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Boys... boys... calm down.
To go back to the original question, should preachers charge money or depend on God... the answer is both. No one in true need should ever be turned away based on ability to pay, but we also have a command from God as good stewards to not to squander resources. In a perfect world (God's world) donations would support a ministry. But this ain't a perfect world ... how much has any of us given lately? Have you supported this website? This assembly costs real money too. In a perfect world donations would cover it. Admins? How's that actually working out for you?
Ministers need money to to provide for the ability to be there for those who need ministry services at the time they need them. If people are using services but not ponying up, it's either charge or the ministry goes away. Which may or may not be God's will; if it's not then charging for it isn't going to save them anyway.
To go back to the original question, should preachers charge money or depend on God... the answer is both. No one in true need should ever be turned away based on ability to pay, but we also have a command from God as good stewards to not to squander resources. In a perfect world (God's world) donations would support a ministry. But this ain't a perfect world ... how much has any of us given lately? Have you supported this website? This assembly costs real money too. In a perfect world donations would cover it. Admins? How's that actually working out for you?
Ministers need money to to provide for the ability to be there for those who need ministry services at the time they need them. If people are using services but not ponying up, it's either charge or the ministry goes away. Which may or may not be God's will; if it's not then charging for it isn't going to save them anyway.
I think It should be done out of free will.
All I can say is that your on a good start, it shows your conviction to God that you care when
you ask questions. So ask as many questions as possible. You need to give your mind a
blank slate, to get ride of all the he said she said. You will see on your journey that theirs
some contradiction in some of the bible verses. But let me tell you that the bible can never
contradict what it says. You just need more scriptures to explain it more, to give it a better
understanding to why they were contradicting in the first place. Dont let people tell you that
Gods a mystery or you just have to wait for the answers when you get to heaven so just
have faith for those people are lost in there understanding and you need to go to the next
person. Just because the bible says the sky is blue in one verse
and the other verse in some other book says its orange
doesn't mean you get to call it blue or orange, not until you get more scriptures to explain
why? But when you fall onto that scripture that explains the reason why it said it was
orange because on that day it was God's holy happy hour. Thats when you find out what the
truth really is. And when you pray ask for holy spirit so that you can get a clear
understanding on what you are reading. Hope all goes well
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You get what you pay for. You want a truth custom tailored to your ears dig deep. I have never been in a church that charged admission. Many have taken free will offerings and some have instructed visitors not to give anything except their visitor cards but none charged admission. I have seen evangelistic so called meetings in sports arenas that charged admission. It may be that the admission fee is easier to collect than a free will offering in a sports arena. They do not pass the hat at any rock concerts either and nobody complains.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
For the cause of Christ
Roger
To tell the truth, telling the truth will cost you something. The cost will be you being accosted verbally and 'cast outta the
SIN- agogue.'
Jesus was murdered by the church leaders. Today, He is not murdered, simply ignored.
But its even worse than that. You need not say a single solitary word when you enter the den of thieves. If your surrender to Christ is uncompromising, the hirelings will fall under conviction by the Holy Spirit that dwells within you. Their sins will be exposed. Caught with their pants down as it were.
The spirit of envy will take hold on them as well. This drives them berserk. They'll not be able to get away from you fast enough.
They may put on a pretense as though they are glad you are there but don't be fooled. Hang around long enough and you'll soon see they are keeping you at arms length.
To avoid all this, backslide. Allow sin back in your life, such as avarice, arrogance, and the like. Soon you'll be cuddled and accepted, for you are now one of them. You are no longer a threat.
Think of it. All this trouble and you never even opened your mouth.
SIN- agogue.'
Jesus was murdered by the church leaders. Today, He is not murdered, simply ignored.
But its even worse than that. You need not say a single solitary word when you enter the den of thieves. If your surrender to Christ is uncompromising, the hirelings will fall under conviction by the Holy Spirit that dwells within you. Their sins will be exposed. Caught with their pants down as it were.
The spirit of envy will take hold on them as well. This drives them berserk. They'll not be able to get away from you fast enough.
They may put on a pretense as though they are glad you are there but don't be fooled. Hang around long enough and you'll soon see they are keeping you at arms length.
To avoid all this, backslide. Allow sin back in your life, such as avarice, arrogance, and the like. Soon you'll be cuddled and accepted, for you are now one of them. You are no longer a threat.
Think of it. All this trouble and you never even opened your mouth.
