Does "equality" even matter to Jesus?

[Godcrazy]

The Christian lifestyle described by Jesus only applies to Christians. Nowhere does scripture place into the mouth of Jesus or any apostle that the mission of the Church is to make pagans act like Christians.

We can show in scripture that within the Body of Christ, the status of persons should be very much as Marx paraphrased, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs."

But achieving the equality of resources within the Body of Christ presumes, first, that the Holy Spirit abides within everyone and, second, that God will provide the Body of Christ with all the resources necessary to support the Body of Christ...we need only disburse them properly within the Body of Christ. I can give you the scripture on that.

If pagans observe the fruit of our provision and grace and attempt emulate it, we will find them unable--except by putting people to the point of the sword and allowing them to starve. That's because they lack the Holy Spirit and the Lord's promise of resources. And we find, historically that that has been true.

whole scandi society as a whole are very atheistic they still manage to treat everyone with respect and all have kinda

 

[Robban]

whole scandi society as a whole are very atheistic they still manage to treat everyone with respect and all have kinda

Heaven bear we within.

 

[d taylor]

-

​

Equality is not a Biblical concept. Believers are urged to work on earth for a better position in future Eternal Life.

 

[timothyu]

and yet scandi`s they are very keen to include everyone to have.

Close knit community

 

[RDKirk]

whole scandi society as a whole are very atheistic they still manage to treat everyone with respect and all have kinda

They aren't forcing equity. There are plenty of very wealthy Scandinavians. We're talking about much more of a social change than "treating everyone with respect."

If we were to take New Testament scripture literally, there would be no private property among Christians and we would redistribute income to give each person an equal amount.

That's not happening in Scandinavian countries.

And when it's been attempted outside the Body of Christ, it has resulted in millions murdered and starved.

 

[Robban]

They aren't forcing equity. There are plenty of very wealthy Scandinavians. We're talking about much more of a social change than "treating everyone with respect."

If we were to take New Testament scripture literally, there would be no private property among Christians and we would redistribute income to give each person an equal amount.

That's not happening in Scandinavian countries.

And when it's been attempted outside the Body of Christ, it has resulted in millions murdered and starved.

Why can it not be referring to value, worth, P salms 49 tells us that a man cannot redeem his brother,

his soul is too costly.

Have you ever taken apart an alarm clock, when assembling it again no matter how small the parts,

if one part is missimg the clock will not work.

 

[Larniavc]

Countries that embrace equality are dying.

Evidence please. When I hear this what I hear is ‘my group who used to own all the pie now has to share some of the pie’.

 

[RDKirk]

Why can it not be referring to value, worth, P salms 49 tells us that a man cannot redeem his brother,

his soul is too costly.

Have you ever taken apart an alarm clock, when assembling it again no matter how small the parts,

if one part is missimg the clock will not work.

I don't know what you mean. The scriptures I'm talking about are absolutely referring to money, food, shelter, et cetera.

 

[Robban]

I don't know what you mean. The scriptures I'm talking about are absolutely referring to money, food, shelter, et cetera.

I get what you mean, Acts 4:32-5:11.

 

[Carl Emerson]

I get what you mean, Acts 4:32-5:11.

It took a lot of posts before folks referred to Acts.

We have traveled so far from the amazing love that came with the birth of the Church that record of this is too embarrassing to read it seems.

 

[bèlla]

Ananias and Sapphira…

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and [secretly] keep back for yourself some of the proceeds [from the sale] of the land? As long as it remained [unsold], did it not remain your own [to do with as you pleased]? And after it was sold, was the money not under your control?

The Spiritual Gift of Giving: Romans 12:6-8 & 2 Cor. 8:2-4

The special gift that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord liberally and cheerfully. This kind of giving from material blessings is characterized by exceptional willingness. The believer is able to recognize God’s blessings and to respond by generously and even sacrificially giving of one’s material resources to support the Lord’s work.

Affirm that you have this gift; questions to ask yourself:

1. Do you feel moved to give when confronted with financial needs in God’s kingdom?​
2. Are you willing to have a lower standard of living in order to benefit God’s work with your finances?​
3. Do you have a conviction that all you have belongs to God and you want to be a good steward for the sake of his kingdom?​
4. Do you freely and joyfully give of your resources because you love God?​
5. Do your giving records show that you give more than 10% of your income to the Lord’s work?​

Spiritual gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit should not be broadly applied to others and we see this error frequently in the church. The individual who prays for hours and believes others should follow suit. The studious member who studies the bible but doesn’t understand why others don’t share their hunger.

