(Faculty of Theology, University of the Free State, 2016) Friedl, A.
The Book of Deuteronomy was extant in the Jewish cultural memory and played
an important role in shaping Jewish identity. Its concept of the holy people of God,
who live according to the social order given by YHWH and who stand in contrast
to the pagan world, forms the social model for the Primitive Church in Jerusalem.
Since New Testament exegesis has, to a large extent, neglected the role of this
book of the Torah in understanding the Primitive Church, this study investigates the
reception of Deuteronomy’s social law in Acts 2:42-47, 4:32-35, and 6:1-7, in terms
of its theological or ecclesiological importance.