"go, sell all that you have and give to the poor..."

[One Bad Pig]

Moreover, that advice was given to a very specific person, a tax collector -- a profession where, back then, much of your wealth could be termed ill-begotten. It wasn't general advice. Nicodemus was obviously fairly well-off, and there is no record of him having been told to sell all that you have and give to the poor. In fact, I would think that if he had, and obeyed, then he wouldn't likely have had tomb space to offer.

You don't have to impoverish yourself to follow Jesus.

Um, what? You appear to be conflating the rich young ruler with Nicodemus and Zacchaeus. There is no indication that the rich young ruler was a tax collector. Nicodemus was a religious teacher and a Pharisee who actually became a disciple of Christ, unlike the rich young ruler. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, but he did become a disciple of Christ. He was not told to sell all he had and give it to the poor; he told Jesus without prompting that he would restore fourfold what he had extorted.

[Sparko]

$25 million is still a nice little cushion. He could easily manage on a 25th of that.

Thank you for your other comments.

Net worth is not cash. Just saying. But the guy gives away 90% and you are still upset he keeps 10% and lives an average lifestyle without fancy mansions or luxury items? Is there no pleasing you?

Jesus never condemned having money or property. He condemned making those things more important to you than God. In other words, making material things your "idol"

There were plenty of rich people of God in the bible. Such as Job, Abraham, David, and Solomon.

[rogue06]

Um, what? You appear to be conflating the rich young ruler with Nicodemus and Zacchaeus. There is no indication that the rich young ruler was a tax collector. Nicodemus was a religious teacher and a Pharisee who actually became a disciple of Christ, unlike the rich young ruler. Zacchaeus was a tax collector, but he did become a disciple of Christ. He was not told to sell all he had and give it to the poor; he told Jesus without prompting that he would restore fourfold what he had extorted.

No. I specifically mentioned Nicodemus so I'd hardly confuse the two. And Zacchaeus was held up as the opposite of what tax collectors typically did. He was widely known for giving away half of what he had. So I doubt I would conflate them either.

IIRC, the man in question was seen as being the polar opposite of Zacchaeus (and that is why I remember it). Whether or not he was a tax collector is likely something we'll never know but there was a tradition he was.

[rogue06]

$25 million is still a nice little cushion. He could easily manage on a 25th of that.

Thank you for your other comments.

You make it sound like there is something wrong with being successful. Are we a tad jealous? Maybe a bit green with envy? Feeling a wee bit covetous perhaps?

[rogue06]

Net worth is not cash. Just saying. But the guy gives away 90% and you are still upset he keeps 10% and lives an average lifestyle without fancy mansions or luxury items? Is there no pleasing you?

Jesus never condemned having money or property. He condemned making those things more important to you than God. In other words, making material things your "idol"

There were plenty of rich people of God in the bible. Such as Job, Abraham, David, and Solomon.

Jesus even depicts Abraham, who was certainly wealthy, as being in heaven. That should suffice to quash the mistaken belief that merely being wealthy is somehow a ticket to hell.

[Mountain Man]

There are approximately about less than 700 of you posting to these boards.

This site has [judging by its membership] 680 registered individuals and not all of us are Christians. How many millions of Americans are Christian? The number registered on this site is a tiny fraction of that.

Okay, but you said that we're not representative, meaning that what we believe is not accepted by the majority of Christians in the United States. How did you arrive at this conclusion?

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

I already told her that, but she wants verification

Which you did not give. Sparko did

However, that is your MO. You try to pass of your own unsubstantiated remarks as if they are attested facts. You make claims you cannot corroborate. And you have a tendency to try and pass of the remarks of others pertaining to certain texts as if they are your own.

When caught out you either do a runner [i.e. ignore the request] or change the topic.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Okay, but you said that we're not representative, meaning that what we believe is not accepted by the majority of Christians in the United States. How did you arrive at this conclusion?

No you are not representative of the various Christian creeds that exist both around the world and across the USA.

From what I have learned from individuals who have told me, or from posts I have read, the majority here appear to be Baptists [or Southern Baptists].

How many Catholics, Copts, or Orthodox Christians [and there are different groups within that section of Christianity] post regularly to these boards?

I do not know. Do you?

[DesertBerean]

Which you did not give. Sparko did

However, that is your MO. You try to pass of your own unsubstantiated remarks as if they are attested facts. You make claims you cannot corroborate. And you have a tendency to try and pass of the remarks of others pertaining to certain texts as if they are your own.

When caught out you either do a runner [i.e. ignore the request] or change the topic.

HA, you made unsubstantiated remarks about the reasons Ananias and Sapphira were struck down. The Apostle Peter declared they didn't have to give the money they made to the church. He further declared their sin was in lying, and in fact lying to God. You insist it was otherwise in spite of the clear text.

I can point to others like Abraham (even raised an army from his own household), Martha (she owned a house that the church met in), Lydia (seller of purple who also had a house), Joseph of Arimathea (owned a tomb). This text and many others affirmed wealth as good.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

HA, you made unsubstantiated remarks about the reasons Ananias and Sapphira were struck down.

No I did not. The withholding of the cash was deemed by Peter, according to the text, to be lying to god etc but what they had actually done was withhold cash.
It is there in the opening text:

But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; ² with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

I can point to others like Abraham (even raised an army from his own household), Martha (she owned a house that the church met in), Lydia (seller of purple who also had a house), Joseph of Arimathea (owned a tomb). This text and many others affirmed wealth as good.

Do we have any non Christian contemporary sources for any of this?

[One Bad Pig]

No. I specifically mentioned Nicodemus so I'd hardly confuse the two. And Zacchaeus was held up as the opposite of what tax collectors typically did. He was widely known for giving away half of what he had. So I doubt I would conflate them either.

IIRC, the man in question was seen as being the polar opposite of Zacchaeus (and that is why I remember it). Whether or not he was a tax collector is likely something we'll never know but there was a tradition he was.

Ok. I misread your reference to Nicodemus.

[DesertBerean]

No I did not. The withholding of the cash was deemed by Peter, according to the text, to be lying to god etc but what they had actually done was withhold cash.
It is there in the opening text:

But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; ² with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.


Do we have any non Christian contemporary sources for any of this?

You completely ignored the Apostle's response, which I cited. And why should I provide non Christian sources?

[Mountain Man]

I do not know.

Precisely my point. Thank you.

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

You completely ignored the Apostle's response, which I cited.

That was the response to the fact that they had withheld some cash.

And why should I provide non Christian sources?

Corroboration. Or do you accept the Gingerbread House really did exist because the Brothers Grimm wrote about it in a book?

[Hypatia_Alexandria]

Precisely my point. Thank you.

It would seem that you have answered your own question regarding the representation of Christian beliefs that are found on these boards. In point of fact those Christians who post here appear [we neither of us actually know] to be representative of only a select portion of Christian groups.