Giving is the number one source of manipulation and guilt within the church. We’re routinely subjected to allegations of poor stewardship, blessings in exchange for gifts, and scriptures taken out of context to elicit larger sums.

If you have a burden to part with your possessions for the Lord’s work that’s wonderful. But we aren’t biblically mandated to follow suit. If you have a burden to build something for the Lord that’s wonderful. But everyone isn’t required to fund it.

~bella

 

[Carl Emerson]

Paul had this to say...

2 Cor 8

just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
8 I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
10 I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.
11 But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability.
12 For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
13 For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality—
14 at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality;
15 as it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

This was addressed to all, to respond to the lack of equality in the Body - within their means.

 

[Dan1988]

Meaning sons of death, representing what leads us all to death since the Garden instead of representing the Kingdom which brings life.

I'm n not sure what you mean by ''sons of death, representing what leads us all to death". In Matt 23:15 Jesus describes the Scribes and Pharisees as "sons of hell". -

15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

And in John 8:44 He described them as the children of the devil. -

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

There is no equality with Jesus, He only spoke of two kinds of people, the children of the devil and Gods children.

 

[Learning always]

But for me, the sentiment of Love your neighbor as yourself would infer equality. Another thought that comes to mind is that Jesus said to sell all your possessions and give to the poor and you will have riches in heaven.

Love your neighbor as yourself would infer equality??
You mixed up Christian charity with equality, which got not a lot to do with each other.
In fact it's because there are inequalities that we learn to love each other, and have opportunities to show our love towards each other.
Equality reduces opportunities to help each other (and freedom).
Think of a Magnet...

 

[childeye 2]

Love your neighbor as yourself would infer equality??

Yes, to love others as myself I have to see others as myself. <-- Brotherly Love.

You mixed up Christian charity with equality, which got not a lot to do with each other.

The Holy Spirit instructs me to give to those who don't have and are in need. <-- Compassion

In fact it's because there are inequalities that we learn to love each other, and have opportunities to show our love towards each other.

I agree that there are inequalities. I don't agree that they teach me to love. I believe charity is a fruit of the Spirit of God. <-- Brotherly Love

Equality reduces opportunities to help each other (and freedom).

If you mean that if everyone were equal, there would be no inequality, I agree. I seriously doubt you'd be saying that greed is of God.

Think of a Magnet...

A cycle of energy.

 

[timothyu]

sons of hell"

Hell... Hades is death, the grave. Our punishment was to die. We are all sons of death. The Adversary may have been the ruler of death but it was defeated for those who have rejected the ways of man for the kingdom. We still die as originally ordained but for these there is resurrection now and for some life once again.

 

[Dan1988]

Hell... Hades is death, the grave. Our punishment was to die. We are all sons of death. The Adversary may have been the ruler of death but it was defeated for those who have rejected the ways of man for the kingdom. We still die as originally ordained but for these there is resurrection now and for some life once again.

The Bible describes three main types of death and uses the word to describe other states. The first death is the one we experience at our conception in our mother womb. That's the spiritual death we inherited from our father Adam.

Then there's the separation of our soul and body at our physical death.

Then there's the second spiritual death, which those who died in unbelief experience. That's a permanent separation from God.

These are the three main deaths, mentioned in the Bible but none of them support the popular "antihalation" theory. The Bible confirms that everyone will be reunited with their body on judgement day and then they will either enter paradise or they will be cast into the lake of fire, but both groups will spend eternity in their bodies and they will feel the pain of fire or joy in paradise forever.

 

[timothyu]

His will be done

 

[Dan1988]

His will be done

Amen to that, His will, will be done on earth as it is in heaven, regardless of mans actions.

Ephesians 1:11 "In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will".

Daniel 4:35 "He does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'"

Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand".

Some would argue that man is free and autonomous, but the above verses confirm that God's plan ultimately prevails.

 

[timothyu]

Some would argue that man is free and autonomous, but the above verses confirm that God's plan ultimately prevails.

Agreed. He overcomes adversity in both man and elohim alike. We sink or swim.