R
it isn't just that the building costs money to maintain...if there is a guest speaker...then that speaker also has travel expenses...
a lot of churches -do- pay for those things with a simple freewill donation...
but if you are in a good church and you really feel that God wants you to go to a particular lecture or conference...i bet you could find a generous person in your congregation that would be willing to pay for you to attend...
a lot of churches -do- pay for those things with a simple freewill donation...
but if you are in a good church and you really feel that God wants you to go to a particular lecture or conference...i bet you could find a generous person in your congregation that would be willing to pay for you to attend...
The Didache. Common name for a brief early christian treatise, dated by most scholars to the late first/early second century, containing instructions for christian communities.
From it we can observe how many of the early believers viewed the matter of money in connection with ministry.
(2) if he, an apostle, takes anything from Gods people except for a loaf of bread, he is a false prophet.
(3) if he asks for money, he is a false prophet.
(4) if someone says in the spirit, give me money, do not listen to him. (Mine.ive seen men filled with the Spirit and yet teach falsehood and lies.)
(5) christian workers should work for their own bread.
(6) in no way should anyone live among you unemployed as a christian. ( Mine. 5 and 6 is backed by Paul's command in Acts 20
that the elders/leaders work secular jobs.)
Must we beat this horse to death? I reckon!
From it we can observe how many of the early believers viewed the matter of money in connection with ministry.
(2) if he, an apostle, takes anything from Gods people except for a loaf of bread, he is a false prophet.
(3) if he asks for money, he is a false prophet.
(4) if someone says in the spirit, give me money, do not listen to him. (Mine.ive seen men filled with the Spirit and yet teach falsehood and lies.)
(5) christian workers should work for their own bread.
(6) in no way should anyone live among you unemployed as a christian. ( Mine. 5 and 6 is backed by Paul's command in Acts 20
that the elders/leaders work secular jobs.)
Must we beat this horse to death? I reckon!
Well...first of all, not one church that I have been in has CHARGED for the preaching of the word....and having said that I will also add that most of the people GIVE out of a willing heart as the Lord loves a cheerful giver.....!
Now maybe the big name (preachers) and T.V. evangelists charge per seat if you will and God clearly teaches that false teachers will do it for GAIN (see Jude and three false teachers mentioned) Balaam did it for REWARD.....!
Now maybe the big name (preachers) and T.V. evangelists charge per seat if you will and God clearly teaches that false teachers will do it for GAIN (see Jude and three false teachers mentioned) Balaam did it for REWARD.....!
Nick, not my definition. I came about two thousand years later.
I see the 3 day thing as one who 'won't go' when not asked to stay longer. Opinion.
And Kaycie, you obviously don't agree with the Didache that backs NT scripture. No point in arguing. The poor and the itinerant preachers were the targets of our money. But Paul set a better example by refusing support for the most part.
I see the 3 day thing as one who 'won't go' when not asked to stay longer. Opinion.
And Kaycie, you obviously don't agree with the Didache that backs NT scripture. No point in arguing. The poor and the itinerant preachers were the targets of our money. But Paul set a better example by refusing support for the most part.
Again, I point to the ministry at hand. CC doesn't charge anyone to share here, but they had to resort to placing Google ads to finance this site because people won't give. Have YOU donated to support this ministry? Which is worse, charging people to use this site, or resorting to worldly ads to keep it going? Or should they just close this forum down because too many cheap screws won't pony up for the privilege of using it?
Unfortunately, you're still reading it with 3rd millenium eyes. And even then, I'm sure we can all agree the Didache was not considered canonical (that is, formulated by the Apostles), so any argument you make from it should be taken with a grain of salt.
As for 3 days, you're correct, that is entirely your opinion, because it is not supported by the text. The text is clearly intimating that he should not stay more than two days, it says nothing about whether he wants to or not. The Didache is clearly capable of making this distinction between letting someone stay and preventing them from staying past a certain time, because it does precisely that in 12 and 13 in regards to travellers and prophets, but not with apostles. Apparently, it seems the idea of 'apostle' in the Didache (apostle meaning sent one) was as an itinerant preacher of some sort, who by definition was not to settle anywhere, and was distinct from a prophet.
As for 3 days, you're correct, that is entirely your opinion, because it is not supported by the text. The text is clearly intimating that he should not stay more than two days, it says nothing about whether he wants to or not. The Didache is clearly capable of making this distinction between letting someone stay and preventing them from staying past a certain time, because it does precisely that in 12 and 13 in regards to travellers and prophets, but not with apostles. Apparently, it seems the idea of 'apostle' in the Didache (apostle meaning sent one) was as an itinerant preacher of some sort, who by definition was not to settle anywhere, and was distinct from a prophet.