Was Jesus a socialist?

Originally posted by jaywill
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Acts 2:42-44

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things in common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
=================== 't laugh. Someone suggested that Jesus knew Ikedo because of this very passage.

Social justice is not confined to an isolated passage in the bible. It is one of its central themes. If you strip away all the Pauline mythology that grew up around Jesus, it is THE central theme. Passages condemning the rich, praising the poor, and seeking to level the playing field are to be found throughout the bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New. Christian socialism has a long history. It was, as you say, what the earliest Jesus communities practiced. Socialism, prior to Marx, was almost exclusively a Christian endeavor. You just don't seem to be able to get over this post-Marxist equation of socialism with atheism.

Originally posted by rwingett
Social justice is not confined to an isolated passage in the bible. It is one of its central themes. If you strip away all the Pauline mythology that grew up around Jesus, it is THE central theme. Passages condemning the rich, praising the poor, and seeking to level the playing field are to be found throughout the bible, both in the Old Testament and in the ...[text shortened]... ou just don't seem to be able to get over this post-Marxist equation of socialism with atheism.

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Social justice is not confined to an isolated passage in the bible. It is one of its central themes. If you strip away all the Pauline mythology that grew up around Jesus, it is THE central theme. Passages condemning the rich, praising the poor, and seeking to level the playing field are to be found throughout the bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New. Christian socialism has a long history. It was, as you say, what the earliest Jesus communities practiced. Socialism, prior to Marx, was almost exclusively a Christian endeavor. You just don't seem to be able to get over this post-Marxist equation of socialism with atheism.
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If the last statement was true I would not have voluntarily pointed out that some Socialists would be sympathetic to the apostle's doctrine which the church continued in. Remember that I wrote that?

I know that in Central America and elsewhere there are Christian theolgogians who are Socialists.

Now expound for us Luke 12:14. Why did your Arch Socialist Jesus say "Who made me a judge and divider over you ?" when it was demanded that He equitably divide up some property between two feuding brothers? [/b]

Originally posted by jaywill
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Social justice is not confined to an isolated passage in the bible. It is one of its central themes. If you strip away all the Pauline mythology that grew up around Jesus, it is THE central theme. Passages condemning the rich, praising the poor, and seeking to level the playing field are to be found throughout the ...[text shortened]... it was demanded that He equitably divide up some property between two feuding brothers? [/b]

Well, let me take a wild stab at that. Its because Jesus was an anarchist socialist, not a Marxist-Leninist. His statement that he was neither "a judge or a divider" is a rejection of the Leninist notion of the vanguard party. Jesus rejects the notion that he is the chairman of the Judean People's Front (or the People's Front of Judea), and hence rejects the notion that he has the power to order anything. He wants the man to take responsibility for his own actions, to do the right thing of his own accord, and to thereby become an active participant in his own salvation.

How's that?

Originally posted by rwingett
Well, let me take a wild stab at that. Its because Jesus was an anarchist socialist, not a Marxist-Leninist. His statement that he was neither "a judge or a divider" is a rejection of the Leninist notion of the vanguard party. Jesus rejects the notion that he is the chairman of the Judean People's Front (or the People's Front of Judea), and hence rejects th ...[text shortened]... n accord, and to thereby become an active participant in his own salvation.

How's that?

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Well, let me take a wild stab at that. Its because Jesus was an anarchist socialist, not a Marxist-Leninist. His statement that he was neither "a judge or a divider" is a rejection of the Leninist notion of the vanguard party. Jesus rejects the notion that he is the chairman of the Judean People's Front (or the People's Front of Judea), and hence rejects the notion that he has the power to order anything. He wants the man to take responsibility for his own actions, to do the right thing of his own accord, and to thereby become an active participant in his own salvation.

How's that?
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Well, my way of interpreting would be to read the context, the follow up remarks Jesus makes.

The entire passage is really from luke 12:13 through to verse 21. Let me quote the two outer verses of this section:

Verse 13 - "And someone out of the crowd said to Him, Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."

Verse 21 - "So is he who stores up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God."

Jesus is primarily interested in making people "rich toward God". This goal, of making men "rich toward God," has many distractions. Since it is easy for men to be sidetracked from this priority of being rich toward God, Jesus warns them -

"Watch and guard yourselves ..." (v.15) Jesus is warning the people to be on the lookout so as not to be distracted from the most important matter of their well being. They must become "rich toward God".

His words "Man, who appointed Me a judge or a divider over you?" (v.14) suggests that the man's priorities for material riches is not Christ's priorities. He is the anointed and appointed One. But He is not appointed to cater to the man's covetousness for material wealth, even if his envy seems humanly justified.

"Watch and guard yourself from all covetousness, for no one's life is in the abundance of his possessions. And he told them a parable ..."

I would pay more attention to the parable which follows His words to "watch and guard yourself". This parable is from verse 16 through to verse 20. I would read that parable very carefully. When Jesus says at the end of it "So is he who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God" he is comparing such a person to the man in the parable.

So what happened to the man in the parable ? Basically, he made all kinds of plans to accumulate riches but did not know the night that God would take his life.

"Foolish one, this night they are requireing your soul from you; and the things which you have prepared, whose will they be?" (v.20)

He died rich in material things but poor towards God in his soul.

These are just suggestions as to how I would go about ascertaining the meaning of Christ's words. It certainly is not exhaustive. But I think Christ came to transform men's souls into His image. The more the soul is transformed into His image the richer the soul is towards God.

"You should be like Me and embrace My priorities" is the essence of His teaching. And of course we cannot be like Him unless He dies for us, resurrects, and imparts His Holy Spirit into our being.

How is that ?

Anyway you might even consider that verses 13 all the way through 34 are one section on overcoming ANXIETY through Jesus Christ.

Originally posted by jaywill
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Well, let me take a wild stab at that. Its because Jesus was an anarchist socialist, not a Marxist-Leninist. His statement that he was neither "a judge or a divider" is a rejection of the Leninist notion of the vanguard party. Jesus rejects the notion that he is the chairman of the Judean People's Front (or t 4 are one section on overcoming ANXIETY through Jesus Christ.

Nothing you've said here contradicts anything I've said except for:

"And of course we cannot be like Him unless He dies for us, resurrects, and imparts His Holy Spirit into our being."

I fail to see why we would need a death and resurrection to follow his example about not being greedy.