According to Acts ii, 44-45 and iv, 32, "All that believed were together
and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and
parted them to all men, as every man had need ... Neither said any of
them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they
had all things common."
It is to be presumed that the disciples practiced this communism at the
instruction of Jesus. If Jesus approved of communism was he right or
wrong?
"Blessed be ye poor."[8]
Poverty is not a blessing but a curse. Jesus taught the theory that the
poor would be rich hereafter while the rich would be in hell.
_Punishment for Debts_
We have seen that Jesus expected an unjust servant to be tormented until
he paid in full. There are also other evidences that he approved of
imprisonment for debt. "Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou
art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to
the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast
into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out
thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing."[9]
A legislator who patterned his life after Jesus would be justified in
enacting laws imprisoning for debt and scourging for misdemeanors.
Some may say that the sentiments expressed by Jesus were not mistakes
but merely presented the customs of his day. Possibly he did not intend
to advise all that he seemed to approve; but if Jesus was a practical
and prophetic guide he should have made it clear that he did not
sanction the actions he apparently commended.
In the parable of the pounds the nobleman, seemingly with the approval
of Jesus, denounced the servant as wicked who did not put his lord's
money in the bank to draw interest.[10] And in the parable of the
talents the lord rewarded those who had made 100 per cent profit through
speculation.[11]
Another contradiction of his theory of the blessedness of poverty was
his promise that those who followed him "shall receive a hundredfold now
in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and
children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal
life."[12]
Finally, Jesus stated the unfortunate truth, "Whosoever hath, to him
shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath
not, from him shall be taken even that he hath."[13] If Jesus did not
approve of that worldly method of distribution, he could have denounced
its injustice instead of leaving the comment as if it expressed his own
policy.
_Healing_
Many Christians value Jesus most for his healing powers, but Jesus
looked upon disease almost as he did upon demoniacal possession, as
something evil that could be cast out. "But that ye may know that the
Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (then saith he to the
sick of the palsy) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thine house."[14]
There was confusion in his mind between sin and sickness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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