Together in Christ: 'Generous Fellowship' — Acts 4:34-35

Some of the earliest influential leaders in the first-century Jesus movement were very generous, influencing others to be generous. Barnabas led the way in Jerusalem to help impoverished people by generously selling his property and giving the proceeds to the apostles to help those in need. ^[1] Seven men were carefully chosen to help ensure widows who did not speak Hebrew and were not from Jerusalem or Judea received the care they needed. God prompted the disciples' concern about the daily care of poor widows. ^[2] Some of these men, like Philip and Stephen, ^[3] became great leaders in the Jerusalem church. Stephen was a faithful witness who died testifying to Jesus, ^[4] and Philip first shared the Good News of Jesus with the Samaritans and with an Ethiopian. ^[5] The examples of Stephen and Philip led the followers of Jesus to be generous with believers in other parts of the world throughout the first three decades of the early Jesus movement. ^[6]

This emphasis on blessing and helping each other was so significant that, at the crucial conference that determined once and for all that Gentiles should be accepted into the family of God when they came to Jesus, ^[7] concern for helping the poor was mentioned to Paul and to those who were leading Gentiles to Christ. ^[8] This was something Paul was not only eager to do ^[9] but also regularly practiced and taught in his ministry. ^[10]

If we want to be disciples of Jesus like the first followers of Jesus and like Jesus wants us to be, as shown by His description of the final judgment, ^[11] we will take care of each other. However, Christian generosity doesn't mean letting lazy people take advantage of the generosity of their fellow believers, ^[12] but rather it means practicing the principle Paul addressed forcefully in his teaching:

[Paul told the Ephesian elders,] "I have never coveted anyone's silver or gold or fine clothes. You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me. And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " ^[13]