Socialism directly opposes everything about God, the Bible and Christianity. And it’s not difficult to see it if you’ve got an open mind.
Socialism is allied with the failed philosophy of materialism and the bankrupt religion of atheism. It destroys everything it touches.
Socialism destroys families, economies and nations. And more.
The Bible -both in the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament- builds up both the family and the nation. Every nation that has embraced the Bible has seen great and lasting benefits.
Followers of Jesus Christ have transformed the world through scientific, medical and technical achievements based on the Bible. They have transformed cities and nations with Biblical precepts.
Socialism does the opposite. Every time.
So what does the Bible have to say about Socialism?
The Bible tells us that Socialism is slavery and thievery. And anybody who has lived under Socialism can confirm it. Socialism destroys the Biblical work ethic and confiscates assets earned by producers and gives them to non-producers. This de-motivates producers and creates a cycle of sloth, poverty and dependence.
“They pretend to pay us, and we pretend to work”
-Old Soviet humor noir
The Bible tells us that there’s a God who created all things. But Socialists suppress the truth. They deny there is a God, while acting as if they were God.
Socialism is the theft of capital, human rights, and more -from entire nations, leaving the masses in poverty and darkness.
But Socialist leaders get extremely wealthy off the stolen plunder. Karl Marx himself never worked an honest job and lived off the efforts of others while going deep in debt to finance his lifestyle.
Marx was really creepy and tyrannical and he advocated mass murder. Is it any surprise that many of his disciples are the same? Think Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot and the Kim Dynasty of North Korea.
Since Socialism depends on darkness to survive, it must exclude the Bible, which it has done in one way or another every time it has taken over a nation.
This darkness is a big reason socialist nations continue to live in poverty. In the last days, there will be a One World Government run by a man known as “The Beast” and his number is 666. You can read about him and the special name God gave him thousands of years ago at this other post.
The Bible is the foundation of science, modern medicine, western culture and philosophy.
The Bible says that man was created, not evolved -a fact even the Royal Society has been gradually waking up to since it’s 2016 meeting calling for a new theory of evolution since the old one has failed.
The Bible tells us that man was created in the image of God and was told to rule over the Earth.
But adherents to Socialism avoid these obvious truths.
The Bible says that man should live in freedom while governed under the rule of laws that are righteous and godly. The Bible gives the entire human race a system that has created the greatest civilizations on earth.
It is a system of morals and laws for governing human society. But more importantly, the Bible also tells us how to take part in eternity with our righteous and loving creator.
No nation that was taken over by Socialism has ever prospered. Here’s a “Who’s Who” of Socialist failures -and it’s not pretty.
Some look at China as an exception to this, but China has only prospered in a relative way by embracing just enough Capitalism to grow economically for a short time.
Recent events have shown the true colors of socialism in China once again, and it isn’t a pretty sight.
Others think the Scandinavian countries went Socialist, but they saw the cliff just in time and turned back before it was too late.
The idea of human freedom comes from the Bible -and no country on earth has this more obviously written in its founding documents than the USA.
America’s famed “Liberty Bell” has this inscription from Leviticus 25:10 “Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land and to the inhabitants thereof.” It’s a reference to the Biblical Jubilee every 50 years when the slaves were to be set free according to God’s law.
Nations that embraced the teachings of the Bible led the world in the abolition of slavery.
But Socialism is slavery, and the nations that embrace Socialism enslave their own people.
Where Does the Bible Talk About Socialism?
The Bible doesn’t mention the exact term Socialism.
The word “Socialism” first entered the English language around 1830 while the last book of the Bible was written in AD 95. (See my post about what BC and AD mean)
But the Word of God still has a few things to say regarding Socialism.
In fact, what the Bible says is in direct opposition to tyrannical socialist values and principles.
Here are some of the main Scripture passages that expose the evil, anti-God nature of Socialism:
“And you shall not steal.”
The 8th commandment given to us by the Lord Himself promotes the concept of private property. Clearly.
We find further proof of God wanting us to have private property in Exodus 22:1-4 ESV, which also reveals that anyone who violates one’s private property is to restore it and even provide additional compensation to the victim.
This is the exact opposite of what Socialism teaches i.e. everything is owned by the government.
Remember one of the staples in Agenda 2030? “You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy.” Talk about a blatantly satanic system that’s the direct opposite of what the Scriptures say.
“For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”
As you can see, the Holy Word of God teaches that we have to support ourselves by working. In fact, verses 6 through 12 of 2 Thessalonians 3 are all about a commandment from the Lord against idleness.
Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want us to sit around all day, doing nothing productive. He wants us to work and receive compensation for our labor.
That’s how it’s been since the beginning (Genesis 2:15 ESV), although when sin entered into the world through Adam and Eve’s transgression, God told us “by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread” (Genesis 3:19 ESV).
