Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil P
What about where it says in Matthew "When have we seen you hungry.... In so much as you have done it to the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me"? Is that speaking only to works done to fellow christians?
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You are referencing two different lines of thought assuming that both allude to the brotherhood of man. They don't. Most religions and philosophies disagree. It is humanistic universalist fantasy.
1)Taking care of an injured man regardless of his nationality, ethnicity or religion does NOT make him a Christian by association or default. Do a favor for a Muslim some day and see what happens when you tell him your charity made him a Christian. Send me an email and let me know how many teeth you swallowed along with your doctrine.
The expression of acts of kindness BY a Christian is an expression of Christ THROUGH the Christian. Again, acts of kindness and charity do not by default make the recipient a Christian. Your logic assumes that it does. Your logic also assumes that all men are brothers in the same faith. Again I would challenge you to assert that ideology to a Muslim. It doesn't wash with Christianity or Islam or most other religions.
2)The quote you stated was specific to a question about eternal reward, which you didn't state. The danger of inerrancy is always encountered when taking a quote out of context. The question posed to Jesus required an answer defining the times and places when Christ approved of an action. In response, Jesus answered with a metaphor. "How can we show You charity" was answered by "show it to others in My Name….as though They were Me." In this is Christ pleased.
Another illustration is used by means of the story of the good Samaritan. Samaritans were not considered by Jews as members of the faith or nation. Jews saw them as social pariahs. When the traveling man encountered a wounded Samaritan on the road and rescued the man, Christ says the act is a blessing to the giver/rescuer. He never implied the Samaritan automatically became a Jew, Christian or blood relative.
In summation, acts of kindness are accepted by Christ as a sacrifice or act of kindness to Christ. The good a man does is it's own reward but with a plus. Jesus is pleased by such acts. The Bible NEVER implies that such acts perform conversion by default.
All men are NOT brothers, but they should be treated as though they were if one seeks approval of God.
and that's just me, hollering from the choir loft...
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