The early believers sold their possessions because they believed the promised Kingdom was just over the horizon and would make private property unnecessary.
Les Feldick shows from Acts that these Jewish believers were looking for the King to set up His Kingdom almost immediately. They believed that once the Kingdom arrived there would be no poverty and everyone would have everything, so houses, lands, and personal wealth seemed unnecessary. That expectation is why they sold their property and placed the money into a common fund.
Acts 2:44-45 — The direct record of the early believers having all things common and selling their possessions.
Acts 4:34-35 — Shows that no one lacked because land and house owners sold them and brought the proceeds to the apostles.
The Book of Acts records that at the beginning of the Jerusalem assembly, all the believers were together and had all things common. They sold their possessions and goods and parted them to everyone as every man had need. Luke repeats this picture in Acts 4: those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet. Distribution was made to every man according as he had need, so that there was none among them that lacked. The biblical record describes the practice in detail; the inner motive of the believers is explained in teaching built on the setting.
Les Feldick points to the Old Testament program and the Jewish expectation of the coming King. Because Israel had just rejected the Messiah, the believers knew that according to that program, wrath and vexation would come and then the King would set up His Kingdom. The more the apostles preached the Kingdom, the more Jews would become believers, and the faster the King could come. With that expectation, they were not worried about keeping their property. They sold their land, their houses, and even cashed in their CDs, bringing the money to the apostles' feet. They were looking down the pipe at the Kingdom just over the horizon, and they knew that in the Kingdom there would be no poverty and no need for personal wealth. That is why they gave with such exuberance.
Les explains that the early believers were operating under the Old Testament program, expecting that once the Messiah was rejected, wrath and vexation would come, and then the King. The more Jews the apostles could bring in as believers, the faster it would happen. So they were not worried about keeping their property and gladly brought it to the apostles' feet. They knew that when the King set up the Kingdom, there would be no poverty, no need for houses and lands, and everyone would enjoy the wealth of the Kingdom.
Israel did not respond and the Kingdom did not come in. The common kitty, no matter how well-funded, ran dry. Les says that is exactly what happens when you start living out of a common kitty. Once the believers had relieved themselves of all their material wealth, it was hard to start over. They became destitute, and the Jerusalem believers ended up poor.
Les says this is exactly why every place Paul went among his Gentile congregations he was always taking up collections for the poor at Jerusalem. Those Jewish believers had sold all their property and cashed everything in, and the kitty ran dry. God, recognizing that they had acted with good intentions, continued to take care of them through the offerings of Paul's Gentile converts.
Why Acts 2 Is NOT the Birth of the Church — Explained
you don't really get to know them, you don't really get to know their children and their grandchildren until they invite you into their home for a meal. Now I'm not out begging for a meal, don't get me wrong. But we've experienced it so often that when someone invites us in their home for a meal, then everything is just laid out.
Kingdom Expectation and the Sale of Property
Les says the believers sold their property because they expected that after Israel rejected the Messiah, wrath would come, then the King; the more Jews believed, the faster the Kingdom would come.
All Believers Sold Everything
Les reminds us that in Acts 2 the believers sold everything, including land, houses, and CDs, and put the money into a common kitty.
The Kingdom Just Over the Horizon
Les says the believers sold their property because they knew that once the King set up the Kingdom they would not need houses and lands; in the Kingdom there would be no poverty.
No Need for Personal Wealth
Les says the Jewish believers in Acts 2 and 3 put all their material goods into the common kitty because they thought the Kingdom was just over the horizon and personal wealth would be unnecessary.
If Israel Had Accepted the Kingdom
Les says they sold everything and lived on the common kitty, but it ran out; had Israel accepted the Kingdom, they would not have needed houses and lands because everything would have been the utopia people still seek.
The Common Kitty Ran Dry
Les says the Jerusalem believers were poor because they sold their lands and houses and put all their money into a common kitty, which eventually ran out.
The Outcome: Poverty and Gentile Offerings
Les says the believers gave gladly because they expected to enjoy the wealth of the Kingdom, but Israel did not respond, the Kingdom did not come, the kitty ran dry, and they became poor.
Acts 2:44: And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Luke records the early believers meeting together and having all things common.
Acts 2:45: And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
This verse directly describes the selling of possessions and the distribution based on need.
Acts 4:34: Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
Luke shows that no one was in need because property owners sold their lands and houses.
Acts 4:35: And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
The money from the sales was laid at the apostles' feet and distributed according to need.
According to the biblical record, all that believed were together and had all things common, and they sold their possessions and goods. Les Feldick likewise says, 'What did all the believers do? They sold everything.' They sold lands, houses, and cashed in their CDs, and put the money into a common kitty.
Les says they expected the King to set up the Kingdom at any moment. In that coming Kingdom there would be no poverty and everyone would have everything, so they did not worry about keeping their property.
Israel rejected the Kingdom, the Kingdom did not come in, and the kitty ran dry. The believers had given up all their wealth and became destitute. Paul then collected offerings from his Gentile converts for the poor saints at Jerusalem.
Watch the Teaching: Why Acts 2 Is NOT the Birth of the Church — Explained