Righteous Finance$
The righteousness of hating money and redeeming the
worthless things in this world for something truly meaningful and great.
Newest Updates
· Tithe
·
Stewardship
- StewardshipConcepts
- ImproveStewardship
- StewardshipAccountability
·
Empowerment vs. Criticism
- BadStewardBadCritic
Josiahs Scott,
Josiahs@trueconnection.org,
www.TrueConnection.org
12/28/07; June 2009; 8/25/09; 1/11/10; 2/5/10; 6/11/10; 6/15/10;
7/31/10; 1/26/11 – added Andrea Notes; 7/26/11 – added “Questions About Tithe”;
10/15/11 (REAL Prosperity);
3/21/12 (Blinding Gifts); 7/6/12; 7/8/12; 10/16/12; 6/5/13; 6/26/13; many other
dates (seen below); 11/1/18 (some Recompilations)
These are unpublished personal notes for our community.
Like usual, in cases like this, you should contact us so that we can teach you all of these exciting and helpful things.
Contents
Wife’s Providential Question
About Deals4
Virtuous Answers to Contentment
in Deal Hunting (Summary)4
Loss Management vs. Better
Profits6
No Rush -- Rush is NOT the Answer 9
Supporting Leaders – In General 15
Who is The REAL TV Preacher Begging for Money?. 15
Tithes -- State of the Union. 16
Tithing – What is Increasing. 17
Tithes for Living, Offerings For Special Projects. 17
Why Tithe In The New Testament At All?17
New Covenant Tithing Preview.. 20
Purpose -- What was this tenth to
be used for?20
Bitterly Cursed or Faithfully
Accepted?22
Levels of Stewardship -- in this
World23
Lordship Through Ownership. 23
Delegated Authority &
Responsibility24
Physical Biblical Managements
Include…24
Stewardship Often Affects Us in
the NT Through…25
Managers of People & Things. 27
Faithfulness Required of Stewards. 30
Jesus’ Stewardship Parables –
Targeted at the Disciples & Apostles31
Apostle’s Stewardship of
Mysteries31
Stewardship Includes Eating, etc.31
The Stewardship of Favor – For All Disciples31
Stewardship Accountability. 31
Testing
Spiritual & Physical Stewardships32
(A) Testing Spiritual Stewardship. 32
(B) Testing Physical Stewardship. 33
(C) Summary of Spiritual &
Physical Stewardship-Morality34
Demoting
Unfaithful Stewards34
Remember Ownership, Demotion,
& Death, & Then Escape While You Can!34
Sin Guarantees Demotion by Death. 35
Ugly Money -- Considerations from
Luke 1635
Someone Else Owns Everything
(Reminder)35
Empowerment
– Accountability to Empower Ability36
Reverencing Lack of Ability. 36
A Bad Steward & A Bad Critic. 36
Accountability to Fake Knowledge?. 37
Who’s Accountable to Sewing &
Reaping?37
You Will Be Judged Like You Judge. 37
Beware of Critical Hypocrisy
Against Good Stewardship37
Begging for What You Don’t Have. 40
How or to Budget or WHAT is
Budgeting?42
Funds Given to Apostles &
Deacons43
Accounting for Transported Gift 43
Micromanaging = Demoting (1st
Stage)44
Joseph’s Stewardship – Successful
Delegations44
No Accounting Required from
Faithful Workmen46
The Point: Let’s Examine
Ourselves46
Attaining
to Righteousness in Finances46
Blinding Bribes that Bypass Truth. 47
Matthew Five/ Luke Six Context 48
Don’t Store up for Yourselves…... 52
Don't Run Away From Slavery. 54
Refusing to Live month to month. 56
Debt –
Repent of Slave-Luxury57
The Borrower is Servant to The
Lender60
Where Can Jews Offer Sacrifices?. 62
Taking Nothing from the Gentiles. 62
When To Receive Financial Help. 63
Finances to Dedicated to God, His
temple, and His Service64
Integrity with Distributing Money. 64
Providential Deals
Submitting to Providence
Wife’s Providential Question About Deals
AlSun 12:00pm(edited)
QnA: 1Ti_6:17
1Ti_6:17 KJV Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy
It might pose a challenge to the "poor" (who are in the posture of foraging for the best deals), to miss out on a "good deal" that they had the opportunity to seize. Unlike those who have more more money to where they can just buy whatever they want, as soon as they want, even at retail price.
Is it considered "high minded" or arrogant to look back on a missed opportunity and think 'should have, could have, would have', especially with "riches" where it is not clear (or it's "uncertain") what the real deal was with it or what would have actually become of it?
Is it considered "high minded" to dwell on these things instead of hoping in God who provides, and will provide, everything you need to enjoy?
When reasoning with your soul and also doing spiritual warfare then should you be striking at things like high mindedness, warmness towards riches, hoping in fleeting things to be a solution for you, idolotry, not hoping in God, not believing that God will provide the right thing in due season... etc?
I know we've talked about this some before, but this is still an embarrassingly weak point of mine. And it seems that it's only become an issue since starting to follow the truth.
I suppose women are more susceptible to this than men right?
I was thinking, for example, of the other week when Sir jumped on an expensive deal with his 2T harddrive, and he bought the last two of them (and lo and behold, thankfully at least one of them worked). I was imagining a theoretical scene of him temporarily passing by the deal and then coming back to it only to find that it had sold out. I can't really imagine him kicking himself for not taking advantage of that small window when he first got exposed to it. And actually, I can't even remember a time yet where he's ever "kicked himself" for missing out on things...
(I think over time I've become more skilled at acquiring the pragmatic knowledge needed, and applying life learned / maybe even prudent principles, for overall strategic and systematic purchase decisions. And I think this has helped minimize the 'groan & regret' occurances with missed opportunities. But of coarse this doesn't address any deep weakness or even strongholds with being able to process certain "losses".)
Virtuous Answers to Contentment in Deal
Hunting (Summary)
Becoming content with the outcomes of your deal hunting involves many virtues…
· The prudence (and hopefully wisdom) to know what something is really worth
· The diligence and discipline to prepare your heart aright
· Loving others enough to let them take a good deal from you
· Learning to trust that Heaven Knows Best, and,
· Longing for Favorable Providence to exalt you rather than the strength of riches
Value Assessment
Knowing what something is really worth is one of the first practicalities to prudent deal hunting.
“Lap Communication” typically speaks very well when it comes to judging “good deals”, but we’re usually just not listening well enough!
My mom thought she could sell bird houses for income…
Something can be missing in the basic value assessment of merchandise the same way that it is missing in the character evaluation of souls…
Beware of Misevaluation!
· Merchandise
· People
· Social interactions
What’s typically missing in all of these evaluations is the shortest path to zeal and the shortest path to edification/progress/usefulness/accomplishment.
What if needless disappointments plague you simply because you were tricked into thinking that an opportunity was a good deal when it really was not?
But if you see that a deal is really just marketing spam, then you can easily discard it without distraction and regret.
Note: This is the Orthodox alternative to saying, “one of god’s greatest gifts is unanswered prayers” (Garth Brooks song -- of course he’s a divorced and remarried supporter of LGBT paganism).
Weighing out the relative “goodness” of a deal in your current economy takes some experience, skill, and maybe even (ideally/hopefully) some wisdom.
If you can get a truly accurate picture of how good this deal really is or is not, then this can help communicate to you (at least in the form of “Lap Communication”) whether or not this is a favorable deal from heaven.
Accuracy Measures Favor
· An accurate value assessment of a purchase is needed to have a realistic perspective on how much a product is actually worth.
· Consider the real nature of the potential transaction so you can know whether or not you are being favored.
· You must want favor to grant you a solution and not simply money, so be wise and consider the path of Truth.
· Are you being favored or you are instead rather buying your way to your own solution because of your riches?
· You need to know the real value of something and if it is really a good deal.
Example: Hidden Costs
· Acquiring things takes expense in addition to the price tag.
· both the price tag and the hidden costs need to be favorable in order to avoid creating one's own solution.
· Don’t mistake a low price tag for a favorable deal when the hidden costs are still in the process of making the prudent sober.
·
We’re still not getting the reality of hidden costs as long
as we are tempted to regret missed deals…
Do you want the answer to this potential virtue so you can truly be ‘a merchant seeking beautiful pearls’ (Mat_13:45) for the Kingdom of Heaven’s sake?
Here is a Huge Part of Prudent Value Assessment: Be a Diligent, Prudent, Persevering True Problem Solver At Heart
· Never be content to pass on the same problem to others that you inherited from someone else
· Become reliable, orderly, etc.
· Be zealous toward (& obsessed over) serious edification!
· Become a utilitarian-ist and crucify the vanity of common merchandizing
· Stop being hypnotized by the packaging and the conceptual illusion marketed to your eyes
· Look past all vanity and strip the purchase down to its bare utility for qualitatively solving problems
When you are preoccupied in loving humanity - as a true problem solver - you have practiced all of the right hart postures to know the realistic usefulness of the things you need to buy. And furthermore, you are not so vulnerable to being marketed (and deceived) by lust.
And although there can be some wisdom to all of this prudence, yet determining real value is only a first basic step, and there are many more virtues to come…
Loss Management vs. Better Profits
(This was somewhat of a tangent
we discussed)
No one would despise a humanitarian
“entrepreneur” for buying big vehicles to deliver water to impoverished
communities.
Furthermore, even more so besides, it
would be hypocritical to look down on the righteous who seek to spend enough to
gain the tools to save the poorest and most worthy out of the whole world.
If the righteous eventually focus on
progress more than Loss Management, then ultimately they cannot be blamed.
Dying to Deals
Hate nice things, judging them with
pessimism.
Only except a
kind gift with good intentions attached to it.
If it is a distraction I want to die to it
and even if it is a promise or a blessing I want to offer it up as a sacrifice
(just as faithful Abraham did).
(Prayed ~7/15/21 concerning the then current
housing considerations)
Love = Non-Competition
Love is an easy gage to tell if your deal hunting is upright and lawful.
Most missed deals are opportunities for someone else to gain, so why complain?
Whenever you miss out, someone else might benefit, so why be sad?
Otherwise, why be non-objective and seriously risk hypocrisy?
Black Friday Rush = the exact opposite of what we want.
Love neighbor as self = always happily letting others be blessed more than yourself.
Lev_19:18; Mar_12:30-31
Never complain when another is unfairly exalted above you, and then heaven will inevitably demand that you get exalted above all men (together with the righteous who always inevitably win over all men and all the spirits who hate us).
If you were Loving your neighbor as yourself, who are you to prefer that you “get the deal” rather than someone else?
What if the Creator has determined that it is time for someone else to succeed, increase, and make money this time?
Who are you to insist that anything good be given to you rather than your neighbor, especially when you’re already not loving your neighbor as yourself, and you’re in danger of luxury (and should rather be praying to be saved from it)?
Love does not compete against those whom it loves.
And even if we seem to (in some cases) “compete” against Heresy, Lust, Pride, and Luxury, yet still, ‘we don't wrestle against flesh and blood’ (Eph_6:12), while we rather ‘turn the other cheek’ in love toward evil men, seeking their salvation.
How Can we Rejoice at the Exaltation of Luxurious People?
· Wife Said: It can feel like everyone is better off than us, and no one needs good deals as much as we do, so how can we rejoice (or even just feel satisfied/happy/content/resolved) when they get more than they deserve at our expense? (7/18/21)
· But are we worthy?
· Do angels rejoice (without reservation) when we are exalted?
· Are we being faithful enough to please heaven to graduate us from probation?
· If we still rejoice when heaven grants us good things, even when we are still in probations in those very same areas, why should we not share heaven’s generous and kind heart toward other unworthy people when they are prospered above us far beyond what they deserve?
·
If heaven has so often been
patiently generous toward our happiness,
even at the expense of God’s immediate honor, and,
if the universe has suffered oppressions, and,
has groaned under the burden of our unfaithfulness in the midst of our
undeserved blessings, and,
if we have been slow to learn, and,
our hearts have been too heavy to glorify God sufficiently to relieve the
universe,
should God then also agree with our lack of justice and imitate our respect of
persons by not also blessing the unworthy above us at their proper season?
· If it really was for the sake of God that we groaned, and we really were in distress purely due to the unfair advantages of the wicked at the hurt of the poor, then we could have easily passed our own probations much sooner, and we might could have already been helped long ago in many ways.
· In many ways, objective non-hypocrisy is one of the biggest solutions to not envying the wicked when they are exalted above us -- because we remember to give away the same generosity and redemptive mercy that is continually being shown toward us.
· If we might lovingly let sinners steel from us (as Mat_5 and Luk_6 both say) then how much more should we let God freely give them things instead of us?
· If you become faithful and graduate probation, even if the rich are temporarily blessed above you, the All-Wise Creator has prepared them for a day of judgement and destruction and has prepared you for a day of redemption and salvation because of your repentance.
· Remember the distressed Psalmist because of the exaltation of the wicked in Psa_37 and the exaltation of wicked Nabal in 1Sa_25…
· Do Justice, Trust, & Be Free from all Complaints: As long as you are doing justice and non-hypocrisy in these other areas, in the end this is really just about trusting God to give you enough, and then you will never be compelled to envy the wicked when he is loaded up with riches as a fattened animal which is prepared for a day of slaughter (Jas_5:5).
· If we will relieve the universe by glorifying God in doing faithfulness and justice, then we will also inevitably find unending answers to relieve our souls while the wicked seem to flourish and prosper over us at our expense.
· His ‘kindness leads you to repentance’ (Rom_2:4*) and it is generous to all men, each at their proper time, sending sun and rain on the righteous and the unrighteous** -- according to the Wisdom and the strategic will of Him Who knows all things, and predestines all for His purpose: for the repentant it is unto salvation, and for the sinner it is unto destruction.
[* Rom_2:4 ἢ τοῦ
πλούτου τῆς
χρηστότητος
αὐτοῦ καὶ
τῆς ἀνοχῆς
καὶ τῆς
μακροθυμίας
καταφρονεῖς,
ἀγνοῶν ὅτι
τὸ χρηστὸν
τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς
μετάνοιάν σε
ἄγει;]
[** Mat_5:45-47, etc.; Mat_7:24-27; Luk_6:47-49;
Jas_1:11 -- TSK (on Mat_5): Job_25:3, Psa_145:9, Act_14:17]
Trusting the Creator and Loving others above yourself is a sure way to be at peace when someone else gains a deal rather than you.
Trusting the Creator and Loving others above yourself is a sure way to have no bitterness when heaven blesses you -- lest it finally come around to being your turn to be increased and you are found awkward and unworthy of the kind gifts bestowed upon you, which may need to be relinquished when they are recalled for the embarrassing inappropriateness of your unrighteous, unthankful, and unfruitful happiness.
Pro_10:22 Yahweh's blessing brings wealth,
and he adds no trouble to it.
Pro_10:22 The
blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the righteous; it enriches him, and grief
of heart shall not be added to it.
Pro_10:22 εὐλογία
κυρίου ἐπὶ
κεφαλὴν δικαίου·
αὕτη πλουτίζει,
καὶ οὐ μὴ
προστεθῇ αὐτῇ
λύπη ἐν καρδίᾳ.
If you are wise and perceptive: 100% of blessings gained without virtue have unbearable bitterness with them.
Loving others first, and being non-selfish when they are blessed more than you, is the surest way to acquire the maximum allowable blessing from heaven to exalt you when your turn for exaltation comes.
Love is not only “selfless” while preferring others in deal hunting, but it is also the wisest way to enrich yourself to the maximum extent allowable by eternal favor.
No Rush -- Rush is NOT the Answer
· If you are in a rush to increase, you do not have time to love the others you are passing by
· Rushing will always set you up for moral failure.
· Rushing will always set you up for human solutions.
· Rushing means you think you got to get the deal yourself on your own terms.
· Rush puts you in the “captain’s seat” and makes you the center of your own felt success.
· Rush can cause you to succeed more in this life (like many other selfish sins), but what are you giving up in the meantime in order to get ahead?
·
Rush does not glorify God as…
The only source of life,
The Omnipotent/All-Powerful One,
The Owner, Controller, and Giver of all good things in the universe, and,
as the only One righteous enough to cleanly exalt you.
· Rush does not Love and Trust The Ultimate Universal Predestinator, Who, with the slightest divine aid, with less than the mere flick of His pinky finger, can instantly surpass all your efforts, striving, strategy, and diligence on into infinite glorifications forever.
· Do you want to eat your own fruit or wait and only eat what is directed by God?
· Every time it comes down to virtue or success always prioritize virtue even to the point of despising of success where necessary.
· Rush draws off of your flesh, and Satan by extension, as a means of getting ahead and gaining an advantage.
· Rush does not trust God, nor is it ever wise for what is truly valuable.
· Warning: Rushing = cutting corners -- bypassing favor in order to more quickly seize opportunities, exaltations, and success on your own against virtue.
· Rush is vulnerable and prone toward deception.
· Rush is an obnoxious absurdity which is not fitting for wise Truth lovers.
All marketing tactics based on rush and time pressure are trying to make you buy without thinking.
They are always lying!
Mat_16:23 – Get behind me Satan
Mat_16:23 But He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block unto Me,
because you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
When are we going to tell marketing and marketers the Truth so as to expose their deception and sanitize our understanding before them?
Rush vs. Swiftness
· Rush is about maintaining independent control over your own destiny/outcomes.
· Rush thinks that the outcomes should be dependent on your own effort.
· Righteous swiftness is based on fearing God.
· Rush is based on fearing lose/evil/lack.
· Swiftness believes God, but rush believes in someone’s own speed.
· Righteous swiftness is a faithful energetic acknowledgment of God.
· Swiftness is motivated by real knowledge, but rush is deceived by the values of this world.
· Rush is unbelief toward God by resorting to one’s own self.
· Rush is willing to sin, virtuous swiftness is eager to obey righteousness.
· Diligent swiftness to do good is Biblical: Gen_18:, etc.
· Rush is condemned and doomed to sin.
· Obedient swiftness is zealous for another (Rom_15:3).
· Rush is selfish.
· Faith is always the most efficient path to loving others in Truth but the best rush can do is to do its best without first acknowledging what is best (and that hazard-ness is never Truly loving toward others).
· Are we being motivated by rush or the knowledge of God when we move quickly?
· If we are ever “in a rush”, we must not ever be motivated by it lest we fall to sin!
· Are we willing to sin or are we listening to instructions?
· Are we willing to lay Isaac on the altar or are we willing to take matters into our own hands?
---------------
AySun_8:19pm
Notes:
If you're in a rush you don't have time to love
those you are passing.
Rushing gets you the deal on your own terms.
Rushing puts you in the captains seat and the
center of your own success
Love does not compete. (Love neighbor as self)
Rush doesn't trust.
Rush isnt exclusive
What are you giving up in exchange for rushing?
Humans were designed to acquire.
But just because you can doesnt mean you should.
Tree of good and evil:
Humans were never to acquire things on your own
terms.
When you trust God you subject yourself to fasting
before feasting. Or Abraham being willing to offer up his promise, Issac.
False Scarcity
Beware of false time pressures to prevent you from
thinking.
Rush is there to acquire on your own terms.
Draws off your flesh and Satan by extension.
Get behind me satan, you are not mindful of the
things of God, but that of men.
Rush trusts in someone's speed
Righteous swiftness is obedient zeal for another.
Allow God to love others and give them a deal too.
---------------
No Rush = Required for Accurate
(& Favorable) Value Assessment
Now for a bit of prudence to halt our rush
toward deceptive deals…
When someone tries to rush you to jump on
a “sale” or “deal” then what you can really know is that the sale price (or
maybe even less) is actually what you should be paying in the first place, and
you can let their rush pass you buy and simply wait with the dignity of virtue
and non-deception (and without human, fleshly-independence) for the right deal
to come along at that price, or maybe even better.
The people who offer a sale at one time
can usually offer it again another time.
Don’t let people fool you and control you
by creating “false scarcity” as a marketing deception tactic.
“Retail” always marks things up so you're not
getting the best deal in many cases (unless indeed, you are buying from a
source that has bought in bulk and can turn a profit by small markups on
individual resales)
But in most cases, when you see a product
on sale, that sale shows you how inflated the regular retail price is, and that
temporary price drop shows you something closer to the real price that stores
can afford to sell it at with a minimum markup and profit.
Hint: Stores typically still make profits
from sale items… therefore premium retail is often more geared toward those in
a rush (and/or those rich enough to be willing to miss out on the best deal).
