Going by what Christ said in the book of Matthew 19:24....."....it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.(NIV)
....
Since it is practically impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, can we now conclude that the rich pastors(bling-bling pastors, private jet pastors, grammarian pastors, Limousine pastors, billion-dollar pastors, etc), would not enter the Promised Kingdom?


Christian scholars and MOG in the house. Please do justice

Matthew 19:24. Mark 10:24

AquaPetals:
Going by what Christ said in the book of Matthew 19:24....."....it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.(NIV)
....
Since it is practically impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, can we now conclude that the rich pastors(bling-bling pastors, private jet pastors, grammarian pastors, Limousine pastors, billion-dollar pastors, etc), would not enter the Promised Kingdom?


Christian scholars and MOG in the house. Please do justice

They don't need to enter the kingdom . They are in the kingdom.

Yes, they will if they OBEY the Word of God and walk in Holiness and preach it.

1Timothy 6:17
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in theliving God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;18That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate;19Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

I have rich pastors in my Church whose desire is spending millions of evangelism works, crusades and other projects. Great is their reward in heaven. And that is because they have a good teacher/mentor. THE G.O of THE LORD'S CHOSEN CHARISMATIC REVIVAL MOVEMENT.

Just getting the hang of nairaland so apologies if I get things wrong. The eye of a needle was a smaller gate within or next to the main entrance of the cities main entrance. During the day, the city had its main gates open for trade and traffic. As the night time approached, the main gates were closed and the eye of the needle was then out into use. Camels being large animals with heavy loads would have to be stripped off their loads and tactically pulled through at some discomfort to the animal. It would have to stoop so low, similar to when they have to bend low to pick up passengers (watch videos of tourist etc mounting camels). It wasn't impossible, however it was uncomfortable and the camel had to be stripped of all it's goods and weight to be able to gain entry. A perfect example would be the small gate within the large gate of most Nigerian houses. Getting a camel in through the large gate won't be a problem, however if a camel arrives at 1am in the morning when the main gate is closed and only the small gate is open, it'll take more effort to get it through. You'll have to strip it off any extra weight and luggage before it stands a chance.
.hope this helps with the eye of the needle.

Regarding preachers etc, it's a different case as this falls more into the category of the parable of the sower, where the deceitfulness of riches. Ref mat 13:22

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Matthew 13:22 KJV

Unfortunately the modern Pentecostal church is one that is built on a doctrine which needs trimming, that it might bear more fruit. Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24 KJV.

If there is one impossibility with the believer, it's serving God and money. No one places money on a table and worships it, but our acts show its mastery and lordship over us when we unknowingly make it a God. The preachers all start off well and in order to belong in the current group of ministers, they welcome what I call the prosperity gospel, with the hope that if can be balanced. Eventually it lords over them and people can no longer recognise the preacher they once knew. Fulfilling Jesus words that you will eventually love one and despise the other. Most who follow this aspect of the modern gospel do not even know where it came from. It was pushed mostly by the late Oral Roberts. Roberts prior to his date had both his children kicked off the board of orao Roberts University (ORU), for financial misappropriation and mismanagement of funds. Prior to his death, ORU was over $53 million USD in debt and he had to sell it. It was sold to Texas billionaire Mart Green bought it off Roberts. Roberts asked that the man only grants one favour, i.e. not to change the name for posterity, to which green agreed.

AquaPetals:
Going by what Christ said in the book of Matthew 19:24....."....it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.(NIV)
....
Since it is practically impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, can we now conclude that the rich pastors(bling-bling pastors, private jet pastors, grammarian pastors, Limousine pastors, billion-dollar pastors, etc), would not enter the Promised Kingdom?


Christian scholars and MOG in the house. Please do justice

I don't know which devil made Nigerians believe that heaven is for poor people.

Poverty doesn't guarantee heaven for you neither does wealth equal to hell.

Your deeds and God's mercy guarantees your place.

The poor need to wake up and change this deceptive mindset else they wallow in self pity/deceit until they find themselves in hell.

Yes, a good man or pastor whether rich or poor will make heaven

AquaPetals:
Going by what Christ said in the book of Matthew 19:24....."....it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.(NIV)
....
Since it is practically impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, can we now conclude that the rich pastors(bling-bling pastors, private jet pastors, grammarian pastors, Limousine pastors, billion-dollar pastors, etc), would not enter the Promised Kingdom?


Christian scholars and MOG in the house. Please do justice

There will be no Pastors in Heaven..

