Acts 2:42
◄  Acts 2:42  ►
New International Version (©2011)
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

New Living Translation (©2007)
All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord's Supper), and to prayer.

English Standard Version (©2001)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers.

International Standard Version (©2012)
The believers continued to devote themselves to what the apostles were teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to times of prayer.

NET Bible (©2006)
They were devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
And they were continuing in the teaching of the Apostles, and they became partakers in prayer and in breaking of the Eucharist.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
The disciples were devoted to the teachings of the apostles, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

American King James Version
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

American Standard Version
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Darby Bible Translation
And they persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, in breaking of bread and prayers.

English Revised Version
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Webster's Bible Translation
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Weymouth New Testament
and they were constant in listening to the teaching of the Apostles and in their attendance at the Communion, that is, the Breaking of the Bread, and at prayer.

World English Bible
They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.

Young's Literal Translation
and they were continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles, and the fellowship, and the breaking of the bread, and the prayers.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

2:42-47 In these verses we have the history of the truly primitive church, of the first days of it; its state of infancy indeed, but, like that, the state of its greatest innocence. They kept close to holy ordinances, and abounded in piety and devotion; for Christianity, when admitted in the power of it, will dispose the soul to communion with God in all those ways wherein he has appointed us to meet him, and has promised to meet us. The greatness of the event raised them above the world, and the Holy Ghost filled them with such love, as made every one to be to another as to himself, and so made all things common, not by destroying property, but doing away selfishness, and causing charity. And God who moved them to it, knew that they were quickly to be driven from their possessions in Judea. The Lord, from day to day, inclined the hearts of more to embrace the gospel; not merely professors, but such as were actually brought into a state of acceptance with God, being made partakers of regenerating grace. Those whom God has designed for eternal salvation, shall be effectually brought to Christ, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of his glory.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 42. - Teaching for doctrine, A.V.; in the breaking for and in breaking, A.V. and T.R.; the prayers for in prayer, A.V. And fellowship; better, as in the margin, in fellowship; not meaning the apostles' fellowship, but the fellowship of the Church - that common life of close brotherhood in which all that they did was done in common, and all that they possessed was possessed in common, so that there seemed to be but one heart and one mind amongst them all. Breaking of bread; in the Holy Eucharist (see Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; Luke 24:30; 1 Corinthians 11:24; 1 Corinthians 10:16; Acts 20:7). The prayers; the common prayers of the Church.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine,.... And which is the same with the doctrine of Christ, of which he is the author, preacher, and subject; the substance of which is peace, pardon, righteousness, and salvation by him: this the apostles received from Christ, and constantly taught in their ministry; for which reason, it is called theirs; and this these young converts had embraced gladly; and were not only believers of it, but persevering believers; they were constant hearers of it; they continually attended on the ministry of the apostles, and held fast the form of sound words they had received from them; and stood fast in the faith of the Gospel, notwithstanding all the reproach cast upon it, and the afflictions they endured for it:

and fellowship; with the apostles and other saints, in spiritual conversation with them, in private, and in communion with them at the Lord's table in public: and so the Vulgate Latin reads this clause, in connection with the next, thus, "in the communication of breaking of bread"; to which agrees the Syriac version, and "they communicated in prayer, and in breaking of the eucharist"; though it seems better to understand this of a distinct branch of fellowship, or communication, and may rather intend liberality and beneficence, in which sense it is used, Romans 15:26 and so expresses their constant contributions towards the support of the apostles, as ministers of the word and of the poor members of the church; a duty which, in both its branches, is incumbent on those who have it in their power to perform, and which these first Christians were remarkable for:

and in breaking of bread; or "of the eucharist": as the Syriac version renders it, which was an usual name with the ancients for the Lord's supper; and which seems to be intended here, and not eating common bread, or a common meal; seeing it is here mentioned with religious exercises: and though the Jews used to begin their meals with breaking of bread, yet the whole repast, or meal, is never by them called by that name; and for what reason these saints should be commended for keeping their common meals, cannot be said, unless to show their sociableness, agreement, and brotherly love in eating together; and which is not hinted at here, but in Acts 2:46 where it is mentioned as something distinct from this: it seems rather therefore to design, that they were constant at the Lord's table, kept their places there, and duly attended whenever the ordinance was administered:

and in prayers: not only in their closets, and in their families, but in the church; in the public prayers of the church, they observed all opportunities of this kind, and gladly embraced them.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

42. continued steadfastly in—"attended constantly upon."

the apostles' doctrine—"teaching"; giving themselves up to the instructions which, in their raw state, would be indispensable to the consolidation of the immense multitude suddenly admitted to visible discipleship.

fellowship—in its largest sense.

breaking of bread—not certainly in the Lord's Supper alone, but rather in frugal repasts taken together, with which the Lord's Supper was probably conjoined until abuses and persecution led to the discontinuance of the common meal.

prayers—probably, stated seasons of it.

Acts 2:42 Parallel Commentaries

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Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


The Fellowship of Believers
42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43And fear came on every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44And all that believed were together, and had all things common; …

Luke 24:30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.
Acts 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Acts 2:46 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,
Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight.
Acts 20:11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.
1 Corinthians 10:16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
1 Corinthians 14:6 Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will I be to you, unless I bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction?
Philippians 1:5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,
Hebrews 10:25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.