Great grace

Luke is an excellent writer: this is one of his points of beautiful conclusion and transition, carrying forward his historical narrative. It offers and description and demonstration of the life of the new covenant community under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

First we see great unity, great generosity, great power, and great grace, digging down to the foundations of the life of the church of the risen Jesus.

Then we have a further general positive pattern of this gospel-driven charity and a specific positive example in Barnabas.

While we must face the fact that Satan hates such a heavenly atmosphere, and will spoil it if he can by persecution and corruption, yet still it provides us with a sweet snapshot of the lives of people bound together in Christ by the Holy Spirit.