As a common purse community we’re often asked if we believe that every Christian should live like we do. Does the Bible require every Christian to “hold all things in common?” The short answer to that is, of course, “No.” It is not practical or possible for every Christian to be a part of a income sharing structure. Some Christians are married to unbelievers, some are in a stage of their life that makes this kind of commitment not permissible (like being in the armed services), and others just don’t have the faith (the necessary level of maturity and understanding) or calling (God may not be directing) to live like this. On top of this, one must be able to find a group of Christians they trust enough to share in this way.
This doesn’t mean, however, that the Bible has nothing to say about how we approach our finances. David Crump, in Knocking on Heaven’s Door, writes how the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to live for the honor, praise, and glory of God which includes how we handle our finances:
“The Lord’s Prayer does not require anyone to become a neo-Marxist, a socialist, or even a vegetarian who recycles. The fourth petition [“Give us this day our daily bread”] does not impose a particular political agenda or economic philosophy; it simply requires that one’s material existence be utterly conditioned by the reign of God. Followers of Jesus are to hold on to nothing as tightly as they hold on to their King, and when it comes time to act on their stated values – as it does for all of us every day – they will go anywhere and do anything the Father asks, regardless of the cost, because they know that he will faithfully supply their needs.”
Wanting to love God and our brethren with all our hearts and live out the Sermon on the Mount, we have chosen to create a structure that enables us to share with each other our needs and blessings. Through this we hope to embody, in our small way, the vision of the coming Kingdom. God calls every Christian to find a way, within their means, to do the same.