r3b0rn posted in message #1:
2 Corinthians 11:8?
Could someone explain to me what exactly is going on
here?
"I robbed other churches by taking wages from them
to serve you;"
Paul robbed other churches?
Is this a possible mistranslation?
It's not a mistranslation. Paul was using hyperbole
to try to make the Corinthians ashamed for looking
down on him because he'd never asked them for a cent,
but had always preached to them freely:
2 Corinthians 11:7 ...Have I committed an offence in
abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I
have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to
do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was
chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to
me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied:
and in all things I have kept myself from being
burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
For some reason the Corinthians saw Paul's not asking
them for money, and his general meekness toward them,
as a kind of weakness on Paul's part:
2 Corinthians 10:10 ...For his letters, say they, are
weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak,
and his speech contemptible.
The Corinthians were more used to loud-mouthed, bossy
preachers who knocked them around and demanded their
money:
2 Corinthians 11:20 ...For ye suffer, if a man bring
you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take
of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on
the face.
Here the KJV uses "suffer" not in the sense of pain
but in the sense of "submit to", "allow", "put up
with".
It's the same with many Christians today, especially
those who watch or listen to a lot of televangelists
on television and on the radio. They have become
totally used to preachers with strong personalities
who preach forcefully and always ask for their money.
If some little meek guy came to them preaching
real quietly and never asked them for a cent, they'd
think that he was kind of weird, maybe a little bit
worthless as a preacher, regardless of the actual
content of his preaching.
r3b0rn posted in message #1:
Or is Paul saying that sin is okay so long as the end
justifies the means?
Stealing from the rich, giving to the poor.
Paul didn't commit a sin by "taking wages" from other
churches during his ministering to the Corinthians;
those other churches were willingly supporting Paul
financially in their gratitude for his past work
among them, during which he had brought them to
salvation. Paul only calls it "robbing" those other
churches in the sense that the Corinthians should
have been paying Paul themselves for his ministering
among them. Why should other churches be paying when
the Corinthians were getting all the benefit? The
other churches were getting "robbed" only in the
sense that they were paying wages for nothing to
their own benefit.
Paul says that stealing is a sin; he never says that
sin is okay, or that the end justifies the means, but
says the opposite, that if we keep on sinning without
repentance we will end up losing our salvation:
1 Corinthians 6:8 ... ye do wrong, and defraud, and
that your brethren.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom
of God.
There are some preachers today who are doing wrong
and defrauding their brethren, not in the sense of
stealing from the rich to give to the poor, but by
doing the exact opposite: they're in effect stealing
from the poor to give to the rich. They dun poor
widows who are barely eking by on their social
security checks with endless mailings asking for more
money, more money, "so that this vital ministry can
continue", but then they use that money to buy huge
mansions and Bentleys and to give Rolls Royces to
each other as gifts. Then they get on the TV and make
these long prayers, always ending with the idea that
the viewers need to send in money to them:
Mark 12:40 ...Which devour widows' houses, and for
a pretence make long prayers ...
2 Peter 2:3 ...And through covetousness shall they
with feigned words make merchandise of you ...
1 Thessalonians 2:5 ... neither at any time used we
flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of
covetousness ...
This means that they hide their covetousness, their
greed for more money to spend on themselves, behind
an amazing stream of words which make you feel like
they're lifting you up, when in fact they're just
setting you up as their mark, to swindle you, to get
you to the point where you'll gladly call in and give
them your credit card number.
They use covetousness as their bait; they tell you
that if you "plant a seed", that is, give them more
money so they can buy another Rolls Royce, then God
will give you more money back than you gave them. So
they get you to start thinking of God as basically
nothing more than a magic ATM machine where you
deposit $100 and He spits back $300. They get you to
turn your relationship to God into being all about
gaining money:
1 Timothy 6:5 ... supposing that gain is godliness:
from such withdraw thyself.
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.
7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is
certain we can carry nothing out.
8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith
content.
9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation
and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful
lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is the root of all evil:
which while some coveted after, they have erred from
the faith, and pierced themselves through with many
sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and
follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, meekness.
12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal
life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many witnesses.
Luke 6:24 ...But woe unto you that are rich! for ye
have received your consolation.
25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger ...
James 5:1 ...Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl
for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are
motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of
them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat
your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure
together for the last days.
Ezekiel 7:19 ...They shall cast their silver in the
streets, and their gold shall be removed: their
silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver
them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall
not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels:
because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
