Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

[mcarans]

I would be interested in your thoughts on this question: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

 

[mcarans]

I elaborate and give relevant Bible passages from Acts here: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common? but reading this is not essential for answering the OP.

 

[quaternion]

I would be interested in your thoughts on this question: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

It's not a bad idea, but neither is it a requirement. It carries no sanctifying guarantee. Whatever your situation, do your best to care for your neighbor.

 

[dogs4thewin]

I would be interested in your thoughts on this question: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

There is a difference in giving people what they need and allowing everyone to have the same things.

 

[RDKirk]

I would be interested in your thoughts on this question: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

Look carefully at how they did that. Also, look at 2 Corinthians 8 for more detail, which also provides the relevant OT reference. Luke 12 is also relevant.

From my understanding, the concept is that we in the Body of Christ--in the Body of Christ--may be stewards of resources that actually belong to the Master. We should not consider what we "own" as our own, but as the property of the Master that is our duty to administer for the benefit of His body.

This does not mean immediately handing everything over to a church pastor, because that stewardship is not his role.

For example, in one congregation that had a proper understanding of this concept, one member owned a Chevron service station with three service bays. He understood his role as being the manager of a service station that actually belonged to Christ. The Holy Spirit advised him to make two of his service bays available to the Body of Christ one Saturday a month, and as well to donate parts and supplies for work done there. But he remained the good manager of the service station, making sure it was profitable and remained in business.

The pastor, in his role, was already maintaining a Widows and Single Mothers list--because scripture calls for the congregation to make sure widows and fatherless children have their needs met. The pastor, understanding that auto breakdowns were an immense problem for widows and single mothers, applied that list to the auto service resource provided by the service station manager. They scheduled all the widows and single mothers dates to bring their cars in for free servicing every three months.

Here is the spiritual part: The service station owner reported that he did not suffer a single dollar loss in doing this. His overall business increased by the work of the Holy Spirit to meet whatever he lost or spent doing free auto service for the widows and single mothers.

I used the word "duty" earlier. A lot of people run from the concept of duty. In fact, there are Christians who actually preach against the concept of duty. But duty is scripturally inherent in being a Christian.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." -- Ephesians 2

This is what duty is: When a football player opens the team playbook, he sees his own "assignment" for each play. That assignment is his "duty." If he has no assignment, that means he's not a player. He's sitting on the bench. The football player wants an assignment. He wants a duty to perform. He wants to be part of the game his team is playing.

This gets into what James was saying. How can a person claim to be part of the team but refuse to play in the game?

 

[timothyu]

Even the remotest tribes that know noting of Jesus, God or the Kingdom practice this way of life as a natural means of survival within a selfless society. It is self interest first promoted by Eve that has lead mankind to collect possessions unto self thus encouraging division and a path as the Tempter said in the desert to Jesus where all this could be yours. At what ancient point in time did man first see the hoarding of food as a tool in the formulation of power? Today God uses toilet paper to show us our foolishness.

Things in common is the way of the Kingdom and of the Christ. What man and the most powerful nations encourage is anti-Christ in nature as it imprisons us in a world built upon protection of things rather than each other.

 

[anna ~ grace]

I would be interested in your thoughts on this question: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

I don't think so, no. Since and just prior to the Reformation, groups of Christians have tried to live communally. As in, everyone in that community lives communally, like the Amish. Many Christians have looked at this Scripture and assumed that it applies universally, to everyone, and that Christians should strive to live in communes, not cities or towns.

Many Catholic and Orthodox religious orders do this, to an extent. But, it's also a monastic way of life, is rigorous, often lonely, spiritually challenging, and not what everyone is called to. It's a beautiful and holy way of life, but it's also ok to live in a town, marry, make shoes for a living, raise a family, and earn money, and own property and items. That's ok, too, and it's a calling in and of itself.

 

[Albion]

It does seem that it would work only in a relatively small cluster of Christians, which probably was the situation that the NT verse was reporting on.

 

[timothyu]

It's a beautiful and holy way of life, but it's also ok to live in a town, marry, make shoes for a living, raise a family, and earn money, and own property and items.

