The Purpose of Material Inequality Within the Body of Christ

Thought of the day: Material inequality within the body of Christ exists in order to create an opportunity for love and grace

Context:

Beginning of the church

They have been commanded to stop teaching in Christ’s name

Be Barnabas not Ananias

Read 4:32

Review Luke’s disposition in Acts

Not only did they share, but they had nothing of their own. Double emphasis. They had abandoned materialistic individuality.

Read 4:33-35

The general trend. This love and generosity was a grace from God (obviously, lol)

Read 4:36

The pinnacle example. He was so loving that his kindness was legendary

The contrasting backdrop for Luke’s account in Ch. 5

Read 5:1-2

They wanted to be like Barnabas

But they couldn’t, why?

?Love of money

?They didn’t love the people

?They loved praise

Read 5:3

“Satan has filled your heart” What does that mean?

deceptiveness, greed, covetousness, pride, unbelief, his actual presence? Satan is not omnipresent but it makes sense that he would be particularly concerned with the start of the church.

Read 5:4-6

The apostles were not begging for money, they were not presenting this type of giving as an obligation.

You are acting like you have to but you don’t. You act like you have to serve, give, teach, love but you don’t. God doesn’t need you to provide for His church. He is perfectly capable of doing it on His own, Ananias.

The punishment of Ananias was intended to show the Jews that this new church would not be like the old. The priests would not be bribed or tricked, but was guided by the Spirit. They demanded a pure purpose and was watched over by an all-seeing God. There would be no room for the perverted hypocrisy of the temple that they were used to. Spiritual and religious games are an abomination to God.

Read 5:7-8

Peter gave her the chance to repent

Read 5:9-11

They were afraid and they should be. Religious games inside the church is suicide. Remember this is the same God who killed Uzzah.

Outro

2 Corinthians 8:8-15

One is rich and another poor so that we can display the sacrificial love Christ had for us.

On the other hand, we are not playing a social currency game here. Anthropological idea that we give out of selfishness is incompatible with the gospel.

Sin fills us with the idea that we shouldn’t give, that we shouldn’t sacrifice. Sin tells us to love money, the praise of men, and that God’s grace is cheap.

Christ fills us with freedom to be like Barnabas. So radically loving that through our humility we might be an parable for the sacrificial love of Christ.