Acts 2:45

2:45 and they began selling ¹  their property ²  and possessions and distributing the proceeds ³  to everyone, as anyone had need.

Acts 6:1

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ⁴  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ⁵  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ⁶  against the native Hebraic Jews, ⁷  because their widows ⁸  were being overlooked ⁹  in the daily distribution of food. ¹⁰ 

[2:45]  ¹ tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive (“began…”). Since in context this is a description of the beginning of the community of believers, it is more likely that these statements refer to the start of various activities and practices that the early church continued for some time.

[2:45]  ² tn It is possible that the first term for property (κτήματα, kthmata) refers to real estate (as later usage seems to indicate) while the second term (ὑπάρξεις, Juparxeis) refers to possessions in general, but it may also be that the two terms are used together for emphasis, simply indicating that all kinds of possessions were being sold. However, if the first term is more specifically a reference to real estate, it foreshadows the incident with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11.

[2:45]  ³ tn Grk “distributing them” (αὐτά, auta). The referent (the proceeds of the sales) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ⁵ tn Grk “were multiplying.”

[6:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.

[6:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

[6:1]  ⁸ sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.

[6:1]  ⁹ tn Or “neglected.”

[6:1]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “in the daily serving.”