Notice this principle when a fashionable
new item appears on the shelfs for premium price only to show up in Goodwill a
little while later for $3 (consider/remember our water bottle examples…).
Sales people are very keen that all
products are “worth” what people are willing to pay for them (in the marketing
world), and indeed, almost all rich people are very gullible (or at least very
willing to lose in deal hunting)! -- Big hint: we are not supposed to be of
this world or even think like it at all (Romans 12, etc.)!
(The times when sale prices do not even
include any markup profits would be:
(1) extremely low
liquidation sales, which can only be afforded when stores need to get rid of
unsold merchandise to make room for better things, and also
(2) when people
do an extremely low and rare sale to get you addicted to a product on a
longer-term subscription purchasing habit -- in which case you should only buy
temporarily by default)
Deceptive Behavioral Manipulation
·
Don’t fall to the gullible
deceptions of Behavioral Design
(notorious example: Facebook -- and others…)
· Neh_6:8-16 – MT: ‘Should a person such as I fall to fearful manipulation’ (Neh_6:11 ~MT; Neh_6:3)?
Nehemiah_6:8-16 – READ
Psalm 11 – No Mountain Fleeing
Psa_11:1 In
Yahweh, I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your
mountain!"
Psa_11:1 For the
end, A Psalm of David. In the Lord I have put my trust: how will you say to my
soul, Flee to the mountains as a sparrow?
Psa_11:2 For,
behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrows on the strings, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in
heart.
Psa_11:2 For behold the sinners have bent their bow, they have prepared their arrows for the quiver, to shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
Psalm 112 – Unshakeable
Read all of it (if possible)
Psa_112:6 WEB For he
will never be shaken. The righteous will be remembered forever.
Psa_112:6 CAB For he
shall not be moved forever; the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Psa_112:7 He
will not be afraid of evil news. His heart is steadfast, trusting in Yahweh.
Psa_112:7 He
shall not be afraid of any evil
report; his heart is ready to trust in the Lord.
Psa_112:8 His
heart is established. He will not be afraid in the end when he sees his
adversaries.
Psa_112:8 His heart is established, he shall not fear, till he shall see his desire upon his enemies.
Luk_13:30-33 CAB And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last." 31 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, "Get out and go from here, for Herod wants to kill You." 32 And He said to them, "Go and say to that fox, 'Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.' 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it is not possible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem.
Luk_13:30-33 GRVii+ καιG2532CONJ καί and ιδουG2400V-2AAM-2S ἰδού lo! εισινG1526V-PXI-3P εἰσί they
are εσχατοιG2078A-NPM ἔσχατος farthest οιG3739R-NPM ὅς who,
which εσονταιG2071V-FXI-3P εἰμί will
be πρωτοιG4413A-NPM πρῶτος foremost καιG2532CONJ καί and εισινG1526V-PXI-3P εἰσί they
are πρωτοιG4413A-NPM πρῶτος foremost οιG3739R-NPM ὅς who,
which εσονταιG2071V-FXI-3P εἰμί will
be εσχατοιG2078A-NPM ἔσχατος farthest 31 ενG1722PREP ἔν in αυτηG846P-DSF αὐτός he,
she, it τηG3588T-DSF ὁ the ωραG5610N-DSF ὥρα an
hour να [ημεραG2250N-DSF ἡμέρα day] τσβ προσηλθανG4334V-2AAI-3P προσέρχομαι to
approach να [προσηλθονG4334V-AAI-3P προσέρχομαι to approach] τσβ τινεςG5100X-NPM τίς some φαρισαιοιG5330N-NPM Φαρισαῖος a
separatist λεγοντεςG3004V-PAP-NPM λέγω to
lay forth αυτωG846P-DSM αὐτός he,
she, it εξελθεG1831V-2AAM-2S ἐξέρχομαι to
issue καιG2532CONJ καί and πορευουG4198V-PNM-2S πορεύομαι to
traverse εντευθενG1782ADV ἐντεύθεν hence οτιG3754CONJ ὅτι that,
because ηρωδηςG2264N-NSM Ἡρώδης heroic θελειG2309V-PAI-3S θέλω to
determine σεG4571P-2AS σύ thee αποκτειναιG615V-AAN ἀποκτείνω to
kill outright 32 καιG2532CONJ καί and ειπενG2036V-2AAI-3S ἔπω to
speak αυτοιςG846P-DPM αὐτός he,
she, it πορευθεντεςG4198V-AOP-NPM πορεύομαι to
traverse ειπατεG2036V-2AAM-2P ἔπω to
speak τηG3588T-DSF ὁ the αλωπεκιG258N-DSF ἀλώπηξ a
fox ταυτηG3778D-DSF οὗτος the
he ιδουG2400V-2AAM-2S ἰδού lo! εκβαλλωG1544V-PAI-1S ἐκβάλλω to
eject δαιμονιαG1140N-APN δαιμόνιον a
daemonic being καιG2532CONJ καί and ιασειςG2392N-APF ἴασις curing αποτελωG658V-PAI-1S ἀποτελέω to
complete entirely να [επιτελωG2005V-PAI-1S ἐπιτελέω to fulfill further] τσβ σημερονG4594ADV σήμερον on
the day καιG2532CONJ καί and αυριονG839ADV αὔριον fresh καιG2532CONJ καί and τηG3588T-DSF ὁ the τριτηG5154A-DSF τρίτος third τελειουμαιG5048V-PPI-1S τελειόω to
complete 33 πληνG4133ADV πλήν moreover δειG1163V-PQI-3S δεῖ also
deon deh-on' μεG3165P-1AS μέ me σημερονG4594ADV σήμερον on
the day καιG2532CONJ καί and αυριονG839ADV αὔριον fresh καιG2532CONJ καί and τηG3588T-DSF ὁ the εχομενηG2192V-PPP-DSF ἔχω to
hold πορευεσθαιG4198V-PNN πορεύομαι to
traverse οτιG3754CONJ ὅτι that,
because ουκG3756PRT-N οὐ no,
not ενδεχεταιG1735V-PNI-3S-I ἐνδέχεται it
is accepted in προφητηνG4396N-ASM προφήτης a
foreteller απολεσθαιG622V-2AMN ἀπόλλυμι to
destroy fully εξωG1854ADV ἔξω out ιερουσαλημG2419N-PRI Ἱερουσαλήμ Hierusalem
TSK: Act_20:24, Act_21:13, Heb_11:27
The Point(s):
· What does martyrdom have to do with shopping?
· Are you practicing being manipulated and influenced by those who would through you off course from what the Creator has told you to do?
· Be solid and decided upon wisdom and divinely prescribed shopping values before shopping
Supporting Leaders – In General
9/3/17; 3/17/19
Perverted Pharos
·
this applies so, so much
today!
·
Unbelieving / irreverent Flesh balls have always
despised valuing righteous and perfect people for their saving/righteous-ifying work.
On the contrary, God
says to the clean/righteous/humbled:
Heb_6:10 CAB For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
Heb_6:10 οὐ γὰρ ἄδικος
ὁ Θεὸς ἐπιλαθέσθαι
τοῦ ἔργου ὑμῶν
καὶ τοῦ
κόπου τῆς ἀγάπης
ἧς ἐνεδείξασθε
εἰς τὸ ὄνομα
αὐτοῦ,
διακονήσαντες
τοῖς ἁγίοις
καὶ διακονοῦντες.
Heb_6:10 ου γαρ αδικος ο θεος επιλαθεσθαι του εργου υμων και TSBτου TSBκοπου της αγαπης ης Sενδειξασθε TBAενεδειξασθε εις το ονομα αυτου διακονησαντες τοις αγιοις και διακονουντες
>>Scrip:
Acceptable sacrifice of
the gentiles
>>Scrip:
Spiritual sacrifices of
the New Covenant
Law: no muzzling for a
working Ox
Mat_10: – let them
provide for your needs
Mar_10:
1Co_9: – Worker is
worthy
Honor father and mother
= supporting with money
Who is The REAL TV Preacher Begging for Money?
3/17/19
As soon as you even
mention just about anything about “supporting” or “paying ministers” you are
likely to have people start thinking about pastors begging for money and TV preachers
getting rich off of your tithe, but it is just the opposite of what you think!
It does not matter if
you are paying your money or paying your time, and it does not matter if you are
paying it to today’s preachers or churches or to Cable, TV, movies, YouTube,
video games, amusement parks, -- it is all the same, and it is for this very
sin of being preoccupied in investing in the world that you despise helping
truth proclaimers…
When someone clean is
talking to the poor, and the poor ask how they can help, and then you barge
into the conversation and start accusing the righteous of “begging for money
like a TV preacher” -- you hypocrite! -- YOU are the one investing in the
world, and while you act like you are not paying your tithe to Benny Hin or Joel Ostine - yet you are
sinning with both your time and money invested in the indulgences of this world
-- YOU are the one who is like churchianity seeking for more and more money to
spend it on your pleasures…
Leave the poor righteous
alone to talk with the poor, because they are seeking to sacrifice their lives
and give up pleasure and comforts to save the whole world, unlike you and
Benny, and Ostine, and all the other delusions of
this world you love and are fully invested in…
Tithe
Other dates
(~2009); 7/24/16; other dates; 9/3/17…12/11/22
Community Questions
Tithes --
State of the Union
7/3/16;
7/10/16
Can you give the “State of the Union” on Tithes?
Jacob gave a tithes of everything, which included non-monetary things like his sheep after he started “increasing”…
What is the definition of “increasing” again?
Is tithe based off of the raw income or the amount of 'increase' after paying for forced obligations? - (Ay)
If you’re poor, and not increasing, then you don’t tithe anything, not even your sheep right?
But the poor can give of their “coming behind”, and give “offerings”…
If Ruth gleans in the field, then she doesn’t have to tithe what she gleans because she is not “increasing” right?
New Testament lays the increase/overflow at the apostles feet which is more than 10% so that means it’s fulfilling and surpassing the law right?
The priests/overseers/apostles don’t have to tithe right?
What if the priests/overseers/apostles get more than 10% (like a certain disciple giving our community more than 10%)? Although I guess this “more than 10%” is not solely going to the priests household…
When would our community “tithe”?
When would Ay be considered as “increasing”?
Tithing – What
is Increasing
1/8/17
What is increasing?
How do you know when you are increasing?
Tithes for Living,
Offerings For
Special Projects
12/11/22
Sun_10:26 a ,
11:20am
I have a general
question about tithes and offerings. From my understanding tithes are a set
amount given out of your "paycheck" to support the levites to do their daily service. Seems like the levites even got to eat from this. And offerings are given
at the end of a harvest or maybe end of the year or whatever you use to gauge
that hey I have an over abundance that I can give
towards the house of God. I also see offerings were also requested at different
times for special projects like building the tabernacle and everyone gave what
they were moved to gice towards that project. Is this
correct? I havent looked up the greek of these things, just looked at things in
English.
In general, I have sougt to have a posture like this. Where I give a set
amount for basic needs to keep levites fed etc (which ends up being more than a 10% tithe). And after
a certain time I measure my abundance and determine hey I have an overabundance
from the Lord I want to give more as an offering and do so then, moreso as a lump sum. And I have also given more for
special projects at certain times. The amount being what I felt moved and
excited and eager to do as a special sacrifice (like last year for buying a
house, again as a lump sum - although my bank forced me to gice
my lump sum in increments). Thats
just my general posture and understanding. Does this align with how the bible
feels about tithes and offerings?
Tithing Answers
Why Tithe In The New Testament At All?
the New Testament says
very, very little about tithing, and the Bible as a whole never even explicitly
commands tithing for
gentiles, so why do it or even refer to it at all as an idea or reference for
how we should behave?
The New Testament is so
heavily preoccupied actually with forsaking all and giving up everything and
dynamically meeting whatever needs the Brothers have,
and it is so insistent on cheerful giving, that the word tithe is almost
retired in the New Covenant, so why consider “tithing” or even use that term at
all for gentiles in the New Covenant?
Mat_23:23 suggests that
the practice should generically continue, although it is not prescribed for
gentiles
Tithing is at least a
minimum checkpoint for our behavior which we should have long surpassed by the
favor of cheerfully giving all to God and the service of Truth.
Tithing also helps us
understand the core concept of what finances are supposed to be given toward
and used for in the service of Truth
We've got to surpass the
laws righteousness to inherit.
1Co_9:13-14 – don't
those who serve at the alter share/eat from the alter/temple
1st Corinthians 9 is
perhaps the only passage in the New Testament that somewhat directly implies
tithing is relevant to New Testament believers that are not Jewish
Furthermore:
Abraham and Jacob did it
before the Jewish Nation or law was formulated, and it is with their faith we
are hoping to inherit as adopted children.
Having a High Priest
means that there is a priesthood of regular priests, and
you don’t get to pretend that Jesus’s Priesthood of sub-priests is all on equal
footing.
Abraham paid tithes to
Jesus's priesthood, and so should we, as those governed under One High Priest,
with potentially numerous sub-priests, all of which are working together as
priests on God's house, the rest of God’s people, to offer up the gentiles as a
pleasing sacrifice.
Abraham paid tithes
The Bible says to
imitate them (Heb_6:12; Heb_13:7; Heb_10:28, etc.).
Tithing Question =
solved (for Bible-obeyers).
Time to
surpass the OT along with the faithful patriarchs.
Tithe vs. Offering
Also see below: Priests Don’t give Tithe
We know they are
distinct.
“Deuteronomy 24–26
actually outlines 3 tithes of 10%. With the 3rd occurring every 3 years. This
totals 23.3% per year on average”
Tithe = 10%
Offering = Tithe or
anything else “given”
2Co_9:6-7
1Co_16:1 – ‘give out of
his own means’?
Tithe Your Increase
Net Increase = take-home
pay = gross
Earnings - Cost of Production
Cost of Production =
Direct expense in generating more raw/gross increase
“gains
less expenses and/or losses”
https://www.quora.com/In-the-Bible-God-says-to-tithe-on-the-increase-So-what-is-the-increase
“They began a planting season with a volume of seed, which they put
in the ground and prayed. After harvest, they separated out a volume of seed
equal to the volume planted, and gave 10% of the amount remaining. This is the
increase. It included the losses due to pestilence, drought, frost, pilferage,
and workers being fed along the way.”
(same)
See: Gen_28:20-22 below
Lev_27:30-33
Deu_12:5-7 – ‘all that
God has blessed you’
Deu_14:22-29 – ‘tithe
all the increase of your seed…grain,
new wine, and oil, and the firstborn’, etc. (compare multiple references below)
Deu_26:11-15 – ‘tithing
all the tithes of your increase’
Neh_10:36-39, esp.
Neh_10:37 – dough, fruit, wine, oil, etc.
Mat_23:23
1Co_16:1-2 – ESV: ‘put
something aside and store it up, as he may prosper’
“if I invest $100 in something and get $600 in return, my
increase is $500.
Pretty basic”
https://www.quora.com/In-the-Bible-God-says-to-tithe-on-the-increase-So-what-is-the-increase
12/11/22
Patriarchs Tithing
Other dates
(~2009); 7/24/16
Gen_14:1-20, etc. esp. Gen_14:20 – Abraham gave tithe
Gen_28:20-22 – Jacob embraces his father's "tithe"
Notice Jacob’s Idea is different than the common complaint:
“If a family with 5 children earn $20,000 per year - they would have to survive on $18,000/yr for 7 mouths to feed. A couple with no children who make $100,000/yr. would have $90,000 for 2 people to enjoy. Where is God's fairness?”
https://ssnet.org/blog/tithing-on-your-increase/
12/11/22
Mal_2:1 (etc) – sinning Jews dishonored God in keeping tithe back
New Covenant Tithing Preview
Mat_23:23-24 – Jesus supports tithe (no update)
1Co_9:1, etc. – Old Testament Tithe / Levitical Support applied to New Testament proclaimers
TSK on Tithe
Gen_28:22; Lev_27:30-32; Num_28:26; Deu_12:17, Deu_14:22-23, Deu_14:28; 2Ch_31:5, 2Ch_31:6, 2Ch_31:12; Neh_10:37, Neh_13:12; Amo_4:4; Mal_3:8, Mal_3:10; Luk_18:12; Rom_15:16; Heb_7:4-9
Purpose -- What was this tenth to be used
for?
also: Malachi_3:10
income for the Levite Priests. (Lev_27:30-33; Num_18:21, Num_18:24, Num_18:29)
Deu_26:12-15 – ‘the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow’
“And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, [even] the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. Numbers_18:21
What is it used for today?
Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 1 Corinthians_9:13, 14”
https://inlightofthecross.com/2009/06/01/stewardship-in-light-of-the-cross/
Eat Your Tithe?
Deu_12:5-7, esp. Deu_12:17-19
Deu_14:22-29 –
Deu_26:14 – ‘I have not eaten of the tithe while I was mourning’
2Co_9:7 ‘God loves a cheerful giver’
Priests Don’t Give Tithe
6/20/17; 12/11/22
Num_18:25 WEB Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
Num_18:25 LB And the Lord spoke to
Moses, saying,
Num_18:25 Καὶ ἐλάλησεν
κύριος πρὸς
Μωυσῆν λέγων
Num_18:26 WEB Moreover
you shall speak to the Levites, and tell them, When you take of the children of
Israel the tithe which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then
you shall offer up a wave offering of it for Yahweh, a tithe of the tithe.
Num_18:26 “You shall also speak to the Levites, and shall
say to them, ‘If you take the tithe from the children of Israel, which I have
given you from them for an inheritance, then shall you separate from it a heave
offering to the Lord, a tenth of the tenth.
Num_18:26 Καὶ τοῖς
Λευίταις λαλήσεις
καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς
αὐτούς Ἐὰν λάβητε
παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν
Ισραηλ τὸ ἐπιδέκατον,
ὃ δέδωκα ὑμῖν
παρ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐν
κλήρῳ, καὶ ἀφελεῖτε
ὑμεῖς ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ
ἀφαίρεμα κυρίῳ
ἐπιδέκατον ἀπὸ
τοῦ ἐπιδεκάτου.
Num_18:27 WEB Your wave offering shall be reckoned
to you, as though it were the grain of the threshing floor, and as the fullness
of the winepress.
Num_18:27 And your heave offerings
shall be reckoned to you as grain from the threshing floor, and an offering
from the winepress.
Num_18:27 καὶ
λογισθήσεται ὑμῖν
τὰ ἀφαιρέματα ὑμῶν
ὡς σῖτος ἀπὸ ἅλω
καὶ ἀφαίρεμα ἀπὸ
ληνοῦ.
Num_18:28 WEB Thus you also shall offer a wave
offering to Yahweh of all your tithes, which you receive of the children of
Israel; and of it you shall give Yahweh's wave offering to Aaron the priest.
Num_18:28 So shall you also separate them from all the
offerings of the Lord out of all your tithes, whatsoever you shall receive from
the children of Israel; and you shall give to them of the Lord’s offering, to
Aaron the priest.
Num_18:28
οὕτως ἀφελεῖτε
καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀπὸ
τῶν ἀφαιρεμάτων
κυρίου ἀπὸ πάντων
ἐπιδεκάτων ὑμῶν,
ὅσα ἐὰν λάβητε
παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν
Ισραηλ, καὶ δώσετε
ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀφαίρεμα
κυρίῳ Ααρων τῷ ἱερεῖ.
Num_18:29 WEB Out of all your gifts you shall offer
every wave offering of Yahweh, of all its best, even the holy part of it out of
it.
Num_18:29 Of all your gifts you
shall offer an offering to the Lord, and of every firstfruit
the consecrated part from it.
Num_18:29 ἀπὸ πάντων
τῶν δομάτων ὑμῶν
ἀφελεῖτε ἀφαίρεμα
κυρίῳ ἢ ἀπὸ πάντων
τῶν ἀπαρχῶν τὸ ἡγιασμένον
ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ.
Num_18:30 WEB Therefore you shall tell them, When
you heave its best from it, then it shall be reckoned to the Levites as the
increase of the threshing floor, and as the increase of the winepress.
Num_18:30 And you shall say to
them, ‘When you shall offer the firstfruits from it,
then shall it be reckoned to the Levites as produce from the threshing floor,
and as produce from the winepress.
Num_18:30 καὶ ἐρεῖς
πρὸς αὐτούς Ὅταν
ἀφαιρῆτε τὴν ἀπαρχὴν
ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ
λογισθήσεται
τοῖς Λευίταις ὡς
γένημα ἀπὸ ἅλω
καὶ ὡς γένημα ἀπὸ
ληνοῦ.
