Communes for Christ ?

Acts 4:32-5:11

          What a spectacularly interesting passage. I will confess to being a bit gleeful over how this particular passage would be interpreted by some of the far right wing conservative Christians who seem to think that the United States is a Christian country based on capitalism. That seems to be the message of some televangelists and preachers who have caught the attention of the media.  In fact this country was based on religious freedom but is not a Christian country even if a majority of people are Christians.  Capitalism is not mentioned in the founding documents of this country.  Frankly, I resent the notion that our present and future are based on Capitalism. This country stands for more than that and profit is not necessarily the answer to all our needs and problems.

             So when this passage seems to foreshadow a communist or socialist way of life I wonder how some people would interpret the passage.  Do they recognize what is happening in this passage of Acts of the Apostles?  Not only is everyone selling everything they own for  the common good, they get in serious 'deadly' trouble if the hold back. The example in this passage speaks of 'cheating' and cheating the Holy Spirit. The couple who did so both quite literally dropped dead.  If anything would strike the fear into the faithful that would. That might stop people from simply throwing their spare change into the collection plate.

           I am not so sure that the intent here is to promote a socialist way of life, or the life of a commune as some of our parents might recall that was popular when hippies were common.

            This passage speaks of generosity of heart and trying to lie to God. That is something we cannot do. If we are faithful people we know that 'the church' in whatever way we define it or experience it, needs to be supported. They have bills and even salaries to pay. Those salaries I might add should always be a fare and decent wage as well.  It seems ironic that when a church is an employer they sometimes see fit to underpay and under respect their workers while some of the 'princes live quite high off the hog so to speak. This is clearly not what this passage conveys. If anything, it conveys quite the opposite.

             It might be interesting to study this exact passage in more depth see as how it seems to speak of a way of life quite foreign to what we have here in the United States. Two questions that it raises in my mind and that I shall be thinking about: what citizenship do we claim?  To whose kingdom do we belong? Secondly, How much is too much to give to  support good deeds and God's work?

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. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ‘Ananias,’ Peter asked, ‘why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!’ Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.

After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter said to her, ‘Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.’ And she said, ‘Yes, that was the price.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.’ Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.