The Gospel View on Charity

**Farnan** · December 11, 2007, 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Matthew 6

1Do not do good things so that people will see you do them. If you do, you will get no reward from your Father in heaven.

2`So when you give money to poor people, do not send men in front of you to blow trumpets or horns. Some people do this in the meeting houses and on the streets so that people will praise them. They are not true to themselves. I tell you the truth. They have their pay already.

3But when you give money to poor people, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

4In this way, what you give to the poor will be secret. Your Father sees secret things and he will reward you.

This statement is pretty simple, you should do the right thing because it is the right thing, not to make yourself look betters in the eyes of others. To him, it is the faceless helper who volunteers to help out is far better and more highly raised than the celeberaty who openly starts concerts to raise money for a cause and try to better their image.

**Spurius** · December 11, 2007, 07:30 PM

Doesn't 'charitas' simply mean 'love' rather than 'charity'?

**Farnan** · December 11, 2007, 07:36 PM

You're looking at it wrong. You're looking at the English translation and then comparing the English word to similiar Greek words. However the Greek word in the Bible translated to charity is agape which means:

agape ag-ah'-pay from 25; love, i.e. affection or benevolence; specially (plural) a love-feast:--(feast of) charity(-ably), dear, love.

Source: http://www.eliyah.com/cgi-bin/strong...sindex=Charity

**Spurius** · December 11, 2007, 07:53 PM

Still remains the fact it's primararily not 'faith, hope and handouts', but *love* or benevolence, no?

**Farnan** · December 11, 2007, 08:01 PM

That is very much possible and could be the truth. However, the message would remain the same. God rewards those who do the right thing because it is the right thing and not to gain attention or fame.

**Bovril** · December 11, 2007, 08:04 PM

Doesn't the fact that God rewards charity rather muddy the waters as far as motivation for charity is concerned?

**Farnan** · December 11, 2007, 08:06 PM

Except when he explains, he goes as far as saying you should not even know you're doing it, as in you shouldn't do good out of knowledge it would better you and you should do it without reflecting on how it helps you.

**Spurius** · December 11, 2007, 08:08 PM

I think the acts should be seen as acts of mercy, as in the parable of the Good Samaritan. He did pay the innkeeper to look after the man, but not until he had washed the wounds himself.

He did not see the man lying there and sms'ed some money to a fund.

**Bovril** · December 11, 2007, 08:09 PM

Man With No Name:
What use then are exhortations to do good, and of what value is good itself if it is done unconsciously?

**Farnan** · December 11, 2007, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Bovril

What use then are exhortations to do good, and of what value is good itself if it is done unconsciously?

Not unconsciously, but done without considering what it will gain you.

And Spurius I agree with you, personal charity, as in doing the right thing yourself, is something that is far better than donating $.80 a day to the Christian's Children Fund. For the first requires you to act benevionately and inconvience your life in order to help your fellow man, while the other just costs you a few dollars and makes you feel good.