Tithe vs. First Fruits
Deu_12:17
Neh_10:37
Neh_13:5
Neh_10:32 CAB And we will impose ordinances
upon ourselves, to levy on ourselves a third of a shekel yearly for the service
of the house of our God;
Neh_10:37-39 CAB And
the firstfruits of our grain, and the fruit of every
tree, of wine, and of oil, will we bring to the priests to the treasury of the
house of God; and a tithe of our land to the Levites; for the Levites
themselves shall receive tithes in all the cities of the land we cultivate. 38 And
the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites in the tithe of the
Levite: and the Levites shall bring up their
tithe to the house of our God, into the treasuries of the house of God. 39 For
the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring into the treasuries
the firstfruits of the grain, and wine, and oil; to
where the holy vessels are, and
the priests, and the ministers, and the porters, and the singers: and we will
not forsake the house of our God.
See: The Righteousness of “Scattering”
Various Givings
Tithe is only one aspect of giving by faith. There are many other distinct “givings” in Scripture. Consider the difference between Tithe, First Fruits, Alms, offerings, whole burnt offerings, freewill offerings, etc.
"Let your charitable gift sweat in
your hands until you know to whom you are giving it."
Didache_1:6
Bitterly Cursed or Faithfully Accepted?
Mal_1:10-14 WEB …I have no pleasure in you," says Yahweh of Armies, "neither will I accept an offering at your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the nations," says Yahweh of Armies. 12 "But you profane it, in that you say, 'Yahweh's table is polluted, and its fruit, even its food, is contemptible.' 13 You say also, 'Behold, what a weariness it is!' and you have sniffed at it," says Yahweh of Armies; "and you have brought that which was taken by violence, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the offering. Should I accept this at your hand?" says Yahweh. 14 "But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a blemished thing; for I am a great King," says Yahweh of Armies, "and my name is awesome among the nations."
Stewardship
Household Law-ship, Trusted Supervision, Delegated
Oversight, Faithful Administration, Accountable Authority -- including Financial
Accountability
Stewardship Basics
Stewardship Definitions
· A Steward is “Someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else” (WordWeb)
· “Steward” = An English word that covers numerous Bible synonyms in Hebrew & Greek
· Household-Law-ers = primary Greek NT word used for stewardship – notice the “house” which such a one is entrusted with
· Stewardship enables delegation -- and is the essence of it (in a sense)
Faithful Stewards should be exalted and trusted/faith-ed, and non-virtuous ones should be demoted, de-commissioned, punished, and micro-managed.
Big Stewardship Concepts
>>>>>>>>>>
· Responsibility
· Resource Management -- incl. time, money, & other things, & even people
· Faithfulness, integrity
· Accountability
· Diligence, patience, perseverance
· Swiftness, zeal, ambition, vs. laziness complacency dragging drudgery
Levels of Stewardship -- in this World
· Lord - owner (King “as supreme” and/or man of the house)
· Rulers / Arch-Ruling Stewards (who set the law for certain realms of society)
· Household-law-ers / managing Stewards (micro rulers who set the law for a house)
· Under rowing officers, “nannies”, etc.
· Deacons, servants, etc.
Some of these stewardships can happen
simultaneously and overlap (especially some of the ones seen next to each other
in the list above)
Despot is Lord
There are 2 verses in Matthew and 2 in Luke that directly show that the Despot is Lord in Greek:
Mat_10:25
LSV sufficient to
the disciple that he may be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord; if the
master of the house they called Beelzebul, how much
more those of his household?
Mat_10:25
ἀρκετὸν τῷ
μαθητῇ ἵνα
γένηται ὡς ὁ
διδάσκαλος αὐτοῦ,
καὶ τῷ
δούλῳ ὡς ὁ
κύριος αὐτοῦ.
εἰ τὸν οἰκοδεσπότην
Βεελζεβοὺβ ἐκάλεσαν,
πόσῳ μᾶλλον
τοὺς οἰκιακοὺς
αὐτοῦ;
Mat_10:25 αρκετον τω μαθητη ινα γενηται ως ο διδασκαλος αυτου και ο δουλος ως ο κυριος αυτου ει τον οικοδεσποτην Sβεελζεβουβ TBAβεελζεβουλ Aεπεκαλεσαν TSBεκαλεσαν ποσω μαλλον τους Bοικειακους TSAοικιακους αυτου
Mat_13:27 LSV And the servants [δοῦλοι] of the householder [οἰκοδεσπότου], having come near, said to
him, Lord [κύριε], did you not sow good seed in your field? From where then does it have
the darnel?
Mat_13:27
προσελθόντες
δὲ οἱ δοῦλοι
τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου
εἶπον αὐτῷ·
κύριε, οὐχὶ
καλὸν σπέρμα
ἔσπειρας ἐν τῷ
σῷ ἀγρῷ;
πόθεν οὖν ἔχει
ζιζάνια;
Mat_13:27 προσελθοντεςG4334V-2AAP-NPM προσέρχομαι to
approach δεG1161CONJ δέ but οιG3588T-NPM ὁ the δουλοιG1401N-NPM δοῦλος a
slave τουG3588T-GSM ὁ the οικοδεσποτουG3617N-GSM οἰκοδεσπότης the
head of a family ειπονG2036V-2AAI-3P ἔπω to
speak αυτωG846P-DSM αὐτός he,
she, it κυριεG2962N-VSM κύριος lord ουχιG3780PRT-I οὐχί not
indeed καλονG2570A-ASN καλός X
better σπερμαG4690N-ASN σπέρμα something
sown εσπειραςG4687V-AAI-2S σπείρω to
scatter ενG1722PREP ἔν in τωG3588T-DSM ὁ the σωG4674S-2DSM σός thine αγρωG68N-DSM ἀγρός a
field ποθενG4159ADV-I πόθεν from
which ουνG3767CONJ οὖν certainly εχειG2192V-PAI-3S ἔχω to
hold [ταG3588T-APN ὁ the] τσ ζιζανιαG2215N-APN ζιζάνιον darnel
Luk_13:25 LSV from the time the Master of the house may
have risen up, and may have shut the door, and you may begin to stand outside,
and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us, and He answering will
say to you, I have not known you from where you are,
Luk_13:25
ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἂν ἐγερθῇ
ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης
καὶ ἀποκλείσῃ
τὴν θύραν,
καὶ ἄρξησθε ἔξω
ἑστάναι καὶ
κρούειν τὴν
θύραν
λέγοντες·
Κύριε, Κύριε |κυριε TSBκυριε|, ἄνοιξον ἡμῖν·
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς
ἐρεῖ ὑμῖν,
οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς
πόθεν ἐστέ·
Luk_14:21 LSV And that servant having come, told these
things to his lord, then the master of the house, having been angry, said to
his servant, Go forth quickly into the broad places and lanes of the city, and
the poor, and maimed, and lame, and blind, bring in here.
Luk_14:21
καὶ
παραγενόμενος
ὁ δοῦλος ἐκεῖνος
ἀπήγγειλε τῷ
κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ
ταῦτα. τότε ὀργισθεὶς
ὁ οἰκοδεσπότης
εἶπε τῷ
δούλῳ αὐτοῦ·
ἔξελθε
ταχέως εἰς
τὰς πλατείας
καὶ ῥύμας
τῆς πόλεως,
καὶ τοὺς
πτωχοὺς καὶ
ἀναπήρους
καὶ χωλοὺς
καὶ τυφλοὺς
εἰσάγαγε ὧδε.
Luk_14:21 και
παραγενομενος
ο δουλος TSBεκεινος
απηγγειλεν τω
κυριω αυτου
ταυτα τοτε οργισθεις
ο οικοδεσποτης
ειπεν τω δουλω
αυτου εξελθε
ταχεως εις τας
πλατειας και
ρυμας της
πολεως και
τους πτωχους
και Aαναπειρους TSBαναπηρους
TSBκαι TSBχωλους
και τυφλους Aκαι Aχωλους
εισαγαγε ωδε
Lordship Through Ownership
The “Lord” / Household Despot delegates
authority, based on his ownership (Luke 16, etc.), to the household-law-giver
(steward) to carry out the tedious detail of setting and enforcing rules for
the success of the household (think: be fruitful and multiply,
like Joseph, etc.), so that the Lord-despot may be focused on, and preoccupied
with, bigger things / larger scale progress.
Example: the household despot leaves the farmers
to go on larger scale business adventure elsewhere (Matthew 25, etc.).
Mat_13:52 – despot can bring out (owned) treasures from his house
Mat_20:1, Mat_20:11 – hired laborers and
paid them at the end of the day’s work
Mat_21:33 – vineyard, winepress, tower,
hired farmers
Mat_24:43; Luk_12:39 – keeping house from
thief breaking in
Mar_14:14; Luk_22:11 – where is a room
where teacher eat Passover with disciples?
Also comapre:
Luk_16:1-12 – Demoting Unfaithful Stewards
· This illustrates the house-hold-despot’s ownership & his relationship with the house-hold-law-er
Pause to reference ownership, and do justice
to it, because the flesh despises Lord ship...
Delegated Authority & Responsibility
The household-law-giver / Steward has great authority, just like faithful Moses in God's
house (he was a law giver -- proper), but it is always the despot who has the
ultimate power and carries and causes the weighted potency of his ownership to
pass through to the delegate in whom he pleases to choose.
Being established to give a law for an
entire household comes with its resulting authority and sobering
responsibilities and accountability.
Examples
· Act_4: they didn’t say anything was their own -- stop selfishly over-valuing things
· Multiplication of Bread and fish -- stop wasting things
· Goal and solver corroded = a testimony against you
· Law of Moses: you’re not allowed to cut down a fruit tree
Physical Biblical Managements Include…
· Events
· Things
· People (incl. children, assemblies, etc.)
· Households (incl. possessions, servants, etc.)
· Cities
·
Etc.
We can see these Biblical examples
referenced below (under Stewards of People & Things)
Cosmic Stewardships
>>>>>>>>>>
· God = Lord (owner) of all
· Angels = Stewards of Humanity & the Universe (incl. stars, as well as “guardian angels”, etc.)
· Humanity = Stewards of Earth (incl. animals, etc. …and what about beyond?)
· Assembly = Stewards of Spiritual Favors ("gifts")
· Overseers* = Stewards of Assembly
· Prophets = Stewards of God's Mysteries
· Apostles = Stewards of Assembly & God's Mysteries
[*incl.
Overseers/Elders/Apostles/Leaders/etc.]
Our Spiritual Fulfilment
Of course in the New Covenant, our
spiritual Stewardships are not limited to a mediator or priest or apostle or
even an overseer - but to all who take hold of any favor at all from under the
gigantic Despot in heaven.
We should always be asking what
stewardships we are responsible for and how we can soberly conduct our lives
with careful reverence to pass the test when we are called to give an
accounting for our managements.
Stewarts, Not Lords
1 Timothy 3:4-5
good stewards don't waste fragments of bread,
just like it's not right to be in the habit of wastefully leaving lights on or
extending resources without good reason...
---------------
Whenever we are before God, we are
stewards, not Lords…
An overseer is a Stewart of the Assembly,
but not a Lord.
1Pe_5:3 – not as lords over the heritage
TSK-simplified: as: Eze_34:4,
Mat_20:25-26, Mat_23:8-10, Mar_10:42-45, Luk_22:24-27, 1Co_3:5, 1Co_3:9, 2Co_1:24, 2Co_4:5, 3Jo_1:9-10
Just as a ruler of a synagogue is
appointed by the elders, so also the elders and overseers are appointed by God
as stewards of His heritage and are to act like stewards, not like lords.
Stewards that oversee the Assembly
inherently have responsibilities of creating order based on delegated authority
including consequences for disobedience (i.e. “punishment” as an “overseeing”
throughout the Bible), but even when correcting, overseers do not carry a
prerogative to enforce their feelings and/or desires outside of the benefit of
others.
Examples
· Jesus driving out the money changers -- he acting out a stewardship & He’s punishing
· JCH…
Interestingly, importantly, the same man
could be a non-lord over the Assembly, and simultaneously a required “lord”
over his wife...
Gen_18:12; 1Pe_3:6 – Sarah called Abraham
Lord
Comp.
Eph_5:33 – wife fear husband
TSK on Fear:
reverence: Eph_5:22, 1Ki_1:31, Est_1:20, Heb_12:9, 1Pe_3:2-6
Stewardship Often Affects Us in the NT Through…
· The sacrifices of the physical things in this life which we give back to God
· The Favor-ings things in ourselves which we are required to use to refresh each other & build each other up.
· The Favor-ings in each other / other disciples which we are required to respect and obey within their appointed jurisdiction, authority, & Lordship over our lives.
By being faithful in these different
realms, we set ourselves up for the biggest promotion of all time…
From Stewards to Lords
· Good stewards inherit everything when promoted to lordship status.
· Faithful Sons who inherit their Father's estate are owners (lord’s) of their father's possessions in the exact same way that God's exalted stewards will become Lord-owners over everything.
Stewards of People & Things
General Stewardship References
Stewards of Events, Things, People,
Households, & Cities:
Event Manager
Joh_2:8 – Arch-3-Recliner-Ruler
/ 3 Couching Banquet
Ruler (of the marriage
feast) [“ruler” / “steward” margin]
Joh_2:8
καὶ λέγει
αὐτοῖς· ἀντλήσατε
νῦν καὶ
φέρετε τῷ ἀρχιτρικλίνῳ.
καὶ ἤνεγκαν.
People Managers
incl. children, assemblies, etc.
Dan_1:11 – the Meltzar/steward ...over Daniel
& friends
·
המּלצר, ha-melcar ISBE,
(KJV/LSV: proper noun)
· ISBE: …He was thus rather a steward of persons than of property (see MELZAR)
Gal_4:2 – Guardians & Stewards Over Children [Turner-Upon-s & Household-law-ers]
Gal_4:2
ἀλλὰ ὑπὸ ἐπιτρόπους
ἐστὶ καὶ οἰκονόμους
ἄχρι τῆς
προθεσμίας τοῦ
πατρός.
· ISBE: ἐπίτροπος, epı́tropos, οἰκονόμος, oikonómos. These two terms denote similar positions. The exact difference cannot be clearly defined, as they are sometimes almost synonymous. The two are found together in Gal_4:2
· ISBE: Lightfoot and Ellicott think that the former refers rather to the guardianship of persons, the child's legal representative, while the latter word refers to the head servant appointed to manage the household or property (compare 2Ma_11:1; 2Ma_13:2). ISBE
2Ma_11:1 Not long after the, Lysias the king's
protector [ἐπίτροπος] and cousin [συγγενὴς], who also managed the affairs, took sore displeasure for the
things that were done.
2Ma_11:1
Μετ᾿ ὀλίγον δὲ
παντελῶς χρονίσκον
Λυσίας ἐπίτροπος
τοῦ βασιλέως
καὶ συγγενὴς
καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν
πραγμάτων λίαν
βαρέως φέρων ἐπὶ
τοῖς γεγονόσι
2Ma_13:2
And with him Lysias his protector [ἐπίτροπον], and ·ruler of his affairs [ἐπὶ
τῶν πραγμάτων], having either of them a Grecian power of footmen, an hundred
and ten thousand, and horsemen five thousand and three hundred, and elephants
two and twenty, and three hundred chariots armed with hooks.
2Ma_13:2
καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ
Λυσίαν τὸν ἐπίτροπον
καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν
πραγμάτων, ἕκαστον
ἔχοντα δύναμιν
Ἑλληνικὴν πεζῶν
μυριάδας ἕνδεκα
καὶ ἱππέων
πεντακισχιλίους
τριακοσίους
καὶ ἐλέφαντας
εἴκοσι δύο, ἅρματα
δὲ δρεπανηφόρα
τριακόσια.
Managers of People & Things
1Ch_28:1 – “rulers” ASV of people & things
1Ch_29:6 – managers of people; LXX/ABP: “managers of the king”
1Ch_29:8 – ABP: under/through WEB the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite
Luk_4:20 – ·Under-rowing-Officer/Attendant [ὑπηρέτῃ] [of] the scroll/book/Bible [τὸ
βιβλίον]
Luk_13:14 – the Outraged
[ἀγανακτῶν*] ·Arch-synagogue-ruler/leader [ὁ ἀρχισυνάγωγος] at healing on Sabbath
[* (A) Strong: From
ἄγαν agan (much) and
ἄχθος achhos̄ (grief;
akin to the base of G43 {ἀγκάλη})…
(B) WS: from ágan (n.f.), very much, and
áchthos (n.f.), pain, grief… (C) AMGL: ἄγαν,
much, ἄχομαι, to grieve]
Luk_8:41 – Jairus – ·Arch-ruler of the synagogue / 'leader of
the synagogue' [ἄρχων
τῆς συναγωγῆς]
The 'leader of the synagogue' (NRSV, Luke 8: 41) was an official
appointed by the elders to look after the building, its contents, and its
arrangements for worship.
https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100433489;jsessionid=29CBC5978C682058101E155B67F4FA1C
\/
Luk_8:49 – τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου (compounded)
Household Managers
incl.
possessions, servants, etc.
Managing the Household includes managing
servants, possessions, and finances.
See: Joseph’s
Stewardship – Joseph was a Steward Over Potiphar’s House,
Then He Got a Steward Over His Own House
1Ki_16:9 – Arza...over
the house in Tirzah
· stū´ẽrd (בּית על אישׁ, 'ı̄sh ‛al bayith ISBE (comp. Gen_43:16, Gen_43:19 Gen_44:1; 1Ki_16:9)
· ISBE: King Elah in his brief reign of two years had a steward in charge of his household
Isa_22:15 – Shebna the "Treasurer"
·
(A) the
‘steward’
MT: Shebna… “treasurer”; margin: “steward” ISBE
(הסּכן, ha-ṣōkhēn
ISBE)
LXX: [τὸν ταμίαν]
-- ABStrong: “dispenser, steward… controller of
receipts and expenditure, treasurer, paymaster”
· (B) WEB: …"over the house" / CAB: "Go into the chamber" / ABP: cubicle [παστοφόριον]
·
LXX:
εἰς τὸ παστοφόριον
πρὸς Σομναν τὸν
ταμίαν
\/
ABStrong: 1Ch_9:26, 1Ch_9:33, 1Ch_23:28, 1Ch_26:16, 1Ch_28:12, 2Ch_31:11, Ezr_8:29, Isa_22:15, Jer_35:4, Eze_40:17, Eze_40:38
Gen_15:2 – Eliezer... [“son
of acquisition”] who
will inherit my estate
·
“son of
acquisition” [ben-mesheḳ] / “heir.” ISBE /
“possessor” ASV
·
LXX: ὁ δὲ ·υἱὸς Μασεκ [see Hebrew above] τῆς οἰκογενοῦς
μου, οὗτος
Δαμασκὸς
Ελιεζερ
Abraham's Elder Servant: Over House, Possessions, Camels, & More
· Gen_24:2 – Abraham's elder servant of his house, who had rule over all his possessions
· Gen_24:5 – the servant asks about the terms of the commitment
·
Gen_24:10 – Servant takes lots of camels & goods
‘servant took ten camels... (with) a variety of good
things of his master's ...to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor’
1Ch_28:1 – “rulers” ASV of people & things
Luk_8:3 – Chuzas, ·Herod's Steward [ἐπιτρόπου ῾Ηρῴδου]
· Chuzas was Herod's steward, and his wife Joanna followed and helped Jesus ~ ISBE
Mat_20:8 – the turner-upon/steward [λέγει ὁ κύριος τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος (says to…) τῷ ἐπιτρόπῳ* αὐτοῦ (≈ Gal_4:2)] who pays the laborers at the close of the day
* VGNT: very common in connexion with the
guardianship of minors (cf. Gal_4:2)
LSJ: one to whom the charge of anything is entrusted,
steward, trustee, administrator…= Lat.
procurator…governor, viceroy…executor…trustee, guardian…guardian, protector
WS: …to permit. Steward, manager, agent. A
person entrusted to act in another's name or to whose care anything is
committed by another (Mat_20:8); a steward or treasurer to a prince,
or a deputy governor, or a Roman procurator; a guardian to
whom the care of orphans is committed, the same as paidagōgós
(G3807), a guardian (Gal_4:2). In Luk_8:3, a manager of private
affairs. [is WS correct?]
City Manager
1Ch_28:1 – “rulers” ASV of people & things
Rom_16:23 – ·Erastus the household-law-er* of the city [῎Εραστος ὁ οἰκονόμος τῆς πόλεως]
* the oikonomos / “treasurer” ISBE of the city.
