How should Christians relate to financial matters?

Biblical Finances

Part of the reason Jews were hated (not to mention feared by some) and one of the reasons Christians are hated by Muslims and others familiar with "the Book" is that we do not live by Godly principles as they are recorded in the Bible. Most of that is a product of the societies in which we live; however, if we really wanted to give God authority over our lives . . . all of our lives . . . EVERY aspect of our lives . . . we would at least make an attempt to order our finances as the Bible demonstrates that we should.

The financial principle most people think about is tithing. There's so much in the Bible concerning it that I've done a separate study just on tithing. See the Article Directory.

Mt 4:4

But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "

Mr 7:7	And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
Mr 7:8	"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men-the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."
Mr 7:9	He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
Mr 7:10	"For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
Mr 7:11	"But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"-' (that is, a gift to God),
Mr 7:12	"then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,
Mr 7:13	"making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."

Ac 5:29

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.

However, many of the cries of "Hypocrite!" arise from wresting of the scriptures. I want to explore what the Scriptures REALLY say about the finances of God's people.

For instance, according to the Geneva Bible Commentary, usury or loaning money at interest is strictly forbidden by the Bible.

Yet this is what Scripture actually says:

Ex 22:25	"If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest.
Ex 22:26	"If you ever take your neighbor's garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down.

De 23:19	"You shall not charge interest to your brother-interest on money or food or anything that is lent out at interest.
De 23:20	"To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess.

Uh-oh! This says "to My people who are poor". It makes a distinction between Believers and "foreigners" and between the poor and the rich. Following this principle is how Jews became so rich in the banking industries in foreign lands!

Again, the Geneva commentary says, Even a rate as low as one per cent interest was disallowed.

Ne 5:11

"Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them."

Yet study of the context in which this was written shows that the charge was against Jews who were exacting a toll from their poorer brethren who had to mortgage their belongings and even sell their children in order to pay the king's taxes. Instead of helping the poor, the rich were lending them money at interest and taking their land and belongings when they couldn't pay off their loans to redeem their homes, belongings, and children or brethren. The rich of the society were feeding off the poor!

Hmmmm. Where have we seen this in action recently? Does the name Sadaam Hussein ring a bell? He was found with how many millions of dollars, while the poor of his land suffered? But, of greater concern, is it possible that this description applies to you, though on a much smaller scale? Do you share with those less fortunate than you? How often? Once a year? Once a month? Every day? And how much do you share?

Jews and Christians think nothing of becoming bankers, owning banks and lending institutions, expressly for the sake of "making a living" and in almost all instances becoming richer than the society around them.

Yet scripture says,

Mr 10:25
Lu 18:25

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Now, let me see, what was the definition of hypocrite? Just Who does God consider to be his people? This, of course, is a whole other study.

Oh, but isn't it necessary to charge Interest?

Only because bankers and lenders have built the system so. Have you checked interest rates lately? Not the introductory low rates in the U.S., the rates charged to those who can't keep up. Did you know that, if you are late with two payments in a 6-month period, your interest rate could go from 9.9% to 29%? Wouldn't you call 29% usury? If a person misses a payment, wouldn't it be likely that he/she is having problems . . . is poor?

But then, most banks make no claims about being Christian . . . Yet is this rate all that much different from what the street loan sharks charge?

Of course, the regulation of the banking industry came about partly because of loan sharks, though the regulators didn't impact them a bit. They simply wanted a lawful way to give the sharks a bit of competition, to get more of the loan action--interest--for themselves.

Because of the banking system in place in the United States, you, a private citizen, cannot loan anyone outside your family any great amount of money (that they could have gone to the bank to get at the going interest rate) unless you also charge the going interest rate. For instance, if you sell your home on a land contract, you must write a contract that specifies an interest rate comparable with the going interest rate--neither much higher nor much lower.

But do you have to get rich off of those loans?

This is where hypocritical justifications take over. There are lots of poor people out there wondering where their next meal is coming from who could be helped by any excess of funds you receive through interest. In fact, if you know that the interest is causing a hardship on the person paying you yet it is not necessary for your own survival, there is nothing in the law that says you cannot buy them food and clothes, pay their electric or gas bill, or set up a charitable organization from which they may obtain these benefits.

But, how many of those people who make loans to others do this? I'm sure there has never been, nor will there ever be, any surveys on this topic!

It might be a revealing study . . .

Greed

I think it is safe to say that God is not happy with greed.

Lu 11:39

Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.

Eph 4:17	This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
Eph 4:18	having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
Eph 4:19	who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

1ti 6:10	For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
1ti 6:11	But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

Apparently, however, the word greed is not applied only to money, but to any kind of personal gain.

Jude 1:11	Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
Jude 1:12	These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
Jude 1:13	raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

What other financial gems are hidden within scriptue?

I'll be exploring this topic as financial instructions are uncovered in my Bible studies.

Lu 16:1	He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.
Lu 16:2	"So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'
Lu 16:3	"Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.
Lu 16:4	'I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'
Lu 16:5	"So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'
Lu 16:6	"And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'
Lu 16:7	"Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'
Lu 16:8	"So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.
Lu 16:9	"And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home.
Lu 16:10	"He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.
Lu 16:11	"Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
Lu 16:12	"And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?
Lu 16:13	"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Lu 16:14	Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.
Lu 16:15	And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.

Tit 1:5	For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you
Tit 1:6	if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.
Tit 1:7	For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,
Tit 1:8	but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,
Tit 1:9	holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.
Tit 1:10	For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,
Tit 1:11	whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.

Ga 6:7

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

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