Queen of Swords

A family friend recently lent $5000 to a fundamentalist mutual acquaintance who asked for it "prayerfully" and said that it would be repaid. The first payment was $1000, the second $500 and there have been neither subsequent payments nor communications to explain the delay (it's been two years since the loan). I was asked if I could find any bible verses which addressed the topic of ingratitude, in order to persuade the defaulter to pay up.

The clincher? He's the guy who converted me to fundamentalist christianity. I really want to find those verses now. The problem is that I've been searching two online bibles (one is from crosswalk.com) and all they come up with is the topic of man's ingratitude to God. Isn't there anything about ingratitude between people? Or something about returning whatever you borrow?

Verses like this one don't help.

Perhaps in the Old Testament? I was thinking of "Render unto Caesar's" - is that the closest the bible comes to "give back what you take"?

HelenM

I think you can be more direct than looking up verses about ingratitude. It says this in the New Testament:

Romans 13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law

Also you could read:

Biblical Principles of Borrowing

(Or print it and send it to him )

Helen

Queen of Swords

Thanks so much, Helen. I wonder if this guy has read any of those verses?

The family friend found it hard to believe that I, an atheist, could help out regarding the bible.

Old Man

Strange conception of "fundamentalist Christianity". Are you sure that you / he are not kidding yourselves?

HelenM

It sounds like you're undoing some of his unwarranted preconceptions, which is a good thing, imo

Helen

Queen of Swords

Originally posted by Old Man
Strange conception of "fundamentalist Christianity". Are you sure that you / he are not kidding yourselves?

Please describe your standards of "fundamentalist Christianity" and ways in which I/he can check to see if we are kidding ourselves.

Old Man

A major precept is that a fundamentalist Christian ought to "love his neighbor as he loves himself". Not repaying a loan on time is not loving one's neighbor as oneself. Therefore, he is not a fundamentalist Christian by definition.

On other matters, I've no idea what he presumed to teach you so cannot comment.

HelenM

Are you saying that no-one is a fundamental Christian unless they perfectly obey everything the Bible says?

In that case no fundamentalist Christians exist, right?

But I thought salvation wasn't based on works. Do you believe it is based on works?

Helen

Old Man

There are degrees of non-conformity. There is the attitude "I am sorry, I can't pay I don't have the money - please hold on for a while" - that approach would entitle you to retain "fundamentalist Christian" definition.

The attitude of simply forgetting to repay the loan would certainly be a sin, which needs repenting of before one can continue to retain the "fundamentalist Christian" definition.

And yes, salvation is based on faith, and faith is belief lived out in works.

Rev 20;13 "And every man was judged according to his works".

HelenM

Yes but read on:

Rev 20:13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

So actually, all that matters is whether one's name is written in the book of life, according to this passage.

Helen