“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 2:42-47).

Recently, a good friend asked me if the first Christians were Communists. He said, “The way they lived seems like Communism to me.”

If we only consider the fact that the first Christians had all things in common, we might think that true Christianity is like Communism. But that is not the case. And we would have to define the meaning of true Christianity.

Notice that the early Church continued stedfastly in the Apostles’ doctrine and fellowship. Communism doesn’t follow the Apostles’ doctrine. The Apostles’ doctrine says Jesus was the Virgin Born Son of God, He died on a cross for the sins of the world, He is the only way to be saved, He is coming back to rule the world, and things like that. Communism doesn’t declare these things.

Notice that the early Church continued stedfastly in the breaking of bread and in prayers. Communism doesn’t do that. Many Communists are atheists and prayer is never part of their lifestyle or something that continue in stedfastly.

Notice that the early Church praised God and had favour with all the people.

Communism has a history of rejecting God and persecuting Christians and Jews.

Concerning the early Church and Christians having all things in common, it was something they chose to do. Communism forces its will on people. The early Christians said, “Everything I have belongs to God.” But Communism says, “Everything you have belongs to the government.” The early Christians believed in giving. But Communism believes in taking. The Christian doctrine of giving is tithes and offerings not everything we have taken away from us.

I understand why my good friend asked the question, but there is a big difference between Christianity and Communism.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

The ordinance of Christian water baptism by immersion is a beautiful picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Lowering a person under water symbolizes the death and burial of Jesus. Raising a person up out of the water symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus.

Christian water baptism by immersion is also a very accurate picture of what happens when a person is truly saved or born again. Lowering a person under water symbolizes the death and burial of that person’s old self (that person’s old sinful ways). Raising a person up out of the water symbolizes the resurrection of that person to a new life in Christ (a new Christ-directed life). Paul said, “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new” (II Cor. 5:17). This change is part of the evidence of salvation.

There were some at Corinth and other places who didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead. The Epicureans, the Sadducees and the Stoics were among them. Paul responded by asking, “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen” (I Cor. 15:12-13). Paul was saying, “Think it through. If there is no resurrection of the dead, Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead so He is still dead.”

Dropping down to verse 29, Paul asked two more questions that have mystified multitudes and caused a lot of misunderstanding.Paul asked, “what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?” There are several different interpretations of this and some have wrongly led to the practice of believers being baptized for the dead, a ritual that is still practiced by some cults today.

I personally believe that Paul was saying, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, we shouldn’t raise people up out of the water. If Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead, we shouldn’t use a symbol that depicts the resurrection of Jesus. Why baptize people by water immersion? Why baptize people fora Christ who is still dead? Why raise people up out of the water when Christ wasn’t raised up?”

If Christ wasn’t raised from the dead, it would be more appropriate to put people under the water and hold them down. That would more accurately symbolize a dead Christ. The problem with that is nobody would want to be baptized unless it was by sprinkling or pouring and that’s not enough water for many.

In conclusion, it is my opinion that Paul was asking, “If you don’t believe in the resurrection of the dead, why do you baptize people for a dead Christ?” He wasn’t promoting baptism for the dead. He was promoting the resurrection of Jesus. He even went on to declare that “Christ is risen” (I Cor. 15:20). So it is right to believe in a resurrected Christ (not a dead Christ), to raise people up out of the water and to live that Christ-directed life, but it is wrong to baptize people for the dead. That is a waste of time and effort.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck