"Always in need of money, Agrippa accepted a bribe to influence a border dispute between Sidon and Damascus, and when it came to the ears of Flaccus, Agrippa found himself again destitute of friends and money, with only creditors seeking his company. With the help of his mother and wife, Agrippa managed to raise loans in Ptolemais, and particularly in Alexandria, where, Alexander, the brother of Philo, funded him. From there he returned to Rome in spring of 36, first presenting himself to Tiberius on Capri and then making friends with Gauis Caligula. This pursuit of influence was expensive, so Agrippa continued borrowing against his future prospects and spending on the best guarantor of his prospects, Gauis Caligula." (except from Vines Intertwined)
Does this sound familiar? Perhaps this was a common practice in the Lord's time as he mentioned a similar thing in the following phrase.
Luke 16:9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, so that when it runs out you will be welcomed into the eternal homes. (NET Bible)
Of course, the Lord was not condoning mismanagement of funds belonging to others. Just that he was using a common corrupt practice of his time to illustrate the point of being faithful stewards and using money wisely. It goes to show that knowing the cultural context and history of the time does help to understand the Lord's sayings a lot better.
Does this sound familiar? Perhaps this was a common practice in the Lord's time as he mentioned a similar thing in the following phrase.
Luke 16:9 And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by how you use worldly wealth, so that when it runs out you will be welcomed into the eternal homes. (NET Bible)
Of course, the Lord was not condoning mismanagement of funds belonging to others. Just that he was using a common corrupt practice of his time to illustrate the point of being faithful stewards and using money wisely. It goes to show that knowing the cultural context and history of the time does help to understand the Lord's sayings a lot better.
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