"And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet."
Today's quote relates that after Peter and John were released by the Jews, they returned to join the rest of the Jews who believed in Christ, praising God and praying for strength to continue their work.
The lesson goes further and relates how each of those early Church members sold their properties and brought their money and the things they owned together, placing them in a single account for the common good.
Though there are few, if any, of today's "Christians" who would admit that this lesson promotes socialism, or even communism within the Church, in spite of the erroneous outcry to the contrary, it most certainly does.
Sadly, the vast majority of today's "Christians", by establishing that the "Church" is an entity set apart from its individual membership, (a position with which I adamantly disagree), denounces anything remotely resembling communism as intended governing policy within the Church itself. It is resoundingly clear by what is written in this text that the early Church was definitely governed as a commune.
There is no bible instruction that requires the Church to be a commune it is simply the best way to maintain unity and sense of purpose among the members of the Church. It is very difficult to argue that the Church wouldn't be a much more effective unit today if it indeed still functioned as a commune.
It is up to those of us who seek to maintain the pure intent of the New Testament gospel, to study these lessons and apply what we learn to our daily lives whether the "Church" agrees with us, or not.~
No comments:
Post a Comment