God Owns Everything
Psa_24:1 – The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness of it (quoted
in 1Co 10 x2)
[Psa_89:1
– God made them?]
Psa_115:15-16 – God made heavens "...the earth has he given to the
children of men" (WEB/~CAB)
1Co_10:26, 1Co_10:28 – earth is the Lord’s (quoting Psa_24:1)
[Rev_4:11,
Rev_10:6 – God mad all]
Take care of the garden.
Be fruitful and multiply it’s resources with babies.
>>Read
You’re supposed to “increase” His
resources (Mat_25: etc.)
And now management is also spiritual.
1Co_4:7 –
1Co_6:19 –
In the Parable of the vineyard, the
farmer’s got a mortally wrong idea about how they should
treat the owner-Lord’s property when He was gone…
Cheerful Giving
Why is Being Willing So Important in Giving?
See: Refusing Payment
Stewardship Realization – in Light of Monotheistic
Revelation
Deu_8:17-18 – it is God who gives you strength to gain wealth
1Ch_29:9 WEB Then the people rejoiced, because they
offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to
Yahweh: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
1Ch_29:9 ABP And [were
glad the people] over the voluntary offering, for from [heart a full] they were
volunteering to the LORD. And David the king was glad [gladness with great].
…
1Ch_29:14 WEB But who am I, and what is my people,
that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.
1Ch_29:14 ABP And who am
I, and what is my people, that we
were strong to volunteer to you thus? For [are
yours all things], and of your things we give to you.
1Ch_29:15 WEB For we are strangers before you, and
foreigners, as all our fathers were: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and
there is no abiding.
1Ch_29:15 For
we are sojourners before you, and sojourners as all our fathers, and [are as
shadows our days] upon the earth, and there is no waiting.
1Ch_29:16 WEB Yahweh
our God, all this store that we have prepared to build you a house for your
holy name comes of your hand, and is all your own.
1Ch_29:16 O LORD our God, to all this abundance which we
prepared for you to build a house to
your name -- to the holy name,
[from your hand for it is], and [yours are all things].
1Ch_29:17 WEB I know also, my God, that you try the
heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my
heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy
your people, that are present here, offer willingly to
you.
1Ch_29:17 And I know, O LORD, that you are the one examining
hearts, and loving righteousness. And I in singleness of heart volunteered all
these things. And now, your
people, being found here, see with gladness, volunteering to you.
1Ch_29:18 WEB Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac,
and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the
thoughts of the heart of your people, and prepare their heart to you;
1Ch_29:18 O LORD, God of
Abraham, and Isaac, and Israel, of the one of our fathers, keep of them the
thing shaped of the thoughts of the heart of your people into the eon! and straighten out their hearts to you!
1Ch_29:19 WEB and
give to Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep your commandments, your
testimonies, and your statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the
palace, for which I have made provision.
1Ch_29:19 And [Solomon to my son give heart a good]! to observe your commandments, and your testimonies, and your orders, and [unto completion to lead all], and to build the furnishing of your house which I prepared.
TSK: if: 2Co_9:7, Exo_25:2, Exo_35:5, Exo_35:21, Exo_35:22, Exo_35:29, 1Ch_29:3-18, 2Ch_6:8, Pro_19:22, Mar_12:42-44, Mar_14:7, Mar_14:8, Luk_7:44-46, Luk_12:47, Luk_12:48, Luk_16:10, Luk_21:1-4, 1Pe_4:10 (Giving/Steward)
1Co_9, 2Co 8 – 9 – The Giving Chapters
1Co_16:1-2; 2Co_8:1-4;
2Co_9:5-7; Act_4:32-37; Gal_6:8-10
Unlike the Old Covenant, The New Testament demands that ALL giving be done in freedom from a clean heart.
Also consider: The favor of giving discussed in the letters to Corinth (as partly included documented in the Favor Of God Bible study)
A Steward of Tithe
· Lev_27:30 – tithe of produce belongs to Lord
· stewards recognize that money is not their own, just because they seemed to hold it in their hand.
· Num_18:24-28 – Tithe of the Tithe
· even gifts given to Levites are tithed to the priest.
· Mal_3:8-10 – stop robbing resources from the tithe (talk about a bad steward that does not recognize that “his possessions” actually belong to someone else...)
·
1Co_9:13-14 – Temple Workers are Alter Eaters – those who
preach should live from Good message, just like the Jewish temple workers
Faithfulness Required of Stewards
Stewards – they can be Faithful
or Unfaithful…
Jacob’s
Stewardship
Jacob was ≈ Laban's steward
· Jacob was faithful and put in charge of all flocks
· ISBE: Jacob seems to have been Laban's steward for a time, as he apparently had full charge of the flocks and herds of his master.
Jesus’ Stewardship Parables – Targeted at the Disciples & Apostles
Luk_12:35-38, Luk_12:42 – Faithful Steward [ὁ πιστὸς οἰκονόμος]
· disciples to act as stewards (in His absence) ~ ISBE
Mat_21:33-46 – the Wicked Land-workers/farmers/Husbandmen [ἐξέδοτο αὐτὸν γεωργοῖς vs. οἰκοδεσπότης…ἀπεδήμησεν]
Mat_24:45 – Faithful & mindful vs. Nasty servants [δοῦλος]
Mat_25:14-30 – the Talents Parable / The parable of the talents [τάλαντα] -- seen below (in next point)
Luk_19:12-27 – Parable of the Pounds/Minae [μνᾶς] Parable -- seen below (in next point)
Overseer’s
Stewardship
Tit_1:7 – Overseer [ἐπίσκοπον] = God's steward [Θεοῦ οἰκονόμον]
Apostle’s
Stewardship of Mysteries
1Co_4:1-2 – Stewards of God’s
mysteries [οἰκονόμους
μυστηρίων
Θεοῦ]
·
‘Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.’ 1Co_4:2
1Co_4:1 Οὕτως
ἡμᾶς
λογιζέσθω ἄνθρωπος,
ὡς ὑπηρέτας
Χριστοῦ καὶ οἰκονόμους
μυστηρίων
Θεοῦ.
1Co_4:2 TSBὃ TSBδὲ |Aωδε| λοιπὸν
ζητεῖται ἐν
τοῖς οἰκονόμοις,
ἵνα πιστός
τις εὑρεθῇ.
Stewardship Includes Eating, etc.
1Co_9:13-14 – Temple Workers are Alter
Eaters – those who preach should live from Good message, just like the
Jewish temple workers
The Stewardship of Favor – For All Disciples
1Pe_4:10 – Household-Law-ers of the varied/diverse/multi-faceted/many/manifold favor of God [οἰκονόμοι ποικίλης χάριτος Θεοῦ]
· A requirement from each of us to deacon-serve [διακονοῦντες], even if we are not established over (or even by) an Assembly
1Pe_4:10
ἕκαστος
καθὼς ἔλαβε
χάρισμα, εἰς
ἑαυτοὺς αὐτὸ
διακονοῦντες
ὡς καλοὶ οἰκονόμοι
ποικίλης
χάριτος Θεοῦ·
Stewardship Accountability
Accountability to whom?
External Versus
Internal Accountability
· Properly choosing external versus internal accountability depends on who's who in each accountability scenario
· External accountability is fitting upon those who do not know better than those who govern them
· External accountability risks ignorance and injustice when superimposed over those with higher values
· External accountability can userp ignorance over knowledge, which is an intolerable crime that should never be done.
· External accountability ignores the real virtues of those in the trenches when userped inappropriately
Multi-Level Accountability
Mat_8:9-11; Luk_7:8 – I myself am a man
under authority and I have servants under me
Faithful in Little & Much
The Reward
of Faithfulness
Luk_16:9-12 (comp. v Luk_16:1-8) – Unrighteous Money* vs. True
[τοῦ
μαμωνᾶ* τῆς ἀδικίας…τῷ
ἀδίκῳ
μαμωνᾷ* vs. τὸ ἀληθινὸν]
unfaithful/unbelieving
with unrighteous money/wealth/riches*
vs. Being Believed with True
Unfaithful/unrighteous actions make you dirty
in the same sense as the unrighteous money you sin with.
Stewardship: unfaithful in another’s
unrighteous money vs. Having your own True
Luk_19:17, etc. – Faithful & well done with least/last minas [μνᾶς (v16)…ἐλαχίστῳ (v17)], now have cities [ἴσθι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω δέκα πόλεων]
Mat_25:21 – Faithful & well done with meager/few talents [τάλαντα (v20)…ἐπὶ ὀλίγα (v21)], now have many things [ἐπὶ πολλῶν σε καταστήσω]
Heb_3:2 – faithful…Moses…in all His house
* “Mammon
in Hebrew (ממון) means "money". The
word was adopted to modern Hebrew to
mean wealth.”
The spelling μαμμωνᾷ
refers to "a Syrian deity, god of riches; Hence riches, wealth"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammon
Pro_17:2 WEB A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.
Pro_17:2 LB A wise servant shall have rule over foolish masters, and shall divide portions among brothers.
Pro_17:2
οἰκέτης νοήμων
κρατήσει
δεσποτῶν ἀφρόνων,
ἐν δὲ ἀδελφοῖς
διελεῖται μέρη.
Testing Spiritual & Physical Stewardships
(A) Testing Spiritual Stewardship
1 Corinthians 4 teaches us that a person's
faithfulness as a spiritual steward [οἰκονόμους
μυστηρίων
Θεοῦ (1Co_4:1)] is exclusively determined by God's
judgment, both now and at the revelation of His righteous judgment...
The morality of Spiritual Stewardship is
inherently hidden from the eyes of social accountability.
And as is always the case with judging:
If humans participate in God's judgment of
a steward's faithfulness, it will not be as the beginning of Matthew 7 but as
the middle and end of it:
God's Judgment about a person (Rom_2) is
revealed by their...
· state of pig-ish-ness
· words out of the overflow of their heart (words are deeds, as seen below)
· level of obedience (especially since this is the proper canonical climactic standard)
And again, as is always the case with
judging:
Repeating God's judgment calls is not
making judgment calls all by yourself as a human.
Acknowledging God's communications about
who is a pig, wolf, false prophet, and an apostate who
is rejected at judgment, is not judging.
Acknowledging is not judging.
Knowing is not judging.
Having caution and Knowing that someone is
judged is OBEDIENCE, whereas making the judgment calls yourself is
DISOBEDIENCE.
(B) Testing Physical Stewardship
Physical Stewardship can be tested very
easily (especially compared to the mysteries of Spiritual Stewardship) as long
as you have a moral compass that has been acquainted with Truth.
If you have been estranged from Truth,
then you risk being like most leaders, owners, landlords, managers,
stakeholders, organizations, institutions, businesses and companies that are
morally bankrupt and totally incompetent of establishing accountability for
themselves, much
less are they able to do so for
others.
Conventionalism does little more than
institutionalizing Injustice.
Conventionalism predictably maximizes
short-term profits by always prioritizing the wrong people who live the wrong
way instead of rewarding and prioritizing those who live poor, right, work the
hardest, and deserve the greatest rewards. -- That’s why we always hurt waiting
for the Judgement and the coming of Justice in the meantime.
And in that sense: remember,
conventionalism is essentially a synonym for worldliness -- so it's no wonder
why it's loaded with sin.
(C) Summary of Spiritual & Physical Stewardship-Morality
· Testing Spiritual Stewardship is inherently difficult, and requires the fruit of deeds -- of obedience or disobedience.
· Testing Physical Stewardship is relatively easy & accessible, but requires the blameless logic of embracing an unconventionally excellent, higher level of serious morality and acquaintance with the Truth.
Demoting Unfaithful Stewards
Why Stewards Fail on Earth
Most people care much more about experiencing life than producing something valuable with it (they
are experimentalists), and for this they
will deserve every bit of hellfire they get.
Judged to Demotion
Because ‘stewards got to
be found faithful’ therefore if they are not then they must be demoted or even
fired.
Micromanaging,
for example, is a form of Demotion (as discussed later).
Stewards are required to be faithful (1Co_4:2), therefore when they are found otherwise
they are ‘assigned a portion among the unfaithful/unbelieving’ (Mat_24:51; Luk_12:35-48,
OR Luk_12:42-48, esp. Luk_12:45-46, <Luk_12:56).
We’ve Got to increase what has been
entrusted… we’ve got to be good stewards
The owner gets really mad and judgmental
with experientialists who sit around and enjoy life by spending His substance
selfishly without regard to increasing His interests.
Remember that Lazy wicked servant who put
his Lord’s value in dirt…
Luk_16:1-12 – Unrighteous Steward [τὸν οἰκονόμον
τῆς ἀδικίας
(Luk_16:8)]
· Key verses: Luk_16:1-8 & Luk_16:10-12 (esp. Luk_16:1-2, etc.)
· Remember to Consider the sociological characters in this parable…
·
(1) Rich man [ἄνθρωπός
τις ἦν
πλούσιος, ὃς εἶχεν
…(Luk_16:1 – 8-13th words)] / the lord (x4) [ὁ κύριός
μου (Luk_16:3) / τοῦ κυρίου
ἑαυτοῦ…τῷ κυρίῳ
μου (Luk_16:5) / ὁ κύριος
τὸν οἰκονόμον
τῆς ἀδικίας
(Luk_16:8) ]…
…who owned possessions [τὰ ὑπάρχοντα
αὐτοῦ – (Luk_16:3 (final) 21st-23rd words)] [incl. TSBαυτου]
· (2) Household-law-er [οἰκονόμον (Luk_16:1 – 14th word) / τὸν οἰκονόμον τῆς ἀδικίας (Luk_16:8)] / (Household-servant [Οὐδεὶς οἰκέτης (Luk_16:13)])
· (3) Debtors [A/TSB χρεο|ωφειλετῶν…ὀφείλεις (Luk_16:5, etc.)] with “bills” [δέξαι σου τὸ γράμμα (Luk_16:6-7)] (who were supposed to give “the lord” more possessions: Luk_16:4-7)
see: Despot is Lord
We can learn a lot of practical and moral
lessons from examples of stewards being demoted.
Not only do we learn (more specifically)
about demoting a steward from this parable, but we also learn a lot about the
overall principles of stewardship in general as well, and what type of people
it involves.
Remember Ownership, Demotion, & Death, & Then Escape While You Can!
· Notice, remember, and consider the sociological relationship between these characters in the Unrighteous Steward parable, especially in the moral reality of “ownership”.
· This parable correlates with the moral reality of us all being stewards of various resources under the One Lord of heaven who has appointed the bodies of mankind to be demoted by death.
·
Video: “you have to imagine a future, but without you in it”
(TEDxUCO)
This guy had a heart attack at 34.
Source: Stewardship： How Leaders Live For Tomorrow_
Today ｜ Jarrett Jobe
｜ TEDxUCO
· Generous mindfulness is the only solution given to us for escape in this Unrighteous Steward parable, as a conscientious steward who is on his way out (and this is part of the Good Message [εὐαγγελίζεται] in Luk_16:16).
· There is no receiving forgiveness and mercy without also participating in it by (also) giving it out to others, by faith.
· You got to let go to be let go (as is always the case with real faith).
· We’ve got to let go of our meager “little” substance to redemptively mercy others so that we can fully engage and receive infinitely bigger redemptive mercy from heaven for ourselves.
Sin Guarantees Demotion by Death
>>>>>>>>
· Just as the devil was demoted from his lofty position by sin so also Humanity has been scheduled to be demoted by death.
· The more we sin the faster we bring about our demotion prematurely.
· Always keep demotion in the forefront of your mind so that it won't be permanent.
· We are scheduled to be demoted from stewardship over the Earth and lose all of the temporary benefits of this physical creation...
· We got to do something to assure ourselves of being reinstated and even promoted as part of the newer ruling team of God's Heavenly Kingdom.
· We got to apprehend some seriously special virtue of meekness to be a part of the team who inherits the Earth.
· You better do something quick to “quit” ahead of time from the flesh's earthly kingdom so that you won't get permanently fired with it when it all perishes in permanent demotion.
Ugly Money -- Considerations from Luke 16
· It is unrighteous
· Pagan Syrian Deity
· Untrue
· Not your own
· Even when used in a good way, it is still dirty (as summarized above)
·
And it is still deceitful (Mat 13:7, Mat
13:22 & 1Ti_6:9-10 [παγίδα – trap/snare], etc.)
Someone Else Owns Everything (Reminder)
· The people of this life have dubbed themselves “Lord” over the ownership of the possessions they have acquired.
· Are you going to keep “your” possessions after death when your body “fails”? -- this is a key question throughout Luke 16…
· Death is always eminent for humans.
· Permanent demotion is eminent for those who own without restriction (1Co_7 & like the rich young ruler).
· Failure is guaranteed for those who are not gripped by the reverence of the accountability of stewardship.
· All of the assets which we hold in our hands are borrowed, both physical and spiritual, and the righteous live in the reverence of this reality by remembering and acknowledging the eminence of death and the coming Judgement.
· When you're focusing on stewardship you're carrying the realization that the things in your hands don't belong to you, and you won’t get to keep them forever.
· So: Avoid permanent demotion.
· Prepare yourself to give a morally successful answer whenever you have to give back all the things you borrowed from the King of Justice.
The Point: Demotion is an
important element in stewardship accountability to righteous consequences.
Our primary responsibility is to take these
consequences to heart for ourselves and fear the owner-Lord to perfect our holy
behavior in the fear of God (2Co_7:1).
However, how do we also interface with the
consequences of demotion when it comes to holding each other horizontally
accountable to be faithful?
Empowerment vs. Criticism
Accountability
to Empower Ability
Empower a stewardship before judging or criticizing it.
Empowerment & Criticism Basics
·
Jesus empowered 12 Disciples -- He
is our perfect example!
Did Jesus criticize? Yes, but He empowered first…
· Criticism, anxiety, & negativity -- dis-empowers others.
· “Not Judging” is part of the Good Message… (Mat_7:, etc.)
· Good message: die to sin & live to righteousness with Jesus -- die to untrue criticism and live by scientific Truth to empower others by faithfulness (the real righteousness/justice of God)
The World’s vs. The Assembly’s Empowerment
· Among the Lordships of the world, Empowerment is typically considered a top-down process.
·
In the brotherhood of the
righteous, mutual corporate Empowerment is everyone’s responsibility, from the
least to the greatest, and everywhere in-between.
(as seen with (A) Ruth to Naomi, (B) Jews to Ezra in Ezr_10:2-4, etc.; (C)
using our favor-gifts as faithful household-law-ers/stewards toward each
other, as seen in The Stewardship of Favor)
· Empowerment generally helps collaboration in the World and the Assembly, but they glorify different goals.
· The World’s Empowerment aims at independence and autonomy, but the Empowerment of the righteous glorifies increasing codependence and interdependence.
· The World’s Empowerment can draw off of a great variety of powers within the profane inclusiveness of their paganism to achieve goals unlawfully.
· The Assemblies Empowerment is always the Divine power of virtue and can never cheat to gain results, and always outlives this life.
Reverencing Lack of Ability
Reverencing Lack of Ability & Having Integrity
to Make Up For It
· Initially lacking ability is a fundamental providence directly from the Creator who ultimately designed and ordained all things and all people.
· Our abilities were delivered to us in a state of uncultivated lack by the Creator, and some of us were dealt with more ability and others with less, by default.
· It is our mysterious/“strange” responsibility to carefully, diligently, and faithfully increase ability, that initially came lacking and uncultivated, in order to generate value in and through ourselves and others.
· Lacking ability (physically and spiritually) and the responsibility to increase it is a foundational enigma of this life and this entire age…
· A person can be underdeveloped and even disabled because of (A) their own faults, and/or because of (B) pure circumstantial providence -- therefore…
· Using shear results as a measurement of “a steward’s faithfulness to cultivate their own value” is morally illegal, hazardous, reckless, foolish, illogical guesswork. -- That’s why Jesus condemned the sins of the flesh judging others!
· You first have to empower other people’s lack of ability before you can logically criticize them for being unfaithful to cultivate it.
· You have a moral and logical prerequisite responsibility to make sure someone’s potential has been helped before you can say that they neglected reaching it.
· When a person lacks ability and/or has disabilities through no fault of their own, you had better arrest your heart with fear and drop to your knees before ever criticizing them, because you are really, in fact, criticizing the One Who created them and subjected them to this weakness.
· You cannot keep despising “the weakness of God” and inherit heaven (1Co_1:25 – below).
·
Despising weakness in others is
the exact opposite of increasing value in them: edifying them, building them up,
and empowering them.
(That’s disobeying the fundamental human virtue that the Creator has commanded
all of us to increase in.)
· You cannot despise God-ordained weakness and fulfill your duty to increase value in others!
·
The virtue and integrity requirements of empowerment
incriminate the unscientific criminal guesswork of the judgments and criticisms
of the flesh.
·
Empowerment requirements expose and incriminate the wrong
metrics of shear results.
· When we don’t reverence the Truth sufficiently, we criticize people for the unfortunate circumstances that the Creator subjected them to.
· Despising God who subjected people to unfortunate disabilities will condemn you as a breaker of the Law (Lev_19:14 – below).
· Despising God’s weakness inside a person means we even risk (and essentially guarantee) criticizing stewards who are better than ourselves (as discussed a little later…).
Lev_19:14 – No Cursing Deaf Or
…Blind
Lev_19:14 WEB
" 'You shall not curse the deaf,
nor put a stumbling block before the blind; but you shall fear your
God. I am Yahweh.
Lev_19:14 CAB You
shall not revile [κακῶς
ἐρεῖς – speak nasty of] the
deaf, neither shall you put a stumbling block in the
way of the blind; and you shall fear the Lord your God: I am the
Lord your God.
Lev_19:14
οὐ κακῶς ἐρεῖς
κωφὸν καὶ ἀπέναντι
τυφλοῦ οὐ
προσθήσεις σκάνδαλον
καὶ φοβηθήσῃ κύριον
τὸν θεόν σου· ἐγώ
εἰμι κύριος ὁ
θεὸς ὑμῶν.
Despising “the weakness of God” (1Co_1:25) includes despising those with disabilities (Lev_19:14) and pushing them further down after the Creator afflicted them, and this is a dreadful guilt.
1Co_1:25 LSV because the foolishness
of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men;
1Co_1:25 ὅτι
τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ
Θεοῦ
σοφώτερον τῶν
ἀνθρώπων ἐστί,
καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς
τοῦ Θεοῦ ἰσχυρότερον
τῶν ἀνθρώπων
TSBἐστί.
God will despise, disarrange, and dismantle you for attacking His
Glorious weakness in other people (as seen throughout 1st Corinthians
1 – 2 and onward).
Indeed, such critics are cursed so bad
that their cursedness is remembered from Psa_69 on into the New Testament for
this very crime:
Psa_69:26 WEB For they persecute him whom you have
wounded. They tell of the sorrow of those whom you have hurt.
Psa_69:26 CAB because they persecuted him whom You
have smitten; and they have added to the grief of my wounds.
Psa_69:26
(68:27) ὅτι ὃν σὺ ἐπάταξας,
αὐτοὶ κατεδίωξαν,
καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄλγος
τῶν τραυματιῶν
σου προσέθηκαν.
Read all of Psalms 69 (incl. Psa_69:9 – zeal for Your house, and the crucifixion that follows) and compare how it is
quoted in Rom_11:8-10, etc.
TSK+:
For: Psa_109:16, 2Ch_28:9 [etc.], Job_19:21, Job_19:22, Zec_1:15,
1Th_2:15
whom: Isa_53:4,
Isa_53:10, Zec_13:7
Exo_16:2-21 (esp. Exo_16:7-8);
Num_16:11, etc. – Who are we (Who is Moses and Aaron)? You have complained against the Lord
A Bad Steward & A Bad Critic
…We have the potential to be both
Knowing better but doing worse & criticizing without empowering -- these are both guilty in the same ways
An informed steward is without excuse if he does not produce the best,
Just as…
A critical onlooker is without excuse if they won’t empower.
We need to empower to not earn judgement,
Just as…
We need to embrace / receive / take hold of empowerment to not earn criticism.
We need to oppose laziness, complacency, & unfaithfulness,
Just as…
We need to oppose false metrics, hypocrisy, & the judgements of the flesh.
Romans 1-2 is a Good Example of “righteous judgement”:
· They knew better
· They were without excuse
· They would not escape judgement
· Paul criticized their decisions because they had been empowered to do better
Learning From Bad Examples of Criticism
We Can Learn Some Lessons from Other People’s Bad
Criticism Failures
Have we been empowering before criticizing, and have we been receiving empowerment to avoid earning criticism?
Many times throughout my life, especially when working with secular people, I've been criticized about a problem and the accusations themselves were the first time I heard or knew about the problem which they had been unhappy/disgruntled about for some time beforehand... -- that's illegal criticism!
You’re not allowed to hold your tongue and harbor things/despising in your heart (~ Lev_19:17), and then add insult to injury by criticizing when you finally do open your mouth as though you actually know anything better when you have been sinning much worse…
Furthermore: a truly helpless person is not allowed to be criticized, because you risk blaspheming the Creator in your sinning hypocrisy... -- the critic is the criminal and they are creating the negativity that they are blaspheming the other person of doing.
What are our vulnerabilities? Have we ever: (A) been assuming our own advantage and misunderstanding the scope of another person's stewardship, and/or, (B) has the criticized steward just not begged enough, and failed at humility and loving the person with an advantage enough to take hold of their empowerment?
Have Knowledge Before Giving Criticism
Accountability to Fake Knowledge?
· Rather than holding others to unrighteous ideals outside of their ability (i.e. Fake Knowledge), we need to hold ourselves accountable to empower others (Real Knowledge).
·
Don't exalt fake knowledge over those who are begging for
knowledge to improve (those stewardships that are better than you).
·
You don't know or understand anything that you're unable to
empower learners to do (others who are ready to learn).
You are required to express your
knowledge, in speech and or writing, in a morally and logically correct way,
without unneeded/unnecessary negativity.
(note that this
is not a "timed test", and only cheaters and perverts try to
constrain a time restraint in order to deceive the gullible and foolish... ~
Jer27)
The inability and or avoidance of
expressing yourself in a morally and logically correct way proves
that you don't have real knowledge and have no business being critical of
others with your fake knowledge.
This is why carefully writing out your
thoughts in a structured way is such a morally excellent requirement and
exercise, since it requires you to think in a particular mode that is more
inherently structured and logical, and face your potential lack of understanding
and any disarrangements, and cross-examine your words with a certain level of
thoughtful accountability before superimposing them against another.
You don't necessarily have to have a
well-polished writing, but you do need to reframe your thoughts against the
integrity structure of logic and learn to think with more reality.
writing thoughtfully and comprehensively means
we're being logical and prioritizing real value production, and we're
submitting ourselves to be conformed to an excellent standard of communicating
real knowledge to empower others.
Reminder: stop wishing for mind reading
from others, and start wishing, in prayer, for the logical integrity and
virtuous strength of real knowledge.
and of course remember, if you don't judge
you will not be judged (in regard to logic and expression, for example), and
yet at the same time, we need to grow up and not only remove the beams from our
own eyes but also we need to help remove specs from our brother's eyes...
Who’s Accountable to Sewing & Reaping?
Gal_6:7-8 – what a man sews that he will also reap
[ὃ γὰρ ἐὰν
σπείρῃ ἄνθρωπος,
τοῦτο καὶ
θερίσει]
TSK on Gal_6:7-8 -- Enhanced With Summaries
Job_4:8 – Planting & reaping in bad
Pro_1:30-31 – Eat fruit of not listening to Wisdom
Pro_6:14-19, etc. – scheming
Pro_11:17-19 – Moral Reward for Good & Bad
Hos_8:7 – Planting bad, reaping worse, and strangers eat the scraps
Hos_10:12 – Planting
Righteousness & Seeking Lord
(MT: Break up fallow ground)
Luk_16:25 – Good or bad things in this life - reversed in the next
Rom_2:6-10 – Rewarded according to works
2Co_9:6-7 – Sparingly or
abundantly planting & reaping (by giving to others)
Plants & People – Judging
Output Based on Input
· Galatians 6 uses planting and reaping as a parable for moral things, and we can apply it in similar ways as well.
· You cannot demand that God should give you more out of the ground then what you planted.
· And even if an unlikely harvest happens anyway, despite your lack of investment, it is to God's credit not yours.
· So also with those you work with: you are not allowed to violate the economy of sewing and reaping and pretend like they should give over more than what is given/sewed/allowed unto them.
· If they perform anyway, it is to God’s credit and possibly their credit, not yours, and you better not criticize them in the meantime for your own failure to empower (or know any better).
Judgement Warnings for Critics of Stewards
You Will Be Judged Like You Judge
When evaluating various stewardships on
Earth, we've got to remember that this is all about being careful to evaluate
scientifically so as to not determine the judgement from yourself,
and by it, bring judgment upon yourself...
Mat_7 – don’t judge
1Co_4:5 – judge nothing before the time
Rom_14:4 – who are you to judge another man's
servant
Criticizing is Dangerous
· Criticizing is inherently dangerous, even if it is against a guilty person, because you need to display mercy, etc.
· Criticizing is even more dangerous when it is against a virtuous stewardship.
Righteous Judgment for
Stewardships
the real Jesus practices righteous judgment,
not according to impulsive feelings or the sight of his own eyes
Isa_42:3; Mat_12:20 – he will not break a
bruised ring nor quench a smoldering flax
the real Jesus is so engaged in being all
Truth that there's no room to criticize poor crouching beggars
Beware of Critical Hypocrisy Against Good Stewardship
What’s Wrong
with Most Critical Managers Today?
· It used to be that leaders were more prone to admire hard workers like Joseph because of their integrity and the beautiful exaltations of their virtue.
· As time has gone on and the modern age has come upon humanity, the world has learned (or re-learned) a new level to an evil lesson: that prostitution pays.
· Business leaders today are notorious for prioritizing the wrong things and the wrong people to get shear results in the wrong ways.
· Bad leaders prioritize: Pride, Flesh, “luck”, personality, soulish-ness, subjective impulsive impressions/criticisms, Shear Results, & Short-term exaltations (appearance of success)
· Bad leaders despise/criticize: Faith, virtue, scientific integrity, ethics, patience, empowering the best, prioritizing what’s right, investing in long-term/real success, circumstantial inconvenience, random providential inability, & good stewards.
· The perverted managers of this life will even foolishly criticize a righteous steward who is better than themselves when the steward doesn’t move fast enough to gain the short-term exaltations of shear results at any cost.
·
The leaders of this age/life are anti-cross and pro-flesh.
·
Flesh balls will by no means deny and die to the
short-sighted selfish pride of maintaining confidence even when being wrong,
and much less are they powerful to resurrect to meekness, virtue, and
scientific integrity to patiently search out and praise the Truth in good
stewardships at the expense of their impulsive selfish pride.
· The Strong critics of this age violate Sewing & Reaping and inevitably blaspheme Good Stewards, even when they are being diligent and careful to prioritize doing things in right/virtuous/better ways.
· Virtue is a power and requires power to be done virtuously.
· People of virtue often need more empowerment than others to give over morally superior results of real excellence that no one else can produce.
· You’re not allowed to be lazy, proud, and perverted to criticize someone for working harder to make up for your lack of virtue and do the good you were not willing to do.
· Wicked critics of this life violate all personal integrity to measure shallow output results while ignoring the scientific requirement and prerequisite of giving over empowering input…
· Instead of prioritizing the metrics of Truth and virtue, they will prioritize appearance and immediate gratification without thinking.
· Whenever bad falls upon a good steward, critics will despise and exploit the vulnerability and criticize a good steward for providential inability based on circumstantial results and lack of convenience and lack of lust, and kick a good worker when they are down instead of praising and empowering them.
· A good manager who deserves to be a leader and is worthy of their role will make the most of a steward who is even weaker than themselves, and much more, they can make exponential success of one who is better than themselves, since worthy leaders are good at giving empowering input, whereas…
· A wicked leader trusts in, and depends on, hiring “lucky” people who are better at gambling then others, and are skilled at short-term wins without long-term virtue.
· Preferring lucky gambling rather than virtuous excellence is sinfully cheating your way to a false success.
· Real success is winning through virtue.
· “Luck” can be when good things seem to come to you, like success, even when you don’t have virtue to be worthy of it, and even when you are willing to sin to get it.
· A sinning person might achieve short-term success, or they might be swiftly judged and punished -- in both cases they fail, and whatever good they may seem to enjoy in the meantime is not to their credit.
· Consider how “luck” can be a profane power of this evil age that makes a leader and a steward seem successful in this life (for the short-term) without Divine virtue to be worthy of it (in the long-term).
· Only virtue-power (integrity) lasts so much for the long-term that it even outlives this life.
· Cheating with the pride of luck can only achieve a short-term appearance of success that always ends in a trap of foolish and destructive lusts (1Ti_6:9).
· A manager who is dependent on the powers of luck is not a good manager and does not have any business judging another person’s stewardship.
· Wicked managers criticize superior stewardships, when in fact instead, it is these critical leaders who are actually the ones worthy of being fired themselves because they are cheating and failing at their job of prioritizing and empowering good stewardships and making them better.
· If you enjoy, like, and are fond of succeeding by luck, don’t be surprised when the Big Ruler of the universe might take all of your success away and make you face the bitter reality of Truth in a day of justice and visitation. (…and consider and remember how the righteous and the unrighteous are always glorifying different powers [i.e. g/Gods] and rejoicing on different days of exaltation.)
Help A
Good Stewardship, Don’t Criticize it!
You can easily correct, redirect, upgrade,
and improve a steward and or a Stewardship which is already based on the right
principles, as long as you really do legitimately know an answer...
There’s no need or moral permission to
criticize those who already repent more than you do.
If you criticize instead, you risk
hypocrisy by being irreverently puffed up by worldliness and exalting folly
(and even perversion) above wisdom... and your advantage is feeble and fleeting,
partnering with the managers of this world, and disappearing with the rotting
of this life, since you thought to correct another who is based on the right
principles without being based on the right principles yourself.
Criticizing Can Be Deceptive
· Beware and don't be so naive so as to be so easily persuaded by the world.
· We must avoid becoming failures like most owners, managers, and leaders of this life...
Anointed One's Compassion Versus the Flesh's Cruel Criticism
4/16/23
the pitiful compassionate sympathy of
anointed one that always feels sorry for poor beggars.
besides the grand responsibility of being deeply
moved with reverence and fear toward God and His righteous favorite holy poor
begging ones, we furthermore need to simultaneously increase in feeling sorry
for those whom God has compassion on...
we have a hypocritical Insanity that denies
sympathy for those who are supposed to respect, as though being strong means
you don't need to have sympathy...
but this is blasphemous hard hearted
Insanity which knows nothing of the strong Love of God, toward the humble-week
victim and toward the strong-virtuous hero
>> Scrip:
save your turtle dove
spare my precious soul before your eyes
>> TSK
the strongest and most mightiest valor of
excellence and supernatural power is only achieved by submitting to the
original ordinance of God to become weak and humble before the infinite powers
that created the universe so as to be charged up and energized by his same
infinite ability to rise up strong after having stooped so low before the king
of the universe...
every strong and mighty warrior comes home to
a compassionate mother, and or a compassionate wife, or at least he's supposed
to, just as God himself consoles his passionately burning hurt heart with the
therapy of faithful Moses...
if we have the basics of serious Love
established in us, then we will never kick a poor beggar or hard worker when
they are hurt and down...
sometimes we have acted like we don't know the basics
of biblical love since compassion has been far away in certain seasons of stumblings and fumblings
what do we think? should
a poor beggar drive energy and absorb nourishing food out of being slapped?
should the week plant suck and absorb
nourishment out of the flinty rock?
if our conscience is awakened we will be
too preoccupied and absorbed with giving over what we owe and paying the Love
debt so that we don't have the time or wherewithal to keep walking narrowly
toward each other with constraint.
Freedom to Be Positive Helps Good
Stewardships
There is no risk in being totally positive
toward a good stewardship: You are not going to make a righteous person proud,
or shame yourself (except the sinful/foolish flesh), or lose any benefit.
You are totally free in righteousness to be 100% positive toward a
stewardship that is better than you (unlike the complaining fools of this
life), no matter how much pain and potential strain you might experience
underneath it, because even through this easy non-judgmental righteousness you
can make an otherwise righteous stewardship even stronger, by being a support
underneath it, rather than insanely thinking that you have enough advantage to
correct it from above.
So: Should we be Correcting
from Above or Supporting From Underneath? -- It is a very sensitive thing to
successfully correct one another from above... you take your soul into your own
hands if you do so... but supporting each other from underneath is a daily
operation that can easily and safely be done in Truth without hazarding sin.
Various Logical Empowerment
Responsibilities
varieties of logical power that we all need from
each other
we are all in this together and we all have
certain access to logical powers with which we are required to empower each
other with every opportunity and advantage we can possibly take hold of.
some logical powers are very practical and
at hand, which even sinners share and common with the righteous, and others are
of a higher caliber, with greater importance and value, yet nonetheless, 'every
good and perfect gift comes down from above from the Father of heavenly
lights', and we need as much of His light as we can possibly get on every side
in order to successfully produce value with our lives.
Examples of Helping or
Criticizing Good Stewardships
Good Example – Helping Good Stewardship:
Num_10:29-32 – Obab [the Kenite-Midianite] helps Moses in the wilderness ("be
eyes" MT / Elder LXX).
Bad example – Criticizing Good
Stewardship:
complainers in the wilderness
[Luk_7:39
– ‘if this man were a prophet he would know what kind of
woman were touching him’]
Avoid Gullible-ness. Establish
Enduring Stewardships.
The managers of this life know how to
exalt folly and sin by successfully prioritizing short-term profits and
foolishly chiding those out of step with their gullible naivety.
But we can and we must first back up and
get our head on straight to create an atmosphere of pure heartedness inside
ourselves to carry real and enduring advantages through this life on into
building up God-loving stewardships that last beyond it.
Assuming Ability & Advantages
Assuming
Ability in Others & Advantages in Ourselves
Foolish Assumptions
We can easily misunderstand and even overestimate each other's
available ability, and criticize lack of results, and flatter our own
perspectives as being more successful than they are, and thinking that we could
correct another when in fact we need to be corrected by
another, and all of these assumptions create great moral risk of committing
crimes against each other and violating the Creator's providential rules of
stewardship over all Humanity in general.
We can so easily overestimate what ability and options are
available for each other, and criticize for apparent underperformance, and we
can overestimate our very own perspectives and advantages over them when we
think we know how they should perform better, and we can easily underestimate
the actual total real cost for someone to perform in the way we're idealizing,
and we can so easily assume that our ideal is even better in the first place.
By default, we don't know how someone else's stewardship should
perform better, and our perspectives and advantages are not as superior as the
flesh would like to think, and we don't actually have a better answer than
others, because we don't even understand the real cost and need to perform in
our fictional and non-canonical ideals.
In the age of Truth it is high time for some serious humility to
walk patiently and hold our perspectives in subjection, pressing our ego down,
and applying faithful righteous humility to implement scientific tests to
determine what the real moral realities and options actually are, and to see
where people are actually at, before assuming that we're more right and they're
more wrong...
We also need to first make sure we actually understand the problem
accurately from a real moral awareness/eyesight lest we be overconfident by
assuming an advantage when in fact those we criticize might actually know more
than we do and we need to be learning from them instead of despising and
criticizing them, and thinking they need to learn from us.
Empowerment First Corrects Hasty Criticism
One of the best logical scientific safeguards to avoid
accidentally despising other people is to make sure that they have been
empowered (by us or at least someone else) before assuming they have been
irresponsible. This forces you to put scientific integrity before feelings, so
that you are more constrained to give over justice rather than premature and
assumptive critique.
It is easy to despise others, but when you pay over your
indebtedness to empower others it makes you reexamine your naivety and reconsider
how much you really know in light of the accountability to enable others first.
If you don’t understand the real issues enough to help others be
stronger, then neither can you logically criticize them as though you even know
what is needed in the first place, or even much less how they can do better.
If you really understand the problems and needs at hand enough to
communicate them in a way that enables others then you might be a candidate to
also help correct them if they’ve gone wrong.
If we can’t help then no one needs our critique, but if we can
help then other people will need both our encouragement and our corrections.
Virtue Always Wins
As is always the case, you can measure who's right and who's wrong
based on virtue...
If you're struggling with unforgiveness, bitterness and darkness,
then you can be sure you don't know everything you think you know against
another person.
It's probably time to back up and make sure you first empower
them, instead of holding on to overconfidence thinking that you know something
more than them that you don't really know.
It's probably time to deny yourself and say no to your vivid
feelings and submit rather to the hearing of Truth, and reject the feelings of
your soul and the sight of your eyes.
Tell your soul that they don't owe you anything, and get on your
knees and apologize to God for being prideful and thinking you have something
better than them.
After fixing and repairing and establishing or re-establishing
integrity inside of yourself then you might be able to see clearly to help them
remove a speck from their eye.
Hurting Ourselves
We don't need to create our own drama nor do we need to be part of
the problem in holding back the progress of the human race by inventing our own
negativity and being overcome by the darkness and pollutions of our distorted
ignorant foolish deceptive sinning flesh...
Stronger Together
Furthermore there are so many important real practical skills and even
rudimentary virtues that we need to be able to cross train each other with, and
whenever we have been hindered by despising each other and prematurely
critiquing each other we have kept ourselves back from strengthening each other
to grow up in shared exponential excellent skills, abilities, and virtues. -- that is, we have failed at empowerment when we have been
deceived by criticism, and there is so much corporate advantage that’s at
stake!
We don’t want to sacrifice our progress and corporate growth to
the gods of illogical criticism.
We are so much stronger together when we Love each other enough to
get our virtues straight, and make our priorities and excellent procedures
morally sequential, to make our potencies available to help build each other up
in free unrestricted positivity, instead of completely useless and unnecessary
casualties and self-inflicted wounds.
A Better Way
We need to endure and increase in patience, meditate, write, and
prepare more to value each other's time and emotional and mental focus
together, giving over the best thoughts and communications as we have
available, comprehending much in few words, loving each other enough to give over answers, being spiritual
enough to grow in being orderly and logical, making use of such morally
excellent priorities and procedures to frame or reframe more orthodox
orientations toward each other... and this more excellent communication results
in alleviating deception and establishing cross-trained empowerment.
A Better Tomorrow
If we ever momentarily accidentally overstep our boundaries, we
can get back up, and bounce back to a consistent and persistent excellent walk
in righteousness, reinforcing these virtues and moral priorities and Orthodox
perceptions of real justice toward each other, to strengthen ourselves
corporately with all of our strengths and advantages and excellencies,
to grow up into something better than the world has ever seen.
If we persevere in violent self-denial against the twisted untruth
troubling our souls, we will look better in each other's eyes when we pass
through the cloudiness of our momentary feelings of insanity.
On the other side of drunken Insanity, we will be happier with
each other and ourselves, because we have not sinned against the Creator and each
other, but have preferred the Truth above our own souls and have done real Love
and righteous justice.
The Real Metric
Skills vs. Virtue
· Should skills be used as a metric when testing and possibly demoting stewards?
· How are Spiritual & Physical Stewardships different when considering skills?
· Ultimately: Practical skills/performance/results are all very nice and desirable to be hotly sought after, but they are not canonical standards for determining anything within the realm of moral stewardship, esp. since all things are in the hand of God --
· The best we can do is entreat God’s favor with virtue to give us success with and without practical skills/performance/results.
· The real question is not if you (already) have lots of helpful skills/performance/results, but rather, whether or not you are practicing the diligent virtue of life-long learning and constantly being teachable and zealous to give over the very best serious value to serve others!
The Point: Long-term success is always best measured by virtue, not skills.
Skills & Results are NOT The Metric of Faithfulness/Virtue.
Improve Stewardship
How To Improve Your
Stewardship
· How to you fight complacency, depression, discouragement so you can be more diligent into all needed success?
· How does integrity solve depression to make you a better worker?
Mat_25: wicked lazy
unprofitable servant
Doing What You Can
Diligent-Willingness is The Metric of Faithfulness
Are we more willing to measure others by their outstanding skills or their faithfulness to do the best they can with what they have been actually given?
Mar_12:42-44 – Poor widow threw in all
Luk_21:1-4 – destitute/poor
widow threw in all
Mar_12:44
πάντες γὰρ
ἐκ τοῦ
περισσεύοντος
αὐτοῖς ἔβαλον·
αὕτη δὲ ἐκ τῆς
ὑστερήσεως
αὐτῆς πάντα
ὅσα εἶχεν ἔβαλεν,
ὅλον τὸν
βίον αὐτῆς.
Luk_21:4 Aπάντες |TSBαπαντες| γὰρ οὗτοι ἐκ τοῦ περισσεύοντος αὐτοῖς ἔβαλον εἰς τὰ δῶρα TSBτοῦ TSBΘεοῦ, αὕτη δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ὑστερήματος αὐτῆς TSBἅπαντα |Aπαντα| τὸν βίον ὃν εἶχεν ἔβαλε.
Mar_14:8 – "What she has, she did" (ABP); (cop. Joh_12:7, etc.)
Mar_14:8 ὃ ἔσχεν
αὕτη ἐποίησε·
προέλαβε
μυρίσαι μου
τὸ σῶμά εἰς
τὸν ἐνταφιασμόν.
Mar_14:8 ο BAεσχεν TSειχεν TSBαυτη εποιησεν προελαβεν μυρισαι TSBμου το σωμα Aμου εις τον ενταφιασμον
TSK --
Enhanced
1Ch_28:2-3 – Temple Building in David's Heart, & Preparations Made
1Ch_29:1-17 – David set his affection/favor & prepared for God's house with all his power/strength
2Ch_31:20-21 – Hezekiah worked with everything for God
2Ch_34:19-33 – King Josiah did all for Truth
[Psa_110:3 – MT: people offer
themselves willingly (LXX: God is sovereign)]
2Co_8:1-3 – Macedonian favor
\/\/
2Co_8:12 – ‘a man is judged by what he has and not
by what he doesn't have’
Comp: Cheerful Giving
Above
Mat_25:15 – ‘he gave to each according to his ability’ [ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν]
· He gives and He reaps based on ability
1Sa_16:7 LB
…man looks at the outward appearance, but God [WEB: Yahweh] looks at the heart
Not How Much But How Faithful
· True Accountability is not about how much you have, but about how faithful you are with whatever you have.
· True Accountability is about Faithfulness to Ability, not the amount of ability you have.
· True Accountability is Relative According to Ability, Not a Standardization of Skills that measure up to and exceed other people.
The Point: We should measure ourselves and consider each other according to the metric of faithfulness to what we have.
Begging for What You Don’t Have
Part of faithfulness to what we already have is begging for more knowledge, ability, and virtue that we don’t yet have.
Are We Begging Stewards?
· Do you have the skills or at least faith needed for the mission you were assigned?
· Are you always eager to give over the best to others?
· Are you an excellent reliable steward so that people can leave you to your jurisdiction without constant supervision and correction?
· Can people trust the quality of your work?
· Do you do as good as others would do in your place, if not even better?
· Are you growing, improving, and increasing in excellence with the managements that are under your hand?
·
Even if you already have some
virtue and excellence, are you zealous to increase ‘from faith to faith’
(Rom_1:17) and ‘Glory to Glory’ (2Co_3:18)?
· Are you easy to teach and persuade by virtue, even if it whispers (in “a still small voice”)?
· Are you a lifelong learner and are you always seeking more help from God and man, especially disciples?
· If you’re feeling insufficient to measure up to the valuable call of the Stewardships the Creator has placed on you, are you begging heaven and others to change and upgrade?
We are truly being faithful with our
stewardships, and no lack will be held against us, if indeed we are maintaining
eager diligent zeal to be beg God and His disciples,
to improve/upgrade our excellencies to increase value
production, to give back to God and man.
We will condemn all of our critics if we
maintain faithfulness as life long learners who are
absolutely ambitious and dedicated and earnestly beg with clean zeal to give
over the best to others.
An eager, faithful, diligent steward will
be approved and loved by heaven.
If we beg for excellence to give over the
best, then we are truly being faithful, and all criticism against us will be harshly
condemned.
The Point: We should also measure ourselves and consider each other according to the metric of begging.
Our Stewardships
Ways In Which We
Are Stewards
· Money, Possessions (Physically)
· Opportunities
· Having heard the Truth!
· Having any access to favor and gifts
Closing Stewardship Questions
· How should we beware so that we might be tested and approved as faithful stewards?
· How should we be faithful, mindful, and wise in evaluating the physical and spiritual stewardships of ourselves and others in this life?
· Are we denying the flesh and looking in prayer to a better kingdom?
· Are we tearing down the foolish standards of illogical and non-excellent judgements and Stewardship-evaluations of this life?
· Are we being faithful with what we already have and begging for what we don’t have to always give over the best?
· What do we need to learn about stewardship and faithfulness to save ourselves and others?
Budgeting is Biblical
…2/26/23
Why Budget?
Importance of Budgeting
· Why is budgeting needed?
· Why is budgeting significant, valuable, important, and required?
· Stewardship responsibilities especially include being faithful and striving/laboring/chopping to make value increase through virtue.
· Faithful Stewardship also includes budgeting as a righteous and virtuous response to resource limitation.
· “Living within your means” is a core principle in hating debt, and this usually requires budgets.
· Resource limitations are inherently communicated to us by lap communication, by default.
· Resource limitations are ordained by God and must be reverenced as clean Truth and the expressed will of God from heaven, until told otherwise.
· Managing limitations reverently and increasing strategically is a matter of virtue.
How or to Budget or WHAT is Budgeting?
· Discussing budgeting can raise a lot of questions about how to apply it and in what ways, but…
· Before we get into HOW we first need to spend more time considering WHAT…
· We might can possibly talk about some related application ideas of HOW to budget as we go, and yet even more so, we can also come back to budgeting after more fully introducing some of the foundation concepts of WHAT it means
Watch Your Flocks
Pro_27:23-27 – Keep diligent watch over your flocks
Count the Cost
Luk_14:25-35 – Forsake All…COUNT the cost *
*
ψηφίζει τὴν
δαπάνην – Lit.
flick-an-enumeration-with-pebbles the expense/cost/consumption?
(as in dinner / G1172, etc.)
Budgeting ≠ Finishing Fast
· Joh_2:20 – This Temple took 46 years to build
· Spending as you can for each micro project?
Forecasting Is Also Biblical <<<<<<<<<
4/28/23
>> Scrip:
you know how to discern the times of weather
perceiving the immediate and or consistent
predictable effects of weather are more within the responsibilities of humans,
however forecasting the longer term occurrences and random factors gets further
and further away from human responsibility...
even though budgeting and forecasting are
both very biblical, they are not at all the same moral phenomena.
you are often logically required to budget
for integrity sake and excellencies sake, but you are
more often not required to forecast.
budgeting exists on a more concrete level:
building a tower probably has generally set needs - a generally foreseeable and
quantifiable number of bricks and boards and other materials
forecasting estimates outside of the realms of
foreseeable quantity, and it is a fuzzy continuum that gets more fuzzy the
further it away it gets from human determination
it is not godly to lack the integrity to
count the cost of a tower, but it is godly to be strayed tricked and deceived
and wander under the providential hand of God, obediently going out not knowing
where you're going, because God has specifically commanded you to trust Him without
your knowledge.
Delegating Responsibilities
Funds Given to Apostles & Deacons
Donations Entrusted to Apostles & Delegated to
Deacons
Act_4:32-37 – Disciples Laid Money at Apostle’s Feet (esp. Act_4:35)
· Act_4:32 – Unity…all things were in common
· Act_4:33 – Power testimony
· Act_4:34 – No lack, possessions sold
· Act_4:35 – Money at feet & Distribution made (to meet everyone’s needs)
· Act_4:36 – Barnabas’ example
Disciples transferred their jurisdiction
of money to the apostles.
(These were offerings far beyond the
tithe.)
A faithful step/proof of stewardship is
sometimes shown when you transfer your management of value to others.
Act_6:1-7 – Servant/Deacons Appointed &
Delegated To Distribute Resources
· Act_6:1 – trouble with daily service
· Act_6:2 – Apostles can’t neglect Word of God to wait at tables
· Act_6:3 – Find virtuous people to delegate responsibility
· Act_6:4 – Apostles to devote to prayer & Word
· Act_6:5 – Servants chosen
· Act_6:6 – Prayed & Hands laid
·
Act_6:7 – Word of God increased
Apostles transferred/delegated
the Assembly’s assets and management needs to virtuous sub-officers/servants
when needed for the sake of Truth.
Accounting for Transported Gift
Witnesses Confirmed Financial Integrity for
Transported Gift
2Co_6:3 – that the ministry not be blamed
Paul had people come with him to confirm
the generous gift.
see:
2Co_4:2 – commending ourselves to every
Man's conscience
& doing what's right in the eyes of
everyone
When is Accountability Needed?
· Accounting accountability is sometimes needed when there are holes in the sociological process of transferring valuables/help/alms/donations.
· Do approved people always need accountability?
· When do stewards and officers need accountability and when might they not need it?
· Did the Apostles have sociological accountability in place in Acts 4 & 6?
· Why did Paul require it in 2nd Corinthians 6?
Micromanaging = Demoting (1st Stage)
· Delegate or don’t delegate -- if possible
· Micromanaging is when delegated needs are managed by those who were supposed to have delegated them instead of the intended stewards and sub-officers/servants.
· Micromanaging is sometimes required, but it is a painful sign of failure/non-virtue.
· Micromanaging is only required (by default) when there is lack of faithfulness / virtue / righteous stewardship.
· Micromanaging is not an element of diligent success (as some leaders/managers seem to think it is), but it is actually a sign of failure -- either on the side of the leader/“manager” and/or on the side of the sub-manager / officer / “steward”.
· Micromanaging means a sub-officer does not have “law” and is therefore not a real/Biblical “steward” (possibly a crippled, demoted, and/or fired (former) “steward”).
The Point of Micromanaging
· Micromanaging = Failure
· Delegation = Success
· Even if Accountability is sometimes needed, Micromanaging should not be a part of that, whenever there is reasonable virtue.
Delegation-Possibilities
· Events, Entire households, cities, etc. can be delegated to Stewards.
· Budgets can also be delegated to Stewards.
Joseph’s Stewardship – Successful Delegations
Joseph was a Steward, Then He Got a Steward
Joseph was a Steward Over Potiphar’s, Then He Got a Steward Over His Own House
Joseph was a Faithful Delegated Steward who was Rewarded With His own Steward.
Joseph’s faithfulness got him Trusted & Exalted Over and Over again until he rose to the top of Egypt!
Now we’re about to see lordship, stewardship, sub-officers, faithfulness, budgeting, accountability, and non-accounting all come together very dynamically in the Glorious Account…!
Joseph’s Exaltation Under Potiphar
·
Gen_39:3-23 * – Potiphar & the Jailer didn't
think about anything delegated to Joseph
* Esp. Gen_39:4, Gen_39:6,
Gen_39:8-9, Gen_39:23
·
Gen_37:36; Gen_39:1 – Potiphar was
an officer*: (A) “Eunuch” (B) Chief Guard?/Butcher?/Executioner?/Cook?* (a
“Steward” over Pharaoh’s delegations)
Gen_39:2-4,
Gen_39:7-8,
Gen_39:16, Gen_39:19-20 – Potiphar was
“lord” (x8/9LXX) of his house & Joseph
[2: ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ
παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ
τῷ Αἰγυπτίῳ; 3 ὁ κύριος
αὐτοῦ; 4LXX (MT = his) & 7-8: τοῦ
κυρίου αὐτοῦ
(x2/3LXX); 8: …ὁ κύριός
μου; 16: ὁ κύριος
εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ;
19: ὁ κύριος αὐτοῦ;
20: ὁ κύριος
Ιωσηφ]
· Gen_41:12 – Joseph was “servant to/of the captain of the guard” (WEB/CAB) [νεανίσκος παῖς Εβραῖος τοῦ ἀρχιμαγείρου]
· Gen_39:3 – Joseph prospered (in Potiphar's house)
· Gen_39:4 – made overseer of everything [LXX: κατέστησεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἦν αὐτῷ, ἔδωκεν διὰ χειρὸς Ιωσηφ.]
· Gen_39:5 – everything blessed for Joseph's sake
· Gen_39:6 – everything in Joseph's hand, except Potiphar's food
· Gen_39:6, Gen_39:8-9 (Gen_39:23) – master doesn't know of the details
· Gen_39:9 – top manager of house
Joseph’s Exaltation In Prison
Joseph’s Exaltation Over
All the Prison Under the Jailer
· Gen_39:21-23 – exalted in prison
·
Gen_39:21; Gen_40:7
– Jailer / “the chief keeper of the prison” was “lord”* of the prison house & Joseph [* ἐν τῇ
φυλακῇ παρὰ τῷ
κυρίῳ αὐτοῦ]
· Gen_39:23 – jail keeper doesn't know of the details
Cup Bearer & Baker -- Food Officers of Pharaoh
· Gen_41:10 – CAB: “Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in custody in the house of the captain of the guard”
· Gen_40:1-2, etc. –
· Gen_40:13, Gen_40:21 – Demoted officer restored/reversed, on Pharaoh’s “Happy Birthday”
Joseph’s Exaltation Under Pharaoh Over All Egypt
·
Gen_41:33-37, etc. – Joseph Proposes Divinely
Inspired Budgeting
·
Gen_41:40-46 – “You shall be over my house, and according to your word will
all my people be ruled.”
·
Gen_41:49 – Stopped counting the grain (exact
accounting/budgeting was no longer appropriate)
·
Joseph went on to be promoted as steward over all Egypt!
ISBE: “Joseph
was practically Potiphar's steward, and when he became Pharaoh's chief
minister, he himself had a steward over his own house (Gen_39:4, Gen_39:5;
Gen_44:1, Gen_44:4)”
[* Potiphar was an Officer
KJV 1611: officer -- Hebr. Eunuch. But
the word doeth signifie not only Eunuches, but also Chamberlaines, Cortiers,
and Officers. …captaine of the guard -- Heb. chiefe of the slaughter men, or
executioners || Or, chiefe Marshall
NIV/WEB: the captain of the guard; LSV:
head of the executioners; ABP: the chief guard; “LSJ gives chief cook as its
primary meaning, referring to this verse” (jeidsath*)]
Hylander: “Hebrew words mean literally
"chief of slaughterers", but the Hebrew word for
"slaughterers" is used elsewhere to mean "bodyguards" (2
Kings 25, Jeremiah 39, and the Aramaic equivalent in Daniel 2). Apparently the
word is used to mean "cook" in 1 Samuel 9” (Hylander to jeidsath*)
LXX: 37:36: εἰς Αἴγυπτον
τῷ Πετεφρη τῷ σπάδοντι
{σπάω = "pluck off" – jeidsath*}
Φαραω, ἀρχιμαγείρῳ;
39:1: Πετεφρης ὁ εὐνοῦχος
Φαραω, ἀρχιμάγειρος*,
ἀνὴρ Αἰγύπτιος]
“From ἀρχῐ- (arkhi-, “chief”) + μᾰ́γειρος
(mágeiros, “cook”)” “1. chief cook… 2. title of a great officer in Oriental
courts” ~ABP & https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E1%BC%80%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%AC%CE%B3%CE%B5%CE%B9%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82]
* jeidsath / jeidsath@gmail.com:
https://www.textkit.com/greek-latin-forum/viewtopic.php?t=67087]
Joseph Got His Own Steward
·
Gen_43:16, Gen_43:19 – Man over Joseph's House -- stū´ẽrd (בּית
על אישׁ, 'ı̄sh ‛al bayith ISBE
· Gen_44:1 – the steward of his house (told to) "Fill the men's sacks..."
· stū´ẽrd (בּית על אישׁ, 'ı̄sh ‛al bayith ISBE (comp. Gen_43:16, Gen_43:19 Gen_44:1; 1Ki_16:9)
·
TSK:
the steward: Heb. him that was over his house,
Joseph’s example shows us at least four
potent and repeated ways/illustrations of how delegated stewardship over an
entire household/jail can be a rewarding success.
When Joseph was Successfully Delegated as
Steward over all of Potiphar's house, and the jail, there was no
resource and/or financial accounting accountability needed.
Consider how this is different than Luke
16’s demoted Steward & micromanaging in general…
No Accounting Required from Faithful Workmen
2Ki_12:14-15 – ‘No accounting was required from workmen’ -- Joash Repairs the Temple
2Ki_22:7 – ‘No accounting was required from workmen’ -- Josiah Repairs the Temple
The Point: Let’s Examine Ourselves
To what degree could we have any of the
ideal elements if faithful virtuous stewardships, and to what degree do we need
to change and seriously upgrade before being trusted with more?
Attaining to Righteousness in Finances
Hating Money
Main Verses
Luk_6:33-36; Mat_5:40-42 – Sermon on
the mount and in the plain
Heb_10:32-36 – Joyfully accepting confiscation of
possessions (context: Heb_10:24-36)
Joh_10:17-18 – Giving life willfully
(Not Compulsively:
compare 1Pe_3:14 with 1Pe_3:1-13)
Persecuted Writer A Said
Rich
people are addicted to borrowing money so giving to them is defiling.
