Tobit 12:9

Deuterocanon

6 Then Raphael called the two of them privately and said to them, "Bless God and acknowledge him in the presence of all the living for the good things he has done for you. Bless and sing praise to his name. With fitting honor declare to all people the deeds of God. Do not be slow to acknowledge him. 7 It is good to conceal the secret of a king, but to acknowledge and reveal the works of God, and with fitting honor to acknowledge him. Do good and evil will not overtake you. 8 Prayer with fasting is good, but better than both is almsgiving with righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than wealth with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold. 9 For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life, 10 but those who commit sin and do wrong are their own worst enemies.

Luke 11:41

New Testament

39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside as well? 41 But give from your heart to those in need, and then everything will be clean for you. 42 “But woe to you Pharisees! You give a tenth of your mint, rue, and every herb, yet you neglect justice and love for God! But you should have done these things without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! You love the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces!

 Notes and References

"... Among early Christian proponents of atoning almsgiving, Luke 11:41, along with 1 Pet 4:8, is one of the most oft- cited texts among the writings that came to be called the “New Testament” in support of the notion that the practice of ἐλεημοσύνη can cleanse sin. In Jesus’ conversation with an unnamed Pharisee at a meal hosted by that Pharisee, Jesus responds to his host’s astonishment that he does not wash before the meal English translations of Luke 11:41, perhaps reflecting a concern lest the text be read to suggest that almsgiving itself purifies, have often struggled over the phrase τὰ ἐνόντα δότε ἐλεημοσύνην, generally preferring to view the construction as a double accusative of object- complement so that Jesus enjoins giving as alms the things inside (e.g., ESV: “But give as alms those things that are within”) or giving alms in expression of what is truly within those commissioned to give (e.g., CEB: “Therefore, give to those in need from the core of who you are and you will be clean all over”). Yet careful attention to the narrative context suggests that translations like the ESV (“give as alms those things that are within”) make little sense, since Jesus has just said in verse 39 that the inside of the Pharisees is full of greed and wickedness (τὸ δὲ ἔσωθεν ὑμῶν γέμει ἁρπαγῆς καὶ πονηρίας). How can greed and wickedness be given as alms? ..."

Downs, David J. Alms: Charity, Reward, and Atonement in Early Christianity (pp. 125-129) Baylor University Press, 2016

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