Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

332.0. "PLAYTOE'S LIGHT, PART VIII: CHARITY?" by SWAM1::DOTHARD_ST (PLAYTOE) Tue Oct 29 1991 13:41

    PLAYTOE'S LIGHT, PART XIII:  THE MEANING OF CHARITY?
    
    The following is a response I gave to a person who asked!  I thought
    I'd share it with you...feel free to comment on it.
    
    I looked into I Corinthians 13 again, the whole chapter, and it truly 
    was a blessing for me, thank you for asking me to look into it.  I 
    learned a great deal more myself!....as you will see, I wrote this up 
    last night.  Also, I would like to post this information, of course not 
    mentioning your name at all, but I think it could be helpful to 
    others...I hope you'll agree.
    
    I Corinthians 13:8-10
    
    "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall 
    fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be 
    knowledge, it shall vanish away.  For we know in part, and we prophesy 
    in part.  But WHEN THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME, then that which is in 
    part shall be done away."
    
    Praise the Lord.
    
    First, let's try to define "Charity". 
    
    Although in modern times "Charity" has come to mean "giving to the poor 
    and needy" we know this is not what is meant here for in verse 13:3 it 
    says, "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor...and have not 
    charity, it profiteth me nothing."  It tells us that merely "giving to 
    the poor" is not "charity", because it draws a distinction between 
    "giving to the poor" and "charity"...you can give to the poor but not 
    have charity, can you see that?
    
    Many teachers have interpreted "Charity" to mean "Love".  They say you 
    can substitute "Love" wherever you see "Charity".  This is what I've 
    settled with for a long time, until NOW (again thank you), and after 
    revisiting that Scripture I am convinced the "LOVE" does not comprehend 
    the full meaning of "charity"...as I will now prove and moreso show you 
    the full meaning of the term.
    
    "Charity", according to the following references, apparently has 
    something to 
    do with "Loving God", read:
    
    1)	 I Corinthians 8:1
    2)	 Romans 14:13-19
    3)	 I Timothy 1:5-7
    4)	 II Timothy 2:19-26
    
    Actually, it seems to mean "as you deal with others, give to others, 
    teach others, do so in the name and love of God."  In other words, if 
    Love means "giving", Charity means "giving in the name of the Lord".  
    It relates to the "edifying of the church/people in God".  
    
    INSIGHT:  We know that God "GIVES his LOVE" unconditionally, and that 
    there is none greater than He in whose name he should give.  But, we 
    are his Children and are not God, we are Sons and Daughters of God, and 
    what we have and what we thereby GIVE is really from Him and not of 
    ourselves, He REALLY has made it possible that anyone has anything 
    thing, right?  So therefore, when we give to others, we can't give it 
    like God does, unconditionally, but we must give it in TRUTH as being 
    from Him and in His Name and Spirit.  You know how sometimes we do 
    things out of the kindness of our hearts, cause WE want to do it, and 
    consider it to be "unconditional" love we are showing.  Well actually 
    what Charity is saying is that we are WRONG for doing so, because we in 
    effect are "unconditionally" giving away things which are not really 
    ours or that we really didn't get on our own, but should be giving 
    honor and praise to God for even having it to give...remember the 
    Scripture in Malachi "Will a man rob God?  How have we robbed you Lord?  
    You have robbed him of his tithes and offerings.", this I believe has 
    to do with Charity, indirectly, in that if we give to others things 
    which God has given us, without saying that God gave them to us, then 
    the  other person may think that you alone do this and not give praise 
    to God, and in that you are "robbing" God, of his glory and praise.
    
    Now, in my "Reference" KJV Bible, regarding the phrase, "BUT WHEN THAT 
    WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME...," it points me to two Scriptures:
    
    Isaiah 60:19 (Please read on to the end of the chapter)
    "The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness 
    shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an 
    everlasting light, and thy God thy glory."
    
    And Jeremiah 31:34
    "And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his 
    brother, saying know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the 
    least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord."
    
    So it's speaking of a day when God will be for ALL of us a light and 
    when that happens that which is "in part shall be done away".  Can you 
    relate to that?
    
    Then you asked, "When will this be?", or "When will that which is 
    PERFECT come?"
    
    In Jeremiah 31:31, it says, "Behold, the days come...", which is 
    related to Ezekiel 37:26, which reads:
    
    "Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an 
    everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply 
    them, and set my SANCTUARY IN THE MIDST OF THEM FOR EVERMORE."
    
    In my Bible, at this last phrase it points me to I Corinthians 6:16:
    
    "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?  for ye are the 
    temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them; and I 
    will be their God, and they shall be my people."  (please read to the 
    end of the chapter).
    
    Now, your friend says that this is going to happen "WHEN the New City 
    Jerusalem descends from heaven".  However, if you read in Revelations 
    21:1-4 you'll find the correspondence to the above.  Then in 21:10, 
    afterwards, you read about the "descending of New Jerusalem".  It seems 
    to me, therefore (and tell me if I'm wrong), that God is FIRST going to 
    make us his people by coming to dwell in us, making us his "living 
    temples" because he is a "living God", we are to be his "sanctuary", 
    and this happens first.  Which will prepare us to enter into the New 
    Jerusalem, which will descend afterwards, after he has prepared us. 
    
    In other words, he plans to make us, the Body of Christ, the Church, 
    READY for the MARRIAGE to the BRIDE, which is the Holy City, the NEW 
    JERUSALEM.  Which to me sounds PERFECTLY in order, I mean we wouldn't 
    want to go to the wedding unprepared...remember the parable of the 
    King's Sons Wedding!
    
    So, and I say that this "preparation", this time of "days will come", 
    that at God will dwell within MAN and make Man a LIVING TEMPLE, is 
    happening RIGHT NOW!   And SOON the BRIDE will come, when we have been 
    made ready...
    
    Playtoe, In the Spirit of Truth