5 Things the Bible Says About Wealth

Reference: Neither Poverty nor Riches by Craig Blomberg  

Spiritual and Material matters are Inseparable – Spiritual health and material stewardship are intertwined  

  • Giving reveals the heart (Acts 5:1-11) 
  • Wealth operates as powerfully as a god in this world (Matt.6:24)  

The Goodness of Wealth – The Bible affirms the God-ordained goodness of material possessions. A decent standard of living is something good.  

  • Created the material world good (Gen. 1-2)  
  • Fully sanctified garden of earthly delights (Rev. 21-22)  

The Seduction of Wealth – For every scripture that points to the goodness of wealth, 4-5 highlight how it seduces us  

  • All human seduction to sin lies in the material world (1 John 2:16)  
  • Chokes out the word (Mark 4:18-19 

Generous Giving – The best way to avoid the seductive powers of material possessions. The stress is not on equal giving, but instead equal sacrifice (2 Cor. 8:1-12). Giving to 3 groups stressed in the NT: 

  • The poor – (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35; 6:1-7; 11:27-30). To give to this group is by far the most stressed in Scripture  
  • Support for Christian leaders – (1 Tim 5:18) 
  • Support for itinerant preachers (Rom. 15:24)  

Limits on Riches and Poverty – There are certain levels of wealth and poverty that are inherently immoral  

  • There is such a thing as too much (2 Cor. 8:13-15) 
  • God wants each of us to have enough (Ex. 16:18)