(this was a summary/ reaction of a Bible study we were doing)
Examples to Consider
· Jesus Turning over the Money Changers
· The very term “filthy lucre” (KJV)
· This Night Your Life Will Be Demanded of you
Giving Money Can Save
· Zacchaeus (i.e. today salvation has come to this house)
· 2Co 8 – 9 – (as documented in the Favor Of God Bible study)
Other Examples Include
· Tobit
· And many others…
We look forward to continually adding examples here
The Point: If you hate money as Jesus commanded, then it is easy to give whenever it is right to give.
Blinding Bribes that Bypass Truth
We ought to fear and obey God rather than man (Mat_10:28; Act_5:29) and pay no regards to “bribes” (see
below) to preach anything other than the
truth, so that we are not found as “hired” (false) shepherds who do not truly
care for the sheep or share the heart of God in governing his flock: Joh_10:12-13.
Exo_23:8; Deu_16:19; 1Sa_12:3; Sir_20:29
Balaam vs. Peter on Money
Refusing to accept the Bribes of Baalam
Balaam’s Condemned Legacy
Balaam contrasts eternally with the integrity of Peter when it comes to
money. Rather than despising money (Mat_6:24) as
Peter, Moses, and the other men of God in the Bible, Balaam loved it:
Rev_2:14; Num_24:14, Num_25:1-3, Num_31:8, Num_31:16; Jos_13:22; Jos_24:9; 2Pe_2:15; Jud_1:11
2Pe_2:15 WEB
forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the
way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of
wrong-doing;
Jud_1:11 WEB
Woe to them! For they…ran riotously in the error of
Balaam for hire…
This ought to put the fear of God in every pastor and leader lest we also fall to such a sickening and shameful lust!
Peter’s Example Surpasses Balaam
Peter was especially a hero in this regard, because he answered the prospect of money with such courage and faith by saying, “Your money perish with you,” (Act_8:20).
Peter has the heart that says, “You can keep your money! I despise the
filth of your bribe!” And we ought to have these values as well when it comes
to ministry. Salary? Honorarium? – these can be good, but God says, that Moses won the race of
true faith by…
Heb_11:26-27 WEB accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27 By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Because of this I would rather lose all of the positions and influence
in the world, including contemptible pastoral titles, than to ever come close
to losing “the reproach of Christ” from my life:
2Co_12:10 WEB …For when I am weak, then am I strong.
General Giving
For now this Bible study mainly addresses giving to people who ask for
money
Matthew Five/ Luke Six Context
Matthew five can be understood more specifically in light of Sirach*, which Jesus seems to
have in mind** when enacting these
commandments:
(to read this in e-Sword, you'll
need to select KJVA)
Don’t Turn
Away…
and compare:
Sir_29:9 [Greek: "μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς"]
with:
Mat_5:42 [Greek: "μὴ ἀποστραφῇς"]
Because the command is the exact same wording in Sirach and Matthew
(“don't turn away”), and the context is the same context of giving, Jesus can
be understood to be referencing and or quoting Sir_4:1-6, 8 and Sir_29:9, when
commanding “not to turn away,” and it is clear that
this command is addressed toward the truly
“poor.”
We can further show a link between Sir_29 and Jesus’
Words because, in a number of other places in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
seems to consistently and directly follow this same chapter from Sirach with
the moral themes and repeated patterns that He brings up. Compare these
passages:
Sir_12:1 If you do good, know for whom you are doing it,
and your kindness will have its effect.
2 Do good to the righteous man and
reward will be yours, if not from him, from Yahweh.6 [6 [Sir12:2] most
LXX “from the Most High” / LXX(O), Lat
“from the Lord” / Syr “from his Lord”]
3 No good comes to him who gives comfort to the wicked, nor is it an act of mercy that he does.
4 Give to the good man, refuse the sinner.
5 Refresh the downtrodden, give nothing to the proud.
Do not give him arms for combat,
lest he use them against yourself;
for you
will receive twice as much
evil in time of need7 [7 [Sir12:5] LXX /
Heb(A), Syr add]
for every good deed you do for him.
6 The Most High8 [8 [Sir12:6] LXX / Heb(A) “. God”] himself hates sinners,
and
he inflicts punishment upon the wicked. and he keeps
them for the day of vengeance.9 [9 [Sir12:6] LXX(II) adds]
Give to the pious man,
but refuse the sinner.10 [10 [Sir12:7] LXX adds]
>> comp. Jesus: a righteous man’s reward
“Lay Up
Treasure”
Sir_29:10-13 – Mat_6:19-21
Critical Cross References
1Ti_5:8
Pro_6:8
Compare Joseph Saving Egypt from Famine, with,
Act_11:28
1Co_16:1-2 [θησαυριζων]
And
Previously, “Alms”
Sir_29:12-13 – Mat_6:1-4
This, “do not turn away”/ “do not defraud” command is found nowhere in the
protestant Bible. But not only is it quoted in the SOM, but it also pops up
again in Mark’s account of the rich young ruler
Mat_5:42 CAB Give [δίδου (same as Sir_4:3, Sir_4:5)] to the one asking [αἰτοῦντί] you, and to *the one desiring to borrow from you [* τὸν θέλοντα ἀπὸ σοῦ δανείσασθαι], do not turn away [μὴ ἀποστραφῇς].
Mat_5:42 Greek τῷ αἰτοῦντί σε δίδου καὶ τὸν θέλοντα ἀπὸ σοῦ δανείσασθαι μὴ ἀποστραφῇς.
Mar_10:19 CAB You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not commit murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' [μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς] 'Honor your father and your mother.' "
Sirach 4
Sir_4:1-8 Brenton My son, defraud not [μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς] the poor of his living, and make not the needy eyes to wait long [μὴ παρελκύσῃς]. 2 Make not an hungry soul sorrowful [μὴ λυπήσῃς]; neither provoke [μὴ παροργίσῃς] a man in his distress. 3 Add not more trouble [μὴ προσταράξῃς] to an heart that is vexed; and defer not [μὴ παρελκύσῃς] to give [δόσιν (same as Mat_5:42)] to him that is in need. 4 Reject not [μὴ ἀπαναίνου] the supplication of the afflicted; neither turn away [μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς] thy face from a poor man. 5 Turn not away [μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς] thine eye from [ἀπὸ] the needy, and give him none [μὴ δῷς (same as Mat_5:42)] occasion to curse thee: 6 For if he curse thee in the bitterness of his soul, his prayer shall be heard of him that made him… 8 Let it not grieve thee to bow down thine ear to the poor, and give him a friendly [εἰρηνικὰ – peaceable – i.e. the same “peacemaker” wording Jesus used] answer with meekness.
Sir_4:1-8 Greek Τέκνον,
τὴν ζωὴν τοῦ
πτωχοῦ μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς καὶ μὴ
παρελκύσῃς ὀφθαλμοὺς
ἐπιδεεῖς. 2 ψυχὴν
πεινῶσαν μὴ
λυπήσῃς καὶ μὴ
παροργίσῃς ἄνδρα
ἐν ἀπορίᾳ αὐτοῦ. 3 καρδίαν
παρωργισμένην
μὴ προσταράξῃς
καὶ μὴ παρελκύσῃς
δόσιν προσδεομένου. 4 ἱκέτην
θλιβόμενον μὴ ἀπαναίνου
καὶ μὴ
ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ
πρόσωπόν σου ἀπὸ
πτωχοῦ. 5 ἀπὸ δεομένου
μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς ὀφθαλμὸν
καὶ μὴ δῷς τόπον
ἀνθρώπῳ καταράσασθαί
σε· 6 καταρωμένου
γάρ σε ἐν πικρίᾳ
ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ τῆς
δεήσεως αὐτοῦ ἐπακούσεται
ὁ ποιήσας αὐτόν…
8 κλῖνον
πτωχῷ τὸ οὖς
σου καὶ ἀποκρίθητι
αὐτῷ εἰρηνικὰ ἐν
πραύ>τητι.
Sirach 29
Sir_29:1-28 KJVA He that is merciful will lend unto
his neighbour; and he that strengtheneth
his hand keepeth the commandments. 2 Lend to thy neighbour
in time of his need, and pay thou thy neighbour again
in due season. 3 Keep thy word, and deal faithfully with him,
and thou shalt always find the thing that is necessary for thee. 4 Many, when a thing was lent them, reckoned it to be found, and
put them to trouble that helped them. 5 Till he hath received, he will kiss a man's hand; and for his neighbour's money he will speak submissly:
but when he should repay, he will prolong the time, and return words of grief,
and complain of the time. 6 If he prevail, he shall hardly receive the
half, and he will count as if he had found it: if not, he hath deprived him of
his money, and he hath gotten him an enemy without cause: he payeth him with cursings and
railings; and for honour he will pay him disgrace. 7 Many therefore have refused to lend for other
men's ill dealing, fearing to be defrauded. 8 Yet have thou patience with a man in poor
estate, and delay not to shew him mercy. 9 Help the poor for the commandment's sake, and
turn him not away because of his poverty. 10 Lose thy money for thy brother and thy friend,
and let it not rust under a stone to be lost. 11 Lay up thy treasure according to the commandments of the most
High, and it shall bring thee more profit than gold. 12 Shut up alms in thy storehouses: and it shall
deliver thee from all affliction.
13 It shall fight for thee against thine enemies
better than a mighty shield and strong spear. 14 An honest man is surety for his neighbour:
but he that is impudent will forsake him. 15 Forget not the friendship of thy surety, for he
hath given his life for thee.
16 A sinner will overthrow the good estate of
his surety: 17 And
he that is of an unthankful mind will leave him in danger that delivered him. 18 Suretiship hath undone many of good estate, and
shaken them as a wave of the sea: mighty men hath it driven from their houses,
so that they wandered among strange nations. 19 A wicked man transgressing the commandments of the Lord shall
fall into suretiship: and he that undertaketh
and followeth other men's business for gain shall
fall into suits. 20 Help thy neighbour
according to thy power, and beware that thou thyself fall not into the same. 21 The chief thing for life is water, and bread, and clothing, and
an house to cover shame. 22 Better is the life of a poor man in a mean
cottage, than delicate fare in another man's house. 23 Be it little or much, hold thee contented, that thou hear not
the reproach of thy house.
24 For it is a miserable life to go from house to
house: for where thou art a stranger, thou darest not
open thy mouth. 25 Thou shalt entertain, and feast, and have no
thanks: moreover thou shalt hear bitter words: 26 Come,
thou stranger, and furnish a table, and feed me of that thou hast ready. 27 Give place, thou stranger, to an honourable
man; my brother cometh to be lodged, and I have need of mine house. 28 These things are grievous to a man of understanding; the
upbraiding of houseroom, and reproaching of the lender.
Sirach
Side Notes
*
Sirach is one of the Wisdom books (much like Proverbs) in the so-called “Apocryphal
Books”. Remember: the question
is not “IF” Jesus read the
Apocrypha (being a Jew), but what attitude He had toward it when reading it. We
should already know that all Jews had the Apocrypha as part of their official
Old Testament, the Greek Septuagint (LXX).
** If you need help understanding
some of the things in Sirach chapter 29, you can contact me. (Some things are not stated or translated
clearly).
Pro_10:4 WEB He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.
Pro_10:4 LB Poverty brings a man low, but the hands of the vigorous make rich. A son who is instructed shall be wise, and shall use the fool for a servant.
Pro_10:4
πενία ἄνδρα
ταπεινοῖ, χεῖρες
δὲ ἀνδρείων
πλουτίζουσιν.
υἱὸς πεπαιδευμένος σοφὸς ἔσται, τῷ δὲ ἄφρονι διακόνῳ χρήσεται.
So, if someone becomes poor because they are lazy, are they really poor in spirit?
The only reason I put this here is to avoid people misusing this work
with bad motives. This is officially copyrighted to protect it from those with
money in mind, and to preserve it for free distribution, especially in the
unlikely event that someone might think to make money off of it rather than
maximizing its distribution. You are permitted and encouraged to freely copy and redistribute this work in
its entirety, via standard copy machine or electronic documentation as long as
you make no money off of it. If you wish to reproduce this work on any larger
scale, please contact me at Josiahs@trueconnection.org. You may also quote this document, by citing the reference as:
“[Name of Bible Study]” By Josiahs Scott, www.TrueConnection.org
Don’t Store up for Yourselves…
2Co_6:10 CAB as sorrowful [λυπούμενοι], yet [δὲ] always [ἀεὶ] rejoicing [χαίροντες]; as poor [ὡς πτωχοὶ], ·yet making many rich [πολλοὺς δὲ πλουτίζοντες]; as having nothing [ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες], ·and yet [καὶ] possessing all things [πάντα κατέχοντες].
2Co_6:10 ὡς
λυπούμενοι ἀεὶ
δὲ
χαίροντες, ὡς
πτωχοὶ
πολλοὺς δὲ
πλουτίζοντες,
ὡς μηδὲν ἔχοντες
καὶ πάντα
κατέχοντες.
Preparation
Jos_1:11 WEB "Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people, saying, 'Prepare food; for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh your God gives you to possess it.' "
Jos_1:11 “Go into the midst of the camp of the people, and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions; for yet three days and you shall go over this Jordan, entering in to take possession of the land, which the Lord God of your fathers gives to you.’”
Jos_1:11 Εἰσέλθατε
κατὰ μέσον τῆς
παρεμβολῆς τοῦ
λαοῦ καὶ ἐντείλασθε
τῷ λαῷ λέγοντες
Ἑτοιμάζεσθε ἐπισιτισμόν,
ὅτι ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι
καὶ ὑμεῖς
διαβαίνετε τὸν
Ιορδάνην τοῦτον
εἰσελθόντες
κατασχεῖν τὴν
γῆν, ἣν κύριος ὁ
θεὸς τῶν πατέρων
ὑμῶν δίδωσιν ὑμῖν.
Give To Everyone?
How To Give To The One Who
Begs & Steals
3/7/18; 3/19/18
>> compare: TOC
Disclaimer:
I have wrestled
with how much to give away for my entire spiritual life...
by the way, this is the faith that we
are following... (I would like to introduce you to our faith)
Sirach!!
Jesus is
specifically giving an update...
to what degree is Jesus quoting from
and encouraging Sirach, and to what degree is he updating it and the law?
how does this affect eBay returns?
don't demand it back....
you got to be willing to suffer if you
take this standard!
the funds of the assembly are different
1tim
if early disciples kept giving things
away to everyone who asked them, how did none among them have any needs?
maybe this is what Jesus
wanted after all that we should live in community where funds belong to
everyone...
Paul sarcastically
mocks the Corinthians for allowing bully religious false apostles to strike
them on the cheek....
how do the rich make it into the
Kingdom? what is the gospel to the rich?
Moses forsook the
treasures of Egypt to suffer nasty evil with the children of God...
if anyone complains about Jesus'
standards there is always the answer that rich people were not provided a
direct way or gospel to begin with anyway for this new Covenant...
so how do we actually sustain this
mentality and heart posture, and how do we make any progress or succeed at all
in life?
we could think that we have to insist
on everything being provided for and done right, even for the sake of Safety...
but living like Jesus commanded
requires us to be willing to be exposed to hardship continually, and danger,
and hard work, and contradiction, and to do it all with favorable Thanksgiving
and rejoicing joy...
notice how the success of
the father was not restricted by giving his money to the prodigal son...
without contradicting the
open posture of giving, here are some things to take advantage of to navigate
and survive our culture:
·
there are at least
two types of giving: showing Mercy to one who is in need, and, letting people
steal from you
·
you are commanded
to do both types of giving in The Sermon on the Mount
·
you are not
commanded, however, to let someone deceive you or to play along with lies and
games
·
if someone steals,
then you let them steal
·
if someone is in
need, you cheerfully give
·
if someone lies and
deceives in the name of sympathy, you don't play along with deception (i.e.
most Beggars and homeless people)
·
if someone is being
deceptive, look for ways to expose their deception like Jesus did
·
if indeed they are
begging and in need, then they will happily sit there and wait for you to think
of the best way you might be able to help them
·
ploy of deceiving
con artist is always to find some confusing complicated reason why you
absolutely have to give them money right now really quickly
·
whenever it's in a
rush, don't help
·
whenever people
can't wait, don't help
·
whenever people are
in a rush and the only way to help them is to give the money right now, just
about never help
·
if you offer them
food, and they are so proud and audacious to specify the means by which you are
supposed to help them, then they are not begging, they are lying
·
Jesus never
commanded to let perverts dictate to you how you should help them, he said to
give
·
if you think of a
better way to help them then the perversion they are trying to deceive you
with, then it is your prerogative to be wiser than their foolish perversion and
wicked deception
·
inconvenience a
rich person who is pretending to be poor and he will almost always go away
·
make a liar wait,
and he will usually run away from you
·
see if he will
listen, and if he talks, he is not begging you, nor stealing from you, he is
trying to deceive you
·
do giving, not
deception
be willing to give,
and be willing to let people steal, but at the same time, I do not know that
you should automatically go around advertising what you are and are not willing
to do... although, if you have an answer then preach it from the rooftops!
...
because of these values, I
seek to not carry too much cash in my wallet, remembering that I may need to
Simply Give It Away freely...
does this mean that you
should go "2 miles" with someone to the bank if someone asks you to
give what is in their Bank?
should you give away your
house if someone asks you?
...
on the other hand, maybe this is a
potential limit for rich people trying to overexploit you: inconvenience them
with the biblical requirement (at least from the implied cultural context) that
they must walk two miles to the bank with you before you give them anything? (could this be appropriate in certain cases or is that just
stretching it?)
Don't Run Away From Slavery
2/4/18; 2/9/18-2/10/18
Hagar was told to
go back to Sarah, even though Sarah treated her roughly
In the same way,
Peter tells slaves to serve their masters well even if they are harsh
Neiman's Jewish
slave was used by God to bring about a monotheistic miracle
Paul sent a Onisimus back to Philemon
Paul tells Onisimus to go back…
The law says he is
his money
In cases like Naman and in cases like the ones mentioned in Peter, it
does not mention or distinguish whether or not they were lawfully acquired
slaves or if they were unlawfully acquired as slaves.
During the
Babylonian and Persian Empires, the Jews were told to be subject to those who
conquered them and carried them away as slaves...
Joseph was stolen
and unlawfully sold into slavery, but he Faithfully
served his master potiphar
Paul says that if
you can gain your freedom, then use that instead. This is by finding a way to
pay for yourself to buy yourself out of slavery.
We have sufficient
records of this type of dynamic in the early church.
Jacob Flees Laban
-- only allowed when you have not actually been captured in a socially
recognized way…
Hating Debt
Other dates (~2008-2012); 10/11/16; 6/17/17
Pro_22:27, If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?
Owe No One Nothing
Rom_13:8 CAB Owe [ὀφείλετε] nothing [μηδεν] to no one [μηδενι], except [ειμη] to love one another…
Rom_13:8 Μηδενὶ
μηδὲν ὀφείλετε
εἰ μὴ τὸ TSBἀγαπᾶν
ἀλλήλους |Aαγαπαν|·
ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν
τὸν ἕτερον
νόμον
πεπλήρωκε.
>> Sync: Lov
| DRRR | RiFi
How long can you “owe” something before you are starting to be owing people things?
>>Scrip:
Don’t hold back the wages of a poor worker beyond when the sun goes down.
>> TSK
These rules are especially true for the poor, and we might wonder if the standard is any different for the ritch.
In any case, this is a really good place to start.
As always, if you can’t pay back, then don’t allow yourself to enter into debt (as much as possible).
>>Scrip:
If you do not have to pay… Why should he take your bed from under you?
Debt as Slavery
Neh_5:3-7; Isa_24:2; Mat_18:25
[in Hebrew: Pro_22:7]
Don't Slave Of Men
1Co_7:23
Sinful Societies
noah vs. tower of Bable
Isa_5:8-9
15,000 loan
- some still paying for college
- The ends don't justify the means
Why To Hate
- Avoiding debt is more important than achieving 'success'
- patience is better than achievement
- don't ever reason based on paying things off later
- were am I going to spend the money I will have?
- I am going to pay it off
- don't say 'tomorrow we will make money...'
