T4G 08- highlights - part 1: The Bookstore

[CripForChrist]

does Dejuan rap under the name TrueConvert? or is that just a nickname.

[BlackCalvinist]

That would be the same dude. He's good peeps.

[carryyocross]

I live in wake forest nc so I might have to go and visit those rocky mount churches those 3 guys were from, that is awesome how I came to these vids from the holy culture message board. I found something useful and enjoyed the video God is good all the time

[evethezealot]

where are the chicks?

[rpcnaEthan]

I want that"it's all greek to me shirt"!!! That was cool.

[BlackCalvinist]

I did think the shirts were overpriced, but the books were all decently priced for the most part. For example, I got Culver's Systematic theology for $37 - Amazon has it for $35, it retails for $49, though most prices are around $36-38.

[IndependentConserv]

T4G shirts, sold, for $35 a pop.

Would I be wrong to say there was peddling?

Did John Calvin charge for things written by his hand at a profit?

Did Spurgeon sell the text of his older sermons when he traveled somewhere to deliver a sermon?

I'm just wondering.

Not saying a minister should not be taken care of by his flock, but perhaps some of the sales prices are higher than need be for the sake of profit?  I thought honor for elders was about wages and donations, not breaking 2 Cor 2:17.

[jgrig2]

well to be fair a t-shit over priced is not the same thing as a book. A book is a resource while a t-shirt is for silliness and amusement. And Spurgeon sermons sold for like 15 cents back then. Calvin was very much into social justice though the biblical law of «he that does not work shall not eat» did still apply in Genève.

[IndependentConserv]

Can anyone name me one figure in scripture who re-sold manuscripts at a profit of anything they claimed to be the gospel?  In the full 66 books, did anybody sell for a profit anything claimed to be Word of God?

[BlackCalvinist]

Probably not in scripture. Then again, publication was all done manually back then, hence the amount of manuscripts we have left from the first 2-3 centuries. Things cost money.... we know that books were sold from bookstore dealers (guys with a tent open and rolls or codices of papyrus bound together) in the first century. So...eh. An elder writing a book and getting paid for it IS a part of his ministry - and scripture does say he should be paid for it.

[jgrig2]

Paul accepted financial gifts from the poor. But thats a really bad metaphor because the cost to print the Bible at that time would be equal to over a year's sallary of the average man. Charging a few bucks for a tshirt is hardly the same thing. Also because a t-shirt is not the inspired the word of God it is a trinquete.

[IndependentConserv]

Well I hope we all agree the T-shirt is nothing more than a peddled trinket. And I probably would not have jumped on the soapbox if not for that :-D .

Now with this other stuff. Sure it cost money to make it, sure a worker is worthy of his wages, no doubt.

But at what point does a man recycling the SAME material for pay FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE become profiteering?

Web hosting is cheap. More of this stuff should be given away for FREE.

[IndependentConserv]

And any preacher should have a home church where they pastor, right? And their assembly should be taking care of their elders, right? So for the vast majority, their needs are already being met by their assembly of saints they are over, correct?

So other than the few who don't claim to be pastors, what is the need for them to sell anything for their own personal income?

I think it's a bit excessive. Most selling have NO NEED.

[Rivkah21]

I've never been to any conferences but I really respect those preachers. I am disappointed however to hear that that don't really give you a discount and try to rip you off a bit, like on the t-shirts. However, it goes to show that no one is perfect, not even them. Which is why we should make much of Jesus and not men.

[ChristianTULIP]

Looks great, Wish I could have attended. God willing,next year!