³³And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. ³⁴For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales ³⁵and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. ³⁶Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), ³⁷and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

The “power” used to describe apostolic preaching in vs. 33 carries over into benevolence among the believers. What was taking place among the early believers was nothing short of miraculous. In fact, the Greek word for “power” (used in the singular) is the same word translated “miracles” (in the plural form), which is included in the phenomena described as “miracles and wonders and signs which God performed” in Acts 2:22, 4:7). The Spirit’s powerful work extended to sacrificial benevolence.

The nonbeliever may cringe at this passage and argue the communal sharing is culturally conditioned, or appeal to governmental responsibility for social welfare. But the true believer’s heart has indeed been changed; at least this was so in the early church. So much was this the case in the early church that in the next chapter we see the exception to this case and how it was judged. But the general result of the Spirit’s moving was phenomenal, with the result that “there was not a needy person among them.”

Those who “had” shared what they had, so those who “had not” could also have. This was all funneled through the apostles, who then distributed the funds as appropriate. Luke refrains from giving much detail but captures the believers’ general movement toward generosity. Indeed, our use of what God gives us reflects our understanding of God’s grace to us. If He saved us from a lost eternity of suffering His judgment and condemnation, and has given us the immeasurable gift of salvation, how can we hoard our “stuff” to ourselves and not be generous? Only the generosity of the Spirit, who worked powerfully through grace in our salvation, can loosen the vice-grip of self-centeredness.

A prime example of this generosity is presented to us in the person of a man whose character has been immortalized in his nickname Barnabas, which as Luke points out, means “Son of Encouragement”—one who is characterized as an encourager par excellence. We will see him again in chapter 9, vouching for a young man named Saul, the worst of the worst persecutors of believers, who was generously saved by God’s grace to become a servant of the Lord.

Lord, remind me of Your generosity to me so that I would be generous to others.