[aron]

Originally Posted by OBW

I'm not sure what you are getting at here. Are you saying that the activities of all of Christ's followers are the same? That everyone engages in the acts that are demonstrated by the apostles?

I am not saying that various activities of the apostles are not found among some of the followers. But some of their activities are the result of their calling to be among the primary trainees who then were specifically given a commission to do what they did.

You referred to Corinth. In the first letter, Paul was clear that we do not all have the same calling when he indicated that we do not all have the same gifts granted by the Spirit. We all get a calling, but not for the same things or activities...

None of this says that the activities of the apostles are fundamentally different from that of the average believer/follower. They are all the outflow of what has been planted in them by the Spirit coupled with the calling they have received. The result is not simply the same thing, but it is all part of God's economy. There are cooks, floor sweepers, farmers, merchants, children, teachers, factory workers, plumbers, electricians, doctors, accountants, bankers...

Don't try to make direct comparisons. Just note the diversity. Yet they are fundamentally the same as they are all normal activities of the variety of people who populate an estate, town, city, etc. About the only thing we have completely in common is that we all eat, sleep, breathe, and some other standard functions. The rest varies by gift. Gift of birth, upbringing, training, age, experience, etc.

The same can be said of the body of Christ in the context of the thing referred to as God's economy.

When I speak of activities, noted in detail in Acts and referenced in Paul's letters (e.g., Corinth) I am thinking of those who have, sharing with those who don't have. That I see as a universal rule, a key aspect of "God's economy" even if not entirely all-encompassing. I don't see differences. Giving is giving and sharing is sharing. Everyone has different gifts to share, but they all have gifts.

And note Paul's word which I quoted: "each of you should set aside a portion of income" for the poor of Jerusalem. Not just those who are bankers and lawyers and such, should set a portion aside, but everyone.