Rev. Troy Lynn Pritt July 4, 2010 Page 1 CHRISTIAN COMMUNAL LIVING Acts 4:32 5:16 There have been a number of experiments in Christian communal living. Unfortunately, in many of them the Christianity became corrupted. The idea of a utopian, egalitarian society goes back to the Garden of Eden and Plato s Republic. Later, the idea was expanded in Augustine s City of God and Thomas More s Utopia. There was the Harmony Society which settled in Pennsylvania, moved to Indiana, and returned to Pennsylvania. They were very profitable as a community eventually building a railroad, starting a bank, etc. They were German pietists, pacifists, and believed in celibacy. The Oneida Community was in New York. They believed Christ returned in 70 AD making it possible to bring about His millennial kingdom. As part of that they believed they could be free of sin and perfect in this world. They had some unorthodox sexual practices which they called complex marriage. When they dissolved after the death of their leader they became the famous silverware company Oneida Limited. The Amana Colonies were founded by a group of radical German pietists. They believed that God spoke to them through an inspired individual whom they called the Werkzeug. They left Germany and bought 5,000 acres of land near Buffalo, New York. As more of their group immigrated from Germany they needed more land. So they moved to Iowa. In addition to the above there was the Ephrata Cloister in Pennsylvania. The Shakers were another group. In all of these groups all property and wealth belonged to the whole community. They took the idea of communal living from the early church.
Rev. Troy Lynn Pritt July 4, 2010 Page 2 1.) Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, (Acts 2:44-46 NKJV) Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. (Acts 4:32-35 NKJV) Have you ever thought about this aspect of the early Church? Do you think the Church lost something valuable when it abandoned this practice of communal living. This practice of the early church was a continuation of how the disciples lived following Jesus and Jesus taught them to follow that pattern. Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? (Luke 9:23-25 NKJV) Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." (Luke 9:57-58 NKJV) So Jesus answered and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, "who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time--houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions--and in the age to come, eternal life. (Mark 10:29-30 NKJV) This was no longer twelve disciples or the seventy disciples or the 120 who were gathered at Pentecost. This church numbered 3000 and then 5000. There were strangers all around when everyone sat down together for a meal. There were strangers coming into your house - the church met house to house. They didn t get to pick and choose who: And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47 NKJV)
Rev. Troy Lynn Pritt July 4, 2010 Page 3 Before we leave this section of our text I want you to notice something very important. Luke begins telling that the believers had all things in common. Then he inserts this And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Then he goes on to say that those who owned houses or lands sold them and laid the money at the apostles feet so that no one lacked. Why did he put the record of the great power of the apostles witness and the great grace upon all in the middle of his account of communal living? Because it gave credibility to the witness in the eyes of all the people; because the willingness to share equally brought great grace. 2,) And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. (Acts 4:36-37 NKJV) Luke gives an example of one man who had land, sold it, brought the money and laid it at the apostles feet. There were undoubtedly hundreds who sold possessions, houses, and land and gave the proceeds of the sales to the communal treasury. Barnabas was just one example. His example illustrates a teaching of Jesus: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV) From that point on Barnabas was sold out for the Gospel, both literally and figuratively. When Saul of Tarsus was converted on the road to Damascus and became the apostle Paul, most Christians were afraid of him, did not trust him because of his previous history persecuting Christians. Barnabas brought him to Jerusalem and introduced him to the apostles. When the church at Antioch was
Rev. Troy Lynn Pritt July 4, 2010 Page 4 growing and needed teaching and leadership they sent Barnabas to find Paul and bring him to Antioch. When the Holy Spirit moved the church to send out its first missionaries, He led them to appoint Paul and Barnabas. After Barnabas and Paul had completed one missionary journey, on the next journey Barnabas went in one direction with his nephew John Mark and Paul went in another direction with Silas. 3.) But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. (Acts 5:1-5 NKJV) Those who are cynical will say that this was bound to happen. Jesus said, To whom much is given, much will be expected. Often those to whom much is given, do not believe that what they have was given to them. They speak with disdain at all the poor people have given to them. They believe that the much they have was deserved, earned. The Bible asks What do you have that you have not received. "then you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth.' "And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18 NKJV) Was death too harsh a punishment for Ananias and Sapphira? It was God who struck them dead. They lied to God; they were hypocrites pretending to give all the proceeds of the sale when they only contributed a portion. Worst of all, this communal living which demonstrated Christians love for one another, gave credibility to the Gospel message, and brought grace upon the believers was mocked.
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