Social Justice in the Book of Acts
Ben is Senior Pastor at Cross Lanes Bible Church in Detroit, MI. He previously served as Associate Pastor of Discipleship at Inter-City Baptist Church in Detroit, MI and taught pastoral theology at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary.
Several passages in Acts record believers engaged in social work. But what was the focus of the church’s benevolence? And who were the intended recipients? This study walks through the major sections of Acts that show the social work of the early church, showing that the early church’s benevolence was directed primarily to believers.
Acts 2:42–47
The early believers gave themselves to doctrine, fellowship, the Lord’s Table, and prayer. They also shared with each other, selling their possessions and distributing the proceeds as needs arose. Some argue that their sharing stemmed from their anticipation of Christ’s return, but the text gives a social reason—the needs of the believing community.
Acts 4:32–37
In Acts 4, Luke gives a similar description of the way this young church viewed and used its resources as in Acts 2. They willingly shared, selling property for the sake of those in need. The text does not point to an experiment in community ownership but to voluntary practice. As Longenecker notes, “Though these early Christians had personal possessions, they did not consider them to be private possessions . . . to be held exclusively for their own use and enjoyment.”[1] As for the recipients, the acts of sharing and charity were done on behalf of fellow believers. There does not appear to be any emphasis on broader societal concerns.
Acts 6:1–6
Some of the Hellenistic widows were being neglected in the early church’s charity distribution. The apostles were determined not to abandon their preaching and prayer ministry, so they instructed the church to choose men to oversee the distribution to the widows. Again, believers are the beneficiaries of this charity work.
Acts 9:36–42
In this passage, Luke records the resurrection of Dorcas. She is described as “full of good works and charity” (v. 6). Her charity entailed providing garments for widows. Though it is not explicitly stated, it seems reasonable to assume that the widows were included among the Christian disciples mentioned in the passage.
Acts 10:2
According to Luke, Cornelius was a God-fearer marked by giving alms and praying. These are two of the three central works of Jewish piety. As a God-fearer, Cornelius’s alms were likely directed to poor Israelites. The verse does not explicitly limit his giving to the Jews, however, so Gentiles of the city may have been included.
Acts 11:27–30
Agabus prophesied from Antioch that a great famine was about to befall the world. The believers there decided to send help to the believers in Judea. The Christians of Antioch gave “as any . . . had means” (v. 29). After collecting the funds, the church sent them to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Saul. The Gentile Antiochene Christians showed care for their predominantly Jewish brethren by providing disaster relief. This gift demonstrated a concern for fellow believers from different ethnicities and from different local churches.
Acts 20:33–35
As one who labored with his own hands to provide for himself and his team, Paul provided an example to the Ephesian elders and called them to likewise work to provide for themselves and “the weak” (v. 35). Paul’s use of “must” in this verse indicates a moral imperative. The elders were not to live for material goods; they were to use them to provide for those in need. Paul does not clarify whether “the weak” here refers to believers or would include weak unbelievers as well.
Acts 24:17
As Paul gives his defense before Felix, he describes his return to Jerusalem as coming “to bring alms to my nation and offerings” (Acts 24:17). This reference confirms that Paul brought tangible funds to the Jerusalem church for its relief (Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 8–9; Gal 2:10). From this and the other supporting passages, it is clear that Paul’s offering was for believers in Jerusalem.
Conclusion
This short survey shows that the social ministry of the early church in Acts focused on fellow believers. God leads Christians to care for one another in times of need by sharing and distributing resources in an orderly way. There are, however, no examples of ministries aiming to transform society at large. The believers in Acts do not unite to oppose social injustice, impose kingdom ethics on society, or shape the government by Old Testament laws. If the early church did participate in these activities, Luke did not consider it necessary to record them.
This conclusion does not mean the early church made no societal contribution. Nor does it mean that churches, or individual Christians, should not engage in improving society. The conclusion does, however, caution the global church against viewing societal transformation as part of its mission.
[1] Richard N. Longenecker, Acts, in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, rev. ed., vol. 10, Luke–Acts, ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland (Zondervan, 2007), 782. Emphasis original.