Private Property

Acts 2: 44-34 & 4:32-37

The Reformer's Fire
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Exposition by Max A Forsythe

Question 73:
What is the eighth commandment?
Answer 73:
The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.

It was a "Dirty Harry" type movie where the police were more likely to administer justice than haul a criminal into court. A young man with an attitude problem had begun to take whatever he wanted and threatened anyone who might get in his way. The local constable having chased him down more times than he really cared to, had pulled him over by the local lake. Seeing stolen goods in the back seat, the young man was instructed to unload the electronic equipment and put it in the cruiser.

"What ya gonna do, arrest me agin", the young man jeered

The constable pulled out his gun, told him to release the break, put his car in neutral and then push it into the lake. All of which the young man did. Then the constable got into his cruiser and drove the stolen property back to its owner. Since it cost a pretty penny to have the car pulled out of the lake and repaired, justice of a sort was accomplished! Of course, we must admit that it was a fairly primitive means of "eye for an eye" or in this case "property for property" type of justice. But justice it was and the audience went away feeling good that the bad guy had got what was "a commin to im".

At least in the good ol boy southern comfort of movie land, the concept of private property and punishment for its stealing was still a matter of local pride, even if the means to that end were not to the specifications of a Philadelphia lawyer. In the fiftyish style of that movie, there was still an enduring concept of private property.

Today, I am not so certain that even the courts take the issue as seriously as those whose property is stolen. Now remember, the courts may very well prosecute those who take property by force, but when it comes to legislation and litigation there seems to be a wholesale acceptance of corporate and governmental acquisition of what was once the income and savings of common people. Just this week, I read that the Federal government is considering a takeover of the few state pension systems that still exist. The argument is that such a takeover would cover ten per cent of the short fall in the social insecurity system. Never mind that the contributors to those systems had entered into them in order to get a better deal than what the Federal government would allow!

I don't know about you, but I have had several small fortunes removed from my pocket in the last thirty years, enough so that I am losing confidence in elected officials and bureaucrats whose primary concern is how much of what the people earn should we let them keep! This is a definite attitude problem as well as a dishonest equation of the hard won constitutional right to property.

Of course, we know from God's word in this eighth commandment that the concept and right to private property comes from a higher authority than any man made political documents. When the Creator God of heaven decrees that Thou shalt not steal. It is clear that this commandment allows private property to be owned and enjoyed in the first place. Certainly, citizens appreciate and Jesus taught that the state must be supported when He announced, Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's. However that may have been applied under an authoritarian government is one thing and today where the full authority of the government resides in the people, it is another entirely.

Let us consider several texts in the book of Acts and see how the understanding of property and its rendering to God and His people is played out in the sacred text. Certainly, no government can make a higher claim than the God of heaven. In the fellowship of Jerusalem believers there caught on an intense fever of sharing the profit from goods and property. Now, the text here has been used at times to try and demonstrate the wonderful ideal of communism. However, let us be certain to understand that it was only in Jerusalem that this phenomenon happened and it never was a special teaching of the Christian Church. At this time and in that place, the new born Christians chose to share much in common. By this means a lot of real estate, homes, gardens, land and businesses were capitalized early on before it was all destroyed and ruined some years later by the Romans. By distribution of their property, the Jewish Christians were ever so much more able to flee persecution and go to the ends of the earth as the Lord enabled them.

Unfortunately, Acts 4: 32 has been often used by "christian" charlatans whose desire is for their neighbor's wealth. And some among the name it and claim it crowd actually believe that their neighbors should bankrupt themselves to support those who think they are needy! I have even heard of pastors who took it upon themselves to demand more than the ten percent tithe ordained by God. Like governments out of control, some within the Christian community would choose to live off of the kindness and charity of a congregation. Here at Christ Covenant, we have learned to be very circumspect in these matters while still being able to give generously where it is evident that God would have us help.

Certainly, we all understand that the property that we have, is under our stewardship from our Father God. We have it as ours only while we are here for this short life. Then every single person must at long last give it all up for a more precious hope in heaven. While it is ours, we may do what we wish with that wealth as long as we follow certain principles of conduct.

In chapter five of Acts, there is recorded the story of a husband and wife who would have cheated God if they could have gotten away with it. This report is in context with the other property passages in these early chapters of Acts. Ananias and Sapphira were not condemned and slain by God for stealing, but for lying. The Apostle Peter makes this clear in chapter five verse four: Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.

Thus, we may presume just as we may from the eighth commandment, that while we live this life, there is for our sustenance property which we may claim, use and give away as we choose. And at long last, we shall be held accountable for the stewardship which we have practiced, so let us be worthy of the material gifts and blessings which our Father has kindly given to us and manage them carefully in order to reflect His glory in our management of them.

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