Is Gambling wrong, another look at it?

[Bryan Cotton]

I'm not talking gambling to become rich over night or obtaining riches without laboring for it. I'm talking stuff like playing bingo with a couple of bucks to play and winner gets a hundred bucks...if that. That's not riches.

Or say a football pool at work. Your not going to get rich off a football pool, but some may find that exciting.

please note: I only play bingo with my family for laughs not money and I don't get involed with football pools. So please, don't address your responses as if I do these things.

[Brother Jason]

Personally, I think you go too far either way when it comes to gambling. Some would say it's ok in any form, and that leads to hungry kids and poverty, and others say that in no way is it ok. I find no scripture that says all gambling is sin. So I'm assuming if your bills are paid and your kids are fed, you have given money to the kingdom of God, a bolt of lightening is not going to fall out of the sky and shoot you down if you play bingo.

But myself, I don't gamble. Just personally.

[iamjcs]

Mt. 25:14-28 (NIV)
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' 21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' 23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. -- The Bible does not specify HOW they did this exactly, but it was a gamble, wether gambling or not.
These 2 were praised by their master while the man given 1 talent that did nothing to try to increase it was rebuked.

[kellyc]

i am not sure that particular passage is about gambling. the two 'good' servants earned the extra money. gambling is risking money for entertainment. the bible warns against counting on luck or chance. for some people gambling represents how much they love money, and want more and more of it. i think a small game of bingo is probably not the same 'get rich quick' idea.

[Bryan Cotton]

the bible warns against counting on luck or chance

I think that's what I'm looking for. Can you give me the scripture(s) on that?


... for some people gambling represents how much they love money, and want more and more of it. i think a small game of bingo is probably not the same 'get rich quick' idea.

I tend to agree with that whole statement. BUT, is it possible to not love money, but just want more of it to do be able to pay for more or buy more or whatever? I don't love food, but I don't mind having more of it. I don't love shoes, but I'd love to have more of them.

Can gambling be a source of entertainment were if you lose, you still have fun and if you win, then that's just the bonus?

[iamjcs]

Definitions of gamble according to www.merriam-webster.com (http://www.merriam-webster.com)

intransitive verb
1 a: to play a game for money or property
b: to bet on an uncertain outcome
2: to stake something on a contingency : take a chance

transitive verb
1: to risk by gambling : wager
2: venture , hazard

Though to gamble can mean "to play a game for money or property", it can mean a number of other things instead.

[Wade Smith]

Mt. 25:14-28 (NIV)
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' 21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' 23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. -- The Bible does not specify HOW they did this exactly, but it was a gamble, wether gambling or not.
These 2 were praised by their master while the man given 1 talent that did nothing to try to increase it was rebuked.


Read the entire parable.

Jesus is not teaching on money, though he used an example of money to teach.

"The 5 foolish virgins" are the same as the "unprofitable servant" and the same as the "goats".

Even though one of the parables used money as an example, the passage actually has nothing to do with money. Jesus is preaching on being steadfast and living for God and "get up and DO something for God". As James said, "Faith without works is dead."

It isn't proper to take a parable that has already been interpreted by literal interpreation or by another parable, and then try to apply that parable to some other situation. This is why the prosperity message is so fake, because the "parable of the sower" has nothing whatsoever to do with money, but rather the Word of God.

In the parable of the servants and their talents, the "Talents" that each of the three men started with represent the Word of God and "Gifts of the Spirit". The Talents they "earned" represent souls they lead to Christ, as well as other good works. The one man hid his one talent, representative of a person who is ashamed of the testimony of Christ, and so, does nothing for Jesus.

====

To me, Gambling is a sin.

When you lose, at a casino or lottery you have effectively given money to a rich person, and the Bible says, "He who robs from the poor and he who gives to the rich shall both come to lack."

[iamjcs]

Originally Posted by kellyc
the bible warns against counting on luck or chance
I think that's what I'm looking for.
Can you give me the scripture(s) on that?
Is this it?

Isaiah 65:11-16 (MSG.)
11 "But you who abandon me, your God, who forget the holy mountains, Who hold dinners for Lady Luck* and throw cocktail parties for Sir Fate*, 12 Well, you asked for it. Fate it will be: your destiny, Death. For when I invited you, you ignored me; when I spoke to you, you brushed me off. You did the very things I exposed as evil; you chose what I hate." 13 Therefore, this is the Message from the Master, God: "My servants will eat, and you'll go hungry; My servants will drink, and you'll go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, and you'll hang your heads. 14 My servants will laugh from full hearts, and you'll cry out heartbroken, yes, wail from crushed spirits. 15 Your legacy to my chosen will be your name reduced to a cussword. I, God, will put you to death and give a new name to my servants.

*KJV w/ Strong's says: Gad = "god of fortune", a Babylonian deity

[kellyc]

this also might be of help in answering your question

http://www.gotquestions.org/gambling-sin.html

[Wade Smith]

This reminds me of the practice of "Casting lots" to try to determine what God want's a person to do.


Several years ago, I had a question about something, and my mother told me to write numbers and roll some dice and trust God to tell me the right answer.

This was one time that I absolutely KNEW she was wrong. I know that God can and does give us "signs", but that it is best just to wait for him to Speak to us.


Well, a few months ago, I had this thing bothering me, and for whatever reason, I said, "Forget it, I'm going to try that dice thing, but I know its just not right..."

Well, I only had two options anyway, but I wasn't going to "cheat God" so I made an option for "neither/doesn't matter" and also said, "Well Lord, if you want to rebuke me for doing this, then let it be a 4, 5, or 6, with the six being the strongest rebuke."

So to make a long story short. I rolled that die out of my hand and it goes "Plack!" right on the table, didn't even slide, much less bounce.

It was a 6, "The Lord rebuke you for casting lots!"

I was never so relieved to be rebuked in all my life, I said, "Well, I thought so Lord," then I went and got on my face before the Lord and started repenting.

And then there comes that still small voice and he says, "Behold I am with you always, even until the end of the age," and then, "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten."

Oh Praise God that he chose the 6, the strongest rebuke, because that means he truly loves me in spite of my folly!

===

Will God answer when you cast lots?

Yes. But the scripture says, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord your God."

It is therefore preferable not to do it, but to wait on God to speak directly.


Similarly, gambling is just wrong.

[Bryan Cotton]

Is this it?
Isaiah 65:11-16 (MSG.)

While I don't have an exact scripture in mind, I was looking for something to address counting on luck or chance. Maybe I missed something but this passage did not do that for me

this also might be of help in answering your question

I did go to the link you supplied. Nice information on gambling. I'm more so trying to hit on something like playing bingo for a $2 entry fee and the winner gets like 100 or 200 dollars.


Similarly, gambling is just wrong.

Samson told a riddle to 30 companions. He told them if they guess the riddle, he would give them 30 sheets and 30 change of garments. But if they couldn't guess it, then they would have to give him the 30 sheets and 30 change of garments. (from Judges 14:12-13)
NOW HAT sounds like gambling. Samson had plenty of sheet and changes of garments, so it wasn't going to add a whole bunch to what he already had. To me, it seems like in the midste of a Feast he was like "yo, lets have some fun, lets make a little wager on something."
Not only did God NOT rebuke Samson, But when the 30 companions cheated by telling Samsons wife to ask samson the meaning of the riddle so they could when the riddle guessing game, but:

Judges 14:19 And the spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle.
I'd really like to get some takes on you guys on THAT situation