Christian Communism and Socialism Are Oxymorons; Communism and Socialism Are Anti-Christ

Following Jesus is not compatible with being a Communist or a Socialist. Christian Communism is one potential issue which wolves rising up from within, or attacking a promising Christian group from without, might use to attempt to draw away disciples after themselves. There is a lust which some follow to start such a community to fleece sheep for themselves and/or to make a name for themselves.

There is no prescription for Communism in the Book of Acts- even though some claim otherwise. The situation with the very earliest Christians described in Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32 was descriptive of a unique situation which has never existed since. The principles and commandments laid down throughout the Bible prescribe private property ownership and commend private ownership of business.

Even within the Book of Acts, faithful Christians owned private property, they did not hand all of their finances and inheritances over to the church, and some were richer than others. The concept that being a faithful Christian means surrender to communal living is evil.

Faithful Christians in the Apostolic churches did indeed own property in their name:

Acts 12:11-12: “And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.”

Not all of the earnings and inheritances of the early Christians were given to the church:

Romans 12:11-13: “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.”

You can’t distribute to the necessity of other believers or be given to hospitality if all your money is given to the church so that you have no personal possessions anyways. This proves that not all of the earnings and inheritances of the Christians were given to the church. Otherwise, the instruction here would have no purpose at all and be totally irrelevant.

Some early Christian church members were indeed richer than others:

1 Timothy 6:1-2: “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed. And they that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort.”

Much slavery in the Roman world was not from kidnapping (which God prescribed death for in the Law of Moses). Slavery in the Roman world was also very different in many ways than what it was in America. Don’t read slavery in America into this passage. With that said, this passage demonstrates that not all Christians in the first century churches were socially equal nor financially equal.

Later in the same chapter ,we also read in 1 Timothy 6:17-19: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

2 Timothy 4:13: “The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.”

Absolutely no one could assert a claim to these things righteously and confidently like Paul did here unless they were his own personal possessions.

1 Corinthians 6:1-8: “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.”

If the norm among the Apostolic churches was that every member’s earnings all went into a common purse, then lawsuits between members would have been a non-issue- since no one would have owned anything anyways.

And by the way: Many badly abuse 1 Corinthians 6:1-8. This is dealing with civil matters between members of the same church rather than saying that it’s never right for a Christian to sue anyone in civil court. It is also not saying Christians should not report crime to the secular authorities (Romans chapter 13 proves that they must indeed do so- even crime which happens among them where the likely perpetrator is a church member or the offspring of one).

1 Corinthians 11:20-22: “When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.”

In the Apostle’s rebuke to the Corinthians for abusing the Lord’s supper, and their related neglect and shaming of the poor, it is implied that some are richer than others. The economic disparity is not rebuked. The ungodly way in which the disparity was managed is what was rebuked.

Luke 18:28-30 (this is right after Jesus had dealt with the Rich Young Ruler): “Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

These promises are for the Lord Himself to fulfill after one forsakes all in repentance to follow Jesus in death to sin and self. They are not to be used to appeal to the natural man who hasn’t died in that manner nor as a bait and switch to promote one’s own agenda. Communal living and/or equal distribution of wealth might be branded as “radical Christianity” when promoted in the name of Christ. To offer the alluring (for some) guarantee of the necessities of life and a close-knit community with authentically following Jesus is using Him to appeal to people’s natural interests and humanistic inclinations. This is opposing His cross.

That is not to mention how Communism and Socialism are evil philosophies which involve idolatry towards the State or the leadership of the group (when implemented among private groups). This alone makes these proper to combat and to be avoided like the plague.

It makes sense that proponents of Communist and Socialist States not only promote concepts and practices contrary to Biblical principles and a Biblical worldview, they even seek to make the teaching of these things mandatory in education and devise ways to mandate that everyone comply with these things- with refusal to comply being regarded as blasphemy, treason, and endangerment of public safety.

In relation to, but not limited to, Communist and Socialist governments and communities (which often claim to belong to the people- while the people simultaneously don’t even have the freedom:to express how terrified they are of the leadership): Power over others is especially dangerous when it is unofficial and not spelled out clearly. Some of the most dangerous leaders are those who don’t admit their role of leadership and/or cover up what their role of leadership actually entails. This makes it all the more difficult to demand accountability from them. This is especially the case with the unrighteous shadow powers behind the world’s governments. They get away with things which they’d never get away with if they told us who they were, what their actual roles are, and what was actually going on. Since they control the mainstream media and most politicians in high offices, they have been covered for.