanon· receive a share, take
Receive a share of, partake; take, get; of food, eat together.
- τροφῆςtrophēs· food
Food, nourishment.
- ἀγαλλιάσειagalliasei· great joy
Great joy, gladness, exultation.
- ἀφελότητιaphelotēti· simplicity, sincerity
Simplicity, sincerity of heart.
- καρδίαςkardias· heart
Heart: the center of the person, where one thinks, feels and decides.
- αἰνοῦντεςainountes· praise
Praise.
- θεὸνtheon· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- χάρινcharin· grace
Grace, favor.
- ὅλονholon· whole, all
Whole, entire, all.
- λαόνlaon· people
People. Often the people of Israel.
- κύριοςkyrios· Lord, lord
Lord, master, owner. Said of God, the Lord; in Old Testament quotations it stands for the name YHWH.
- προσετίθειprosetithei· add
Add, add to; do again.
- σῳζομένουςsōizomenous· save
Save, rescue from danger or death; also heal from an illness.