Is wealth sin? Of course not. If being wealthy is sin, then why did God bless lots of biblical men? People like Jacob (Isreal), Job, Joseph, etc. These people were richly blessed and they still had a good relationship with God.
Bible says the Lord blesses richly and adds no sorrow to it, as long as the wealth is from God, the grace to control it and still live right with God would always be there, unless the person decides to go astray and allow the wealth enter his head and lives in sin. If a Christian is very rich and he helps the needy from his wealth, while enjoying his wealth and keeps God's commandments, he would make heaven.

Having wealth is not sin, however the accumulation of richest the expense of others and at any cost even when against the statutes of a good God are wrong. The current church set up which by the way has only swung into full force within the last 70 years worships mammon. Every promise minus that of salvation is linked to seed sowing with twisted scriptures like money answers all things used to justify it. From seeking for the fruit of the womb, Pay rise, salvation of lived ones, sow that seed is the line for the day. It took Martin Luther eternally banishing the doctrine of salvation by seed for that aspect to be kept away from modern teachings. They can't add direct sakavfion of a soul to seed sowing for instance and hence them asking people who are believing for God to save their loved ones, husband's etc to try God with a seed. The system as I explained was pushed by the late oral Roberts who sadly lost it all.

LilMissFavvy:
Is wealth sin? Of course not. If being wealthy is sin, then why did God bless lots of biblical men? People like Jacob (Isreal), Job, Joseph, etc. These people were richly blessed and they still had a good relationship with God.
Bible says the Lord blesses richly and adds no sorrow to it, as long as the wealth is from God, the grace to control it and still live right with God would always be there, unless the person decides to go astray and allow the wealth enter his head and lives in sin. If a Christian is very rich and he helps the needy from his wealth, while enjoying his wealth and keeps God's commandments, he would make heaven.

We still have good good churches.

salesman82:
Having wealth is not sin, however the accumulation of richest the expense of others and at any cost even when against the statutes of a good God are wrong. The current church set up which by the way has only swung into full force within the last 70 years worships mammon. Every promise minus that of salvation is linked to seed sowing with twisted scriptures like money answers all things used to justify it. From seeking for the fruit of the womb, Pay rise, salvation of lived ones, sow that seed is the line for the day. It took Martin Luther eternally banishing the doctrine of salvation by seed for that aspect to be kept away from modern teachings. They can't add direct sakavfion of a soul to seed sowing for instance and hence them asking people who are believing for God to save their loved ones, husband's etc to try God with a seed. The system as I explained was pushed by the late oral Roberts who sadly lost it all.

Yes @ good churches but just about a handful. The main system of Pentecostalism as we have it now is tainted and worships mammon. It's a system of abuse of the vulnerable. Trust me I've seen it at levels almost all of this forum combined won't have access to see in fifty life times. I do believe that there will be a pruning, that the vine may go on to produce abundant of fruits.

LilMissFavvy:
We still have good good churches.

AquaPetals:

Going by what Christ said in the book of Matthew 19:24....."....it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.(NIV)
....
Since it is practically impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, can we now conclude that the rich pastors(bling-bling pastors, private jet pastors, grammarian pastors, Limousine pastors, billion-dollar pastors, etc), would not enter the Promised Kingdom?


Christian scholars and MOG in the house. Please do justice

Whenever Jesus open his mouth the words protruding out are proverbial and in most cases symbolic {Matthew 13:13} that's why most readers of the Bible failed to grasp the man's message!

There were rich men like Nicodemus, Joseph Arimathea, Cornelius, Zacchaeus and many more who were very rich among Jesus' followers back then. For instance Jesus taught his followers that they will have families in all the earth, though it sounds strange to Jesus' friends who are Jews (a highly racist nation) but Jesus proved it by his actions. He asked them to go and untie a donkey and during the passover Jesus used a furnished apartment to mark the passover with his disciples, both donkey and furnished apartment belongs to rich disciples of Jesus that are not known to his Apostles.

So what is the import of Jesus' statement found at Matthew 19:24?

"Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to get through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.”


There are two categories of RICH people that Jesus is talking about here.

