Template:Vow of poverty
All things common
Jesus preached that we should seek His kingdom of God that he promised to take from the Pharisees and appoint to those who would bear fruit. He called out some to become His disciples training them to be ministers of that kingdom, requiring them to sell their property[1] and eventually appointed that little flock a kingdom as is clearly stated in the text.
- Acts 2:42 47 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common[2]; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
There is a lot of confusion created by the quote in Acts about believers having all "All things in common".
Acts 2:44 "And all that believed were together, and had all things common;" the word translated "all things" is ἅπαντα hapanta[3] which actually means "all" while the first word all which we see in the sentence is Πάντες, pantes meaning "Everybody" from pas[4] which means collectively as each individual.
Acts 2:45 "And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." We know that the apostles were taking care of the needy, receiving the freewill offerings or sacrificed of the people and in the vey next verse they are rightly dividing the bread from house to house. Yet people want to be live that early Christians were socialist and that Jesus was preaching some form of socialism by taking Act 2:44 out of the context of all His other teachings and the whole Bible.
The word "had" is the word that means to have i.e. own, possess.
So, where else do we see the phrase "all things common"?
- Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any [of them] that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had[5] all things common.
It is here they talk about Joses, a levite, becoming one of them but Ananias failing the test of faith succumbed to a mysterious death.
That all has to do with the called out apostles appointed by Jesus and not the people in general. Everyone was not required to give up all they had and give it to the poor to follow Jesus. This was a requirement for those who wanted to be disciples or student ministers.[6] This has nothing to do with Jesus being a socialist. Jesus was just the opposite and even condemned the Pharisees for their socialist system of Corban.
The early Church and the Christian community was a sharing society dependent upon individual choice under what Paul calls the perfect law of liberty. Those choices included the free assemblies "of the people" living by faith, hope and charity providing social welfare fueled by a daily sacrifice "for the people and by the people". These charitable practices through the ministers of the Church, who were a public servant, providing a daily ministration that bound the people by love instead of force, hope instead of entitlements and faith instead of allegiance.
While love, which comes in the form of charity, is imposed by God and Jesus Christ, the enforcement is through the spirit and not men like Cain, Nimrod, or Caesar of the world. . Those who misinterpret the "all things common" quote incorrectly fail to understand the separation of the Church and state. Originally the power of the State was the power of the people held individually by the people in a Natural state. The ministers of the Church composed first of disciples and then called Apostles or ambassadors and ministers were separate from the general population of the people.
They were not better or rulers but like Christ, they were people who came out because they were called out to serve as shepherds of Gods flock, his people, his nation.
Like the Levites of old, Moses and Jesus created a system of self-government where the ministers were separate and titular. They could not exercise authority one over the other like the Benefactors of the world in fact they were to be in the world but not of the world or depend upon its benefits as members.
While they owned all things in common they did not exercise authority one over the other. The people did not belong to the body of Levites but individually belonged to God[7] Himself or so is the intention of God. The ministers of the Church in the wilderness and the early Church belonged to God as bond servants and therefore they owned all things common [8] but the people were to be returned to their possessions and their families.[9]
The same as the Church in the wilderness the early Church as a group of appointed ministers called out of the world of Rome to minister to the Kingdom of God at hand was composed of men and women who belonged to God like the Levites before them. To say they were not of the "world" and were assigned to feed his sheep just as the Levites served the tents of the congregations of a free people by providing a Daily ministration through the righteous Corban of Christ. The sacrifice of the people given as Freewill offerings which the New Testament calls charity was the key to the kingdom. They, the Church and His ordained ministers, held things as joint heirs of a society with a mission of charity as unhewn but lively Stones from which the living Altars of God may be built to set all men free who repent and seek His Way.
The sheep of Christ hear His voice[10] and live by charity not by force. The appointed shepherds of Christ's Kingdom of God at hand provide a network of charity in service and a daily ministration of righteousness according to The Way of Christ as one body in the world but not of it.
