Common-ism, what is it and should it be the new socialism? In Acts 4: 32-37, the writer talks about a better way of living life as a christian. This is a way of life that as a group or society, all members are of one mind and one heart. In other words, they all think and feel the same...right? And as a result of this oneness, all the members held their worldly goods as though they did not own them. They all shared their belongs as though they belonged to the whole. Everyone sharing everything they had. In this way, all the believers had their needs met and NO ONE was in need within the group. Wait a minute, not one person? According to the text, no one.
     First lets look at what Socialism is. Socialism as defined by the dictionary is  "an economic system characterised by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy,^[1] and a political philosophy advocating such a system." Huh? What it means is that all the productive means within a society; all the manufacturing plants, the farming lands, the oil and minerals, the gulf waters, etc., etc. is owned by the society (government) as a whole and therefore all production is managed by the government to ensure that all people are treated the same. No one has an unfair advantage. As long as the oversight committee is made up of individuals interested in the true welfare of their people then this seems to be a viable working economic system. However, someone or a group of individuals will always be at the top of this system and therefore not all persons within this society will be equal. How can you say that all are equal and everything is held in common when at least one or a small group of the society will be presiding over the rest and determining who gets what? This system opens the door for a Dictatorial state and or an elite society such as was present in the fuedal system of the medieval ages. Our human nature will always bring out the individual who will attempt to usurp total authority and establish his right to rule all. Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, and Napoleon all attempted to use this system as a stepping stone to total power with some success.
     Then we have the other ism known as Communism...well what is it? Communism is defined as "a revolutionary socialist movement to create a classless, moneyless, and stateless social order structured upon common ownership of the means of production, as well as a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of this social order." Once again it is a state run economy where everything is held in common. Everything is held in common and controlled by the Governing State. Again, there is an elite group or individual.
     But isn't this the same as what the Bible was talking about in Acts4? Actually no it isn't and here is why. Let's break this down. First, the group was christians who were a part of the Roman society living in an occupied state. Rome was the government that controlled Jerusalem and most of the world at the time. The Christians were not a governing society and therefore could not control the economic system that they were living within. Jesus even acknowledged the Roman Government's control during his time here on earth saying, "Render unto Ceasar that which is Ceasar's", in reference to the tax that all were required to pay to the Roman Government. The Christians could not control the means of production and ensure that all people's living within their society as a whole received equal ownership of the wealth of the governing society they lived in. The Roman's and Jewish leaders were not a classless system. On the contrary there were definite references all throughout the New Testament illustrating the differences in castes within their social system.
     So how does this work? How is it supposed to work? Read it again, although the Christians lived within an Authoritarian State, they would come together and establish a unique system within their societies where they held all their belongs as belonging to the whole. Huh? In other words, each member worked in the local State run economical system as was necessary to survive. They of course had different levels of persons in these caste systems, some rich and some poor. Yet what made the Church different from the rest of society at that time was their use of these assets and belongings. First, let me state that at no time did the Apostles dictate what each individual would contribute nor did they demand an audit of each individuals assets as a whole. What they did was listen to the open, spoken needs of each individual within the Church and then let all the members know the needs of their people. Now these were NEEDS not WANTS. Once those needs were published, then each of the members of the Church would give as they could. The even went so far as to "sell their homes and lands. Bringing the money and laying it at the Apostles feet. Then it was distributed as each individual had needs." This is what we in class coined as Common-ism. This was in reference to the biblical wording of "holding all their belongings in common."
     What Common-ism looks like is the opening of our hands and saying, "Lord, everything I own is not mine. You entrusted it to me and now I am giving it back to you. Take what you need Father, and use it as you desire for it is not really mine." Once you say that, you have to be prepared to do what you are directed to do by the Spirit because He will come to you with tests of your faithfulness in this. He will show you the needs of others and expect you to do what is necessary to fill those needs with what you have been blessed with. Yet, sit for a moment and ponder this...what would it look like if you attended a Church where ALL the needs of EVERY member were met to the FULL? How much of an impact would our Christian Social System have on the Governing State if everyone looked at a Group of Citizens who regardless of their caste standing within that State, filled the needs of others and no one within that Church was treated as better than the lowest beggar who attended? Such was the Church of the Apostles and so should ours be. We say the Spirit is not alive within our Church and that miracles do not happen any longer. Are we listening to the Spirit when He guides us to fill the needs of our Brothers and Sisters?  I was challenged while reading and writing this in that I do not hold all the blessings that my Father has given me in Common for the use of all the members of the Church. I am guilty of closing my fist and holding back...it is a lack of trust and faith in my God to continue to meet my and my family's needs and wants. "Father forgive my greed and lack of trust in closing my fist, holding tight to the blessings you have poured out upon me. Send your Spirit to me that I may gain a better understanding of your desire for the use of those blessings you have loaned to me. I pray that your Spirit will help me overcome my greed and lack of faith in not meeting the needs of others as you have placed them in my path. In Jesus Name I beg this. Amen"