The first are individuals who have better understanding of God's word but kept it to themselves while their neighbours are suffering and perishing due to lack of understanding of God's word. Such people may choose to be so because they want to remain relevant before everyone as people do revere such ones and hold them in high esteem with prestigious religious titles. Therefore they will only dish out what they feel in order not to equipped others around them so that they will be revered as knowledgeable all the time. Luke 16:19-21
So they're rich spiritually speaking but stingy or WICKED as they don't want others to become knowledgeable like them, in reality they make unrighteous material gains through the ignorance of their neighbours, instead of making disciples for Christ they turned their neighbours to misinformed Churchgoers due to their own greed! Matthew 25:18, 25


The second category of rich people Jesus talked about may have material possessions physically or poor materially speaking but in their hearts all what they think of is riches. So their thinking and outlook on all matters will become thwarted always because of what they made the priority in their lives: RICHES Matthew 6:19-23

Both categories can never see the kingdom of God because even if they're opportuned to meet Jesus one on one instead of clinging to him their love for riches will hinder them! Luke 18:18-23 compare to Matthew 26:14-16


God bless you and may you have PEACE!

True

salesman82:
Just getting the hang of nairaland so apologies if I get things wrong. The eye of a needle was a smaller gate within or next to the main entrance of the cities main entrance. During the day, the city had its main gates open for trade and traffic. As the night time approached, the main gates were closed and the eye of the needle was then out into use. Camels being large animals with heavy loads would have to be stripped off their loads and tactically pulled through at some discomfort to the animal. It would have to stoop so low, similar to when they have to bend low to pick up passengers (watch videos of tourist etc mounting camels). It wasn't impossible, however it was uncomfortable and the camel had to be stripped of all it's goods and weight to be able to gain entry. A perfect example would be the small gate within the large gate of most Nigerian houses. Getting a camel in through the large gate won't be a problem, however if a camel arrives at 1am in the morning when the main gate is closed and only the small gate is open, it'll take more effort to get it through. You'll have to strip it off any extra weight and luggage before it stands a chance.
.hope this helps with the eye of the needle.

Regarding preachers etc, it's a different case as this falls more into the category of the parable of the sower, where the deceitfulness of riches. Ref mat 13:22

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Matthew 13:22 KJV

Unfortunately the modern Pentecostal church is one that is built on a doctrine which needs trimming, that it might bear more fruit. Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Matthew 6:24 KJV.

If there is one impossibility with the believer, it's serving God and money. No one places money on a table and worships it, but our acts show its mastery and lordship over us when we unknowingly make it a God. The preachers all start off well and in order to belong in the current group of ministers, they welcome what I call the prosperity gospel, with the hope that if can be balanced. Eventually it lords over them and people can no longer recognise the preacher they once knew. Fulfilling Jesus words that you will eventually love one and despise the other. Most who follow this aspect of the modern gospel do not even know where it came from. It was pushed mostly by the late Oral Roberts. Roberts prior to his date had both his children kicked off the board of orao Roberts University (ORU), for financial misappropriation and mismanagement of funds. Prior to his death, ORU was over $53 million USD in debt and he had to sell it. It was sold to Texas billionaire Mart Green bought it off Roberts. Roberts asked that the man only grants one favour, i.e. not to change the name for posterity, to which green agreed.

AquaPetals:
Going by what Christ said in the book of Matthew 19:24....."....it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.(NIV)
....
Since it is practically impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, can we now conclude that the rich pastors(bling-bling pastors, private jet pastors, grammarian pastors, Limousine pastors, billion-dollar pastors, etc), would not enter the Promised Kingdom?


Christian scholars and MOG in the house. Please do justice

Does that mean I have to be poor to make Heaven? No. The eye of a needle is not the needle we use to sew cloth, it is a small gate in Jerusalem. A camel can pass through the gate but a camel that is carrying load will find it very difficult to pass through it.

The Bible did not say money is evil, the Bible said the love of money is the root of all evil. Being rich is not the problem, the root of the money is the problem.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

I am not a saint myself, so I have no right to judge others.
Matthew 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

I can never take the position of God, it is God that appointed them, only Him can judge them.
Ephesians 4:11-12
11. He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

God does not allow anybody to criticize those that He appointed, God even punished Moses siblings, Miriam and Aaron because of Moses. Moses was not even happy that they were punished, he even begged God on their behalf.
(Number 12:1-15)
9. The anger of the Lord burned against them, and he left them".

Moses was wrong in the eyes of the people but not in the eyes of God but even if Moses was wrong in the eyes of God, God will not permit anybody to critize him. He will prefer to punish Moses on His own.