Understanding the church in general and the Church specific will also help people understand why those rich men and the disciples who wanted to become appointed ministers of this unique form of free government as the called out of Christ had to give up "all their property" and hold all things in common.
John the Baptist was against the use of force in creating the altruistic society of Christianity. Christ forbid the use of force for all Christians in providing the benefits of society and warned against covetousness through the Ten Commandments in His directives about Eternal life and Corban of the Socialism of the Pharisees.
The Poor Princes of the kingdom
The princes of Israel were to serve only and be chosen as servants of servants to keep the people free souls under God. This is the essence of a good Church. This has been the nature of the Kingdom and government of God from the beginning. Other forms of government seen throughout the Bible, in opposition to God, give power to men to rule with authority. Both governments require support.
In the first, the people must choose to support those who fall upon need, finance the ministration of government, and provide the protection of the country locally and nationally by free contributions.
In the latter, the people are required by those in power to provide for the needs of the state by forced contributions that take both substance and choice from their neighbor.
The former depends on reciprocating charity, service, and freewill offerings. [11]
The other has reciprocating entitlements where the people are under the exercising authority of the political benefactors. It does not matter if that benefactor is a despot or a democracy. In all cases men rule over men, choice is diminished, and God is rejected. The kingdom of heaven is within and if the choice[12] is not made in the hearts and minds of men then the kingdom is abandoned.
This latter system of men is not instituted by God. It is a violation of God’s way which Christ spoke against.[13] Such systems often speak of faith in God, have their rituals and gatherings where they claim to pray to God but in fact their prayers and kings are not to Christ or the Father but to the Caesars of the world. Their ordinances and laws make the word of God to none effect, but what of the Church?
God’s congregation in the wilderness and in the first century Church were gathered together in free will fellowships. Since, the congregations are composed of free men and women, they must establish a titular body to represent them without giving it an exercising authority over their liberty. The called out ministers of the Church represent that servant body politic to the world.
Christians would not bind themselves to the Nicolaitan altars of power by oath, application or participation. Those offered entitlements were funded by agents with exercising authority over neighbors or by oppressing the stranger. Christians could not pray at such covetous[14] altars like the Corban of Herod nor the pharisees. Nor could they take the free bread offered by the Roman temples because since they also used force to take from some to give to another. The dainties offered at their tables were not only a snare but since they were based on covetous practices Paul said they were idolatry.[15] Peter said they would make you merchandise and curse children if they took those benefits which were the wages of unrighteousness.
To truly belong to Christ being separate and not be of the world ministers must put their faith in another king who preached a different kind of way and government with gregarious altars of charity.
They formed living altars of faithful men who received the freewill offerings[11] of the people called sacrifice to provide a daily ministration through Pure Religion.
They would redistribute those gifts through the living network of congregations and churches. There was no central store house, but a constant weekly and daily flow of that which made the body whole and healthy.
The people retained their rights and responsibilities to love one another instead of engaging in the covetous practices of the world which made men merchandise and degenerated the masses.
Systems of legal charity like that of Herod or Nimrod are thetables of welfare which become snare as David and Paul said. Without a system of welfare funded by Fervent charity the people will not long remain free.
Such volunteer system of living altars allowed the people to survive in hard times and could be called sacred purpose ministries. Such trust needs some form of protector or overseer or an authoritarian state will eventually assume that office.
The ordained ministers of the Church supplied both the representation and that position of servant overseer. They did not usurp or exercise authority over the people, but stood in appointed authority between the corpus of the people and the interlopers and usurpers of the other governments of the world.
The critical difference between a God inspired government and governments of the other nations is that no authority over the people is vested in that public office. Those who seek that office of service are subject to the job description given by Christ and by Moses. They could be in but not of the world.
