Hat tip to James McGrath for finding this article by Amy Sullivan. I think her title is a little disingenuous; I’m certain Glenn Beck loves Jesus (he’s a Mormon for goodness sakes). He sometimes goes on rants on religion and feels that America was founded upon divine providence. But Beck’s comments betray his ignorance. It is an ignorance shared by a great deal of conservative republicans who have criticized the left for being both antireligious and communists. It makes one wonder if they even know what the New Testament suggests Jesus and his followers taught others?
According to the Acts of the Apostles, the early church was one of communal wealth, shared property, equality, and lacked class structure:
All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:44-47)
By the definition of communism (“a system of social organization in which property [especially real property and the means of production] is held in common”), the early church fathers, then, were communists. In Chapter 4, the author of Luke-Acts takes measures to expand on what he meant in Chapter 2 when he wrote “they gave to anyone as he had need”:
All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had…. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:32-37)
In fact, so important was it to the author of Luke-Acts that the sharing of property and wealth be stressed that the next chapter explains what happened to two individuals who did not give all they had to the community.
Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”
When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. (Acts 5:1-5)
When Ananias’ wife came by and lied to Peter amount the amount as well, trying to keep some for herself, she also was struck down dead. The irony here is that what Glenn Beck believes, i.e. capitalism, is in practice what you see Ananias and his wife following. They sell their property, give most of it away to the community but pocket some money for profit, for themselves. It is this practice which offends Peter and, clearly, God, who struck them dead for not relinquishing all possessions.
Jesus himself commanded individuals to give up all they owned and possessed to come follow him; a line which the author of Luke-Acts takes very seriously. Perhaps Glenn Beck should take this just as seriously; if he wants to save face, he should heed Jesus’ command, give up his radio show, and all his possessions.
Filed under: Belief, Early Christianity, Jesus, New Testament
You leave out an important difference between the early church and modern-day communism…personal choice. Christian’s were (and are) to give of their own property WILLINGLY in order to care for others. They were not taxed by the church and stolen from in order to pay for behaviors & policies that opposed their beliefs. Also, it is important to note that the early Christians HAD PERSONAL PROPERTY/WEALTH IN THE FIRST PLACE. Otherwise, how would they have had anything to share???
JESUS DID NOT ADVOCATE STEALING. HE ADVOCATED WORKING HARD, ACKNOWLEDGING GOD FOR ANY MATERIAL BLESSINGS, AND GIVING TO THE POOR!!!
Actually, they didn’t. Thanks for posting this comment because it proves that some people speak before they think (or, in this case, think and read). If you read my comments again, particularly the Bible verses, you’ll note that having personal possessions of any kind, or ANY kind of personal property was strictly prohibited.
I also already covered personal choice; those who wanted to keep property in the community were killed outright by God. So yes they had a choice: give up all they owned or die. Some choice, eh?
This was not a new concept; it is likely the Essenes and the Therapeutae were, perhaps with other Jewish sects, also communal in this manner. It might benefit you to read more carefully in the future.
I have been convicted of this recently myself . I totally believe we have strayed so far from what christians started out to be . “Thee American dream” is greed . Is there christian communes here in the U.S.?
Yes…the Amish.
I have read the story of Ananiah and his wife. If my understanding is correct, they agreed to sell their property. After the sale, they were to hand over the proceeds to the Apostles. They lied about the amount given. What was said is not the truth.
It is for this deception that they were killed. If Ananiah and his wife gone to the Apostles and said, “We plan to sell the property and will give you 80% of the proceeds” and been honest about giving the said amount then I don’t think they’d have died.
As for Beck, he has the right idea. The early Church practiced voluntary socialism. It had nothing to do with the State stepping in to do anything. What Beck is generally referring to is modern day Socialism and not what was once done.
Yes, Jesus did teach the value of hard work; however it was not to be at the expense of the workers. The poor were to be cared for, so were the widows and orphans. Modern day capitalism is not the capitalism taught in Scripture.
If there are so many people who claim to be Godly men and Im not the only one who believes that this is how christians should be then why is there not a christian commune besides the amish ? I have a vision of a farm with a sort of motel and a homeless shelter on it . I got this vision after watching the documentary on ” Faith like potatoes ” Im only 33 and I consider myself to have weak faith . However Im wiloling to follow God where he leads .
@BarryB64…Where in the bible does it say that Ananias and Sapphira agreed to sell their property and give it all to the apostles? It was demanded of all who followed these apostles to give all but they chose to keep part of what was theirs to start with. Somehow the spies knew what the property had sold for and it was no holy ghost who killed them it was the apostles themselves. They just used the tale about the holy ghost to put the fear of god into the rest of the followers.
If Jesus was so concerned about the poor and told others to sell what they had and give it to the poor why didn’t he follow his own advice? He allowed Mary to use very expensive oils to anoint him even though Judas said that it could be sold and given to the poor.
The bible teaches that our bodies are corruptible and will return to the dust yet Jesus seems to put great store in his own body and willingly allowed a wealth of ointments to be applied. When Peter wanted to bury his own father Jesus coldly informed his to let the dead bury the dead. It was a different scene when he was the one facing death.
Also, why are so many of the parables concerned with money and wealth?
@Michael Conner…if you do a google search on the cruelty of Amish life you might get a change of attitude. Many of the kids who finally got away from that life tell stories of abuse of every sort. When cults like that exist the outside world has no idea what takes place as the women and children are too afraid and brainwashed to do anything. The rest of the world doesn’t give them a second thought and so they are free to do as they choose.
Paul taught a completely different doctrine and christians never see that. They quote Jesus and then turn around and quote Paul who said “let every man have his own house” while Jesus said to sell them. You can make any doctrine you please from the bible and that is why there are over 3000 various sects of christianity and none of them agree.
[...] already launched my own ‘please shut up’ campaign on this blog before (via against Glenn Beck and here against MSNBC), but nothing says ‘dilettante’ like this article over at Fox [...]
No where does it say having “personal possessions of any kind, or ANY kind of personal property was strictly prohibited.” Each gave of them own freewill so that all would have! Ananias gave as if it were all, satan entered his heart leading him to misconduct. He deceit was in lieing to the Holy Spirit, not in withholding part of the money.
You’re quite wrong. Luke 18:22.
ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἔτι ἐν σοι λείπει· πάντα ὅσα ἔχεις πώλησον καὶ διάδος πτωχοῖς, καὶ εξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν [τοῖς] οὐρανοῖς, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι
It’s very clear.
Also Acts 2:44-45.
πάντες δὲ οἱ πιστεύσαντες ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ εἶχον ἅπαντα κοινὰ καὶ τὰ κτήματα καὶ τὰς ὑπάρξεις ἐπίπρασκον καὶ διεμέριζον αὐτὰ πᾶσιν καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν·
You can’t have possessions is everything you have is common and everyone gives what they have to everyone else. That is not how it worked.