I don’t think that text means what you say it does: Responding to Christopher Wickland (part 2)

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In my previous post I mentioned Christopher Wickland’s use of 1 Timothy 5:8 to argue a supposedly Biblical case for putting limits on our welcome to asylum seekers and immigrants.  Now, there is of course wisdom in not going beyond your capacity and so absolutely, a government can’t seek to care for others whilst neglecting care of its own population.  However, first of all,  we are a long way from that.  That’s why I spent the previous article fact checking Wickland’s claims about the state of affairs in the UK. Claiming to be a prophet or a preacher doesn’t exclude you from fact checking, indeed, it should increase the burden of responsibility on you for truthfulness and accuracy.  Wickland is simply wrong in his claims.  That’s not to say that there won’t be economic turbulence ahead.  Indeed, the big question is more to do with given the nature of the 2008 crash,very did we not see the predicted 1930s level depression. 

More importantly still, claiming to be a prophet does not excuse you from the need for correct Bible handling. So what is 1 Timothy 5:8 actually about? Well, if you are familiar with the context, then you will recognise it as part  of  Paul’s instructions on the care of widows.  Before a widow could be put on the list for support from the church, it had to be shown that she did not have believing relatives, children and grandchildren who could support her and that she was not still at a stage in life where she could work and provide for herself

The text therefore is simply arguing that the church should only step in as the wider household of those who did not have a household. It is not an argument for helping yourself and immediate family before helping others. It certainly has nothing to do with the responsibility of the state for its citizens and foreign nationals

Wickland has taken a verse out of context, misinterpreted it and then misapplied it to support an argument it is not there to support. Unfortunately this misinterpretation and misapplication of Scripture is becoming a habit among Christian Nationalists.