Christ restricted them from owning property in their own name. This is a very controversial subject but it was key to the standing of the Church in the wilderness,[16] at the time of Christ and in the free Church today. The autonomy of the Church is not only dependent upon the Church rejecting benefits of the world, but the ordained ministers must also reject all benefits of the world that might ensnare them.[17]
In those early days of Israel when there was no king the ministers of the government of liberty and charity had no inheritance in the land but holding all things in common they belonged to God.[18] They were foreign to the world and to the people.[19]
The apostles were appointed a kingdom, but told to not be like the princes, rulers, or the kings of the Gentiles.[20] These men were princes of the kingdom, but unlike most every government today they did not exercise authority one over the other [21] for they do not go up by steps[22] nor do they hew the choices[12] of their fellow servants.
In the early Church those ordained disciples of Christ had no inheritance in the land, like the Levites who were the church in the wilderness because Christ ordered that they sell their property or they could not be His disciple, student ministers.[23]
Those like Barnabas obeyed this command, but Ananias did not. Understanding Barnabas, who was Joses a Levite who owned property in Cyprus[24] was not allowed to by God according to Moses. In order to obey Jesus he had to sell it and give the money away. “But” Ananias failed to do so and died.
If the ministers of Christ are a part of the estate of Christ they can have no personal estate of their own. This is essential to the foreign nature of the Church to maintain true autonomy. This unique status of a ordained minister with no personal estate is important to mention, but we will have to deal with the detailed examination and explanation in another place.
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- ↑ Luke 14:33 "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
- ↑ An interesting observation is the word common is from 2839 ~κοινός~ koinos translated common 7 times, unclean 3, defiled 1, unholy 1. It primarily meant "common, mutual, shared, joint".
- ↑ 537 ἅπας hapas [hap’-as] from 1 (as a particle of union) and 3956 individually coming together; adj; TDNT-5:886,795; [{See TDNT 604 }]
AV-all 34, all things 5, whole 3, every one 1, every 1; 44
- 1) quite, all, the whole, all together, all
- ↑ 3956 ~πᾶς~ pas \@pas\@ including all the forms of declension; adj AV-all 748, all things 170, every 117, all men 41, whosoever 31, everyone 28, whole 12, all manner of 11, every man 11, no + 3756 9, every thing 7, any 7, whatsoever 6, whosoever + 3739 + 302 3, always + 1223 3, daily + 2250 2, any thing 2, no + 3361 2, not tr 7, misc 26; 1243
- 1) individually
- 1a) each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything
- 2) collectively
- 2a) some of all types
- 1) individually
- ↑ The phrase "had all things common" with the word "had" in Acts 2:44 is translated from "echo" which is a different word than we see in Acts 4:32 "en".
2258 ἦν en [ane] imperfect of 1510; v; AV-was 267, were 115, had been 12, had 11, taught + 1321 4, stood + 2476 4, misc 42, vr was 1; 457- 1) I was, etc.
- ↑ Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
- ↑ Numbers 3:12 And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;
- Numbers 3:45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD.
- Numbers 8:14 Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine.
- ↑ Acts 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
- Acts 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
- ↑ Leviticus 25:10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
- Leviticus 25:41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
- ↑ John 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
- John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
- John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
- Psalms 95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,
- John 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 A Freewill offering is charity which is love.
- Exodus 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering<08641>: of every man that giveth it willingly<05068> with his heart ye shall take my offering<08641>.
- Exodus 35:5 Take ye from among you an offering<08641> unto the LORD: whosoever [is] of a willing<05081> heart, let him bring it, an offering<08641> of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,
- Exodus 35:10 And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;
- Exodus 35:21 And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing<05068>, [and] they brought the LORD’S offering<08641> to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
- Exodus 35:29 The children of Israel brought a willing offering<05071> unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing<05068> to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
- Exodus 36:3 And they received of Moses all the offering<08641>, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it [withal]. And they brought yet unto him free offerings <05071> every morning.
- Leviticus 1:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering <07133-Corban> unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering <07133-Corban> of the cattle, [even] of the herd, and of the flock. 3 If his offering [be] a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will <07522> at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.
- Leviticus 2:4 "And if thou bring an oblation <07133> of a meat offering baken in the oven, [it shall be] unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil. 5 And if thy oblation <07133-Corban> [be] a meat offering [baken] in a pan, it shall be [of] fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.
