Did The First Christians Practice Communism?
Hi, Mike,
Great site! I have learned a lot of truth about God’s Word that I never knew before, nor was I able to, because the god of this age had blinded me… Thanks for your insights. My life has totally changed, thanks to God working through you!
Now I am about to you perhaps have never seen or even considered before, yet there seems to be a lot of Scriptural confirmation to back up this point of view, unpopular as it may be. A friend of mine received a revelation from God a couple of years ago (at least he wholeheartedly believes it was from God) that to him confirmed some disturbing things he had been seeing in the Scriptures for years.
Jesus said that anyone who did not first “deny self” and then secondly “pick up his cross and follow Him” could NOT be His disciple. In many other places, He admonished us to “sell ALL that we have, give it to the poor, and then come and follow Him.” He even went so far as to say that we must forsake EVERYTHING, including our families, and even our own lives, if we are to be His disciples. Do we “believers” (at least here in America) do this today? Do we take these commands of our Lord literally, or do we tend to try and “spiritualize them away?” Are we all really just a bunch of “rich young rulers” who walk away saddened because we refuse to do the first step by parting with our possessions? And don’t we tend to make excuses why we can’t do this, just like those in the parable of the great supper? (See Luk 14:15-24)
My friend points to chapters 2 and 4 of the Book of Acts as proof that we are to take these commandments literally. Here it is recorded that the early apostles, many of whom knew Jesus personally and were taught first- hand by Him, did just that:
Act 2:44-45 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
And again:
Act 4:32, 34, 35 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. Nor was there anyone who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.
My friend believes that our obedience to this initial step, which requires the kind of faith that Abraham had, is the key to finding the narrow road Jesus talked about which leads to life via the first resurrection. (A case could also be made for communal living from the above passages as well.)
Heb 3:14-19; 4:11 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: Today if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
I think it’s pretty plain to see that this Old Testament story is the shadow of the New Testament fulfillment of the first resurrection that leads to the millennial rest. Notice in the above passage of Scripture the correlation between the words unbelief and disobedience. They are interchangeable (See also 1 Pe 2:7). There are many today that claim to “believe”, but how can a person call someone “lord” unless he does the things his lord commands? It appears to me that if we want to partake of the first resurrection, our total obedience to our Lord is required. As recorded in the book of Numbers, only Joshua and Caleb had the kind of faith that pleased God that earned their ticket into the Promised Land. Even though there were “giants in the land”, they knew that God was with them and that He would help them to overcome these obstacles. The bones of the rest, all those who were at least twenty years of age, were left lying in the wilderness. It also states that along with Joshua and Caleb, God had mercy upon those who were under the age of twenty years (Num 14:29-32).
I don’t know about you, Mike, but just two people (except for the children) out of a multitude sure looks like a very small percentage to me. I know Jesus said that FEW would be chosen, but is it really going to be that small of a number? It sure seems to line up with the following statements of our Lord:
Luk 18:8 … When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?
Mat 7:14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life and there are few who find it.My friend believes that true followers of Christ should sell everything they have and pool the money together in order to purchase a piece of land on which we could all work together to build a modern day Act 2 and 4 community. He also believes this community should be self- sustaining and free from modern day conveniences and independent of the utility companies. Therefore we would have to grow our own food and raise our own livestock. He also reasons that enough money could be raised through the sale of produce via roadside stands to enable the community to pay their property taxes. Now I know that the way our society has been set up here in America makes living like this seem virtually impossible, especially to a bunch of people (including me) who know nothing about farm life. But are these really no more than modern day “giants in the land” that our Lord expects us to overcome with His help if we desire to enter into the “Promised Land?” How many of us really have the faith to literally “forsake all?”
Much more could be added to support this viewpoint, but for now allow me to close with this thought: If all of this is really true, then I know it’s an awful big pill to swallow… I told you this would not be a very popular opinion. If you think you have been ridiculed and berated for your opinions, you can only imagine what my friend has been through. Is there anything that my friend is missing here? Is his focus wrongly upon the “shadow” rather than upon the ultimate fulfillment? Would any earthly attempt to put the body of Christ back together be going against God’s wishes, seeing as though it appears that the True Church has been scattered by His design? Any additional insight you can provide would be appreciated! Thanks!
3Jn 2
G___
Hi G____,
I am pleased to see that you are at least questioning the need to “put the body of Christ back together.” The body of Christ is doing quite well as it is. As a matter of fact it is exactly where Christ wants it.
What your friend is espousing is to be found nowhere in the scriptures. Never did the followers of Christ live a communal life. This experience in Acts shows that that is what some wanted to do because they still at this time thought that the gospel was to go only to the Jews. “Go ye into all the world…” to the 12 apostles meant ‘Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to all Jews in all the nations they’ve been scattered into.’ Peter at this time had not even been to Cornelius’ home. It is clear from Gal 2 that many years after Peter’s experience at Cornelius’ home, he still had a hard time accepting the fact that ‘we are no longer under the schoolmaster.’
Gal 2:11 But when Peter [ who supervised the communal movement] was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Gal 2:12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
Gal 2:13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation [ hypocrisy].
Gal 2:14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
Does this sound like the Spirit wanted everyone to go to Jerusalem and live a communal life?
What I am pointing out to you, is that this entire period was colored with the belief that Christ was about to return to set up a physical kingdom with physical Israel at the head of that kingdom. Your friend is mistaking immaturity for maturity. This is not to deny that it is good if we realize that we really don’t own anything, but we are mere tenants on God’s land. As David said, ‘Of thine own give we to thee…’ The ‘communal movement’ actually restricted the spreading of the gospel even to the scattered Jews. It took severe persecution to scatter the disciples before the gospel began to spread.
Act 11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
Do you see how spiritually immature the whole church was at this point? The 12 apostles themselves were yet unaware that physical birth as a Jew was about as important to God as is “dung.” The fact that there were so many signs and wonders is just testimony to the lack of maturity at this point. Read ‘The Best Gifts Versus Tongues,’ in the ‘Tongues’ section of the ‘You Asked’ letters for a better understanding of Christ’s words “Blessed are they who believe even though they have not seen.” What your friend is advocating is taking the ‘salt out of the earth’ and doing what the Catholics do in their monasteries and convents. What they are doing is they are putting all the salt in one salt shaker with no holes in the lid.
Here, on the other hand is what Christ had to say to His Father about this subject:
Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world [ in a commune], but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil [ so prevalent in the world outside of a commune].
It is very instructive to notice that Phillip and Peter both had houses that they were living in.
Act 21:8 And the next [ day] we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him.
Mat 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.
There is no indication that either of these great men of God had ‘fallen away from the faith’ as your friend intimates is the case with anyone owning his house.
Here is what Christ said of his apostles of this very period of transition from the old covenant to the new which we are discussing:
Joh 16:12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
I am not trying to offend you, but nothing demonstrates this more than the desire to live in a communal setting. Pay close attention to the wording of this next verse, and ask yourself what this verse has in common with your friend’s theory:
1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
I am encouraged by the way you have couched this question:
Is there anything that my friend is missing here? Is his focus wrongly upon the “shadow” rather than upon the ultimate fulfillment? Would any earthly attempt to put the body of Christ back together be going against God’s wishes, seeing as though it appears that the True Church has been scattered by His design?
I think God’ spirit is showing you that “the True Church has been scattered by design.” You could not be more accurate. You are equally right about the meaning of the word ‘few.’ When asked about how things would be at the time of His coming, Christ mentioned these two things: 1) “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man,” and 2) Remember Lot.” I have been accused on more than one occasion of being a pessimist in my teachings. My answer to my detractors is that if Christ had said ‘Remember Nineveh,’ then I too, would say ‘Remember Nineveh.’ But that is not what He said. What He did say was “Remember Lot.” Sodom is a type of this world. Lot, in this case, is a type of the elect. If there is anything that gives us even a hint of what percent of the called are chosen, it is Gideon’s call for Israel to come to the battle against the Midianites. Out of over thirty two thousand who responded to his call only 300 were chosen [ elected] to be used in Israel’s deliverance. That is less than one percent. And from where I stand that seems way too optimistic.
I hope this is of some value to you. When haven’t touched on the significance of Christ’s Words to the rich young ruler. He obviously typifies the called but not chosen. His ‘riches’ came before the things of the spirit. Therein lies the answer to this story. HIS riches.
Mike
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