There is no question that the Bible commands us to help those in need. The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37 and Jesus’ description of how we will be judged at the final judgment (Matthew 25:31-46) are two powerful examples. However, the Bible also says if you are able to work but do not, you should not eat. “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-11 ESV)
It seems that Christians respond to these two seemingly contradictory commands in one of two ways. The first is to follow one command and ignore the other. This is the easiest way because no thought is required. Either we help all those in need without regard as to whether they are capable of working or we refuse to help anyone based on the assumption everyone can work at something.
The second way to respond to these two commands is to apply them both in our service to those in need. It has been done and the evidence is contain in Marvin Olasky’s book, The Tragedy of American Compassion in which he describes how some in our country in the 1700’s, 1800’s and into the early 1900’s did so. Also, Robert D. Lupton’s book Compassion, Justice, and the Christian Life describes how a Christian community in Atlanta in our time has resolved the above Biblical commands. They did it by not just giving people a hand out but by helping them find work or getting them training so they could find work.
The problem with resolving these two seemingly different command is that it involves hard work and that is why so few do so but God does not give us a pass from resolving different and difficult passages.
The idea that we must follow what the entire Bible says about a particular topic also applies to the doctrine of salvation. There is no question that some verses in the Bible teach salvation in only through belief in Jesus. The problem is there are over 75 verses in the Bible that teach salvation is through means other than belief in Jesus and his death for our sins. As we discussed above, we cannot ignore certain verses in the Bible just because they are difficult to reconcile with our current theology. God gave us the whole Bible to read and study. So why do we ignore part of it?
