[TheRealThing]

2 questions: Who is my neighbor, and how did the first church survive to where all did not have need?

Luke 10:25-29 (NKJV)
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
26 He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"
27 So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' "
28 And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."
29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Obviously everybody we run across throughout our life is our neighbor. But, Christ is not trying to define our responsibilities to our neighbors here. Rather, He is pointing out to the Lawyer in the text, as well as all who were to read the scripture, that nobody can live a life that pleases God well enough to earn eternal life. The only hope for man is accepting the gift of life through His perfect work;
Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

My pastor cited a poll recently which found that 90% of modern evangelicals said the main thrust of the Gospels was to inspire folks to give to the poor. Christ said that He had come to "save that which was lost". The work of Christians therefore is to do the same. We are to be about our Father's business, which is the redemption of man, manning the soup kitchen lines may look saintly to you but, salvation is the number one concern. What used to be the early church, still survives in tact today, and is inhabited by those who have been saved. So, there is no distinctly separate first church as you put it. Although those of the early church did sell all they had, to share among themselves. God established the tithe to fund His church and minister to those who are in need. It's ludacris to take the position that the saved are to sell all that they have and give it away in this society. Federal and State government agencies are busy redistributing the wealth as we speak. Free housing, free food, free clothing, free utilities, free health care, free cell phones and on and on ad nauseum. There is a lot of need out there, and the church stands ready to minister where needed. We however, are to be responsible and provide for out own family first.

At any rate, the scriptures are clear. God expects man to work for his living. Are you familiar with the Jewish custom of gleaning? If so, you realize that welfare of that day still involved the poor going out into the unreaped corners of the fields to harvest (through labor heaven forbid) and to then actually cook the food as necessary. Helping people doesn't mean nurturing them like infants.

BTW, you and I have gone over all this at least once before that I can recall. Have you sold all that you have and given it to the poor?