Christian Koinonia : Acts 2:42–47 and 4:32–37 as Descriptions of Normative Christian Practice

This article argues that Acts 2:42–47 and 4:32–37 are descriptions of ongoing normative practices of early Christian communities, as opposed to either mere idealisations or descriptions of singular events. In this article I use the descriptions given by Josephus and Philo of the Essene practices as analogous to Luke’s description of Christian practices and compare documents from both communities with those descriptions. I also examine the nature of the practices described by Acts 2:42–47 and 4:32–37 by looking at the broad nature of Greek concepts of friendship and, using tools from the social anthropology of David Graeber, argue that evidence of these practices can be found throughout the first two centuries of Christianity.