Plundering or Spoiling the Egyptians

Our pastor uses the term "plunder the Egyptians" a lot. I am not exactly sure what is meant by this, and since he has used it so long I am now embarrassed to ask what he means by the phrase whenever he mentions it.

I think it has something to do with using the secular world to achieve sacred objectives. In this case, using taxpayer money (even though the people sending their kids to WELS schools are usually tax payers) is sort of like plundering the Egyptians.

Back in ancient times when I was in WELS schools, it was a source of pride that WELS did NOT accept public money.

I guess maybe this has changed?
Our WELS teachers would often critically point out that Roman Catholic school children would often have "Vote Yes" stickers on their book bags for various proposals which would allow parochial schools access to public funds.

So I guess we are now supposed to plunder the Egyptians?

On their way out of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites boldly asked the Egyptians for their finest goods (plundering the Egyptians). In other words, they actually had to walk up to the Egyptians and ask them for things.

Ironically, our pastor does not believe in walking the neighborhood and canvassing potential members.

---

GJ - The term was used by St. Augustine, but more recently by Larry Crab, one of the favorites of Fuller Seminary. David Valleskey, former president of The Sausage Factory, used the term "spoiling the Egyptians" to say we needed the gold and precious jewels of Fuller Seminary, his alma mater, in WELS.

I pointed out to Valleskey, when he gave the paper, that the Israelites stole the gold and jewels from the Egyptians, not their garbage. He scowled. Later he claimed I never talked to him about his essay.

So I imagine the pastor is simply echoing Valleskey. One of the ELS professors gave his Amen Halleluia chorus paper on Church Growth by quoting Valleskey quoting Crab. Nothing is new or original in the Church Growth Movement. Even Craig Groeschel admits cobbing from Andy Stanley, and everyone cool borrows heavily from both of them.

Valleskey's essay would been more accurate if it had been titled "Figs From Thistles," but that was what I called my response to his false doctrine.