So it’s even harder for us to acquire our daily bread as we live in this post-fall world.
However, Socialism doesn’t value the work output of different individuals. Instead, in a socialist system everyone receives the same compensation, regardless of the work output.
This is another anti-Biblical concept.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
The Bible is clear – humans are sinners and by default, they seek after their own sinful and fleshly desires.
But Socialism assumes that although people aren’t individually stimulated for their efforts, they’ll still somehow work hard for the greater good of everyone else.
Again, this is not Biblical as man is self-centered and selfish due to the fall.
Socialism denies the obvious fact that man is sinful by nature. This is why Socialism is doomed to fail in the first place.
Q. “What shall we do if suddenly we feel a desire to work?” A. “Just rest for a while on a sofa. It will pass.
Old Soviet Humor Noir
Is the Bible for Capitalism?
The mistake so many people make is asking what the Bible is in favor of.
Here are some far better questions to ask: “Is Socialism in favor of the Bible?” And “Is Capitalism in favor of the Bible?”
Hint: Capitalism requires laws. And the laws must be enforced. Capitalism -by definition- is the allocation of resources by many private parties. And Capitalism works best under Godly laws.
Capitalism has a proven track record of lifting billions of people out of poverty and creating resources for the betterment of mankind.
Many western countries created great wealth through Capitalism that was used -in part- to fund missionaries who gave their time and their lives to evangelize and serve people in many far-flung lands over the centuries.
It sure helps you do better at loving your neighbor if you’ve got a few extra bucks to feed and cloth them while you’re telling them about how Jesus Christ is the true Son of God.
Socialism has never done that.
But some folks misuse their freedoms and give Capitalism a bad name. A few people see the few who misuse a superior system and blame it on the system because they don’t know how to look beneath the surface.
Socialism by definition is a system where the government controls and allocates resources. In the history of mankind, there isn’t a single case of socialism improving the lot of the people laboring under it.
One thing we are seeing in America now is Socialists are coming into many political offices and refusing to enforce our laws.
But laws are important. And righteous laws are critical to a functioning society. Capitalism needs good laws in order to work well because man is sinful and his flaws need to be held in check.
Regardless, the capitalism model of the United States has been the driving force behind the current system that we live in that has made this nation the greatest nation in the history of mankind.
Some folks say Capitalism’s flaw is greed. But greed also runs rampant in Socialism, because greed is a human condition. Socialism only allows a few of the leaders to enjoy the fruits of their greed.
So it’s not Capitalism necessarily that causes us to be greedy, selfish and fleshly. After all, let’s not forget what the Old Testament says about our fallen state:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 ESV
In this sense, we can say that perhaps Capitalism isn’t the root cause of the problem. Yes, sin is the root cause of all our problems.
But if Capitalism stimulates people to focus on material possessions and materialism in general, then what good is this system for man in his fallen condition? And what good is Socialism if it does the same?
It’s certainly not okay from a Biblical point of view and definitely not something that God favors.
Q. When the final phase of socialism, namely communism, is built, will there still be theft and pilfering?
A. No, because everything will be already pilfered during socialism.
Old Soviet Humor Noir
Amassing material possessions and money is what drives so many people in the Western world nowadays, which comes from human selfishness.
The Bible has quite a few verses that rebuke the love of money and following mammon (the Biblical term for riches), but let’s take a closer look at a popular and very revealing passage from Scripture:
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:10 ESV
Money, money, money – must be funny? This was part of the chorus of a popular 1970s pop song and it represents what America, Europe and many other parts of the world are all about. Money.
Capitalism gives freedom to fully explore and exploit our greed in contrast to how Socialism works.
This is why you can see incredibly rich individuals and homeless people on the same street in countries like the US, which is the brutal reality that we live in.
And while some folks tend to thrive in Capitalism by exploiting the system and acquiring massive amounts of worldly riches in the process, the real problem isn’t Capitalism per se.
Our real problem is sin. It’s what causes us to lie, steal, kill, cheat and so on.
As long as we reject Jesus Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, we’ll remain in the flesh and greed will only be a single drop in the ocean of depravity and moral decay.
But if we believe that Christ died for our sins, we’ll have eternal life (John 3:16 ESV) and He’ll set us free from the chains of sin (Galatians 5:1 ESV).
What is the Point of Socialism?
Socialism makes promises but never delivers on them. Socialists say they will create a free and fair society, but Socialism always delivers slavery and unfairness.
This is what men’s systems always create.
By definition, Socialism revolves around collective rather than private ownership and selflessness as one of the core values of this system.
This sounds great, doesn’t it? A society made of selfless individuals who care for the greater good of everyone.
