Comments on: "Welfare" in the Early Church https://byronharvey.com/welfare-in-the-early-church/ Fri, 08 Apr 2022 18:43:22 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: Byron https://byronharvey.com/welfare-in-the-early-church/#comment-1893 Fri, 20 Jul 2012 19:56:00 +0000 http://www.byron-harvey.com/?p=3636#comment-1893 In reply to Derlin.

Derlin, I hereby task you with that project… 🙂

]]> By: Derlin https://byronharvey.com/welfare-in-the-early-church/#comment-1892 Thu, 19 Jul 2012 21:36:01 +0000 http://www.byron-harvey.com/?p=3636#comment-1892 An interesting followup would be to compare/contrast ancient Israel with a modern welfare state. There you had a theocracy with approximately a 33% tax to support others including the Levites, the temple, and the poor and needy.

]]> By: Byron https://byronharvey.com/welfare-in-the-early-church/#comment-1891 Sat, 14 Jul 2012 12:54:41 +0000 http://www.byron-harvey.com/?p=3636#comment-1891 Excellent, AC! Well-said.

]]> By: AC https://byronharvey.com/welfare-in-the-early-church/#comment-1890 Sat, 14 Jul 2012 04:32:10 +0000 http://www.byron-harvey.com/?p=3636#comment-1890 Two points affirming and expanding on this:
1. Christians give because of what God has done for us, not because people deserve it. This is similar to forgiveness, where we forgive because we are forgiven. It’s mercy triumphing over judgement, and it has everything to do with a triune God and an atoning Christ – not some “greater principle” that can be woven into a state that’s not integrated with the church.
2. Say theoretically the apostles were operating a commune. (Byron already made clear that they weren’t.) Say that’s the “Christian way to live”. How is having the government do that any more Christian than having the government criminalize private sins? That covers all fornication and homosexuality, intoxication (no automobile required), and any religion except Trinitarian Christianity.

What we have here is a “Christian left” that is at least as obnoxious as the most extreme “Christian right”, wanting to use our government as a vessel to do the work of the Church. Except that the “Christian right” has one thing going for them – what the Bible says about the role of government. Nothing in the New Testament says anything about the role of the government as a provider, but it does talk about the government having the sword to administer justice and punish wickedness.

Now I don’t believe that a government has to punish every sin. I believe in limited government on the grounds that those in government are fallen, corruption prone humans. I think much of the sins I listed above should be off-limits for legislation. I’m just making the case that trying to use the government for Christian charity is at best misguided and at worst hypocritical.

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