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| From Ralph Drollinger |
Ralph Drollinger is a strong believer that God has a plan for man and society, and that He has made certain institutions within society for specific purposes. It is not only useful to observe these institutions and discover God’s underlying purposes for creating them, but it is also worthwhile to use these societal features as a basis to teach about the Scripture and what it has to say about man and his relations towards fellow men.
There are three Catch-Basins or societal safety nets that can be found in today’s world:
Individuals
As 2 Thessalonians 3: 6-12 explains, God has already assigned a primary caretaker in providing people with life’s basic necessities: the individual. Ralph Drollinger elaborates with “If anyone will not work, neither let them eat” as stated by verse 1o. Proverbs also has a verse which states, “Poor is he who works with a negligent hand, But the hand of the diligent makes the rich.”
The Ministries has a strong belief in the individual working to provide for himself and others. James 1: 27 reinforces this fact with further proof that there is a contextual need for the individual to help those in need. God has therefore designed society in such a way that the individual must be the primary provider for the needy, both for the self and those with legitimate inability to do so for their selves.
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| From Ralph Drollinger |
Ralph Drollinger says that the New Testament’s most telling passage in this matter is 1 Timothy 5: 3-16, which refers to the “pecking-order” of where the responsibility falls when it comes to taking care of others. It confirms that for a believer to be unable to take care of those in need within his own family makes the transgression much worse.
Galatians 6:10 adds, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Thus it is made clear that the institution of marriage and family affirms that it is incumbent upon members of the family to care for one another.
The Church
According to Acts 6:1-16, the “believing widows” as according to 1 Timothy 5 (therefore could be taken to cover all those with legitimate inability to care for themselves) would be cared for by the Church, God’s third intended basin of care. Ralph Drollinger adds that the Church is meant to be the instrument to end poverty as opposed to expecting the State or civil government to do it—there is a significant lack of support in the Bible towards such a notion.
More Bible Studies from Ralph Drollinger and Capitol Ministries can be found at www.capmin.org.
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| From Ralph Drollinger |
