Socialism and Communism are political and economic theories that advocate centralized, government-focused ownership, control, and distribution of goods, services, and property among a nation or people. Both of them shift production, provision, distribution, and problem solving for issues a nation or people face away from individuals to political entities. More specifically, we can define them this way: Socialism is “a political and economic theory advocating collective ownership of the means of production and control of distribution.” Communism is a political and economic theory advocating for “the ownership of property, or means of production, distribution and supply by the whole of a classless society with wealth shared on the principle of ‘to each according to his need,’ each yielding fully ‘according to his ability.’”[1]
There has been much attention given to Socialism in our country recently (and by implication, Communism). I get the sense that many Christians have no idea why most Christians have historically opposed these two theories and why we should continue to oppose them.
Of course, how Christians have viewed things in history should be considered, but never serves as our ultimate authority. So, in what follows I provide sixteen reasons from Scripture why we should oppose Socialism and Communism and, at the same time, sixteen reasons to advocate for a biblical approach to government, work, and economics.
1. God created us to work so we, others, and the world can flourish. Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15; 8:5-6.
The original mission that God gave to humans, as seen in Genesis 1:26-28, was to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth with God worshipers and, at the same time, to help all the world flourish through our life, work, and giving people-benefiting order to all. This mission is part of the way we glorify God (Psalm 8) and it includes work (Genesis 2:15). In other words, God created humans in His image to work. Work is not a result of sin, though it is made harder by sin.
As we will see in what follows, this foundational truth stands underneath how God typically provides for humans (through work) and the reality God gives different talents to different people, so that these can be used toward this mission of helping the world and people flourish.
2. God created us to create, to solve problems, and this in diverse ways, based upon gifts, talents, and God’s providence.
This reason follows from the first one. It also seems to be supported by the fact God gives different gifts and talents to different people. This is true in the church (1 Cor. 12) but also outside the church. After all, wisdom (including skill) and might belong to Him, as well as the removal and setting up of kings (Daniel 2:20-21), something about which the Bible gives examples (Exodus 31:3; 1 Kings 5:8-9). When we remove production, problem-solving, and distribution from those who have been blessed by God with abilities for these kinds of things and place them in the hands of those not qualified and/or not in a position to make the best decisions (e.g. a centralized entity), this not only goes against God’s design, but ends up hurting people.
3. God’s design is usually to provide through work. Gen. 2:15; Psalm 8; Prov. 6:10-11; 2 Thes. 3:10
Scripture is consistent throughout that God’s typical design is to provide for needs through work. This images and glorifies God (Gen. 1:26-28; Psalm 8). What this means is that the most productive way we can meet the needs of people is to advocate for biblical principles that stand underneath the best way government, production, work, and distribution can be done.
4. God’s design is that work provides for family, the poor, and the recipients of goods and services. Prov. 31:10-31; Eph. 4:28
Similarly to reason three, we can say that work does not just provide for a person’s needs, it provides for their family’s needs (Prov. 31:10-31; 1 Tim. 5:8) and it provides resources for workers to help those in need (Ruth 2; Eph. 4:28). This means that any approach to government, economics, and work that hurts the creation of wealth and jobs, in other words, that tends to hurt businesses (historically Socialism and Communism), will eventually diminish or do away with resources to provide for family and to help those in need.
5. God’s design is to use a person’s appetite, their needs, to motivate them toward provision and flourishing. Prov. 16:26.
In other words, the need to put food on your own table and that of your family’s table, as well as to provide for all the other needs your family has and the families who work for you (if you are a business owner), motivates you to grow business, create jobs, and create wealth. Socialism and Communism have consistently hurt this motivation. After all, if the person who does not work, the person who works but not hard, the person who works hard, and the person who is in a position to create jobs for others all make the same, the motivation to do better is taken away, wealth is not created, jobs are not created, and those hurt the worst are those who have the least means.
6. Because #5 is true, it is imperative that the governmental approach of a nation or people not destroy the safety net.
In other words, though Socialism and Communism claim to be compassionate toward the poor, they hurt the very people they claim to help and in part it is because they are going upstream, against the grain of how God designed humans to work (see again Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15; Ps. 8).
7. God’s design is for business and its wealth to bless and help others flourish. (Prov. 31:13-21)
Proverbs 31:18, speaking of the excellent or noble woman, says that, “She sees that her profit is good.” Why? In context it provides goods and services for others, it provides for her family, and it gives her resources to help the poor. God has designed it this way so that His people especially can be fruitful, multiply, fill the world with God worshipers, and help others flourish through their love, service, and yes their vocation. A centralized approach to work, production, distribution, and problem-solving opposes this design.
8. God’s will is not for what belongs to a person be taken from them against their will, including inordinate taxation. (Exodus 20:15)
Given what we have said so far about God’s design for humans, created in His image that they might glorify Him, helps us not to be surprised at the eighth commandment: “You shall not steal.” After all, if God allowed all (or even some) that the woman of Proverbs 31 owned, this would also disincentivize this woman from family providing, poor-helping, business that also helps others flourish through her business.
