By John Sykes
Is There a Distinctly Biblical Economics? offers some specific Biblical guidance on what sort of economy we should support:
While the Christian should be opposed to all forms of Socialism and Marxism because of their collectivistic policies (making the State sovereign), the Christian also should steer clear of unbridled freedom where individual relativism reigns (making the individual sovereign). The Bible is the Christian’s standard, not the independent voice of the individual or the collective voice of the majority.
First we must emphatically note that that “Material things are not evil in themselves.”:
When God finished His creative work, He looked upon what He had made and evaluated it: ‘‘And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31)…
“For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:4-5)…
For example, money is not evil, but the love of money is (1 Tim. 6:10). Therefore, to take a vow of poverty will in no way eradicate the love for material possessions because sin is not in the things of this world but in the attitudes man holds toward them and their usage (cf. Mark 7:15, 20-23).
As stewards, we’ve got to have laws to protect and steward property:
“You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).
“You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin” (Lev.19:36).
“the bushel [can be made] smaller and the shekel bigger” (Amos 8:5)?
“You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly” (Lev. 19:15).
“Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep!” (Matt. 12:12).
“You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).
“You shall not do injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great, but you are to judge your neighbor fairly” (Lev. 19:15).
No comments:
Post a Comment