Q14. The Poor

[Jwalane Mofokeng]

Q2. (2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community?

Making sure that they getting help and they are growing spiritually

How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?

winning them to Christ, while helping them their needs

[Guitar Jim]

Q2. (2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community?

 

According to this passage, we should provide them the necessities of life if they don't have them. I've been involved in a couple of churches where this was actually done, including being the person who went to the bakery every Monday evening when it closed to pick up the bread and other baked goods they didn't sell that day and couldn't by law keep until the next trading day. I was also involved, although not directly affected, at one church where a couple who were church members needed money. They were crying poor and their home fellowship group kicked in with a couple of grand to bail them out of an urgent debt that the couple claimed would cost them their home if not paid quickly. Upon further investigation later it came to light that they weren't poor at all but had spent a substantial amount on a huge share portfolio. They conned the church! Got what they wanted and bolted.

 

 

 

How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?

 

I've found that churches that get involved in a para-welfare ministry are a blessing to the community, for example the Salvation Army. Even the hardest anti-God thinking people still think well of the Salvation Army. God has blessed that ministry so much because of their total dedication to helping poor and needy people. That's practical Christianity at work if ever I saw it. Then there's Lifeline, a ministry of the Methodist Church, Anglicare, run by the Anglican Church . .

Even the Catholics have their St. Vincent de Paul ministry.

The community depends on these Christian ministries to help them live, especially when the government cuts back on welfare. Who else is there to take up the slack? In my country the government is always looking for ways to get people off welfare to make themselves look good on paper and it's up to the church based charities to pick up the shortfall. Thank God there are Christian people who in times of hardship give more to these ministries!

 

 

[Craig]

Q2. (2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?       

 

God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth commanded through the Torah, the prophets, Jesus the Christ, John the Baptist, and the Apostles to take care of the poor, elderly, aliens, orphans, and others in spiritual and physical need.  Read the Bible in its whole and this message is clear.   Jesus emphasized this in Matthew 25. 

 

Loving your neighbor as yourself doesn't mean just who you attend church with.  Most Christians don't even take care of fellow church members.  Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you applies to all people.  As a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of the Kingdom of God I am my brother's keeper.

 

The prophets, Jesus, and apostles taught that we should treat all people justly and with love.  This is a common theme throughout all the books of the Bible.  Remember God is love.  Read I Cor. 13.  It applies to all people.

 

[GoRaysXD]

Q2. (2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large? 

 

 

God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth commanded through the Torah, the prophets, Jesus the Christ, John the Baptist, and the Apostles to take care of the poor, elderly, aliens, orphans, and others in spiritual and physical need.  Read the Bible in its whole and this message is clear.   Jesus emphasized this in Matthew 25. 

 

Loving your neighbor as yourself doesn't mean just who you attend church with.  Most Christians don't even take care of fellow church members.  Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you applies to all people.  As a follower of Jesus Christ and a member of the Kingdom of God I am my brother's keeper.

 

The prophets, Jesus, and apostles taught that we should treat all people justly and with love.  This is a common theme throughout all the books of the Bible.  Remember God is love.  Read I Cor. 13.  It applies to all people.

 

 

[lighthouse2014]

Q2. (2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?

As believers in Christ we are responsible for the poor and needy in our church community. By being responsible we are showing our faith in action.

If our actions are a show of faith in the Lord, we will encourage others in our community to perhaps become members in our church and receive the Lord as their savior.

[Tyreek]

In the Old Testament God provided not only for the immediate Israelite families but also those in the surrounding areas. I believe we are to provide not only the church community but the community at large. The Greek word for “care for” means to inspect, to visit, to give, or to select. Being compassionate, caring, encouraging or supportive to the communities inside or outside the church reflects the heart of God and Christianity.

[Krissi]

The poor and needy in America are often obese, mentally ill and drug-addicted. That’s simply a fact. In the city where I live, the people who run the shelters and food kitchens beg the homeless to come inside where it’s warm. Most prefer to live outside. One woman told me she doesn’t like being told he has to be out of the shelter by 7am. Another said he likes to be where the women are. Every homeless guy seems to have a dog, gratis of the animal shelter. Procuring free dog food seems like the biggest draw of the shelter, at this point. I live in a state where it’s legal to smoke and grow marijuana – after the homeless were told they couldn’t smoke within 30 feet of the shelter, someone kindly spray-painted a line exactly thirty feet from the door.

I don’t think this was the situation in biblical times. We live in a society which constantly mitigates or denies the consequences of our decisions.

There are truly needy people in temporary situations who need money or a place to live. Grateful people. Somehow, we must distinguish between giving to those who take advantage of us and those who are truly needy. Yes, love hurts, and I do think we should give until we have nothing left to give, but we don’t and can’t give to everyone, and so our obligation has practical limits. We choose the ones we give to. They don’t choose us.

I also think we have a moral obligation to those who only want to harm or take advantage of us. To them, our obligation isn’t to feed and house, but to witness, pray, counsel and talk.

The idea that our obligation to others forms concentric circles of responsibility is a bit troubling. If this is the case, then my first obligation would be to myself, then my immediate family, extended family, church, neighborhood, city, state, country and world. Yet God seems to call people to one particular circle – missionaries going to foreign places, for instance.