This also applies to the government taking an inordinate amount of money and resources of people and disincentivizing people from going into or growing their businesses. This will hurt all involved. Though Scripture is clear that taxes are appropriate for the tasks government has been given (Rom. 13:6), a system that works to keep taxes minimal best serves the citizenry.
9. God’s design for government is for limited tasks, tasks that include preserving righteousness and justice, not to provide for needs of a person, nor to take from one person to give to another. Rom. 13:1-4
Related to #8 is this reason: God does not give to government the purpose of controlling production, distribution, work, problem solving, etc. He has ordained government to do just a few key tasks, according to Rom. 13:1-4: “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. …do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.”
Socialism and Communism typically move in the direction of controlling their citizens so they conform to the purposes of the state and, as they do this, often turn upside down the stated purposes of the government. They often end up rewarding the law breaking and penalizing the law abiding.
10. Creation of jobs and wealth. Prov. 16:26; 31:18
As businesses flourish, they tend to need more workers and both owners and workers are motivated to work and grow the business even more to provide for all employees. The result is not only providing goods and services, but also creating more wealth for people to flourish. God designed it to work this way to His glory (Gen. 1:26-28; Ps. 8). Just think of how the invention of the iPhone and its development over the past couple decades has created jobs and wealth, as well as opening up opportunities for all kinds of people throughout the world that they did not previously have.
Conversely, to disincentivize business owners and employees as Socialism and Communism tend toward, prohibits creating jobs and wealth. They also tend to disincentivize creativity and invention.
11. It is a good and biblical goal to seek to have and preserve freedom for people to make decisions and to act in ways that they want, which is the heart of freedom. Exodus 20:3-7; 1 Sam. 16:7; Mat. 15:18-19; Philemon 14
True religion or faith emerges from the heart, includes believing and doing what a person truly wants to believe and do, and includes worship of the true God as revealed in Scripture. Though political freedom is not absolutely essential for such religion or faith, nevertheless, freedom brings a greater level of flourishing. Since centralized governments (such as Socialism and Communism) tend toward the removal of freedom (they tend toward strong control), they oppose this good and biblical goal.
12. We have no biblical examples of the approval of Socialism or Communism. Acts 2:45; 4:32-37; Acts 5:4
It has been common to point to the early Church in Acts 2:45 and 4:32-37 as examples of Socialism or Communism since many believers were selling land and other possessions to help those in need. However, Acts 5:4 makes it clear that all which was being given remained the property of the people who owned it before selling it and even once they sold it, they could determine how much of the earning to give to those in need. This is not Socialism or Communism. Instead, it is an example of the kind of generosity or safety net that can take place when people have flourished enough to have resources for their own families (1 Tim. 5:8) and for those in need (Eph. 4:28).
13. The biblical approach to government, work, economics, production, and distribution does not in any way encourage greed or envy, but the opposite (Acts 2:45; 4:32-37; 20:35; 2 Cor. 8-9; 1 Timothy 6:6-19: et. al.).
Conversely the history of Socialism and Communism have had a tendency to encourage envy and bitterness over the lack of equal outcomes and resources.
14. The New Testament, specifically 2 Thes. 3:6-10, prohibits one aspect of Socialism and Communism, that is, the reception of life’s provisions without it being tied to work.
In verse six Paul addresses a problem that had been present in Thessalonica when Paul first visited there and when he wrote the first letter to them. Their conduct was disorderly, that is, it was idle, not given to work, and not ordered according to the Scriptural truth revealed to Paul and passed on to them: “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you position yourself away from every brother who is walking in disorderliness and not in accord with the tradition which they received from us.”
Notice that Paul writes in the name (authority) of Jesus Christ. Paul was convinced this was what Jesus Christ taught and demanded in regard to the provision of life’s necessities. Life’s provisions were typically to come through one’s work, even though in dire situations they could temporarily come through charity. This opposed what many freedmen in the Greco-Roman world believed at this time, that work was beneath them. Yet, this was not to be so with followers of Jesus Christ. Paul even went on to say in verse ten: “For also when we were with you, this we were repeatedly commanding you: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”
What Paul writes here is consistent with what is learned in Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15; and Psalm 8, namely that humans, created in the image of God, reflect God through their work, which is part of their dignity, helps them flourish, and helps others flourish.
15. Given what we just discovered in 2 Thessalonians 3:6, we see that Jesus Christ, though a proponent for generous charity for those who are in need (Mat. 25:31-46), is just as much a proponent for work as the best means of provision.
Put another way, Jesus advocates a typical means of provision that comes through work, not through a Socialist or Communist approach.
16. Given the above 15 reasons, a sixteenth follows: Love demands Christians oppose Socialism and Communism, and advocate for a biblical approach to work, government, production, and distribution.
Love for God and for others demands that followers of Jesus Christ not only generously provide resources that meet the very essential needs people face (Mat. 25:31-46; Rom. 12:20; Titus 3:14), it also demands that we help people flourish through work that long term provides for their needs, the needs of their family, and for those who are in urgent need. Simply-put, love demands Christians oppose Socialism and Communism, and advocate for a biblical approach to work, government, production, and distribution.
[1] Both of these definitions are taken from The New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary Of The English Language (New York: Lexicon Publications, 1989).
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