#acts 4

“Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”———Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭32‬-‭35‬ ‭NRSVUE‬‬

Lots of people have maybe skewed versions of socialism and communism, and I don’t think this is an exact comparison because the 1st Century didn’t exactly have a means of production, but it is a redistribution of wealth and in modern terms would be seen as socialist.

(For anyone wondering: I define communism as a stateless, classless, moneyless society. The apostles I think would be considered the state, because the wealth isn’t co-owned by ALL the Christian’s. But it would still be under the socialist umbrella)

This IS, however, what a lot of capitalists would see as straight-up “communism”. Giving land/resources/everything to leaders and having it redistributed. And in the Bible, this is seen as a good thing! I think a lot of people, especially American Christians who are pro-capitalists, could use this passage to understand how socialism could be beneficial and also to destigmatize communism and learn what it really is.

But I think this tells us also that right-wing evangelicals.. don’t read their bibles. lol. Because if they saw this and actually CARED about the apostles actions, they would either not be Christian or they would not be such awful pro-capitalists who don’t care about communitarianism.

What motivates you?

The Great Sanhedrin (Jewish ruling council) by Edouard Moyse, 1868 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in…

Photo by Abdiel Hernandez on Pexels.com Teaching Summary of Acts 4–5 🌿 Overall Themes in Acts 4–5 Bold witness in the face of opposition — The apostles refuse to be silenced. The name of Jesus — Healing, preaching, and salvation come through His name alone. The Spirit’s power and presence — Filling, boldness, judgment, and miracles. The purity of the church — God protects His people from…