Having said this, Christians should be helping each other more often and deeply, particularly the elderly. Evangelicals don’t have the in-grouped loyalty of, say, Mormons or Jews. We could use more of it. As society further disintegrates, we’ll need each other. That circle called “church” should be emphasized.

[hanks]

Q14. (2:15-16) 
To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? 
How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?
I believe charity begins at home. We, however, have a responsibility to others in need. If we have enough resources, we should then extend our help to do good to our fellow Christians. We are to love our neighbour as ourself, we must do our best to help our fellow brothers and sisters in need. In many families today, divorce, desertion, and separation create untold grief and bitterness. John mentions the same problem with people who try to do their duty with a few cheap words and charitable wishes: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Instead of faith, John uses love. Words of faith/love that are never translated into action are worthless. This should also be extended outside our church to the community at large; but then only if we firstly do not harm our own family and secondly neglect our brothers and sisters. 
 

[blezed]

(James 2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?

If we know a brother or sister is in need we are responsible to help anyway we can whether it is in the church or outside the church. 

 

l

[Lisema Ralitsoele]

Q14. (James 2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? To the degree that our faith motivates us to give according as God has enriched us and our hearts are willing to give cheerfully. How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large? The apostle James does not seem to distinguish between the Church poor and those outside the Church. He exhorts us with these words: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. I think that is why we are the light of the world. We are here to enlighten the orphans widows and others out of the darkness of this world.

[Anne coffey]

We are responsible for anyone at all who we know to be in any kind of need

whether they are part of the church community or in the wider community we should of course take an active part in world poverty and be involved in all

social issues which cause poverty and try to create a more equal distribution of wealth

[Perry Ford]

Q14. (James 2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?

We should always look to help our fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. I believe as a church in the community we should see how we can be a blessing to those who are less fortunate and maybe in need of assistance. 

[Therealizt258]

To be there for the poor and needy we our blessed to be a blessing! We are suppose to support and encourage the poor and needy and provide with resources 

[Lisema Ralitsoele]

Q14. (James 2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? To the degree that our faith motivates us to give according as God has enriched us and our hearts are willing to give cheerfully. How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large? The apostle James does not seem to distinguish between the Church poor and those outside the Church. He exhorts us with these words: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. I think that is why we are the light of the world. We are here to enlighten the orphans widows and others out of the darkness of this world.

 

[Katy]

Q2. As Christians we are now God’s gloves and must do as Jesus would do. We are responsible to do all within our power to help those both within our church but also in the community at large. This may not only mean giving money but we can give of our time ( maybe help at a soup kitchen or a food bank) etc. Matthew 25 v45 He( Jesus) will reply’ I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these you did not do for me’ . 

[Neil NRG2]

To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community?

Matt 25:45 is an answer to this question: 'whatever you did not do for one of the least of these you did not do for Me (Jesus)'. Indeed it is a responsibility no matter our situation to help others when we can.

[haar]

. (James 2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?

We are responsible for the needs of the poor in our church to the extend of ability to help is.

We have as much responsibility to those outside our church given Jesus example of who our neighbor is. That is, the needy and not just the one next door.
 

[Janzie]

On 12/17/2004 at 2:57 PM, Pastor Ralph said:

Q14. (James 2:15-16) To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community? How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?

Yes, we are responsible for the poor in the church community.  They are the body of Christ with whom we share and love.

To those outside the church we have an outreach that distributes to the poor in the community, giving food, clothing, and witnessing. Also, every Saturday during the summer, at noon, we have a ministry called  "Pizza in the Park" where we witness, give the Gospel, pizza and pray with the poor and homeless.

[Irmela]

Q14. (James 2:15-16)

To what degree are we responsible for the poor and needy in the church community?

How about our responsibility for those outside the church, in the community at large?

A very good question.  Also a difficult one to answer.  It is very hard to work around this one.

I have a loved one living in not so fantastic conditions.  We have tried to get them out from there, but it is more than that which is required   .  .  .    the people need to also desire to come out of those conditions.  I am afraid that many are in fact like that. From reading responses one gathers that in many countries it is like that.  Many are in those conditions (not born into them) but chosen to live in them and then it is hard to get out of. Much easier to live by hand outs from churches and different societies. Easier to get the dagga and other substances, in not so good living areas.

I have recently read Louis Zamperini's testimony and again it showed clearly that CHOICE plays a big part.

Coming back to the question of whose responsibility the 'genuine' poor and needy are?  (Very hard to know who fall into this category) I feel we need to really be led by the Spirit as to where and in what measure we can best help.

Be it in 'teaching how to fish'

'giving out the fish'

'giving the tools for the fishing'

'encouraging to fish'

This responsibility would be among family, church community, community outside the church, and then at large.

The responsibility of those entrusted to us is not to be neglected.

 

[Carolina]

I think we are very responsible for the poor and needy in our church community and human kind-how can we not be? I feel very strongly about this-it is our hands that can give food, our mouths that can pray, but it is the spirit of God that prompts us to do these things so we cannot boast that it is because we are good.

[Old Jerry]

We are responsible for the poor and needy to help them with their needs. The problem is that we have let the welfare system take this over. We are to help those outside the church when we can.