It sure does – on paper. In reality, all of this is simply a seemingly honorable concept that’s not applicable to post-fall humanity.
Every single human being on earth right now is a sinner, by default, and there’s no escaping this fact.
Our flesh is corrupt and without Jesus we are lost and destined to hell. Our flesh produces a plethora of sins, such as the ones mentioned in Colossians 3:5 ESV:
- Sexual immorality.
- Impurity.
- Passion.
- Evil desire.
- Covetousness/idolatry.
Socialism or any other worldly system for that matter simply cannot outdo the damage that sin has done to men.
In Romans 6:6 ESV Apostle Paul lets us know that without Christ we are enslaved by sin. Mankind’s sinful nature is present in every aspect of our lives.
So do you really think that a man-made system such as Socialism can erase parts of our sinful nature such as selfishness and make people all of a sudden care for each other and work for the greater good of everyone?
Remember that here on Earth we don’t have a lasting home or city, but we look forward to our eternal home in the presence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:14 ESV).
How Does Socialism Differ from Communism?
One of my favorite quotes on this is “Communism is Socialism in a hurry.”
The main difference between Socialism and Communism is that Communism is the totalitarian conclusion of Socialism, where the government runs everything in the country or state.
In Communism there’s only a single government (e.g. the communist party) that controls the concept of collective cooperation. There are no elections or referendums – only one political party that rules and reigns.
To put things into perspective, here’s a more easy-to-digest example of how Socialism and Communism differ:
- Socialism – There’s an elected government that allocates the economic resources that are shared by all citizens. (Read more about the comparisons of socialism vs. communism here) But this stage usually doesn’t last for long before it devolves into full-throated Communism, since there’s nothing standing in the way.
- Communism – There’s a single political party/government that owns and controls most if not all economic resources, instead of them being equally shared among citizens as in Socialism. Don’t be fooled. The Communist leaders are some of the wealthiest people in the world. They usually put on a public show of frugality while living lavishly in private.
It’s safe to say that Communism is the more brutal and oppressive variant of Socialism, where individual rights and freedoms are almost non-existent.
Think North Korea.
These days we’re seeing even so-called liberal, open-minded and supposedly democratic countries enforce draconian laws that strip citizens of their individual rights, slowly but surely.
Regardless of the political system in our country, we have to stay faithful to our Lord and Savior and not bow down to the beast system.
Don’t renounce your faith in Jesus, even if that means going to jail or even being killed for your faith.
You might follow the footsteps of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be miraculously delivered by the Lord or whether you could be martyred like Peter and Paul.
Nonetheless, we can be certain that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (Lamentations 3:22-2 ESV).
If you are trusting in him, you can be sure he cares for you, no matter what.
Bible Verses that Support Socialism
There are no Bible verses that support Socialism, period.
So instead of listing relevant Bible verses (because there aren’t any), let’s focus on two Scripture passages that some people use as “proof” that the Living Word of God promotes Socialism:
Both Bible passages from the book of Acts reveal that believers in Christ shared their wealth and possessions with other believers so that everyone’s needs were met.
Sounds like Socialism, eh? Not really.
None of the believers were forced by the government to do any of this. They shared everything with each other as they were led to do so by the Holy Spirit.
Socialists like to make claims about other Bible verses to support their case, but it’s easy to debunk their failed claims.
Let’s not forget what the fruits of the Spirit are:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 ESV
These believers weren’t pushed to share their goods with others by oppressive government laws. No – they did this completely voluntarily.
Final Thoughts
Socialism is a man-made political, social and economic concept that was popularized by the philosophical views of an evil, corrupt man named Karl Marx.
This futile system revolves around people working for the greater good and helping each other with shared resources in an attempt to form an equitable society.
All of this sounds great and probably very Biblical to some, but there’s one huge flaw in Socialism – mankind is in a fallen, sinful state without Jesus Christ.
This means that this worldly system is bound to fail as without Christ our sinful nature will always take over and any ideas about equity and compassion will be but a distant concept.
Add an oppressive government with anti-God laws and you’re in for trouble or persecution to be more precise.
However, as we can see, even democracy-driven societies are starting to show their true totalitarian colors but that’s no surprise as we know that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19 ESV).
But don’t let this dishearten or dismay you. Jesus has warned us that in the last days we’ll be persecuted and even killed for His name’s sake (Matthew 24:9 ESV).
So take heart, hold onto your faith in Christ and let’s encourage one another with these words spoken by our Lord and Savior Himself:
“You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.” Luke 21:17-19 ESV
When Jesus returns, he will rule in righteousness and swords will be beaten into plowshares. His economic system is sure to outperform any of man’s imperfect systems.
Is your Faith Founded on Fact? Have you committed to follow Jesus?