Did the Early Church Practice Socialism? (Part One)

 Did the Early Church Practice Socialism? (Part One) As the United States continues to reject its biblical moorings and founder in its character, a growing number of citizens have begun to favor socialism, in whole or in part. Many believe the government should do more to regulate increasing areasof life, hoping that further human oversight will produce a better society without addressing its spiritual decline. Even some within nominal Christianity have become caught up in this tide. Using proof-texts in the book of Acts, they claim that the first-century church had a social and economic structure known today as socialism. Indeed, socialism is described in Scripture, but not in the ways or places these modern interpreters think (see Matthew 20:25; Mark 10:42; Genesis 47:14-26). But do the proof-texts really prove socialism in the early church? Notice the events following Pentecost, from which some infer collectivism: And with many other words [Peter] testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continuedsteadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, andsold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. (Acts2:40-45) Those who advocate for socialism use verses 44-45 to support their position, but we need to consider some aspects of this passage. Notice that it contains no word from the apostles about giving up personal property. These early believers did what they did—in pooling their resources and meeting the needs of everyone—voluntarily, not by the apostles' coercion or compulsion, let alone by the state. Insocialism and communism, the authorities force a redistribution, which Luke does not describe here at all. Verse 40 alludes to the overall environment of these events: "And with many other words [Peter] . . . exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." This appeal follows what Peter says in verse 38, "Repent, and let every oneof you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . . .." The people needed to repent to be saved from what would befall their contemporaries. Why might those words motivate them to start selling their possessions? We need to understand what was happening in the lives of those present. Throughout the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, many of these people had heard the message of the Kingdom of God as well as their warnings against the established order. When John the Baptist sees Pharisees and Sadducees hypocritically coming to his baptism, he asks them who had warned them to flee from the wrath to come (Matthew3:7; Luke 3:7). This warning of coming wrath was part of John's message—that God's wrath was coming. His and Christ's gospel message was not just about hope but also a warning of coming judgment. In the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus foretells that armies would surround Jerusalem, and those in the city and in Judea would need to flee (Luke21:20-21). In the Parable of the Wedding Feast, He speaks of a king sending out his armies and burning the city of those who murdered his servants (Matthew22:7). He rhetorically asks the scribes and Pharisees how they could escape the condemnation of hell (Matthew23:33), and He prophesies to Jerusalem as a whole, "Your house is left to you desolate" (Matthew23:38; Luke 13:35). Further, our Savior foretells that Jerusalem would cease being the center of worship (John4:21). He teaches about being willing to forsake all to be His disciples (Luke14:33) and taking care of the least of His brethren (Matthew25:40). He also instructs against laying up treasures on earth (Matthew6:19)—and we know His words got around! When Peter then gives a sermon containing Day of the Lord imagery from the book of Joel and preaches repentance and saving oneself from a perverse generation, suddenly, prized Jerusalem property lost much of its appeal. In modern terms, those who believed what John and Jesus had preached had insider information that Jerusalem stock would plunge, so theyhad little incentive to retain their fixed assets there. The new disciples had to reprioritize what they valued economically, socially, and religiously. They now believed that the city of Jerusalem was living on borrowed time. The physical Temple was no longer necessary for worship. The physical priesthoodof Levi had been replaced by an unchanging one in Christ. The gravity and appeal of Jerusalem and all it represented were diminishing, and the disciples' desire for a settled life within the established order was waning. With the warnings of John's and Jesus' ministries now coming to fruition, the disciples' physical goods were no longer things to be grasped at. With God's Spirit, they now found it easier to account that helping the needy among the brethren—andthus laying up treasure in heaven—trumped storing up wealth in a place that its enemies would soon decimate. Their reprioritizing was wise and inspired. It was not long after this that a severe persecution arose, and the entire Jerusalem church—except theapostles—was scattered throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts8:1). The best time to liquidate is before one must flee, not when one must flee. The pilgrim church was already prepared when the time came. However, the critical point is that the people did this calculation with God's inspiration. They were not forced, as a collectivist system would do. They had the desire and the freedom to help others, and they had more money available to help others because no entrenched and powerful bureaucracy sat between the two parties,enriching itself. In Part Two, we will see more about the voluntary nature of the early church members' spreading of their wealth and the witness it made. - David C. Grabbe