The early church grew because its people were devoted to Jesus and to each other, and because the Lord himself added to their number. In Acts 2:42-47, Luke describes the first believers in Jerusalem after Pentecost. They committed themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to shared meals, and to prayer. They gave generously, met with glad hearts, and earned the goodwill of their neighbors. Healthy things grow, and this was a healthy church.
Setting the Scene in Acts 2:42-47
Peter had just preached the first sermon of the church age, and about 3,000 people repented, believed, and were baptized (Acts 2:37-41). Overnight, a group of about 120 believers became a movement of thousands. The obvious question was: now what? How do you care for that many brand-new followers of Jesus?
This passage is the first of several short summaries Luke gives of the church’s life (see also Acts 4:32-35 and 5:12-16). It’s a snapshot of what normal life looked like in the church’s first days. Luke doesn’t give us a church-growth strategy. He shows us a community, and in it we can see at least seven marks of healthy growth: baptisms, biblical teaching, authentic community, prayer, generosity, friendliness to outsiders, and dependence on Christ. The first, baptism, was already on display in verse 41. Healthy church growth starts with new believers, not just Christians moving from one church to another.
Devoted to the Apostles’ Teaching
Luke begins with what the believers committed themselves to.
Acts 2:42-43 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
The word “devoted” means to persist in something or hold fast to it. This wasn’t occasional interest. It was steady commitment. And the first thing they devoted themselves to was the apostles’ teaching. The apostles had spent years with Jesus and forty days learning from him after the resurrection (Acts 1:3). Their teaching included what Jesus said and did, his death and resurrection, and what it all meant. Paul later summarized the core of it.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…
Today, we have the apostles’ teaching in the New Testament. A healthy church is built on the Bible, not on clever ideas or the latest trends. Luke adds that everyone was filled with awe, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs. The Greek word for awe is the ordinary word for fear. The believers had a deep sense that God was present and at work among them. The next chapter will give one dramatic example (Acts 3).
Fellowship, Meals, and Prayer
The believers also devoted themselves to “fellowship.” The Greek word koinonia means sharing or participating in something together. It’s more than friendly conversation. It’s a shared life. Luke immediately shows what that looked like in practice: believers who had “everything in common,” using a related Greek word.
The “breaking of bread” likely refers to shared meals that included the Lord’s Supper. In the early church, the two often went together. Eating with someone in the ancient world was a sign of acceptance and friendship, and these meals brought together people from very different backgrounds around Jesus.
Finally, they devoted themselves to prayer. In Greek, the phrase is literally “the prayers,” which may point to the set times of prayer at the temple. Jews in Jesus’ day typically prayed at fixed times of day, including the time of the afternoon sacrifice around three o’clock. That’s exactly where Peter and John are headed at the start of the next chapter (Acts 3:1). These Jewish followers of Jesus didn’t abandon their heritage. They brought their new faith in the Messiah into their old rhythms of prayer, and they also prayed together as a church.
Radical Generosity
Next, Luke describes one of the most striking features of the early church.
Acts 2:44-45 All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
This wasn’t forced. It wasn’t a government program or a rule for membership. Later, Peter tells Ananias that his property belonged to him and he was free to do what he wanted with it (Acts 5:4). The believers gave freely, as needs came up. The Greek tense suggests they sold possessions from time to time, whenever someone was in need, rather than all at once. Many of the new believers were pilgrims who may have stayed in Jerusalem longer than planned to learn more, and they needed help.
This kind of generosity came straight from Jesus’ teaching.
Luke 12:33-34 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Christian generosity became famous in the ancient world. In the fourth century, the Roman emperor Julian, who tried to revive paganism, complained that Christians cared not only for their own poor but for pagans as well. Generosity was one of the ways the church showed the world what Jesus was like.
Glad Hearts and Open Doors
Luke closes with a picture of daily life in the church.
Acts 2:46-47 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The believers met in two kinds of places: the temple courts and their homes. The large gatherings at the temple were for worship and teaching. The homes were for meals and close relationships. Healthy churches still need both: larger gatherings and smaller groups where people really know each other.
Their meetings were marked by “glad and sincere hearts.” They praised God and enjoyed “the favor of all the people.” Some scholars note that the Greek could also be read as the believers showing goodwill toward all the people. Either way, the point is the same. This church was friendly to outsiders, and outsiders were drawn to it. Being welcoming to seekers isn’t a modern compromise. It goes all the way back to the beginning. The danger isn’t in being friendly. The danger is in watering down the truth.
The final sentence is the most important: “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Notice who did the adding. Church growth is Jesus’ work. He promised, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Our job is to make disciples. His job is to build the church.
What This Means for Us
It’s easy to look at Acts 2 and feel nostalgic, or to assume a modern church could never look like this. But the marks Luke describes aren’t complicated. They’re about devotion. These believers were committed to God’s Word, to each other, to prayer, and to generosity. They opened their homes and welcomed outsiders. And they trusted Jesus to do what only he can do.
Healthy church growth isn’t about a better marketing plan or a bigger building. It’s about disciples who make disciples. For a broader look at the topic, see How Do You Grow a Church? And Luke will return to these marks later in Acts, when Paul says goodbye to the elders in Ephesus (Acts 20). Whatever your role in your church, you can ask which of these marks you can help strengthen.
The Takeaway
What made the early church grow? Its people were devoted to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, shared meals, and prayer. They gave generously, worshiped with glad hearts, and welcomed outsiders. But ultimately, the Lord added to their number. Healthy things grow, and a healthy church is full of disciples who make disciples while Jesus builds his church.
