The Bible Doctrine on Money, Poverty and Riches Has Always Needed More Clarity
Our aim is to be in the world but not of the world; to use and transact with money without being enslaved by it; to enjoy things God has given us freely without being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
In conversations about money, poverty and riches, certain misconceptions always seem to emerge based on how we have understood or misconstrued certain portions of the text. For example, one asks,
“The Bible says money is the root of all evil. Should we avoid using money because it is evil?”
Then another person will say, “It appears from the scriptures that the rich will never enter heaven. Should we therefore completely abandon any aspirations to become rich?”
While still others wonder that, “The Bible appears to esteem the state of being poor over being rich. What should be our response?”
The first one is a misquotation of scripture. The scripture does not say that money is the root of evil. Rather it says, “The love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10); meaning that if you highly esteem money more than God, you end up replacing the love of God inside you with the love of money; and your heart will onwards tend to become dark and cruel. For example, if one is willing to murder another in order to take over their property, the love of money in them will have progressively grown to the tipping point of becoming over and above any love of God inside them; if one engages in the trafficking of minors for sex slavery, their love for human beings, who were made in God’s image, will have, far long, been supplanted by the love for money inside their hearts. Yet the love of God for us surpasses knowledge and can redeem every person, including the one whom we think has done the most heinous crimes – as long as they are willing to self-introspect with regard to God’s calling for all of us; and to know Him and turn back to Him through the abundant grace and mercy that is in Jesus Christ. As it is written,
God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same: 23 Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard, 24 and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ. 25 God sent him to die in our place to take away our sins. We receive forgiveness through faith in the blood of Jesus’ death. (Romans 3:22-25, NCV).
Money is legal tender and cannot the source of evil. The problem will arise from how we relate with it. Jesus demonstrates that humans are always faced with a clear choice, either to become lovers and servants of money, on one hand, or lovers and servants of God, on the other, with no middle ground.
No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches (Matthew 6:24, NCV)
We can, however, develop a healthy relationship with money such that we are not servants of it but instead use it, not only to have a good life, but concurrently towards God’s service. We can demonstrate that we have overcome the love of money by being rich in good works even before we become as rich as we please.
If we are able to share what we have with the poor and with the church ministry, it is evidence, first to ourselves and then to God, that we are not servants of money.
If we are able to share what we have with the poor and with the church ministry, it is evidence, first to ourselves then to God, that we are not servants of money. Our aim is to be in the world but not of the world; to use and transact with money without being enslaved by it; to enjoy things God has given us freely without being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.
The Finer Details
The two other questions are answered as follows:
The kingdom of God belongs to the poor and they have the largest real estate there: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3, NIV).
But it does not belong to them by virtue of their poverty perse but by reason of their great level of faith.
… did God not choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? (James 2:5, NASB).
We who are rich can buy into this heavenly real estate by giving to the poor, helping orphans and widows, etcetera. As it is written:
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it runs out they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings… If then you have not been faithful with unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? (Luke 16:9, 11, LEB).
Eternal dwellings and true riches are in heaven or the world to come. By giving to the poor, we demonstrate our faith in God and that we do not put our hope in riches that are uncertain – that will soon pass away; we demonstrate that we are looking forward to true riches of eternity that are with God.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of eternal life (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NIV).
Abraham is the father of faith or the father of all of those who believe in God (Romans 4:16). Because of this, the whole real estate in heaven originally belonged to Abraham. This is why when Lazarus, a poor man, died, he was taken by the angels to Abraham’s side. Everyone who was not in hell was on Abraham’s side! When we believe in God through Jesus Christ, we become Abraham’s children by virtue of our faith and therefore entitled to some portion of heaven (his property). The category of people Abraham gives the largest portion of this real estate are the poor not because of their poverty perse but because their poverty is occasioned with great measures of faith and love for God.
Jesus said, “There was a rich man who always dressed in the finest clothes and lived in luxury every day. 20 And a very poor man named Lazarus, whose body was covered with sores, was laid at the rich man’s gate. 21 He wanted to eat only the small pieces of food that fell from the rich man’s table. And the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 Later, Lazarus died, and the angels carried him to the arms of Abraham. The rich man died, too, and was buried. 23 In the place of the dead, he was in much pain. The rich man saw Abraham far away with Lazarus at his side. 24 He called, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am suffering in this fire!’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember when you were alive you had the good things in life, but bad things happened to Lazarus. Now he is comforted here, and you are suffering. 26 Besides, there is a big pit between you and us, so no one can cross over to you, and no one can leave there and come here.’ (Luke 16:19-26, NCV).
If the rich man went to hell for simply being rich, then Abraham would have also been in hell given that he too was “filthy” rich in his earthly days.
If the rich man went to hell for simply being rich, then Abraham would have also been in hell given that he too was “filthy” rich in his earthly days.
… Abram was very rich in cattle, silver, and gold (Genesis 13:1).
