Acts 4:34--5:2

4:34 For there was no one needy ¹  among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling ²  them ³  and bringing the proceeds from the sales 4:35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds ⁴  were distributed to each, as anyone had need. 4:36 So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”), ⁵  4:37 sold ⁶  a field ⁷  that belonged to him and brought the money ⁸  and placed it at the apostles’ feet.

The Judgment on Ananias and Sapphira

5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. 5:2 He ⁹  kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge; he brought ¹⁰  only part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet.

Acts 11:29

11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ¹¹  decided ¹²  to send relief ¹³  to the brothers living in Judea.

Luke 12:33-34

12:33 Sell your possessions ¹⁴  and give to the poor. ¹⁵  Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out – a treasure in heaven ¹⁶  that never decreases, ¹⁷  where no thief approaches and no moth ¹⁸  destroys. 12:34 For where your treasure ¹⁹  is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 16:9

16:9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, ²⁰  so that when it runs out you will be welcomed ²¹  into the eternal homes. ²² 

Luke 18:22

18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have ²³  and give the money ²⁴  to the poor, ²⁵  and you will have treasure ²⁶  in heaven. Then ²⁷  come, follow me.”

Luke 19:8

19:8 But Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, half of my possessions I now give ²⁸  to the poor, and if ²⁹  I have cheated anyone of anything, I am paying back four times as much!”

[4:34]  ¹ tn Or “poor.”

[4:34]  ² tn Grk “houses, selling them were bringing.” The participle πωλοῦντες (pwlounte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:34]  ³ tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[4:35]  ⁴ tn Grk “It” (or “They,” plural). The referent of the understood pronoun subject, the proceeds from the sales, of the verb διεδίδετο (diedideto) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:36]  ⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Note how the actions of Barnabas are in keeping with the meaning of his nickname. He stands in contrast to Ananias and Sapphira in 5:1-11.

[4:37]  ⁶ tn Grk “selling a field that belonged to him, brought” The participle πωλήσας (pwlhsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:37]  ⁷ tn Or “a farm.”

[4:37]  ⁸ tn Normally a reference to actual coins (“currency”). See L&N 6.68.

[5:2]  ⁹ tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[5:2]  ¹⁰ tn The participle ἐνέγκας (enenka") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[11:29]  ¹¹ tn So BDAG 410 s.v. εὐπορέω.

[11:29]  ¹² tn Or “determined,” “resolved.”

[11:29]  ¹³ tn Grk “to send [something] for a ministry,” but today it is common to speak of sending relief for victims of natural disasters.

[12:33]  ¹⁴ sn The call to sell your possessions is a call to a lack of attachment to the earth and a generosity as a result.

[12:33]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today.

[12:33]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “in the heavens.”

[12:33]  ¹⁷ tn Or “an unfailing treasure in heaven,” or “an inexhaustible treasure in heaven.”

[12:33]  ¹⁸ tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.

[12:34]  ¹⁹ sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so; see Luke 6:35-36.

[16:9]  ²⁰ tn Grk “unrighteous mammon.” Mammon is the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. The call is to be generous and kind in its use. Zacchaeus becomes the example of this in Luke’s Gospel (19:1-10).

[16:9]  ²¹ sn The passive refers to the welcome of heaven.

[16:9]  ²² tn Grk “eternal tents” (as dwelling places).

[18:22]  ²³ sn See Luke 14:33.

[18:22]  ²⁴ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:22]  ²⁵ sn See Luke 1:50-53; 6:20-23; 14:12-14.

[18:22]  ²⁶ sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: …you will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

[18:22]  ²⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the conversation.

[19:8]  ²⁸ sn Zacchaeus was a penitent man who resolved on the spot to act differently in the face of Jesus’ acceptance of him. In resolving to give half his possessions to the poor, Zacchaeus was not defending himself against the crowd’s charges and claiming to be righteous. Rather as a result of this meeting with Jesus, he was a changed individual. So Jesus could speak of salvation coming that day (v. 9) and of the lost being saved (v. 10).

[19:8]  ²⁹ tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text. It virtually confesses fraud.