Now the whole group of those who believed was of one
heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but
everything they owned was held in common.
With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for
as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was
sold. They laid it at the apostle’s
feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
From Acts 4:32-35
I find it absolutely fascinating that, if taken
literally, after spending forty days with the resurrected Jesus, experiencing
Pentecost, and then coming together to form a community, this is the first
thing they do! Could it be that this is
where they knew they were supposed to wind up?
If so, it appears from the next passages, concerning Ananias and the
withheld property, that they had discovered they had severely jumped the gun. But I think they revealed where the Holy
Spirit was taking us, if only our belief in the resurrected Jesus was strong
enough.
For myself, I try to think of a
creed of practice to complement and support our creed of belief (Nicene and/or
Apostle’s Creed). The following are
elements I think it could contain;
Love God.
Love your neighbor.
Feed the hungry.
Clothe and shelter the needy.
Heal the sick.
Those who have should give to
those who haven’t.
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