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Should Christians really give to absolutely anyone who asks? If someone were to genuinely ask for all the money in your bank account, should you comply? Should nothing at all be done about stolen property? And if not, why do Anabaptists vehemently defend a strict literal reading of the preceding verses regarding nonresistance but not for this?

Wish we could resurrect Wayne in Maine for this one…

Palindrome wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 7:20 pm Should Christians really give to absolutely anyone who asks?

About 10 years ago, I was 20 years old. I had been raised in a Christian home since I was a baby; however, I had just then come to the novel-for-me conclusion that the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain are to be put into practice. How was I going to find a way to do that? Well, one thing Jesus said was to "give to everyone who begs from you." In the rich, college section of town where I was living, we occasionally got beggars from the rough neighborhoods immediately to the north and to the east. Going from not obeying Jesus' teachings to obeying them looked like going from walking by, to buying them a sandwich or a bus ticket, putting some of the change in the bag, and offering to pray with them.

If someone were to genuinely ask for all the money in your bank account, should you comply?

No.

Should nothing at all be done about stolen property?

I understand that there are brethren that differ about whether to report stolen property or not.

And if not, why do Anabaptists vehemently defend a strict literal reading of the preceding verses regarding nonresistance but not for this?

Loss of an Anabaptist hermenutic.

Palindrome wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 7:20 pm Should Christians really give to absolutely anyone who asks? If someone were to genuinely ask for all the money in your bank account, should you comply? Should nothing at all be done about stolen property? And if not, why do Anabaptists vehemently defend a strict literal reading of the preceding verses regarding nonresistance but not for this?

The passage does not say "give all the money in your bank account." There are many things you can give, perhaps the hardest is time and attention. It's easier to throw change and walk on.

barnhart wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 9:53 pm

Palindrome wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 7:20 pm Should Christians really give to absolutely anyone who asks? If someone were to genuinely ask for all the money in your bank account, should you comply? Should nothing at all be done about stolen property? And if not, why do Anabaptists vehemently defend a strict literal reading of the preceding verses regarding nonresistance but not for this?

The passage does not say "give all the money in your bank account." There are many things you can give, perhaps the hardest is time and attention. It's easier to throw change and walk on.

But they say to give to the one who asks. If someone earnestly asks me for $1,000 and that was all the money I had in the world, why would it be okay to deny him that? If we arbitrarily choose the amount we want in order to satisfy the qualifications of "giving," what's stopping us from merely giving a penny to everyone who asks for money? Anabaptists take the passages on nonresistance to the extreme conclusion of turning the other cheek even if it means death, so why isn't that continued with giving to those who ask of us even if it means complete poverty?

Palindrome wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 10:55 pm But they say to give to the one who asks. If someone earnestly asks me for $1,000 and that was all the money I had in the world, why would it be okay to deny him that? If we arbitrarily choose the amount we want in order to satisfy the qualifications of "giving," what's stopping us from merely giving a penny to everyone who asks for money? Anabaptists take the passages on nonresistance to the extreme conclusion of turning the other cheek even if it means death, so why isn't that continued with giving to those who ask of us even if it means complete poverty?

i wrestle with these questions, too. All my life.

https://biblehub.com/topical/t/thomas_c ... idymus.htm

barnhart wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 9:53 pm

Palindrome wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 7:20 pm Should Christians really give to absolutely anyone who asks? If someone were to genuinely ask for all the money in your bank account, should you comply? Should nothing at all be done about stolen property? And if not, why do Anabaptists vehemently defend a strict literal reading of the preceding verses regarding nonresistance but not for this?

The passage does not say "give all the money in your bank account." There are many things you can give, perhaps the hardest is time and attention. It's easier to throw change and walk on.

I've seen that in action. On Christmas Day I was driving past a homeless shelter, and a driver slowed down and threw bills out the window at the guys sitting there. To me that came across as degrading. That's how you give to chickens, not humans. Why, even the UPS guy goes to the fence and hands the treats to my dogs individually.

Palindrome wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 7:20 pm Should Christians really give to absolutely anyone who asks? If someone were to genuinely ask for all the money in your bank account, should you comply? Should nothing at all be done about stolen property? And if not, why do Anabaptists vehemently defend a strict literal reading of the preceding verses regarding nonresistance but not for this?

I assume you're asking in good faith. If i was to respond to each one

"should christians give to anyone who asks"
yes

"if someone asks for all your money, do you give it all"
no

"why do anabaptists defend literal readings of some verses but not this one?"
Because we dont literally take every single word literally, we take most of the commands of jesus literally. What we dont or do take literally is up to interpretation and differs from one group to another.

Giving to anyone who asks and not giving literally all my money on request is somewhat of a contradiction, but im comfortable holding this contradiction.

Palindrome wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 10:55 pm

barnhart wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 9:53 pm

Palindrome wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2026 7:20 pm Should Christians really give to absolutely anyone who asks? If someone were to genuinely ask for all the money in your bank account, should you comply? Should nothing at all be done about stolen property? And if not, why do Anabaptists vehemently defend a strict literal reading of the preceding verses regarding nonresistance but not for this?

The passage does not say "give all the money in your bank account." There are many things you can give, perhaps the hardest is time and attention. It's easier to throw change and walk on.

But they say to give to the one who asks. If someone earnestly asks me for $1,000 and that was all the money I had in the world, why would it be okay to deny him that? If we arbitrarily choose the amount we want in order to satisfy the qualifications of "giving," what's stopping us from merely giving a penny to everyone who asks for money? Anabaptists take the passages on nonresistance to the extreme conclusion of turning the other cheek even if it means death, so why isn't that continued with giving to those who ask of us even if it means complete poverty?

No beggar I have ever interacted with has earnestly asked me for all the money in my bank account.
"There were seven brothers..."

Most just ask me for a dollar.

I say no, because I believe the intention of their heart isn’t to actually ask for a dollar.

The right answer to this is that a group of Christians should be a community of goods, and so the answer when asked for personal possessions is “I have none to give, but you may come to our assembly and make your needs known and ask there.”