Jas_4:13-17
- old enough to take care of herself
- leave it to them to provide
- Don't get stressed out, but be responsible
- Don't ever be legislated into getting into debt
Refusing to Live month to month
Do not live from month to month
This is one of the ways you know something is messed up and wrrong
Examin situation: you do not have a right to spend/ cost a lot of money
Live stringently
Don't be content/ esensitised with spending a lot of money
Without Thriftyness you will never have the virtue of financial "reliability" so that the heart of a husband can "safely" trust in you
The last thing we want to be is: you can no longer be steward because you have waisted the master's goods
The concern is not "Woe to me I have to pay for the car to be fixed" the concern is: "Woe as mewhen I am content living expensivly when I could live less consumptiously" - a consumer is a king in this life and we are to despise this and look for the next life.
It is a domestic person's responcibility to seek out the well order and efficiency of the home, not to spend the big dollars on expenses (then they can be trusted with investments like land) - even I work on saving my mom money though the situation is shamefully reversed.
Like Jackie said: when you are out making money, your time becomes so little that you often cannot completly afford to use the rest of it on streamlining financial efficiently. But women were made to seek such things.
Some trailor park moms say they cannot pay for food for thier kids but never look at the TV bill and repent. We do not want to be even comparable to this. We should look at the large costs in oujr life and always look foroptions to increse efficiency in not spending.
We often cannot give because we are living month to month on our own life expendatures, and we need to be those who change this.
Surety
Pro_6:1-5 CAB My son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy. 2 For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth. 3 My son, do what I command you, and deliver yourself; for on your friend's account you have come into the power of evil men: faint not, but stir up even your friend for whom you have become surety. 4 Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids; 5 that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.
Sir_8:12-13 Brenton Lend not unto him that is mightier than thyself; for if thou lendest him, count it but lost. 13 Be not surety above thy power: for if thou be surety, take care to pay it.
Pro_17:18 CAB A
foolish man applauds and rejoices over himself, as he also that becomes surety
would make himself responsible for his own friends.
Pro_22:26-27 CAB Become not
surety from respect of a man's person. 27 For if those have not anything to give
compensation, they will take the bed that is under you.
Pro_27:13 CAB Take
away the man's garment, (for a scorner has passed by) whoever lays waste
another's goods.
Pro_27:13 WEB Take his
garment when he puts up collateral for a stranger. Hold it for a wayward woman!
only in
MT:
Pro_20:16 WEB Take the
garment of one who puts up collateral for a stranger; and hold him in pledge
for a wayward woman.
When Could it Be Good?
Pro_25:13 CAB As a
fall of snow in the time of harvest is good against heat, so a faithful
messenger refreshes those that
send him; for he helps the souls of his
employers.
Gen_43:9, Gen_44:32, Gen_44:33, Job_17:3, Phm_1:18, Phm_1:19, Heb_7:22
Debt – Repent of Slave-Luxury
Don’t Choose Debt
Don’t convert rape into fornication by willingly participating
Flee
1Co_7: Chose freedom if you can
God Hates Debt
Deu_15:1 WEB At the end of every seven years you
shall make a release.
Deu_15:1 LB Laws
Concerning the Sabbatical Year “Every seven years you shall make a release.
Deu_15:1 Δι᾿ ἑπτὰ
ἐτῶν ποιήσεις ἄφεσιν.
Deu_15:2 WEB This is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release that which he has lent to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother; because Yahweh's release has been proclaimed.
Deu_15:2 And
this is the ordinance of the release: you shall release every private debt
which your neighbor owes you, and you shall not ask payment of it from your
brother; for it has been called a release to the Lord your God.
Deu_15:2 καὶ οὕτως
τὸ πρόσταγμα τῆς
ἀφέσεως· ἀφήσεις
πᾶν χρέος ἴδιον,
ὃ ὀφείλει σοι ὁ
πλησίον, καὶ τὸν
ἀδελφόν σου οὐκ
ἀπαιτήσεις, ὅτι
ἐπικέκληται ἄφεσις
κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ
σου.
Deu_15:3 WEB Of a foreigner you may exact it: but whatever of your is with your brother your hand shall release.
Deu_15:3 Of a
stranger you shall ask again whatsoever he has of yours, but to your brother
you shall release his debt to you.
Deu_15:3 τὸν ἀλλότριον
ἀπαιτήσεις ὅσα
ἐὰν ᾖ σοι παρ᾿
αὐτῷ, τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ
σου ἄφεσιν ποιήσεις
τοῦ χρέους σου·
Deu_15:4 WEB However there shall be no poor with you; (for Yahweh will surely bless you in the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it;)
Deu_15:4 For
thus there shall not be a poor person in the midst of you, for the Lord your
God will surely bless you in the land which the Lord your God gives you by
inheritance, that you should inherit it.
Deu_15:4 ὅτι οὐκ ἔσται
ἐν σοὶ ἐνδεής, ὅτι
εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσει
σε κύριος ὁ θεός
σου ἐν τῇ γῇ, ᾗ κύριος
ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν
σοι ἐν κλήρῳ
κατακληρονομῆσαι
αὐτήν,
Deu_15:5 WEB if only you diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, to observe to do all this commandment which I command you this day.
Deu_15:5 And if
you shall indeed hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep and do all
these commandments, as many as I charge you this day,
Deu_15:5 ἐὰν δὲ ἀκοῇ
εἰσακούσητε τῆς
φωνῆς κυρίου
τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν
φυλάσσειν καὶ
ποιεῖν πάσας τὰς
ἐντολὰς ταύτας,
ὅσας ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί
σοι σήμερον.
15:4-5)
Deu_15:7 WEB If a poor man, one of your brothers, is with
you within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you
shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother;
Deu_15:7 LB
“And if there shall be in the midst of you a poor man from among your
brothers, in one of your cities in the land, which the Lord your God gives you,
you shall not harden your heart, neither shall you by any means close up your
hand from your brother who is in need.
Deu_15:7 Ἐὰν δὲ γένηται
ἐν σοὶ ἐνδεὴς τῶν
ἀδελφῶν σου ἐν
μιᾷ τῶν πόλεων
σου ἐν τῇ γῇ, ᾗ κύριος
ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν
σοι, οὐκ ἀποστέρξεις
τὴν καρδίαν
σου οὐδ᾿ οὐ μὴ
συσφίγξῃς τὴν
χεῖρά σου ἀπὸ
τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ
σου τοῦ ἐπιδεομένου·
Deu_15:8 WEB but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wants.
Deu_15:8 You
shall surely open your hands to him, and shall lend to him as much as he wants
according to his need.
Deu_15:8 ἀνοίγων ἀνοίξεις
τὰς χεῖράς σου
αὐτῷ, δάνειον
δανιεῖς αὐτῷ ὅσον
ἐπιδέεται, καθ᾿
ὅσον ἐνδεεῖται.
Deu_15:9 WEB Beware that there not be a base thought in your heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you.
Deu_15:9 Take heed to yourself that there
be not a secret thing in your heart—an iniquity, saying, ‘The seventh year, the
year of release, is approaching.’ And your eye shall be evil to your brother
that is in need, and you shall not give to him, and he shall cry against you to
the Lord, and there shall be great sin in you.
Deu_15:9 πρόσεχε
σεαυτῷ μὴ γένηται
ῥῆμα κρυπτὸν ἐν
τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, ἀνόμημα,
λέγων Ἐγγίζει
τὸ ἔτος τὸ ἕβδομον,
ἔτος τῆς ἀφέσεως,
καὶ πονηρεύσηται
ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου
τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου τῷ
ἐπιδεομένῳ, καὶ
οὐ δώσεις αὐτῷ,
καὶ βοήσεται
κατὰ σοῦ πρὸς κύριον,
καὶ ἔσται ἐν σοὶ
ἁμαρτία μεγάλη
Deu_15:10 WEB You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because that for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to.
Deu_15:10 You
shall surely give to him, and you shall lend to him as much as he wants,
according as he is in need. And you shall not grudge in your heart as you give
to him, because on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your
works, and in all things on which you shall lay your hand.
Deu_15:10 διδοὺς δώσεις
αὐτῷ καὶ δάνειον
δανιεῖς αὐτῷ ὅσον
ἐπιδέεται, καὶ
οὐ λυπηθήσῃ τῇ
καρδίᾳ σου διδόντος
σου αὐτῷ· ὅτι
διὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο
εὐλογήσει σε κύριος
ὁ θεός σου ἐν πᾶσιν
τοῖς ἔργοις καὶ
ἐν πᾶσιν, οὗ ἂν ἐπιβάλῃς
τὴν χεῖρά σου.
Deu_15:11 WEB For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.
Deu_15:11 For the
poor shall not fail off your land, therefore I charge you to do this thing,
saying, ‘You shall surely open your hands to your poor brother, and to him that
is distressed upon your land.’
Deu_15:11 οὐ γὰρ μὴ
ἐκλίπῃ ἐνδεὴς ἀπὸ
τῆς γῆς· διὰ τοῦτο
ἐγώ σοι ἐντέλλομαι
ποιεῖν τὸ ῥῆμα
τοῦτο λέγων Ἀνοίγων
ἀνοίξεις τὰς
χεῖράς σου τῷ ἀδελφῷ
σου τῷ πένητι
καὶ τῷ ἐπιδεομένῳ
τῷ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
σου.
--------------- \/
7/9/16; 4/2/22
Deu_24:10 KJV+ WhenH3588 thou dost lendH5383 thy brotherH7453 anyH3972 thing,H4859 thou shalt notH3808 goH935 intoH413 his houseH1004 to fetchH5670 his pledge.H5667
Deu_24:10 LB “If your neighbor owes you a debt, any debt whatsoever, you shall not go into his house to take his pledge:
Deu_24:10
Ἐὰν ὀφείλημα ᾖ
ἐν τῷ πλησίον
σου, ὀφείλημα ὁτιοῦν,
οὐκ εἰσελεύσῃ
εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν
αὐτοῦ ἐνεχυράσαι
τὸ ἐνέχυρον·
Deu_24:11 KJV+ Thou shalt standH5975 abroad,H2351 and the manH376 to whomH834 thouH859 dost lendH5383 shall bring outH3318 (H853) the pledgeH5667 abroadH2351 untoH413 thee.
Deu_24:11 you shall stand outside, and the man who is in your debt shall bring the pledge out to you.
Deu_24:11
ἔξω στήσῃ, καὶ
ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὗ τὸ
δάνειόν σού ἐστιν
ἐν αὐτῷ, ἐξοίσει
σοι τὸ ἐνέχυρον
ἔξω.
--------------- /\
Psalm_37:21
ESV
The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives
Proverbs_11:15
ESV
Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm, but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure
Proverbs_22:7
ESV
The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.
Proverbs_22:26-27
New English Translation
26 Do not be one who strikes hands in pledge
or who puts up security for debts.
27 If you do not have enough to pay,
your bed[a] will be taken[b] right out from under you!
Galatians_5:1
English Standard Version
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery
Ephesians_6:5
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ.
Romans_13:8
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
1 Peter_2:18
NKJV 18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.
1 Corinthians_7:21
English Standard Version
21 Were you a bondservant[a] when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)
Oh and this one. I'm reapplying the concept of "profit" to the hope of getting a loan, keeping a job that can afford a loan, and ultimately saving money (from not renting).
James_4:13-15
English Standard Version
Boasting About Tomorrow
13 Come now, you who say, (A)“Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For (B)you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, (C)“If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
The Borrower is Servant to The Lender
Deu_15:6 WEB For Yahweh your God will bless you, as
he promised you: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow;
and you shall rule over many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
Deu_15:6 LB (for
the Lord your God has blessed you in the way of which He spoke to you) then you
shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; and you shall rule over
many nations, but they shall not rule over you.
Deu_15:6 ὅτι κύριος
ὁ θεός σου εὐλόγησέν
σε, ὃν τρόπον ἐλάλησέν
σοι, καὶ δανιεῖς
ἔθνεσιν πολλοῖς,
σὺ δὲ οὐ δανιῇ,
καὶ ἄρξεις σὺ ἐθνῶν
πολλῶν, σοῦ δὲ οὐκ
ἄρξουσιν.
Mortgage
4/2/22-4/3/22
-- Under Construction --
Work For Virtue, Not Money
Hate Money
-- Under Construction --
Multiple Offerings
-- Under Construction --
WEB With him was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue, in purple, in
scarlet, and in fine linen.
and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of
Dan, who supervised construction -- the woven works, and the stitched works, and the embroideries, woven in
the blue and purple, and scarlet being spun, and linen.
WEB
All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the
sanctuary, even the gold of the offering, was twenty-nine talents, and seven
hundred thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
All the gold which was manufactured for the works according
to all the work of the holies, was of the gold of the
first-fruit -- nine and twenty talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels,
according to the [shekel holy].
WEB The silver of those who were numbered
of the congregation was one hundred talents, and one thousand seven hundred
seventy-five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
And of the silver and the choice-portion offering from the [being numbered men] of the congregation -- a
hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred seventy five shekels, [drachma
one] per head, the half shekel, according to the
[shekel holy],
WEB
a beka a head, that is, half a shekel, after
the shekel of the sanctuary, for everyone who passed over to those who were
numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred three thousand five
hundred fifty men.
for every one passing into the numbering,
from a son twenty years and up, for the sixty ten
thousands, and three thousand and five hundred fifty.
WEB The one hundred talents of silver were
for casting the sockets of the sanctuary, and the
sockets of the veil; one hundred sockets for the one hundred talents, a talent
for a socket.
And came to pass the hundred talents of
silver for the molten casting of the tips of the tent, and for the tips of the
veil; a hundred tips for the hundred talents, a talent to the tip.
WEB Of the one thousand seven hundred
seventy-five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, overlaid their capitals,
and made fillets for them.
And the thousand seven hundred seventy five
shekels he made for the hooks for the posts; and he gilded their tips, and
adorned them.
WEB The brass of the offering was seventy
talents, and two thousand four hundred shekels.
And the brass of the choice-portion offering was three hundred seventy talents, and two
thousand and four hundred shekels.
WEB With this he made the sockets to the door
of the Tent of Meeting, the bronze altar, the bronze grating for it, all the
vessels of the altar,
And they made from out of it the bases of
the door of the tent of the testimony, and the altar of brass with its grate, and all the utensils of the altar,
WEB the sockets around the court, the
sockets of the gate of the court, all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the
pins around the court.
and the bases of the courtyard round about, and the bases
of the gate of the courtyard, and the stanchions of the tent, and the
stanchions of the courtyard round about.
Talk righteous
Where Can Jews Offer Sacrifices?
-- Under Construction --
Deu_33:18 Of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out; and Issachar, in your tents.
Deu_33:18 CAB And to Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar in his tents.
Deu_33:19 They shall call the peoples to the mountain. There they will offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they shall draw out the abundance of the seas, the hidden treasures of the sand.
Deu_33:19 They shall utterly destroy the nations, and you shall call men there, and there offer the sacrifice of righteousness; for the wealth of the sea shall suckle you, and so shall the emporiums of them that dwell by the sea coast.
Deu_33:20 Of Gad he said, He who enlarges Gad is blessed. He dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head.
Jos_22:10 WEB When they came to the region about the Jordan, that is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.
Jos_22:10 An Altar by the Jordan And they came to Gilead of the Jordan, which is in the land of Canaan. And the children of Reuben, and the children of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an alter by the Jordan, a great altar to look at.
Jos_22:10 καὶ ἦλθον
εἰς Γαλγαλα τοῦ
Ιορδάνου, ἥ ἐστιν
ἐν γῇ Χανααν, καὶ
ᾠκοδόμησαν οἱ
υἱοὶ Γαδ καὶ οἱ
υἱοὶ Ρουβην καὶ
τὸ ἥμισυ φυλῆς
Μανασση ἐκεῖ
βωμὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ
Ιορδάνου, βωμὸν
μέγαν τοῦ ἰδεῖν.
The point of the context of this story is that it was an incredible controversy to have another altar somewhere else besides in front of the tabernacle.
Refusing Payment
2Th_3:6 –
Taking Nothing from the Gentiles
-- Under Construction --
Act_8:20 – your
money perish with you
---------------
Help Truth Proclaimers
Est_4:14 WEB For if you remain silent now, then
relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and
your father's house will perish. Who knows if you haven't come to the kingdom
for such a time as this?"
Est_4:14 LB For if
you shall refuse to heed on this occasion, help and protection will be to the
Jews from another quarter; but you and your father's house will perish. And who
knows if you have been made queen for this very occasion.’”
Est_4:14 ὡς ὅτι
ἐὰν παρακούσῃς
ἐν τούτῳ τῷ
καιρῷ, ἄλλοθεν
βοήθεια καὶ σκέπη
ἔσται τοῖς
Ιουδαίοις, σὺ δὲ
καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ
πατρός σου ἀπολεῖσθε·
καὶ τίς οἶδεν εἰ
εἰς τὸν καιρὸν
τοῦτον ἐβασίλευσας;
When To Receive Financial Help
2/28/18; 3/19/18
the big question over paying preachers
should spiritual people
receive money for their service?
I abhorred this
thought at first...
but what do you do when you realize
that this is an all-consuming full-time occupation? Especially when it includes
scribal work!
we definitely don't want to be marketing
Christians that are out for financial gain, or that even try to pressure people
at all to give anything to us...
Don't
Muzzle An Ox
the laborer is worthy of his reward
1co9
lots of people,
Protestants, don't like the comparison Paul made with the Levites and Priests,
lest there possibly be priest in the New Covenant...
>> Scrip:
Luk6
go and earn your bread somewhere else
>Tsk
this especially applies
if you are just a normal person and you don't claim to have the answers or to
be right, you just want to give money toward something that is doing more good
than you're able to do with your life...
certain women helped him
out of their own substance
>> Scrip:
Jesus told the
disciples to not go among the Gentiles
they went out from
Among Us taking nothing from the Gentiles
Paul didn't take
anything from the unbelieving churches
Paul did receive
help from the faithful churches, especially when he was in prison
this is the case in
point of the best people that you want as supporters...
talk about a cheerful
Giver!
there is no bitterness
with the blessing of a fateful believer who fully believes in you and fatefully
supports you to do a spiritual Revolution on the Earth...
Finances to Dedicated to God, His temple, and His Service
Integrity with Distributing Money
2Ki_12:15 WEB Moreover they didn't demand an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to give to those who did the work; for they dealt faithfully.
2Ki_12:15 CAB Also they took no account of the men into whose hands they gave the money to give to the workmen, for they acted faithfully.
2Ki_12:15 (12:16) καὶ οὐκ
ἐξελογίζοντο
τοὺς ἄνδρας, οἷς
ἐδίδουν τὸ ἀργύριον
ἐπὶ χεῖρας αὐτῶν
δοῦναι τοῖς
ποιοῦσιν τὰ ἔργα,
ὅτι ἐν πίστει αὐτῶν
ποιοῦσιν.
LB just as it is written: "He has dispersed, He has
given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever."
3
; Deu
6:9-10
1:9-11
– Feed enemy
How Not to Pay Preachers
-- Under Construction --
Mic_3:11 WEB
Her
leaders judge for bribes, and her priests teach for a price, and her prophets
of it tell fortunes for money: yet they lean on Yahweh, and say, "Isn't Yahweh
in the midst of us? No disaster will come on us."
Mic_3:11 CAB
Their
heads have judged for gifts, and their priests have answered for hire, and her
prophets have divined for silver: and yet they have rested on the Lord, saying,
Is not the Lord among us? No evil shall come upon us.
Mic_3:11 οἱ ἡγούμενοι
αὐτῆς μετὰ δώρων
ἔκρινον, καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς
αὐτῆς μετὰ
μισθοῦ ἀπεκρίνοντο,
καὶ οἱ προφῆται
αὐτῆς μετὰ ἀργυρίου
ἐμαντεύοντο,
καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον
ἐπανεπαύοντο
λέγοντες Οὐχὶ
κύριος ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν; οὐ μὴ ἐπέλθῃ
ἐφ᾿ ἡμᾶς
κακά.
Mic_3:12 Therefore Zion for your sake will be plowed like
a field, and Jerusalem will become heaps of rubble, and the mountain of the
temple like the high places of a forest.
Mic_3:12 Therefore on your account Zion shall be plowed as
a field, and Jerusalem shall be as a storehouse of fruits, and the mountain of
the house as a grove of the forest.
Mic_3:12 διὰ τοῦτο
δι᾿ ὑμᾶς
Σιων ὡς ἀγρὸς ἀροτριαθήσεται,
καὶ
Ιερουσαλημ ὡς ὀπωροφυλάκιον
ἔσται καὶ τὸ ὄρος
τοῦ οἴκου ὡς ἄλσος
δρυμοῦ.