Though this OP is kinda long, I hope you'll bear with me, for I do have an inquiry at the end. And that I ask it in all sincerity, though I am weary of some of the WoF teachings.
I happened on an episode of the BVOV this morning with Gloria Copeland and Pastor George Pearsons talking about the "One Hundred Fold Return" with the basis of scripture as Mark 10:28-30:
"Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."
The jist of Gloria's discussion was in the area of giving and it was mentioned that if one gives $1 to the Lord, then one ought to expect a $100 return in that investment. And that it was pointed out that the "one hundredfold" is now, as well as in the world to come.
OK, great. I'm all for that. Where do I sign up?
But I suspect that there is much more to this that is apparent. In the first place, if this is such a foundational principle, then anyone who out of his/her heart gives to the Lord ought to see this principle come to pass with regular fluidity. Unfortunately, and obviously, anecdotally this just doesn't seem to be the case on a regular basis.
I do not deny that Jesus clearly is speaking of receiving "one hundred fold". And that He was speaking of receiving it "now in this time", that is in this lifetime. But I am at a loss as to how this is supposed to work exactly.
In the first place, this passage follows the incident with the young rich ruler, who back in verse 21 was told by Jesus to "go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me." Evidently, this young man had a problem with riches and it was the thing that prevented him from knowing the Lord. There was something that this person must give up in order to even inherit eternal life, namely his riches.
So in contrast, when Peter tells Jesus in verse 28, "Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee", it is then that Jesus gives this promise.
The question is, to what extent does one need to leave all and follow Jesus?
Do I need to divorce my wife? Do I need to disown my children? Even my family? Do I need to sell my house and land? From the context of the passage, that seems to be the case.
The problem I have is Peter as an example. He said he left all and followed Jesus. But what evidence from scripture do we find that Peter received "one hundred fold" return for that sacrifice? In Acts 3, Peter declares, "Silver and gold have I none..." Was his blessings delayed? Later he is beatened and thrown in jail several times and threatened with death when he escaped. And in his letters, he speaks of suffering in the name of Christ and facing persecutions. And in fact, Peter eventually died relatively young as a martyr, as well as most of the other Apostles, who gave up all and followed Jesus as well, all of whom presumably entitled to the same "one hundredfold" blessing as Peter.
At least Jesus got the "with persecutions" part right.
Can anyone help me out where or how the Apostles got blessed "one hundred fold"? What am I not seeing? I honestly want to understand this scripture.
I happened on an episode of the BVOV this morning with Gloria Copeland and Pastor George Pearsons talking about the "One Hundred Fold Return" with the basis of scripture as Mark 10:28-30:
"Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."
The jist of Gloria's discussion was in the area of giving and it was mentioned that if one gives $1 to the Lord, then one ought to expect a $100 return in that investment. And that it was pointed out that the "one hundredfold" is now, as well as in the world to come.
OK, great. I'm all for that. Where do I sign up?
But I suspect that there is much more to this that is apparent. In the first place, if this is such a foundational principle, then anyone who out of his/her heart gives to the Lord ought to see this principle come to pass with regular fluidity. Unfortunately, and obviously, anecdotally this just doesn't seem to be the case on a regular basis.
I do not deny that Jesus clearly is speaking of receiving "one hundred fold". And that He was speaking of receiving it "now in this time", that is in this lifetime. But I am at a loss as to how this is supposed to work exactly.
In the first place, this passage follows the incident with the young rich ruler, who back in verse 21 was told by Jesus to "go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me." Evidently, this young man had a problem with riches and it was the thing that prevented him from knowing the Lord. There was something that this person must give up in order to even inherit eternal life, namely his riches.
So in contrast, when Peter tells Jesus in verse 28, "Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee", it is then that Jesus gives this promise.
The question is, to what extent does one need to leave all and follow Jesus?
Do I need to divorce my wife? Do I need to disown my children? Even my family? Do I need to sell my house and land? From the context of the passage, that seems to be the case.
The problem I have is Peter as an example. He said he left all and followed Jesus. But what evidence from scripture do we find that Peter received "one hundred fold" return for that sacrifice? In Acts 3, Peter declares, "Silver and gold have I none..." Was his blessings delayed? Later he is beatened and thrown in jail several times and threatened with death when he escaped. And in his letters, he speaks of suffering in the name of Christ and facing persecutions. And in fact, Peter eventually died relatively young as a martyr, as well as most of the other Apostles, who gave up all and followed Jesus as well, all of whom presumably entitled to the same "one hundredfold" blessing as Peter.
At least Jesus got the "with persecutions" part right.
Can anyone help me out where or how the Apostles got blessed "one hundred fold"? What am I not seeing? I honestly want to understand this scripture.
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