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Life application: As noted above, the word homothumadon will be looked at a little more closely. These are all of the uses of the word in Scripture –

“These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” Acts 1:14

“So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,” Acts 2:46

“So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: ‘Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,’” Acts 4:24

“And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.” Acts 5:12

“Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;” Acts 7:57

“And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.” Acts 8:6

“Now Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; but they came to him with one accord, and having made Blastus the king’s personal aide their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food by the king’s country.”Acts 12:20

“it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,” Acts 15:25

“When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accordrose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat,” Acts 18:12

“So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions.” Acts 19:29

“that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus” Christ. Romans 15:6

A great deal can be learned from the careful placement of this word at the various points in Acts. But only a short evaluation will be made. First, the word is used eleven times total with ten being in Acts. The first seven uses are in the “Peter” chapters of Acts 1-12. One use (Acts 8:6) is among the Samaritans, a people who had their own Pentateuch and are more of an offshoot of what is going on in the religion of the Jews than anything else.

Of the two uses in the “Paul” chapters of Acts (Acts 13-28) the eighth use is in the Council of Jerusalem as led by the Jews. The ninth and final use is seen in the Gentiles coming against the believers of the church.

The eleventh and final use of the word is by Paul, writing to the Romans (and thus by extension to the entire Gentile-led church) to be of one mind in glorifying “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

With only this minimal evaluation of this word, it is plainly evident that unlike the early Jewish-led church, the gentile churches agree on very little. The reason for this is quite apparent. There is a complete breakdown in theology within the church. There is a lack of applying proper context, there is a mixing of dispensations, there is a failure to understand what is prescriptive and what is descriptive for doctrine and practice.

The early church had one body of Scripture that they were well versed in. The early Gentiles had the same body of Scripture, but they were not well versed in it. Therefore, they were easily swayed by external pressures. A perfect example of this is found in the book of Galatians. There was a failure to recognize false teachings, false teachers, and heretical ideas.

To this day, that continues. And the entire reason it does is BECAUSE WE FAIL TO HEED THE WORD. When the word is ignored, diminished, added to (see the Roman Catholic heresies mentioned above), and so on, we can never be in one accord. It is the word of God, in its proper context, that is to be held to and properly evaluated. May it be so in our lives, to the glory of God who has so ordained it. In such a state, the “with one accord” mentioned above will be realized, and there will be harmony among believers –

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
3 It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.” Psalm 133