Who are my to criticize men of God?
Even Apostle Paul corrected himself when he criticized an High Priest unknowingly. Apostle Paul was saying the right, he would have been right if it was not an High Priest he was addressing.
Act 23:1-5
4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?
5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

AquaPetals:
Going by what Christ said in the book of Matthew 19:24....."....it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.(NIV)
....
Since it is practically impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, can we now conclude that the rich pastors(bling-bling pastors, private jet pastors, grammarian pastors, Limousine pastors, billion-dollar pastors, etc), would not enter the Promised Kingdom?


Christian scholars and MOG in the house. Please do justice

It depends on how you define rich? In a nearby verse Peter asked: Matthew 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? and Jesus said in verse 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.  If you receive the equivalent of a hundredfold of what you have given up for Christ on earth then you are rich and more importantly you inherit eternal life. When Jesus talked about the "rich" in Matthew 19:24 He referred to those who are rich in terms of earthly possessions but not rich towards GOD (Luke 12: 20-21). This was the case of the rich young ruler who could not trade his riches for eternal life because he did not desire to be rich towards GOD and it was rich people like this rich young ruler that Jesus spoke of in the verse you quoted (Matthew 19:16-23).

Jsaviour:
I don't know which devil made Nigerians believe that heaven is for poor people.

Poverty doesn't guarantee heaven for you neither does wealth equal to hell.

Your deeds and God's mercy guarantees your place.

The poor need to wake up and change this deceptive mindset else they wallow in self pity/deceit until they find themselves in hell.

Yes, a good man or pastor whether rich or poor will make heaven

"Yes, a good man or pastor whether rich or poor will make heaven
Poverty doesn't guarantee heaven for you neither does wealth equal to hell

So true...

AquaPetals:
Going by what Christ said in the book of Matthew 19:24....."....it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.(NIV)
....
Since it is practically impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, can we now conclude that the rich pastors(bling-bling pastors, private jet pastors, grammarian pastors, Limousine pastors, billion-dollar pastors, etc), would not enter the Promised Kingdom?


Christian scholars and MOG in the house. Please do justice

The disciples response to Jesus statement shows that they are not poor... and Jesus reply to them shows that rich people can get to heaven

*. Matthew 19 :24 " KJV:And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God .
25
KJV: When his disciples [b] heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, [b] saying, Who then can be saved?
26
KJV:But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible .

Rich men that you are greed and selfish are the ones that will find it difficult to make Heaven. Jesus was not encouraging poverty, he was simply preaching generosity. Being rich is a gift from God. It is not a sin to be rich but it is a sin to be greed and selfish. We are meant to save some money and give some to the poor, we are not meant to spend all our money on ourselves alone.
Matthew 25:35-45
44. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45. Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

The rich man in Luke 12:19-20 was very proud and selfish. He did not give glory to God and he was storing up possessions for himself alone, he did not give anything to the poor.

The rich man in Luke 16:19-22 was also very selfish, he could not even feed Lazarus, a poor man. He only permitted him to eat the crumb from his table which are meant for dogs.

The rich man in Luke 18:18-23 was also very selfish and he was even very boastful. He boasted of works, he explained how he kept all the laws from his youth but he did not talk about giving anything to the poor.
Matthew 22:37-40
37. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38. This is the first and great commandment.
39. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Nobody even has a right to boast of works because nobody deserves salvation. Jesus was the one that willingly laid down His life, so salvation is a gift not a wage for a workdone. Jesus looks at the heart. He was not the only man Jesus met. Jesus will have seen his heart before He gave Him that instruction. He did not actually trust God, he just wanted to make Heaven. Jesus gave him a simply assignment and he failed.

If he had faith in God, he would have carried out the assignment Jesus gave him but instead of trusting God, He doubted God, he must have thought God will forsake him after he has obeyed. Is it not the same God that gave him the money? God even promise never to forsake us, if he had obeyed, God would have not even forsaken him like he thought. God might have even decided to return to him seven folds of his possessions just like He returned that of Job. He was even deceiving himself, he was a rich man so it was easier for him to keep the law. satan decided to take away job money and tempt him because he thought Job was keeping the law because he was rich. Job is a good example of a faithful rich man.

This rich man in Luke 18:18-23 was simply keeping the law to make Heaven, he did not understand that God can not be deceived, if everybody in the world is rich, they might all decide to keep the law if they believe in God as well.

We can not even boast of our works because Jesus died for us more than 2,000 years ago before our existence, that was before we had the chance to do any works. Our works are just evidence of our salvation.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.