The rich man went to hell because he did not care at all for his poor neighbor, Lazarus, to the extent that he could not even voluntarily give him, even as little as some left-over food or treat his wounds. He was judged on the basis of the Law of Love which cuts across the Old and New Testaments.
Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ 40 All the law and the writings of the prophets depend on these two commands.” (Matthew 22:37-40).
Of all his neighbors and lifelong deeds, this rich man was judged on the basis of failing to exercise love to only one neighbor – Lazarus. If he had helped Lazarus alone, God would have defended him as a son having his father’s nature of love because God is love. We do not need to save the whole world in order to show our love to God – we simply need to respond to a needy neighbor, one at a time! Pleasing God is not complicated! This rich man had opportunity to buy into some of Lazarus’ real estate in heaven but his heart was really hard and insulated from any light and love of God – so much so that when he died, there was no iota of evidence that he had any faith and love towards God hence his hell becoming his portion.
The Parable of the Rich Fool
The parable of the rich fool casts more light on the subject. It tells us that, among other things, the ambition to become rich is plausible to the extent that it is also motivated by the desire to be rich towards God instead of having a bloated sense of self-centeredness because of worldly riches.
15 Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. Life is not measured by how much one owns.” 16 Then Jesus told this story: “There was a rich man who had some land, which grew a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my stores and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and other goods. 19 Then I can say to myself, “I have enough good things stored to last for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘Foolish man! Tonight your life will be taken from you. So who will get those things you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be for those who store up things for themselves and are not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21, NCV.)
We may reiterate the meaning of “being rich towards God” in the words of James: Religion that God accepts as pure and without fault is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help, and keeping yourself free from the world’s evil influence (James 1:27, NCV).
We as well learn from this story that we can potentially extend our life on if we are rich towards God, given that, God cut this rich man’s days because all the plans for his wealth were about him and himself alone.
If charity to the poor had been one of this rich man’s budget statements after receiving a windfall of abundant harvest of wealth, God would have been more pleased with him. But instead, his response to abundant wealth was all self-centered:
He thought to himself, ‘What will I do? I have no place to keep all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my stores and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and other goods. 19 Then I can say to myself, “I have enough good things stored to last for many years. Rest, eat, drink, and enjoy life!”’
The Possibility and Impossibility of a Rich Man Making it to Heaven
Jesus explains to us that the determining factor for a rich man entering the kingdom of heaven is down to whether he can give to the poor and follow Him.
21 Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ 26 Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’ (Matthew 19:21-26, NIVUK.)
It is reiterated here that when we give to the poor, we acquire treasure in heaven (literally like we bought it from them). When the rich young ruler here refuses to heed Jesus’ counsel to him concerning how to be perfect, Jesus then goes ahead to speak of the impossibility and possibility of a rich man making it to heaven. It is so hard but possible with God. So hard because most rich people have a strong love attachment to their wealth. Possible because God can soften their hearts for them to give to the poor. In other words, without treasure in heaven acquired by giving to the poor, the rich can never make it to heaven. If a rich man follows Jesus without learning to give to the poor, he may not make it to heaven. The love of money will soon choke his faith in Christ. He must therefore learn to give to the poor in addition to believing in Jesus Christ.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-19, NIVUK)
The Early Church Understood the Importance of Giving to the Poor
In the early church, we see a movement growing, a vibrant church full of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by great miracles signs and wonders; a united church in prayer and doctrine; an enduring church faced with persecution of both leaders and members. It is easy to focus on these characteristics and miss out the glue that held this spiritual movement together – ensuring that the needs of poor brethren are met. All the revivals of Pentecost; at Cornelius’ house and in the Gentile churches started by Paul and Barnabus were largely sustained by a strong emphasis.
Catering for the needs of the poor and widows helped to maintain the bond of unity and peace and allowed for a united prayer front by the entire church.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47, NIVUK)
The level of commitment and oneness was at a peak that most of our church communities have never reached. Individuals sold their property to contribute to the welfare purse!
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there was no needy person among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:32-36, NIVUK)
The revival that broke out at Cornelius’ house was built on a consistent level of not only prayer but giving of alms to the poor.
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, ‘Cornelius!’ 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. ‘What is it, Lord?’ he asked. The angel answered, ‘Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.’ (Acts 10:1-6, NIVUK)
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. ‘Stand up,’ he said, ‘I am only a man myself.’
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: ‘You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?’ 30 Cornelius answered: ‘Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, “Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.” 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.’ 34 Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached – 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 39 ‘We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen – by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’ 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 ‘Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptised with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.’ 48 So he ordered that they be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. (Acts 10:23-47, NIVUK)
These things have been written for us to understand that beginning a church without a strong charity arm or strategy is simply a joke. After Paul with Barnabas had pioneered the gospel in the gentile world, they were quick to respond positively when they were requested by the elders in Jerusalem to mobilise for charity towards the group that remained in Jerusalem during a great global famine.
James, Peter and John, those esteemed as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognised the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along. (Galatians 2:9-10, NIVUK)
During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:27-30, NIVUK)
Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. (Romans 15:25-28, NIVUK).