Posted on 08/03/2014 11:18:22 AM PDT by The Grammarian
So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.” (Acts 6:2, NIV)
It is interesting how fast our emerging, organic, non-institutional forms of life sprout institutions. The apostles went from a group of 12 leaders of a communistic society in which everyone shared everything and few distinctions were made, to the executive committee of an institution. Here we have differeniated ministry, modes of conferring authority, and even standards of selection. By Acts 15, we will have full blown church councils and formal declarations of orthodoxy.
Some see institutions as a fall from grace. It strikes me that institutions are the way God ensures the continuation of his people across generations and geography.
I understand the disdain people have for corrupt or dysfunctional institutions, but it appears to me that institutions are not only biblical but integral to God’s plans.
Excuses, excuses.
No doubt G-d understands that humans will form human institutions, even to carry out duties that human’s see relevant to their religious beliefs.
They are still human institutions, with all the imperfections that implies.
Meanwhile, the Church of G-d is a fabric woven throughout human society and one where G-d has chosen and G-d knows who its members are, irrespective of the human institutions they are found to be members of.
“The apostles went from a group of 12 leaders of a communistic society in which everyone shared everything and few distinctions were made, to the executive committee of an institution.”
NEVER were the Apostles a communist society, that is crap. People in Jesus area had their own businesses like Paul (Saul of Taursus), who had his own tent making business.
The Apostles worked for a living instead of always taking handouts, although they appreciated what was given to them. Just because they began to spend enough time preaching and teaching to get enough donations to live off of ...does not change their status as Apostles.
Communism is where the government gives entitlements, and freedom with Christianity is where there is giving and sharing by the Church. The government (communist) does not let the Church be the benefactor, but instead wants that glory for itself, like Obama. That is why charitable giving is now difficult, and people have to go to the government for help.
Humans specialize and divide labor. Then steal the fruits for personal benefit.. It’s what we do.
That sounds more like a voluntarily communistic religious society than a capitalistic system. It isn't "communistic" in the sense of Communism, but it is in the sense that 'private property' wasn't emphasized, and having all property 'in common' was.
The problem is that this was under real selfless apostles, who could say they were,
But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, (2 Corinthians 6:4-7)
Not Stalin or even any leaders i know of here now.
I understand the disdain people have for corrupt or dysfunctional institutions, but it appears to me that institutions are not only biblical but integral to God’s plans.
The problem is not institutions (an organization founded and operating for a specific purpose), but institutionalization, in which form replaces substance, ritual substitutes for the supernatural, and the institution becomes the security for the people, who thus defend it with cultic devotion. In a word, Roman Catholicism.
And in contrast to her basis for assurance of Truth, the NT church did not begin under the premise of promised perpetual assured infallibility of office for the corporate instruments and stewards of Scripture, as per Rome.
The stoning of Stephen and the persecutions to follow some headed by Saul/Paul lead too the spreading of The Gospel by dispersing the believers out into the far known at that time corners of the world. Which is why there were believers and The Gospel was known too them & taken to many places early on and was establish among believers from that time on. Paul took it to several nations including Rome. Others took it further westward perhaps as far as China and as far east as current Britain & Spain.
The early churches weren't stained glass institutions. They were believers gathered in homes, fields, and often hidden places. The Disciples and Apostles of the day took very little with them. They preached. They didn't gather groups to listen to long repetitive rituals as even The Lords Supper {Communion} was likely brief. Rather they were like evangelist full of fire who went into towns and cities preaching The Gospel. Where is Jesus Christ in a worship service? He told us plainly. "Where two or more gather in my name there I'll be also".
Absolutely correct. Israel at this time was under Roman rule. It is absurd to think that during this time the Romans ran a communist society. If anything it was a free market society which levied heavy taxes on the people (hence the "tax collectors").
As an aside, John, James and Peter appear to have run a very successful fishing operation. John is believed to have been well placed in society for he was known to the High Priest and was allowed into the court when Christ was crucified.
In rereading your statement again, I believe what you are saying is that in Acts the church had all things in common and later they began to institutionalize. I still think your premise is wrong. Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, wanted to appear that they were giving everything they had. But Peter told them that there wasn’t any need for such a sacrifice. I think you’re reading far more into scripture than what is there.
Every institution on earth is created by God for His good will and purpose. There are plenty of these institutions that are not godly institutions.
Jesus Himself sent out The 72 -- delegating them to a specific action.
That was no "institutional" act.
Well, no, Peter told them that they lied to God/the Holy Ghost, in that their sin was that they claimed to give all but did not: they wanted their cake- the fellowship and security of that covenantal society - and eat it too, being covetous lying idolaters in keeping back profits under the pretension of surrendering their goods for the common-wealth in Christ as the rest did.
This surrendering of goods under the leadership of manifest unselfish apostles of God (who did mighty miracles) was a testimony to their faith, love and commitment to God and each other, in which they basically burned their bridges back to their former life as pilgrims in a foreign land.
This is not a statement that mandates all Christians to literally do as the first organic church did, or condemns capitalism, but requires honesty in the church. This is necessary for true and intimate relationships with the Lord and each other, and to tolerate this manner of blatant dishonesty made a mockery of the holy innocent new community, and would have had a destructive effect if it were not exposed and judged. it would be worse than a mole among POWs.
We do not understand it because we expect that, and dissension. How many in the church could you entrust your life, wife and family with?
However, the context and men here is not as in Communism, nor was this model one that remained, but like a seminary type situation, it was preparatory to being sent out.
I don`t think I would call it a communist society because the apostles did not steal from any one.
Many of the people who had possessions sold them and brought the money to the apostles and they all lived in common.
Personally I believe these are the people who were members of the church, the rest were believers but were not working members of the church.
. It isn’t “communistic” in the sense of Communism, but it is in the sense that ‘private property’ wasn’t emphasized, and having all property ‘in common’ was.
The rest were believers but most people were not meant to do church work because some one has to plant and harvest the crops, bring in the fish and everything else we need to do to stay alive.
They certainly don't HAVE to be a fall from grace! Of course, we have the Biblical New Testament model to go by and as long as our assemblies/churches follow that model as well as the Biblical principles and doctrines God ensured we were provided, they WILL succeed and bear fruit. It's when those in authority forget the servant aspect of their calling and instead become tyrants expecting the flock to serve them that their ministry will break down and error creeps in. The church is the body of Christ, His bride, and HE is the head of the body, not man, NEVER man.
Power corrupts.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
And then it bitches because the churches aren't doing more!
Exactly.
Where they encountered GENTILES.
The problem of integrating mostly Gentiles into a mostly Jewish religion created, at the least, culture shock.
The Jews still had not completely understood what the teaches of Jesus was all about, and tended to drag some of the OLD way along with them.
Thus, the need for the LETTER found in Acts 15, which the author referenced...
Acts 15
The Council at Jerusalem
1 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon[a] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 “‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’[b]—
18 things known from long ago.[c]19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. [34] [d] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
The great mistake in all of the west is the general application of the term has been applied mostly only to the political real of government, but it is really about human nature and the term is equally applicable to every realm of human endeavor INCLUDING - in spite of Conservative reservations - the economic realm and the religious realm.
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