Problems
of Possessions in the New Church
I committed to preaching through the text of Acts for several Sundays. I've gotten to a text that is mostly ignored in lectionary selections. It is a difficult passage, or a "hard reading." The passage in Acts describes two different instances of supporting the
church, one with positive consequences involving Barnabas, and the other with with very dire consequences involving the husband/wife Ananias and Sapphira. This is a “difficult” passage probably because people
tend to read into it political overtones or advocacy such as for socialism or communism and or choose to overlook an underlying message that this passage may not be about money itself but of giving and personal commitment to
the mission of the congregation of believers.
Read
Acts 4:31-5:11
Questions
1. What do you think of the difference between the action of Barnabas and
Ananias & Sapphira (in Greek this word is the gem sapphire, but it hints to my English ear of the
sound of sapros – putrid, of bad quality”)?
2. What does this say about money
and the church?” Is there more to the passage?
Read
Leviticus 19:2 -15, 35
key phrases:
19:2 You shall be holy, for I the
Lord your God am holy.
19:5 When you offer a sacrifice of well-being
to the Lord, offer it in such a way that it is acceptable on your behalf.
19:8 ...they have profaned what is holy to the
Lord; and any such person shall be cut off from the people.
19:35 You shall not cheat in measuring
length, weight, or quantity.
3. Do these prohibitions relate to the actions of Ananias and Sapphira?
That is, did they die of fear for cheating God against their promises, or not
giving an acceptable offering? Does God punish us now after the ultimate action of atonement/forgiveness, or was this a self-inflicted wound?
Read 2 Cor. 8:1-15, 9:6-8 (You may want to read the whole chapter 8 and through 9:8.)
key
phrases:
8:3 they gave
themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us,
8:9 our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so
that by his poverty you might become rich.
(Reminiscent of Philippians 2:6-8)
8:13 I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure
on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between 14 your present
abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in
order that there may be a fair balance. 15 As it is written, “The one who had much
did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”
9:8 And God is able to provide
you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of
everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.
Notice that Paul, in 8:15 has to add a verb to the text as does a reader of LXX or the Hebrew Bible. The more accurate sense of translation based on the Exodus 16:18 text is not "had much" but "gathered much" or "collected much" referring to the manna only good for the day. (By the way, I apologize for using a single verse, I'm not trying to "proof text" even if Paul may be doing that.)
Notice that Paul, in 8:15 has to add a verb to the text as does a reader of LXX or the Hebrew Bible. The more accurate sense of translation based on the Exodus 16:18 text is not "had much" but "gathered much" or "collected much" referring to the manna only good for the day. (By the way, I apologize for using a single verse, I'm not trying to "proof text" even if Paul may be doing that.)
(Notice that I am avoiding using the word "Church," rather using "congregation of believers." There is an interesting reflection on this issue in the current (Spring 2013) Austin Seminary magazine, Windows. I particularly liked Ted Wardlaw's reflection on the Church (p8) and was intrigued by the more denominationally protective (orthodox?) position of Joseph Small (p10). I discussed this idea a few sermons back; however, this is going to be the subject of a following post.
Peace be with you. We are all God's children.)
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