Strong’s Greek 5223 (hyparxis) denotes a person’s tangible resources—goods or property that may be liquidated for the benefit of others. Although the term can stand for one’s entire estate, in New Testament usage it often points to whatever is held in hand and freely placed at God’s disposal.

Occurrences in the New Testament

1. Acts 2:45 uses the plural form when Luke records that the first believers “sold their possessions and goods and distributed the proceeds to anyone who had need.” The word captures the concrete assets—whether land, valuables, or household items—that were willingly sacrificed to meet the needs within the newborn church.
2. Hebrews 10:34 employs the singular form to commend Christians who “sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, knowing that you yourselves have a better and lasting possession.” Here the term reaches beyond the material to set up a contrast between earthly holdings and the enduring inheritance kept in heaven.

Theological Implications

• Stewardship under the Lordship of Christ: Both texts assume that what a believer owns is ultimately God’s, to be managed for His glory (Psalm 24:1; 1 Corinthians 4:2).
• Love expressed through sacrificial generosity: In Acts the term becomes a vehicle for koinonia, demonstrating that fellowship is more than sentiment; it is concrete service to brothers and sisters (1 John 3:17).
• Assurance of heavenly recompense: Hebrews frames the loss of earthly assets within a theology of reward, reminding persecuted saints that forfeited goods are exchanged for “an inheritance that is imperishable” (1 Peter 1:4).

Historical and Cultural Background

In first-century Judaism and Greco-Roman society, property was a principal marker of social status. Voluntarily sharing or relinquishing it cut against prevailing norms of patronage and honor-shame values. The Jerusalem church’s practice of liquidating assets defied cultural expectations, while confiscation of Christian property under persecution (Hebrews 10) highlights the social cost of discipleship in the latter half of the first century.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Mutual Aid Funds: Congregations emulate Acts 2:45 when benevolence resources are set aside for members in crisis.
2. Hospitality Networks: Hebrews 10:34 encourages believers to risk material security by opening homes to the persecuted or displaced.
3. Teaching on Contentment: Pastoral instruction can link loss of possessions to the gain of eternal treasure, combating materialism (Matthew 6:19-21; Philippians 4:11-13).

Connection to Christian Stewardship

The term underscores that stewardship entails readiness both to give voluntarily and to lose involuntarily. Whether assets are sold to relieve need (Acts) or seized under oppression (Hebrews), the believer’s response is governed by confidence in God’s provision and future reward.

Christological Insight

Jesus Himself embodied the principle behind hyparxis: “though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor” (2 Corinthians 8:9). The early church’s disposition toward property mirrors the self-emptying love of Christ, transforming economic behavior into a visible testimony of the gospel.

Eschatological Perspective

Hyparxis is temporary by nature; the “lasting possession” (Hebrews 10:34) is eschatological. This forward look liberates believers from clutching present goods, nurturing a pilgrim mindset that anticipates the “city with foundations” (Hebrews 11:10).

Conclusion

Strong’s 5223 challenges every generation of Christians to examine the hold possessions have on the heart. Whether assets are willingly laid down for others or forcibly taken for Christ’s sake, Scripture calls the church to hold them loosely, steward them faithfully, and trust the Lord to replace temporal loss with everlasting gain.