Church was deeply involved in everyday business
matters
In the genesis of time, all mankind, because of
sin, was given the responsibility of working by
the sweat of their brow, to meet our everyday
needs. It is my belief that God’s children
should first hire and seek to do business within
the church before going to the world. Here is
my point of view. If you really love me, you
will do business with me. If I love you, I will
treat you as though you are my Lord. This
should be in the heart of all of God’s
children. One should never have to question
this kind of love when they are doing business
within the family of God. But tradition has
forsaken this kind of fellowship.
In our everyday lives, we all see things
differently and from different perspectives,
therefore there are going to be disagreements.
I think the verses above show this as a pattern
of the early church and how they were so
involved in these business matters, but in their
lack of spiritual growth, they were being
reprimanded. I also believe that these children
of God doing business together, needed overseers
within the church, so leaders were appointed to
look over these matters as depicted in the
verses below. I do not believe for a minute
that these leaders were appointed to the matters
of when they came together for worship but in
their everyday lives. It is in the everyday
lives that the lives of others are changed.
1 Corinthians 6:1.
Dare any of you,
having a matter against another, go to law
before the unrighteous, and not before the
saints? 2. Do you not know that the saints will
judge the world? And if the world will be judged
by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest
matters? 3. Do you not know that we shall judge
angels? How much more, things that pertain to
this life? 4. If then you have judgments
concerning things pertaining to this life, do
you appoint those who are least esteemed by the
church to judge? 5. I say this to your shame.
Is it so, that there is not a wise man among
you, not even one, who will be able to judge
between his brethren? 6. But brother goes to
law against brother, and that before
unbelievers!
Also notice
in the KJV that God has appointed to His church,
"governments". Would not these governments
possibly look over the business affairs of the
body of Christ?
1 Corinthians
12:28.
And God hath set some in the church, first
apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of
healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues.
Church leaders appointed for church business
1 Timothy 3:1.
This is a faithful
saying: If a man desires the position of a
bishop, he desires a good work. 2. A bishop
then must be blameless, the husband of one wife,
temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior,
hospitable, able to teach; 3. not given to
wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but
gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4. one
who rules his own house well, having his
children in submission with all reverence 5.
(for if a man does not know how to rule his own
house, how will he take care of the church of
God?);
For lesser matters
1 Timothy 3:8.
Likewise deacons must be reverent, not
double-tongued, not given to much wine, not
greedy for money, 9. holding the mystery of the
faith with a pure conscience. 10. But let these
also first be proved; then let them serve as
deacons, being found blameless. 11. Likewise
their wives must be reverent, not slanderers,
temperate, faithful in all things. 12. Let
deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling
their children and their own houses well.
Bottom line is
this, if a man was disciplined and able to
manage the business affairs on his own house,
then this would become his credentials to take a
position of leadership in the body of Christ,
the church