Jesus' money box

by Apognophos 4 Replies latest jw friends

  • Apognophos
    Apognophos

    It seems to me that no one ever talks about Jesus' money box, sometimes referred to as the poor box. All we know is that it was a box, and it had money, and Judas Iscariot kept it (and apparently stole from it). Where did the money come from? Was it donations made to Jesus? Did they give away the excess after what they needed to live off (like the expensive nard that Judas thought they should sell)? What did it go towards? Are there any Bible verses that actually talk about money being given by Jesus or his apostles to the poor? If not, why?

    Just to be clear, I'm thinking about this from a secular hypothetical standpoint, i.e., that Jesus was a real man with real followers and that they really kept a money box, but that he was not God's son and did not perform miracles like healing and feeding hundreds. If you imagine for a moment that Jesus did not perform any miracles, but was a preacher who taught mercy and lectured others on the importance of charity (Matthew 15), doesn't it seem that he would have engaged in some charity himself? Is it possible that his fairly mundane use of a poor box was replaced in the Gospel with the miracles that were intended to prove his divinity and that's why we never hear about the poor box?

    Edit: Yes, I used the wrong term initially, I meant "money box" moreso than "poor box".

    Edit 2: Here is the only reference I'm aware of that the money box was used for charity: http://bible.cc/john/12-6.htm.

    Edit 3: I should have researched more before posting. I've just read that the phrase in 12:6 referring to Judas stealing from the box could simply mean that he carried the box around. However, some scholars think it's clear that "carried" or "bore" actually mean "carried off" or "stole". Isn't it interesting, though, that only John's gospel, written decades after the others, says this?

  • tec
    tec

    Luke 8 speaks of the female disciples who helped to support them out of their own means. The verse in John connects money being put into the money bag from selling possessions (such as the nard that Judas argued over); as being used as going to the poor.

    (Later, Paul speaks of money being donated as being distributed to those in need.)

    Peace,

    tammy

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    Jesus always carried a machine for processing Credit Cards, hence the WT is only following his example . LOL

    This is actually one of the few bits of the Jesus story that sounds fairly authentic, despite having "nowhere to lay his head" an itinerant preacher with a gaggle of women in tow needs some cash to spend from time to time at least, hence the "Poor Box", or money box.

    I fondly imagine the real Jesus not being too concerned at all with the use of the money, apart from seeing it applied to the poor and needy, without concern for his own welfare, and hence, if any pilfering did go on, it was because of Jesus' trusting nature.

    It is interesting though to see that here, at the start of his ministry , there is concern for charitable works, to alleviate suffering in any way he can.

    When will the WT/JW money machine begin to follow His example ?

  • Pterist
    Pterist

    Early Christians looked after the least well off amongst them, like widows and orphans. Philip was in charge of distributing food etc to them! Right?. James in his book regarded it as "pure religion" pure motive, I guess ! Israel was condemned for not looking after same amongst other things ;)

    Shalom

  • sir82
    sir82

    Clearly it contained voluntary donations for the literature the dirt poor illiterate apostles distributed in their door to door ministry.

    BWA HA HA HA HA HA!

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