This paragraph describes a family that owned "three homes, land, luxury cars, a boat, and a motor home". The brother's concern is described thus: "Feeling that we must have looked like foolish Christians, we decided to make the full-time ministry our goal." While the family's efforts to simplify their life and devote more time to the service is quite laudable, it implies that it is the owning of such things which marks one as foolish.
Granted, it appears that what is really meant is that it is foolish to make material things one's goal while neglecting spiritual things. Of course that is merely speculation. What is actually said, is that owning such luxurious things is foolishness. No supplementary clarification is given to the reader. This will surely appear to many readers to be a derogatory and judgmental position. Given the Bible's very negative take on foolishness (Pr. 5:23; 17:12; 19:3; 24:9) is this really the point we intended to get across?
Granted, it appears that what is really meant is that it is foolish to make material things one's goal while neglecting spiritual things. Of course that is merely speculation. What is actually said, is that owning such luxurious things is foolishness. No supplementary clarification is given to the reader. This will surely appear to many readers to be a derogatory and judgmental position. Given the Bible's very negative take on foolishness (Pr. 5:23; 17:12; 19:3; 24:9) is this really the point we intended to get across?