Acts Chapter 4

vs 29

All the preceding stuff about how powerful God is, and how his will cannot be fought against by even the most powerful of rulers was just a buildup to ask that God gives his servants strength to speak boldly.

vs 30

They also pray that signs of healing and other wonders will continue to be performed in Jesus' name. They really want anything to happen that will continue this message going out. They don't want this run-in with the religious leaders to slow them down.

But they realise that this is a hard thing - that if it were just up to them, they probably would lie down and be quiet. So they ask God to give them strength, so that it's his work and his glory.

vs 31

In other words, God answered their prayer. He did it in a way we're not used to - via earthquake or something. That doesn't mean that's how he always answers prayer though.

vs 32

How far did this go? It doesn't say. I think it would be false of us to say that they pooled everything into a big pile and you just took whatever you want. More likely it existed much like it does now - you have your own stuff, but if another person wants it or needs it more, you give it to them.

vs 33

Was it only the apostles who testified to people about Christ? I doubt it - I think rather that Luke focuses on them for the purpose of keeping the story flowing.

Now, it's about here that the TNIV changes the focus of some of the words and some punctuation, and so changes the feel of the sentence structure. The NIV has verse 33 as two complete sentences. The NASB has a sentence separation between 33 and 34, but still uses a connecting word. The suggestion, then, apparently, is that by God's grace...

vs 34-35

... the needs of the whole community were met. But notice that God's grace does not work via cash rain from heaven. It works via people selling excess property. So God's grace was working through the members of the foundling church to such a degree that they would not allow anyone to be in need.

vs 36-37

His original name was Joseph? Pretty easy to forget. Barnabas makes him stand out so much more. This is the first mention we get of him - as one of those members who sold some property and gave it for distribution among the less fortunate of the Jerusalem Christians. We'll hear more about him later.