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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Divine intervention? | Bible general Archive 4 | Morant61 | 214757 | ||
Greetings Vintage68! I don't believe that one can make the case that Christian stewardship only refers to spiritual things. The illustration of the steward in Luke 16 is directly applied to one's relationship to earthly wealth. Luke 16:13 says, " ‘‘No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” " Further, Luke 16:11 specifically advises us to be "...trustworthy in handling worldly wealth." As His servants, everything we have is His and has been entrusted into our care. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |
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2 | Divine intervention? | Bible general Archive 4 | Vintage68 | 214782 | ||
Hi Morant61 The case I put forward is this. There is not (one) place in the Old Testament where the word steward is used, where it is not referring to a person that takes care of the household, ie, belongings of another. In the New Testament there is only (one) time where this same definition can be used. Every other place it is only used in relation to the person dealing with the spiritual things of God. We all know that every (Spiritual Blessing) still belongs to God. We are His (slaves, servants, sons) The illustration of the steward in Luke 16 is a parable. Are you saying, we are to apply a literal interpretation to a parable, in order for us to understand the spiritual truth contained within? There are only two ways in which a parable can be understood. Are we to accept a literal understanding, to a spiritual teaching? If you would look at Matt.13:10-13 you will find a description, on all of the aspects of a parable. Your use of Luke 16:13 is only to be understood as summation of the preceding verses. Nothing more than a lawyer would do in a court room, for a final clarification of the facts. When you say. "Further, Luke 16:11 specifically advises us to be "...trustworthy in handling worldly wealth." "As His servants, everything we have is His and has been entrusted into our care." My answer is, we are no different than the people of the world, God gives them money too! Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Is there anywhere in the bible, where God says, He will be holding "US" to a higher standard than the people of the world, as far as the money He gives to us is concerned? In Acts 5:1 Ananias, and Sapphira, were they judged as bad stewards, over what God had entrusted into their care, or was it because they lied to the Holy Spirit? Therefore we can go back to Luke 16:13 "You cannot serve God, and Mammom" (That is the principle, we should gain) thereby conducting our lives accordingly. But not in the sense of stewards. My point in using this story is, specifically for what Peter said to Ananias, and Sapphira Acts 5:4 4.) Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. Do we not also have power over what God has entrusted into our care? When He gives to us, does it stay His, or are we only holding it for Him? We pay tithe, thereby God says the rest is ours? I am not trying to split hairs, but when we are doing exegesis, do we not try our best to find the exact correct Greek, or Hebrew words for the passage we are studying in order for us to better understand any given verse? Should we not be doing the same when speaking our own language, expressing our beliefs to others? I understand you know Greek pretty well. Can you show me where the word (steward) in the bible is used for a person that has their own belongings? Or is that a different Greek word? Vintage68 |
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3 | Divine intervention? | Bible general Archive 4 | Wild Olive Shoot | 214783 | ||
Vintage, But isn’t the “moral” of the parable akin to “if you can’t handle worldly riches how can you be trusted with true riches, those spiritual riches bestowed upon you by God”? “The riches of this world are the less; grace and glory are the greater. Now if we be unfaithful in the less, if we use the things of this world to other purposes than those for which they were given us, it may justly be feared that we should be so in the gifts of God's grace, that we should receive them also in vain, and therefore they will be denied us: He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. He that serves God, and does good, with his money, will serve God, and do good, with the more noble and valuable talents of wisdom and grace, and spiritual gifts, and the earnests of heaven; but he that buries the one talent of this world's wealth will never improve the five talents of spiritual riches.” – Matthew Henry Stand in His grace, WOS |
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