My first thought was "What is in Acts 4 that a Christian would run from?". So thanks for coming up with something new to me.
I see two things about Acts 4:32,34-35. (Well 3 things now that I reviewed it again.)
And don't be hasty to claim you know because you should expect to be asked for a VERY clear explanation if you do.
I'll go even further by stating that most 'Christians' don't even know how to tell who even HAS the Holy Ghost in their own congregation even though the Romans 8:9 says "if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his"! They should want to know this also for 3 reasons:
I guess on a last review of Acts 4:31-35 it seems that Acts 4:31 is fulfilling the first most important commandment of "Love God" and Acts 4:32,34-45 is fulfilling the 2nd "Love thy neighbor as thyself".
Love in Jesus,
Kelby
I see two things about Acts 4:32,34-35. (Well 3 things now that I reviewed it again.)
- Acts 4:32 was a voluntary action, not a commandment.
- To whom would they (now) give the collective offering? (because that was ALL Christians wide, not just one group). And a much more important question to me would be...
- Why aren't they/we aligning ourselves with Acts 4:31? (Especially those who claim to love God.) God hasn't banned prayer. And Luke 11:13 is still in effect.
And don't be hasty to claim you know because you should expect to be asked for a VERY clear explanation if you do.
I'll go even further by stating that most 'Christians' don't even know how to tell who even HAS the Holy Ghost in their own congregation even though the Romans 8:9 says "if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his"! They should want to know this also for 3 reasons:
- To know who still needs to become a Christian (so they can be praying for them).
- Who is and isn't in the body of Christ (so they don't get deceived). And perhaps most importantly...
- So they know for sure whether they themselves are actually Christians. And again, if a person doesn't know how they in Jerusalem knew that the Samaritans had NOT yet received the Holy Ghost in Acts 8:14-16 (without it being specifically spelled out) then they likely don't actually know how to recognize the Holy Ghost (or lack of the Holy Ghost) in themselves.
I guess on a last review of Acts 4:31-35 it seems that Acts 4:31 is fulfilling the first most important commandment of "Love God" and Acts 4:32,34-45 is fulfilling the 2nd "Love thy neighbor as thyself".
Love in Jesus,
Kelby
Luke 12:33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
Mark 6:8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
Luke 22:35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
So in Acts, they followed this commandment too. It was not a suggestion, it was explicitly commmanded by Jesus under the Gospel of the Kingdom.
The reason is that the Tribulation will be coming very soon after Jesus ascended to Heaven. So the more money they hold on, the more temptation will there be to fall under the Antichrist and the mark of the beast.
James 5 is quite instructive there
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.
6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you.
7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
But why don't the Body of Christ follow Acts 4:32 now?
Its because with national Israel being enemies with God now (Romans 11:28), the tribulation will not be coming anytime now. We will be raptured before that happen, so Paul instead instruct us to have enough to provide for our own household in 1 Tim 5:8
But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.