Church Buildings and Money

Dr. Couch, a pastor near my home is building a half a million dollar church. He wants to rent it out to other groups in order to help pay for it. He wants to lease it out also to a Jewish group. Is this right? ANSWER:  It's not right to build such a monument to start off with. It's really a temple to the pastor, not to the Lord.     I would allow it to be rented out to a Jewish group. They are God's people though they do not trust the Lord Jesus, yet, as their Savior! But many will, soon!    The bigger error is the flashing of the money, just as we go into hard times financially. This is foolishness. But you cannot tell such a pastor. He's into the American way. Bigger is godly, according to his thinking, but this is not so! What a waste of time and money!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (10/10)

Meaning of Luke 16:14-17

Dr. Couch, what is going on in Luke 16:14-17? I know you wrote a nationally published commentary on Luke, so you have some idea of what the Lord is talking about. ANSWER:  Christ is speaking to the Pharisees because He knew they were lovers of money. Before men, they were trying to justify themselves and yet God the Father knew their hearts. Before John the Baptist began proclaiming the gospel (good news) of the coming Messianic Kingdom (the kingdom of God), the Pharisees bragged in their Law-keeping. But then some of them saw the benefit of following after the kingdom, whereby the rigors of the Law were eased. While the preaching and the offer of the Kingdom was the new message, the Lord reminded them that the Law was still around, for "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail" (v. 17).    The millennial Kingdom at that point would be rejected and the belief in the simple gospel would be proclaimed after the crucifixion of Christ, and yet it too would be spurned. But the Jews, especially the Pharisees, could not escape the Law! This does not mean that they were to be saved by "Law-keeping." I wrote in my commentary:     But God knew their hearts (v. 15a). What men esteem, God detests (v. 15b). He then added that since the coming of John the Baptist, everyone was trying to force his way into the kingdom of God (v. 16), "but it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail" (v. 17). Many of the Jews wanted the benefits of the kingdom proclaimed by John and the Lord Jesus, but the rigors of the Law and its conviction about the nature of sin were being ignored. God was examining hearts, and the judgment of the Law was standing.    Everything Jesus was teaching was being scoffed at (v. 14). People want the easy route and do not want to live by the truth. The legalists of Christ day would pretend to keep the Law but in the long run they would reject both the Kingdom offer and the simple way of faith in the gospel.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Apr., 10)

Jewish Bankers

Dr. Couch, it seems that there is a larger number of Jews who are involved in banking that are controlling our world economy. Is this true? ANSWER:  The Jewish people have always put a premium on education, and because of this, they are involved in industries and businesses that have profound influence on the world of big business. And, the Jewish people are sinners like all people of the world. It would be natural then that some are involved in shady business dealings but there is no indication that this has anything to do with end time prophecy. Nor are there any verses of Scripture that speaks to this problem in the events now going on in Bible prophecy.    Many Jews are denying the Lord Jesus who bought them by His death on the cross, but there are many who will come to Him as the tribulation begins. Many will be martyred during that period, and many will enter the kingdom when the Lord establishes His rule on the earth.    I am a student of history and I can vouch for the fact that the world has been more blessed by the Jews than cursed by them through the generations. They have benefited the world far beyond their numbers. Many of my recent books show this as a fact. I document how blessed we have been by them, even though they have not all trusted in Christ. The Lord's Word still stands—God will bless those who bless them and curse those who curse them! (Gen. 12:1-3). And, they are blessed in the Lord's viewpoint even though they are presently lost. In fact the apostle Paul says that presently they are "beloved for the sake of the [Jewish] fathers" by the Lord, though they are enemies for the sake of the gospel (Rom. 11:28). God's promises to return His dealing with them is irrevocable and will not change (v. 29). We, the Gentiles, "have been shown mercy because of their disobedience" (v. 30). "A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in (is complete); and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written ..." (vv. 25-26).    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Apr., 10)

Money

Dr. Couch, how should 1 Timothy 6:10 read? Some translations say "Money is the root of all sorts of evil," and some say "Money is the root of evil." The Greek text reads: "For (the) root of all the evils is the affection (love) for money (avarice)." The word "love" is philos (affection, to like) and not agape. "Affection for money" is actually one entire word: "philarguros." The reason some translations used "of all sorts" is because "evils" is in the plural. Often it is translated "Of all the evil things."    Notice what Paul writes in verses 9 and 11. "Those who want to get rich fall into temptation," and, "Flee from these things, you man of God." From the other verses that follow it seems that Paul is directly addressing Timothy. Being a younger minister of the gospel, Timothy may have been open to certain temptations that Paul knew about. We often think that NT personalities walked on water, but that is not true. They faced the same temptations that we face. There is more than one reference where Paul seems to be concerned for Timothy's conduct. In one place he told him to "Flee youthful lusts" (2 Tim. 2:22).    What the apostle is saying in 1 Timothy 6:10 is sobering. The desire for money is the starting point for all kinds of evils! This does not mean that money is bad! And it does not mean that one can not be wealthy. But those who have been so blessed must be aware of what money can do. There are many in the Gospels and in the epistles who appear to have been wealthy. They were not chided for their wealth.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch

Borrowing Money

Dr. Couch, should churches borrow money for building during these tight times? And should they ever borrow for various projects? ANSWER:  The Bible is not against borrowing but it can be risky and must be done carefully. The Bible is against usury, that is, it is against excessive charging of interest. I would certainly be against borrowing large sums, especially with what is now happening in our nation.    I believe many churches are on an ego trip. They feel they have to build new buildings in order to be viable. I do not believe that! Churches should operate within their means and not go beyond what they are capable of handling. To have a huge mortgage in today's climate would be foolish!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch