Well, it’s not really money. It’s the ‘love of money’ that is the root cause of evil in the world. You can find an explanation to this in Timothy 6:10. So, the intentions behind gambling is what really matter. There are many who think that gambling is a quick and easy way to make money in casino and online casino. Then there are others, for whom, it’s a source of entertainment.

You also need to know a third category here. They’re the addicted. The ones who fall in this category are those who covet money. They give themselves to evil in a way. Such individuals might end up destroying themselves and causing a great deal of harm to their families.

Gambling for fundraisers

Consider Matthew 7:16. It says that you shall know them by their fruits. It’s a known fact that some of the churches use lotteries and bingo to raise money for charity. Many Christians who are conservative don’t approve any kind of gambling. Whether it’s flipping a coin, slot machine, horse racing, or lotteries, they frown upon such activities.

There are two arguments frequently advanced in the favor of lottery and gambling. One is the creation of jobs or employment and the other is revenue. Tom Dewey had something interesting to say about this when he addressed the New York legislature. This was during his days as the governor. According to what he said in his address, legalized gambling had brought with it a lot of social ills.

They were crime, corruption, poverty, and degradation of moral and ethical standards. This had resulted in misery and a lower living standard for everyone. So, one needs to be careful about such activities. You can easily fall prey to addiction while gambling for pastime. This is just like someone drinking alcohol occasionally, but gradually becoming addicted to liquor.

When does gambling become a sin?

Now, let’s examine 1 Corinthians 6:9,10. It talks about the thieves, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, and the swindlers. According to 1 Corinthians 6:9,10, these are the people who’ll not inherit the kingdom of God. When it comes to gambling, there are two types of people who would be sinners. They are the greedy and the thieves.

The ones who fall under the category of the former are those who covet money. Because of their greed, they might end up losing all their money and causing trouble to their family. Then there are others who use money that’s not their own for gambling. Such individuals are no less than thieves. So, these are the two possible categories of people who can be called sinners.

With regards to many of the other types of people who gamble, there’s still a debate. There was something important that Governor Washburn of Wisconsin said in one of his speeches. At one point, he said that acquiring money or property without labor was not morally correct.

The post What the Bible Has to Say About Gambling appeared first on thebaptistpage.net.

1. New American Standard Bible

It carries the reputation of the ‘most accurate’ Bible translation in English today. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) first came out in 1963. In the year 1995, its most recent edition was available to the public. NASB is also the most literal world-for-word translation. This means, you’ll find it the most difficult to read when compared to the other word-for-word translations.

2. King James Version

It was the only English version of the Bible that people read for many years. This is the reason why it is one of the extremely popular word-for-word Bible translations. You might be curious to know why it carries the name King James Version. In the year 1604, England’s King James I commissioned a new Bible translation.

It was to be based upon the Textus Receptus. This was because the critical text associated with all the other modern translations were not discovered back then. More than 45 Bible scholars from the Church of England were a part of the translation work. The King James Version or KJV was complete in 1611.

3. New King James Version

If you’ve liked King James Version of the Bible but need a more modern feel, this is worth reading. The year 1975 saw the beginning of the work on New King James Version or NKJV. For updating the grammar and vocabulary of the original King James Version, 130 Bible scholars worked on the project.

At the same time, they also wanted to preserve the literary beauty and classic style of the original. While working on NKJV, they didn’t lose their faithfulness towards the Textus Receptus text. It also had The Dead Sea Scrolls.

4. English Standard Version

Another extremely popular choice for the word-for-word Bible translation is the English Standard Version or ESV. If you wish to buy a literal translation of the Bible, this version seems quite promising. However, it’s not so different from the New American Standard Bible.

One of the distinctive features of this version is that it uses a gender-neutral language. It was originally published in 2001 as a revision of the Revised Standard Version or RSV. There was a revision of about 6% of the text during the creation of ESV.

5. Amplified Bible

The intention behind creating this word-for-word translation of the Bible was to amplify the text. It had alternate readings with explanations for helping the reader understand what the scripture truly said. The Amplified Bible was published during the mid-1960s.

It was largely a revision of the American Standard Version, which came out in 1901. In its translation, the Amplified Bible uses critical text as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

6. Interlinear Bible

This version of the Bible doesn’t have translations into understandable English from Bible scholars. Instead, it’s simply a direct word-for-word translation of the original Bible into English. The original Bible can be in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek.

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These tools are not only beneficial in understanding the Bible but they also help you teach it to others. Let’s say you’re a parent who wants to teach the Bible to your children. In this case, these tools will help you in providing explanations and clearing their doubts. So, let’s see what are those essential tools you need for Bible studies:

1. Internet

This is one tool that’s extremely necessary in the world that we live in today. You’ll have many biblical websites that help you in studying the Bible. Through such websites, you’ll have access to thousands of trustworthy resources. As technology has evolved to a great extent in recent times, you can access the internet through your smartphone.

So, you need not worry even if you’re traveling to a certain geographical location. Even while you travel, you can access these sites using your mobile data or Wi-Fi.

2. Bible dictionary

You can use Bible dictionary to research the cultural context and historical background. It’s usually in the form of an encyclopedia. There are short articles in it that are arranged in an alphabetical order. It can be used as a reliable resource to learn about people and places.

A Bible dictionary will also tell you the meaning of a word or phrase that was used in those times. Sometimes, you may find it difficult to find a particular word. In such situations, you can identify the category which the word has an association with.

3. Bible background commentary

In order to understand the cultural background of the Bible verses, you’ll need a Bible background commentary. Every book of the Bible will have a chapter listed in the order of the book. The chapter would begin with a section that covers the date, authorship, purpose, setting, and genre.

As you read further, it will take you through the book section after section. At times, you may need to be careful while distinguishing between interpretation and background information.

4. Concordance

Concordances seem like telephone books. You’ll find each biblical word in bold and then there are instances that use the word. If you’re not able to find the scriptural reference for a word, look up in the English Bible version. A concordance is an excellent tool for finding cross-references.

You can determine where else the author has used a certain word. It’s also useful for looking up the meaning of original Greek or Hebrew.

5. Maps

In many of the narratives of the Bible, you miss the significance of the story because you don’t recognize the place. This is why you need maps. They’re truly priceless as they help you in locating the places and understanding distances. You can also use maps to perceive the relation between them. Some books of Bible maps are compact and include background material as well.

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