Were the teachings of
Jesus Communist or Socialist?
For an even better discription of Jesus view on socialism and unions click here
A lot of people believe that Jesuswas a communist or a Socialist because He had compassion on the poor and because He told a rich man to give all he had to the poor:
Jesus said
to him, "If you want to be perfect,
go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure
in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that
saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is
hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to
you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than
for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." When His disciples
heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be
saved?" But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this
is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matt
19:21-26 NKJV
Please
notice that God never asks us to give anyone
else's money to help the poor, only our own money!
God recognized
private ownership of property in the writing of the 8th commandment.
Ex 20:15 KJV “Thou shalt not steal.”
and the 10th commandment, Ex 20:17 "Thou shalt not covet..."
Actually political ideologies that encourage class envy violate the
10th commandment:
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy
neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox,
nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Ex 20:17 KJV
Furthermore, the Bible says, "God loves a cheerful
giver." When you
take someone else's money by force and give it to the poor, you are not
making a cheerful giver out of him.
“But this I say: he who sows sparingly will also
reap sparingly,
and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one
give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for
God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor 9:6-7 NKJV
Here are a
few other verses that suggest capitalism and honest work are biblical:
Matt 25:14-30 The Parable of the talents
With the parable of the talents in Matt 25:14-30 Jesus made it clear that we are to make something out of what God has provided us with, weather we think it is little or much. The fact that someone else has more than we have is no excuse.
Matt 20:1-16 The Workers in the Vineyard
In the parable of "The Workers in the Vineyard" in Matt 20:1-16 The landowner said, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?"
2 Thes 3:10-12 ...If anyone
will not work, neither shall he eat...
1 Thes 4:11-12 ...that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to
mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we
commanded you,... NKJV
However God DOES expect us to
help the disadvantaged OUR OWN
resources:
Jesus said in Matt 25:31-46 ".....I was hungry and you gave Me
food; I was
thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I
was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in
prison and you came to Me........inasmuch as you did it to one of the
least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." NKJV
Back
to home page