Word study: Extortion

[ahigherway]

Hi everyone!
A word came to me last night before falling asleep: "all will come."
Now some do not believe that God is able to love His enemies, or save them, either.
So I would like to look at a word which has much relevance with regard to eternal torment. This word is "extortion."

extortion (n.) "to obtain from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal power."
(Now before someone says, well that's just "Webster's" definition, and he isn't born again-- I'd like to say this: God gave us a brain for a purpose, and if we don't want to use it, then we probably should turn our computers off.)

Ok.
Does the Bible mention extortion? YES! I like the KJV, so I'll use it here, but if someone has a version which mentions it in a different place, add it here!

In the OT:
- "Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour." Psalm 109: 11
- "Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land." Isaiah 16:4
- "In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD." Ezek. 22:12

In the NT:
- "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess." Matt. 23:25
- "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." Luke 18:11
- "Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world." 1 Cor. 5:10
- "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." 1 Cor. 5:11
- "Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor. 6:10.

The first thing I noticed here, was that the Pharisees believe that they are not extortioners; Jesus says that they are!

Question: Would God use extortion in order to get people to follow Him? (It's implied that God "could" if He wanted to, since He's GOD.)
Does God threaten people with punishment so that they might "obey Him?" Is this consistent with the notion that God IS Love? Can love and extortion go hand-in-hand?

I think that most Christians would say that God is not an extortioner. Indeed, it seems that extortion is understood throughout scripture to be not a good thing. And not a fruit of the Spirit, either!

Blessings of God's Love to all here,
brian Just a small postscript:
as "extortion" means to intimidate, looking at the definition of "intimidate" and other synonyms may help us to understand the implications of the doctrine of eternal torment.

intimidate: to make timid or fearful; frighten.

browbeat: to intimidate or disconcert by a stern manner or arrogant speech.

bully (v) : to treat abusively; to affect by means of force or coercion.

bulldoze: to coerce or restrain by threats.

cow (v.) : to destroy the resolve or courage of. To "cow" implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost. (It's interesting what God tells us in Isaiah 57: "For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made." It seems here, that if God stays angry, His Spirit suffers. This is in agreement with the fact that Love "is not resentful." God cannot stay angry forever. Whether there is a "punishment" or not, He does not let anger overcome Him.)

Food for thought...

 

[Thesavorofpan]

You make a good point, but the original idea for the Pharisee's where to be a holy priest of God, but over time the people who became Pharisee's let get to their head thinking that. Hey look at me I'm pharisee's and thought they were better then everyone else. You also have to understand that Jesus called the Pharisee's sinner's, because they fell so far from their original purpose.

 

[Misty]

If Christian fundamentalists are correct and only the so called 'saved' go to heaven and the rest to hell, God would be a very evil entity indeed.

 

[kejos]

If Christian fundamentalists are correct and only the so called 'saved' go to heaven and the rest to hell

All mainstream denominations are 'fundamentalist' under this definition.

 

[kejos]

You make a good point, but the original idea for the Pharisee's where to be a holy priest of God, but over time the people who became Pharisee's let get to their head thinking that. Hey look at me I'm pharisee's and thought they were better then everyone else. You also have to understand that Jesus called the Pharisee's sinner's, because they fell so far from their original purpose.

The Pharisees were never officially appointed; like many since them, they appointed themselves. They were not priests, who were appointed. Pharisees were not necessarily considered all evil by Jesus- Gamaliel was a probable exception.

 

[Duck]

Hi everyone!
A word came to me last night before falling asleep: "all will come."
Now some do not believe that God is able to love His enemies, or save them, either.
So I would like to look at a word which has much relevance with regard to eternal torment. This word is "extortion."

extortion (n.) "to obtain from a person by force, intimidation, or undue or illegal power."
(Now before someone says, well that's just "Webster's" definition, and he isn't born again-- I'd like to say this: God gave us a brain for a purpose, and if we don't want to use it, then we probably should turn our computers off.)

Ok.
Does the Bible mention extortion? YES! I like the KJV, so I'll use it here, but if someone has a version which mentions it in a different place, add it here!

In the OT:
- "Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour." Psalm 109: 11
- "Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land." Isaiah 16:4
- "In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD." Ezek. 22:12

In the NT:
- "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess." Matt. 23:25
- "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican." Luke 18:11
- "Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world." 1 Cor. 5:10
- "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat." 1 Cor. 5:11
- "Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor. 6:10.

The first thing I noticed here, was that the Pharisees believe that they are not extortioners; Jesus says that they are!

Question: Would God use extortion in order to get people to follow Him? (It's implied that God "could" if He wanted to, since He's GOD.)
Does God threaten people with punishment so that they might "obey Him?" Is this consistent with the notion that God IS Love? Can love and extortion go hand-in-hand?

I think that most Christians would say that God is not an extortioner. Indeed, it seems that extortion is understood throughout scripture to be not a good thing. And not a fruit of the Spirit, either!

Blessings of God's Love to all here,
brian Just a small postscript:
as "extortion" means to intimidate, looking at the definition of "intimidate" and other synonyms may help us to understand the implications of the doctrine of eternal torment.

intimidate: to make timid or fearful; frighten.

browbeat: to intimidate or disconcert by a stern manner or arrogant speech.

bully (v) : to treat abusively; to affect by means of force or coercion.

bulldoze: to coerce or restrain by threats.

cow (v.) : to destroy the resolve or courage of. To "cow" implies reduction to a state where the spirit is broken or all courage is lost. (It's interesting what God tells us in Isaiah 57: "For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made." It seems here, that if God stays angry, His Spirit suffers. This is in agreement with the fact that Love "is not resentful." God cannot stay angry forever. Whether there is a "punishment" or not, He does not let anger overcome Him.)

Food for thought...

So, the question really comes down to whether or not you believe that non-believers go either to "hell" or to "the outer darkness" etc. If that is the case, then yes, your god IS an extortioner and condemned by his own holy book. 'Convert or die' or if you prefer 'convert or burn in hell after death {which my followers may or may not hasten out of 'love' for you}' is very much the language of the extorter, also known as a protection racket. You know, what the mafia does 'It would be a shame if something happened to your lovely business, we could make sure nothing happens if you contribute to our affairs'.

And, no, love and extortion cannot go hand in hand, except in the minds of those in co-dependent relationships with their abusers. Oddly, one could read this in personality of god throughout the bible as well.

 

[ahigherway]

So, the question really comes down to whether or not you believe that non-believers go either to "hell" or to "the outer darkness" etc. If that is the case, then yes, your god IS an extortioner and condemned by his own holy book. 'Convert or die' or if you prefer 'convert or burn in hell after death {which my followers may or may not hasten out of 'love' for you}' is very much the language of the extorter, also known as a protection racket. You know, what the mafia does 'It would be a shame if something happened to your lovely business, we could make sure nothing happens if you contribute to our affairs'.

And, no, love and extortion cannot go hand in hand, except in the minds of those in co-dependent relationships with their abusers. Oddly, one could read this in personality of god throughout the bible as well.

Yes; in fact, I believe that God has redeemed ALL mankind through Jesus Christ, every man in his own order.
Paul and the early church never preached hell, neither is it found in the epistles except regarding the "angels" who have fallen.
Makes one think..

Blessings!
brian