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Originally Posted by Trapped
A few verses after the LC-famous verse on God's economy, Paul says "the end of the charge is love". Some translations say "the goal of the command is love."
In other words, he charged Timothy not to teach the unhealthy things which produce questionings, but to teach the healthy things which produce God's economy. And that charge.....the charge to teach healthy things which produce God's economy.....the end of that charge, Paul says, is love.
The whole point of that charge is love.
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Right. And love is in doing, not lip service. Love is seen in a pouring-out of oneself. God loved us so much that He sent His only-begotten Son. Jesus loved us so much that while we were yet sinners, he died for us. Now, Paul goes into some length in 2 Cor 8 about how Christ was rich and emptied himself in love, and how the gentile churches can likewise empty themselves. To me this points back to what was stressed by the Jerusalem pillars in Galatians 2, a word that Paul so eagerly assented to: "Remember the poor".
Jesus had taught to lay up for oneself treasures in heaven. Paul was now bringing this message to the Corinthians, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Thessalonians, Macedonians, and Achaeans. The 'economy of man' is to store up on earth, to make safe nests. The 'economy of God' is to give to those who can't repay you, making yourself poor for the benefit of others. Then you'll have riches that moths don't eat, that rust can't corrode, that thieves don't break through and steal. This giving is done in faith, the end result of which is love expressed.
And I imagine that Zacchaeus after donating half his wealth to the poor may still have been fairly rich, who knows? The point is that he was generous, happily giving to ones who couldn't return the investment. The story of the rich man with Lazarus shows the opposite - someone who has abundance, but out of selfishness won't share it with someone who lacks. It's in this light that James' prevarication, "Howl, ye rich" (KJV) makes the most sense - it's not riches of themselves that's the issue, but the selfishness, hoarding, avarice, and injustice.
In his first epistle to the Corinthians Paul was in crisis mode and made his point briefly (16:1-4;cf Rom 15:25-29), but his second letter allowed expansion, and in chapter 8 he did. There Paul said in effect that Christ was rich and for you he became poor; now you can follow suit unto others likewise. This is the economy that Paul was teaching in every church.
By contrast, where's the chapter that Paul wrote on masticating the Processed and Consummated Triune God to become God in life and nature (but not in the Godhead)?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trapped
Obedience to His commands, love God, love your neighbor, give honor to those who are uncomely, care for the needy, eagerness to take care of the poor, widows, hungry, etc.......I absolutely agree that is God's economy as shown in Scripture.
I'm the first to admit I'm so short in those areas.
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I'm also short. And now that we've seen something, we no longer have the excuse of ignorance. But as fighters we're no longer blindly flailing in air, as Paul put in 1 Cor 9. The forces we fight aren't flesh and blood but disobedient spirits, very adept at masquerade. But we're no longer their patsies.