There are the three main categories of the local and global church needs, non-Christian needs, and non-human needs to which I may distribute the money. Keller argues that the church should not provide for only those within the church, but those outside of it as well, paralleling the provisions commanded for the strangers and aliens of the Old Testament (Keller, 13-14). He also suggested that we should not give to others with the condition that they are a Christian or will become one after the aid. When Jesus healed the blind man, there was “no indication that Jesus gave the aid conditionally. He did not press him to believe as he healed him…” (Keller, 18). Also, non-Christian organizations may provide aid for Christians. Paul encourages believers to “…do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Thus, though the church should definitely help the homeless shelter, orphanage, and children sponsorship program, whether or not the recipients or the corporation running the programs are Christian, the church should provide for the needs of Christian brothers first.
Benevolence
I allotted more money to the benevolence category than to any other category. This is consistent with the many verses throughout the Bible commanding Christians to support their brothers and sisters in Christ. It is also consistent with the pattern the early church followed in the use of its finances until the influence of Constantine (which, according to our class lecture, resulted in a higher percentage of resources being allotted for building expenses). As in the examples given earlier, Jesus and the apostles continually taught others to provide for the needs of the poor in the New Testament. In the Old ...
... middle of paper ...
...tians need to be good stewards of their money, especially in repaying loans. Romans 13:8 states, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law”. It also displays a good testimony when Christians are trustworthy and prompt with their financial commitments. “But if the basis for our involvement with the poor is ‘the rules of the gospel,’ namely substitutionary sacrifice, then we must help the poor even when we think ‘we can’t afford it’” (Keller, 6). Though we should be sacrificial, it would be not only irresponsible stewardship, but also sinful to not pay off loans or bills in a timely manner. This would not display a Christ-like testimony, be in submission to our government, be appropriate treatment of the lender, or be in accordance with the scripture passages discussing the importance of repaying loans.
I would say this teaching shows that God is a selfish God and he does not want anything or anyone above or before him. We cannot serve a God and try to serve money and everything else as well. Money is the root to all evil, people are killed over money, they still money and family, friends, partners are torn apart over it. We spend so much money on materialistic things that are completely worthless once it leaves the store r parking lot and after this is all said and done there is nothing of value that can be utilized later. Knowledge, heart are things that will be utilized in the afterlife.
...overall I find this theology refreshing; it is always good to help the less fortunate as Jesus did many times. Gustavo Gutierrez had such a passion for helping the poor in Latin America, witnessing first hand of their lack of hope and helplessness. One interesting thing that stood out to me was when Gustavo talked about the different kinds of poor people. I never realized how cultures and different societies are forgotten through history. Generation after generation they remain poor never able to get out of poverty. People sometimes have this pre-conceived idea about the poor, how they are dirty and different and almost not even human. This is where so many are wrong and we should be helping them not just by donating money, clothes, food, but give them the tools and resources needed to get out of poverty and start a better life, or this endless cycle will continue.
Craig Ford states this in his article, Debt in the Bible. Is borrowing Money a Sin? that for the most part Christians who borrow in a sinful way only borrow through the means of impatience, materialism, and acceptance. There are many other means that a Christian can borrow that would be biblically acceptable. (Ford, 2010) Some Christians will take the words as a literal meaning from the Bible especially the verses from Romans and believe that no man should truly owe another man anything. This can pertain to a mortgage, car payment, and any other type of debt that may almost seem unavoidable within our current society. As long as the agreed amount of the mortgage payment is being met every month on the agreeable terms this is fulfilling the terms of paying the lender back and not owing anything. Although there is most definitely a line that can be crossed indicating that a Christian is not being a wise steward of God’s money, borrowing is in fact allowed and even a way to bring glory to
Winthrop, J. (2008). A Model for Christian Charity. In N. Baym (Ed.), The Norton Anthology of American Literature Volume 1 (pp. 82). New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
In 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Company set sail to the New World in hope of reforming the Church of England. While crossing the Atlantic, John Winthrop, the puritan leader of the great migration, delivered perhaps the most famous sermon aboard the Arbella, entitled “A Model of Christian Charity.” Winthrop’s sermon gave hope to puritan immigrants to reform the Church of England and set an example for future immigrants. The Puritan’s was a goal to get rid of the offensive features that Catholicism left behind when the Protestant Reformation took place. Under Puritanism, there was a constant strain to devote your life to God and your neighbors. Unlike the old England, they wanted to prove that New England was a community of love and individual worship to God. Therefore, they created a covenant with God and would live their lives according to the covenant. Because of the covenant, Puritans tried to abide by God’s law and got rid of anything that opposed their way of life. Between 1630 and the 18th century, the Puritans tried to create a new society in New England by creating a covenant with God and living your life according to God’s rule, but in the end failed to reform the Church of England. By the mid 1630’s, threats to the Puritans such as Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and Thomas Hooker were being banned from the Puritan community for their divergent beliefs. 20 years later, another problem arose with the children of church members and if they were to be granted full membership to the church. Because of these children, a Halfway Covenant was developed to make them “halfway” church members. And even more of a threat to the Puritan society was their notion that they were failing God, because of the belief that witches existed in 1692.
For instance, Leviticus 25:35 states, “’if your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you” (ESV). As a Christian, a person is called to help those who are struggling, and speaks of giving everything a person has to help those around him or her. According to the Jacob Riis film, citizens turned a blind eye to all those suffering, without a home or food. It also states in Proverbs 22:2, “…the rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all” (ESV). God created everyone on the Earth, and did not create one group to feel superior over another. The last passage that represents the other half is Proverbs 28:6, “ Better is poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways” (ESV). A man can be as poor as can be, but wealth does not make you better in the eyes of God.
