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Act 2:45. Κτήματα, possessions) lands and houses: ch. Act 5:1; Act 5:8.-ὑπάρξεις, their goods, effects) viz. of a moveable kind.-ἐπίπρασκον, they sold) The direction of the Lord, Luk 12:33, “Sell that ye have, and give alms,” spoken a short while before to the disciples, and applying to all times, was especially applicable to the time then being. [So afterwards, at the destruction of Jerusalem, they had nothing to lose: and their all was in the meantime laid out to the best account. The impending calamities of the time move the more prudent, not to parsimony, but to liberality. Ecc 11:2, “Give a portion to seven and also to eight, for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.” Jam 5:3.-V. g.]-διεμέριζον, they parted or distributed them) The Passive, διεδίδοτο, division was made, ch. Act 4:35. The multitude was from time to time increasing.[23] The dividers of their goods were believers themselves; the apostles; the seven deacons.-αὐτὰ, them) all things in common, even the money from the goods which were sold.-καθότι, according as) not as in the societies of the world, where each receives from the common fund according to the magnitude of the share that he has contributed, not according to his need.
[23] Therefore, whilst at first they shared their goods (διεμέριζον) with all, subsequently, when the numbers of believers were large, a division was made on a more systematic plan.-E. and T.