Christianity and Socialism Cannot Coexist.

For the last few months in this space, we've been looking at the authoritatively-repeated idea that Christianity and Socialism/ Marxism / Communism have much in common. Many even tell us that if we want to live like a real Christian—like Jesus—we'll stop objecting to Socialism and embrace it like a brother. As we've been seeing, Socialism is NO relative to Christianity and is the kind of “family” that would rob us of the truth, our stuff and even our freedom. That the Marxist “thinkers”, when they're being hoest admit that Christianity and Socialism cannot coexist. In order that we can be informed and then inform others, we've started looking at what the Bible has to say about Socialism and its ideals.
The Scriptures are full of the idea of work and reward for work, key points of capitalism. Jesus said, “the worker deserves his wages ” in Luke 10:7. Although this is in the context that those working to spread the Gospel shouldn't be embarrassed to accept care from fellow Christians, the point clearly applies to all circumstances of work.
Jesus told the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, an example in which a man gave different amounts of money for safe-keeping to 3 men before he went away. Two of them invested the money and made more money for the owner, but the third buried it instead of even depositing it in a bank because he was afraid he might lose the money. Jesus reserves the highest praise for the men whose initiative and skill increased material wealth, and condemnation for the man who did nothing to create value.
In another parable, the Parable of the Workers in the Vinyard in Matthew 20 tells of a land owner at harvest time who hired men to work the whole day for a denarius. Then, 4 more times during the day he hired more men for shorter and shorter parts of the day. At the end of the day, he paid them each the same amount—1 denarius. The men who worked the longest were understandably annoyed that the newcomers were paid the same as they were. The land-owner said: “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
Yes, this parable is giving an example of the fact that those who come to faith in Christ early or late in life get the reward of Heaven, but it also provides a powerful defense of private property, & owners and workers making voluntary contracts. Clearly, wealth and money are not, in and of themselves, evil.
There are more. Quite a few more. And I feel the need to share at least a few more so we can all be more prepared to use some of God's methods—facts & logic-- to defend truth and inform others. Pastor Geoff