With the fall of smaller communities in favour of mega cities the sense of community where people knew and cared for each other has been lost in favour of mistrust and greed. Conformity has gone from neighbourly good to being political in nature.

God's system works perfectly for the further we stray from His ways the better the odds we will self destruct and be forced back to small community way of life and survival. It always was and always will be so.

 

[anna ~ grace]

With the fall of smaller communities in favour of mega cities the sense of community where people knew and cared for each other has been lost in favour of mistrust and greed. Conformity has gone from neighbourly good to political. God's system works perfectly for the further we stray from His ways the better the odds we will self destruct and be forced back to small community way of life and survival. It always was and always will be so.

I disagree, Tim. People can be supporting, selfless, loving, and kind in cities, too. And people in the countryside can be cold and heartless, too.

 

[timothyu]

People can be supporting, selfless, loving, and kind in cities, too. And people in the countryside can be cold and heartless, too.

Communities within communities yes, but that is where it gets political (even within churches). There are exceptions to every rule but the default setting stands no matter how many think their rights out-value their responsibilities.

 

[mcarans]

Even the remotest tribes that know noting of Jesus, God or the Kingdom practice this way of life as a natural means of survival within a selfless society. It is self interest first promoted by Eve that has lead mankind to collect possessions unto self thus encouraging division and a path as the Tempter said in the desert to Jesus where all this could be yours. At what ancient point in time did man first see the hoarding of food as a tool in the formulation of power? Today God uses toilet paper to show us our foolishness.

Things in common is the way of the Kingdom and of the Christ. What man and the most powerful nations encourage is anti-Christ in nature as it imprisons us in a world built upon protection of things rather than each other.

I like your toilet paper example of human foolishness. It shows how fear of scarcity pushes people away from the selflessness and love of neighbour we are called to.

 

[timothyu]

It shows how fear of scarcity pushes people away from the selflessness and love of neighbour we are called to.

Which shows they never understood the concept of sharing in the first place. Lord, lords.

 

[HTacianas]

I would be interested in your thoughts on this question: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

The earliest Christians separated themselves and lived communally much the way monastics live in modern times. As Christianity spread that communal life was gradually replaced by charity in general.

If you want to live communally you can.

 

[bling]

The earliest Christians separated themselves and lived communally much the way monastics live in modern times. As Christianity spread that communal life was gradually replaced by charity in general.

If you want to live communally you can.

I do not think so, since the church was growing rapidly and we have very public preaching going on.

 

[bling]

I would be interested in your thoughts on this question: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

It is a good question, but we always have to keep in mind the context of when, where and why this might have been done. Jews were in Jerusalem from all over the known world at the time of Pentecost, many who made their once in a life time journey to Jerusalem would tried to get there for Passover and stayed the 50 days to Pentecost, but would have had only funds for that time and the passage for the way home. But since just becoming Christian they would need to stay and become equipped to teach Christianity back home which would take intense daily learning for maybe a year or so. They would run out of money if the church did not help them. The need for money would be huge or these future missionaries would have to leave without training.
That is all well and good, but we might be in a similar situation today, with many Christians being kicked out of their apartments, no work available, the government money not available, having bills mounting up and some sitting on their money.

 

[timothyu]

I do not think so, since the church was growing rapidly and we have very public preaching going on.

Meaning support the preachers and not each other??

 

[RDKirk]

The earliest Christians separated themselves and lived communally much the way monastics live in modern times.

No, they didn't. The earliest Christians would have been the 1st century congregations described in scripture, and they clearly were not cloistered.

 

[HTacianas]

No, they didn't. The earliest Christians would have been the 1st century congregations described in scripture, and they clearly were not cloistered.

Act 2:44 - Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,

Act 2:45 - and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

 

[RDKirk]

Act 2:44 - Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,

Act 2:45 - and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

That does not speak to be cloistered. As to them not being cloistered:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.-- Acts 4

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. -- 1 Corinthians 5


Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. -- 1 Peter 3

Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. -- 1 Peter 3