That scripture was directed at adults who were idle busybodies.
That is what upset Paul, God. Them not eating does not please God. He just wanted to show His frustration with such. Today there are things that idle busy bodies can do if they don't work. So taking the ''not eating'' part of that scripture literally applies less and less as we advance. I don't think God has ever taken that scripture literally.
We have the ability today to cure the world of poverty and we should. We don't need ''
idiotic'' reasoning like the above. No work = no eat. Wow that is a very kind and caring Christian attitude. To hell with the kids, old and deformed associated with the lazy. Lazy people and all under them must starve to death!!!!
"The sin of Sodom was an abundence of leasiure "
The greatest poverty in the world to day is spiritual poverty and that poverty leads to the 'poverty' that you say man has the ability to 'cure'
Gievn that the world does " not do God" I am afraid your 'hope ' of a cure is in vain.
You will also find that where there is great poverty ,famine and pestilence there too you will find idolitory superstition, godlessnes of every sort.
In the UK you will also see it growing and the USA is not immune either . For God is the same yesterday today and forever.
We have not had the plague or a famine for over 500 years and it is deemed we now never will again.
But if we reject that which ahs given us so much liberty and embrace those things that others have proved so ruioneous to them. Then it is absurd that we will escape what they have not.
The hospitals and schools were all founded by and on christiand charity . In the main God has been taken out of both .
In nvery truth by socialists.
Is it not written that "while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares?"
This country has bene asleep for the last 70 years and you do not need to do anything to grow weeds .
The countries where you have famine ;look again and see what and who they serve.
A little folding of the arms a closing of the eyes and a little sleep and poverty will come like an armed man .
When The Lord said "is this not the fast that i have chosen ..........." In Isiah 58 .
he was talking about feedign people with the bread of life ! Not to ebcome social workers .
When he said cloth the naked .He meant with robes of rightoeusness . Not simply give them a coat .
For you may in mercy give a naked man a coat but he is still naked before God.
and you may in mercy give a man soem bread or he may eat of the food of the swine .But he wills till be hungry .
and brinf them into yoru house is that not the house of God?
No one goes or evry very few goes out preaching the gospel in power and with authority . But are too busy building their ministries and competing with each other and 'celebrating' when they should be weeping .
Judas judged and condemend a woman by saying "she should not have done this but rather should have sold this and given the money to the poor " All the disciples who should have known better agreed with him , save one who said "He ddi not say this because eh loved the poor but because he carried the bag ;he was a theif . In the end he sold the truth for 30 peices of silver .
The salvation army proves the case , For thier motto was and still is "Fire and blood" and truly they were on fire in the beginning and tarnsformed lives and living BOTH spiritual and practical so much so pubs had to close becasue they ahd no customers and the publicans used to hire thugs to wage war against them.
The Salvationa rmy used to give fair warning before theya rrived at any particular spot . with notices that said things like "War will be declared here at 7pm" and "prisoners will eb taken"
and by God they won many a vcitory and the gospel was preached with fire from heaven.,
But what now?
They do all the social services but there is no longer any fire.
That mor eor less goes with all the denominations .
Though many claim otherwise.
Some no longer even preach the cross .Most and the vast majority preach but the milk of the word and will rue the day they did so when the world will rise up against them.
they are getting into bed with governments who "do not do God" but who give them a little praise and a spotlight for 15 minutes .Others use the world to attract the world ,but if you do that you will need the wordl to keep them.
Jesus fed 5000 people . But it did not save them.
If you go and feed a flock of ducks on a park pond the duckes will follow you till the bread runs out then they will go and find another .
What did Jesus say? Do not labour for that which does not satisfy.
"Man shall not live by bread alone but by every Word that proceedeth from thne mouth of God" is something that the church seems to only apply to itself.
and while the world 'starves' it gorges itself and is satisfied .
and says " I am rich , increased with goods and in need of nothing "
In Christ
gerald
Lol. Yes and no. Communisim is good. Leadership is the problem. The early church had Jesus, the disciples and Paul. Russia had Stalin.
.
. But if we could....I believe we should.
. Would be nice though. No hungry people. Everyone would be able to choose to worship God free of suffering and desperation.