Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan001  In giving to the poor, shall church always take the initiative, to
distribute the tithings of the memeber to the needy, or encourage
individual memebers to give and distribute to the poort without
using the name of the whole church, if they feel that the Lord is
leading to do so?
Someone says church in most cases has priority in helping the poor, in the name of the whole congregation over individual members, other says
there're no big differences, the other says church shall also encourage
each member to help the needy besides giving to the church.
What's your comments on this? I searched monergism and found no
answer to this question, could someone provide some online references?
Thanks. |
Please keep the Biblical perspective on this subject. If ones emotionalism controls your action, then you will not fulfill the biblical mandate. Feeding someone in the name of Christ is always easier than calling for a sinful person to repent. We have the tendancy to feel their deepest need is not to be reconciled to Christ. Wee seem to think if he or she is only fed, or lives in a society that brims with Christian prinicples and ethics, or sees our battles against the world's injustuces, then all is ok. And we have discharged our pledge to Christ. Christ Himself does not agree: "For what would it porfit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses himself?"
That being said, regardless if it is individuals or the body, make sure you give your alms wihtout personal elevation, '
So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,....'