For this wicked custom has so taken root everywhere among those who bear the Christian name, and this pernicious doctrine is everywhere so settled and established as though by public law, that men purposely bring up their children even from the cradle with excessive carelessness and laxity. (Celano, 1:1, http://www.indiana.edu/~dmdhist/francis.htm) These opening lines show just how much opulence (and by opulence the means to gain it wealth) were important to people of the era. That like now, the idea of too much money can lead to the idea of sloth and other poor morals. Another important phrase that connects the importance of money/wealth to the period is the idea of the “Hidden Treasure” that Francis speaks of when discussing the kingdom of heaven. (Celano, 3:7-8, http://www.indiana.edu/~dmdhist/francis.htm) In likening the kingdom of heaven to something as material and with such high monetary value as gold it
Most people feel that they should help the needy in some way or another. The problem is how to help them. This problem generally arises when there is a person sitting on the side of the road in battered clothes with a cardboard sign asking for some form of help, almost always in the form of money. Yet something makes the giver uneasy. What will they do with this money? Do they need this money? Will it really help them? The truth of the matter is, it won't. However, there are things that can be done to help the needy. Giving money to a reliable foundation will help the helpless, something that transferring money from a pocket to a man's tin can will never do.
In the article “God’s Heart for the Poor,” Dr. Jay W. Richards, a famous author, claims that Christians should have both heart and mind in order to help the poor and become a true, good neighbor. He uses some Bible verses to teach the readers about the importance of being a good neighbor and uses The Piety Myth to explain how Christians should “exercise prudence” and connects this concept to the economics.
... specifically on how the one who has many possessions must give to the poor and not put so much emphasis on themselves (Luke 12:33 and Philippians 2:1-4). It also supports the allegation that some churches are, in fact, after prosperity and not concerned with the spreading of gospel. This also raises the following question: If acquiring wealth and building a church with the intent on making oneself more comfortable is not ethical in Christian beliefs, why does God allow it? This question cannot be answered because of the circumstances and religious bias, but nonetheless makes one draw his or her own conclusion. Sanneh, throughout the whole piece, does not give any strong indication of which side she is on. So, this is an unbiased source because she allows her audience to consider the issues instead of making them sit through a lecture with the intent of persuasion.
For more than 130 years, The Salvation Army has helped women, children, elderly men, families, and addicts overcome hard times. The Gospel Rescue Missions also help anyone and they do not mind age, religion, race, origin or color. With programs all over the country, The Department of Veterans Affairs target to help homeless veterans and those who depend on them. Another organization is Feeding America, who are a hunger relief charity and they take the lead with helping with the homeless. They provide food assistance to 25 million people throughout the country with low income, which includes elderly and the youth. All across the country there are homeless shelters that provide free clothing and warm food; some shelters even have different areas for the men, women, and women with children to sleep. This helps to ensure comfort and safety to everyone. Some even find employment and medical services (Homelessness in America). There are some who still live on the streets and have no options, whether there is no room at a shelter, they have no hope, they are addicted, etc. sometimes the better option for some people is to resort to the
In today’s society, Christianity is plagued with many disagreements about how to deal with current issues in society. These problems arise from the fact that Christians have the same fundamental beliefs, but they often disagree on the details. This is the reason why there is a panoply of denominations in the Christian faith. The way that many of the factions in Christianity interpret the word of God can be categorized into different styles of gospel, such as evangelicalism and fundamentalism. One such category that is beginning to gain popularity in today’s society, often taught in megachurches, is Prosperity Gospel. Prosperity Gospel, also called the “Health and Wealth Gospel” by Scot McKnight’s internet article “The Problem for the Prosperity Gospel,” is the belief that if humans adhere to God’s will, then He will in turn bless them with prosperous lives (McKnight). This prosperity often comes in the form of health and wealth according to many megachurches that preach this gospel. In times of economic strife, the prosperity gospel offers comfort in the hopes of having a prosperous future. It is also suspected that Prosperity Gospel has also become an outlet for the people who have a considerable amount of money as a means to justify their wealth. Whatever the reason for believing this gospel, it is important to remember that Prosperity Gospel is just one of the many ways that we can interpret the teachings of the Bible.
However, Monsma discusses in his article that if people are fully devoted to being a steward of economic judgement, we must strive to “provide all with access to the basic necessities for life in that society, and must provide all with opportunities for producing for their own needs in a context which gives them control over their own labor and a portion of the other resources of society.” No one in this world deserves to be left in the dust and fend for themselves if that seems to be their only option. As stewards we should strive to have “no poor among you (for the Lord will bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance to possess), if only you will obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all this commandment which I command you this day” (Deut. 15:4-5). People that have been blessed with access to many resources need to trust God that by using them for the greater good, it will lead the world closer to economic
Specifically, as it pertains to Christian ideology or its belief system that is constructed and maintained to deal with moral issues in personal experience and social relations (Association of Religion Data Archives, n.d.). The notion of social justice is evident in the Bible and aligns well with Christ’s teachings that form the foundation of the Christian faith (Edwards, p. 12, 2011). In terms of justice, the Bible is clear regarding the expectation of doing and not just talking (Edwards, p. 11, 2011): This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be that person? (I John
The churches in the world play a huge role in the determination to access of food, clean water, and shelter. No matter what religious affiliation, people will donate money to churches to help this growing problem that has arisen. This is important because churches are a good way to give those in need the supplies they need. The churches give the money raised by the offerings that people donate. This is effective because there are so many churches around the world. If most people donate a little bit of money, a substantial amount of people will be helped. The Christ House is a p...