- Leviticus 7:16 But if the sacrifice of his offering [be] a vow, or a voluntary offering <05071>, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice: and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten:
- Leviticus 22:18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever [he be] of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation<07133-Corban> for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings<05071>, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
- Deuteronomy 16:10 And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering<05071> of thine hand, which thou shalt give [unto the LORD thy God], according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee:
- Ezra 7:13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and [of] his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill <05069> to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee....15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered <05069> unto the God of Israel, whose habitation [is] in Jerusalem, 16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering <05069> of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly <05069> for the house of their God which [is] in Jerusalem:
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Freedom is the Right to Choose, the Right to create for oneself the alternatives of Choice. Without the possibility of Choice, and the exercise of Choice, a man is not a man but a member, an instrument, a thing.” Archibald MacLeish
- ↑ Matthew 23:13 “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.”
- ↑ Jesus against covetousness
- Mark 7:9 "And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." See Corban.
- Mark 7:20 "And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man."
- Luke 12:15 "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
- Luke 16:14 "And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."
- Luke 21:34 "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and [so] that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth."
- Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
- John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
- John 14:21 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
- John 15:10 "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love."
- ↑ Covetousness is idolatry
- Colossians 3:5 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:"
- Ephesians 5:5 "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God."
- 1 Corinthians 5:10 "Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. 11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat."
- For it is written that the tables of dainties provided by rulers of the world are a snare because they cause the masses to bite one another through government systems of legal charity which are covetous practices which are a form of fornication or adultery where the people are devoured as merchandise, curse children and are "entangled again in the yoke of bondage" with the aid of the false religion of the whore who rides the beast.
- ↑ This status of an ordained minister is covered under the title of “Vow of Poverty”. It is often misunderstood but well documented in the biblical text and the law today. It may require some detailed study to overcome our misconceptions.
- ↑ Members of Religious groups who have social security numbers may apply for exemption with form 4029 from the Social Security tax. But members of order who have taken a vow of poverty are "automatically excluded". It can be assumed they waive any rights to all benefits under the Social Security Act, and are conscientiously opposed to accepting benefits from men who force the contributions of others with an exercising authority.
- ↑ Deuteronomy 18:1 The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance. 2 Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.
- Numbers 3:45 “... the Levites shall be mine: I [am] the LORD.”
- Numbers 3:12 "And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;"
- ↑ Numbers 8:14 "Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine. 15 And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation: and thou shalt cleanse them, and offer them for an offering. 16 For they are wholly given unto me from among the children of Israel; instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel, have I taken them unto me. 17 For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are mine, both man and beast: on the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for myself.”
- ↑ Matthew 20:25 “...princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them..., Mark 10:42... accounted to rule...” Luke 22:25 “...kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.”
- ↑ Not exercise authority
- Matthew 20:25 "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you:..."
- Mark 10:42 "But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you:..."
- Luke 22:25 "And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye [shall] not [be] so:..."
- ↑ Heirs of service
- The hierarchy of the kingdom of God does not go up by steps nor exercise authority one over the other but come as he that serves:
- Matthew 20:27 "And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
- Matthew 23:9 "And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."
- Luke 22:26 "But ye [shall] not [be] so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. 27 For whether [is] greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? [is] not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth."
- Mark 9:35 "And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, [the same] shall be last of all, and servant of all."
- Galatians 5:13 "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another."
- ↑ All you have
- Luke 14:33 “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
- Luke 18:22 "Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."
- Acts 2:42 47 "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."
- Acts 4:32 "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."
- Numbers 3:12 "And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;"
- Numbers 3:45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD."
- Numbers 8:14 "Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine."
- The ministers of the Church in the wilderness and the early Church belonged to God as bond servants and therefore they owned all things common so the people could be free.
- Leviticus 25:10 "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family."
- Leviticus 25:41 "And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return."
- ↑ Individual Levites owning property was forbidden by Moses but allowed by the Hasmonean dynasty.