Troublesome Topic: How Did They Have Time to Meet at the Temple Every Day?

Acts 2:46

Translation

and continuing steadfastly

in the temple every day with one mind,

and breaking bread

in each house, and partaking of food with hearts [full of] exuberance and without stumbling stones,

Paraphrase

and they were persistently fixated on [being together] in the temple [courts] with a singular, united purpose, as well as remembering the sacrifice of Jesus together in home meetings, and eating meals together with overflowing joy for what God had done and without any of the things that damage relationships,

How Did They Have Time to Meet at the Temple Every Day

Some of those present were from Galilee or other distant places so they stayed with relatives and enjoyed these meetings as long as they could before being forced by life’s demands to return home and start meeting with people at home and in their local synagogue. Those who lived in or around Jerusalem had jobs or farms, so they had to work during the day. These meeting probably took place in the evening. Not everyone could show up each evening, but their work activities usually ended at sundown and there was very little for them to do after dark. On a number of missions fields today, the local congregations have services six nights per week and there is a high percentage of congregants that show up for every service. What we read in Acts was definitely possible. The fact that they took place every evening indicates the level of intense passion and commitment demonstrated by these followers of Jesus. They were not told to join together; they wanted to be together.

Footnotes

1

This is a compound word that comes from the preposition “towards or with” and the verb “to show steadfast strength.” It can be rendered “to persevere, continue steadfastly, endure, prevail, stay fixed in one direction, keep on, persist, to continue to do something with intense effort, give constant attention to something.”

2

This word means “one passion;” “one mind” is a close parallel. It speaks to unit of purpose and focus.

3

Once again, the phrase “breaking of bread” probably refers to celebrating what we call “the Lord’s Supper, Communion, or Eucharist.”

4

This word means “without rocks, smooth, without stones on which to stumble, without encumbrance or hindrance.”