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Poverty Vs. Wealth


Maggyie

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The preaching of the "Health and Wealth" Gospel is a major error of the present day. Proponents use Scripture, typically the Old Testament, to justify the view that having money and/or material goods is a matter of being faithful. They say that wealth is a reward for fidelity and that if you are poor, it is probably at least in part because of a lack of faith. Money is a sign of God's favor, poverty is a sign that something is wrong with your spiritual life, etc.

However recently I heard of the exact opposite view, that poverty was a sign of God's favor and that wealth signified a fall from grace. These passages from Scripture were used:

[quote]He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed (Luke 1:53)

But woe to you rich, for you have received your consolation. (Luke 6:24)[/quote]

The first scripture was used to suggest that rich people can not really eat the Bread of Life; the second was used to prove that there wouldn't be any rich people enjoying Heaven.

I believe the Church's position is that money is morally neutral, and that it is the [b]love[/b] of money that we have to watch out for. How can I explain these verses? :scratchhead:

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Thy Geekdom Come

[quote name='Maggie' post='1198441' date='Feb 17 2007, 06:58 PM']The preaching of the "Health and Wealth" Gospel is a major error of the present day. Proponents use Scripture, typically the Old Testament, to justify the view that having money and/or material goods is a matter of being faithful. They say that wealth is a reward for fidelity and that if you are poor, it is probably at least in part because of a lack of faith. Money is a sign of God's favor, poverty is a sign that something is wrong with your spiritual life, etc.

However recently I heard of the exact opposite view, that poverty was a sign of God's favor and that wealth signified a fall from grace. These passages from Scripture were used:



The first scripture was used to suggest that rich people can not really eat the Bread of Life; the second was used to prove that there wouldn't be any rich people enjoying Heaven.

I believe the Church's position is that money is morally neutral, and that it is the [b]love[/b] of money that we have to watch out for. How can I explain these verses? :scratchhead:[/quote]

My theory:

You can explain these verses by the historical context in which Jesus was making them. The majority of people at that time were very poor. For a common citizen to be rich usually required some sort of illegal or immoral activity. Jesus understood that to be the case when He said those things. He intended for the audience to assume that by "rich," He meant "those who are rich by immoral means," since that was by and large the case in those days, with the exception of those who had inherited wealth. It is clear from the New Testament that faithful people can be rich (St. Joseph of Arimethea comes to mind), but I believe that it is to be assumed that most people then who were rich, with few exceptions (St. Joseph being an exception), were rich through immoral means. That is no longer the case and so the situation has changed and certain things that were formerly assumed need no longer be assumed. St. Joseph, in fact, shows us just what we are to do with our wealth: to put it at the service of God.

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If God blesses us with wealth that is up to him. Abraham was wealthy as were solomon, david, and many others in the Old Testament. Joseph of Arimethea was wealthy as well. He spent some of his wealth on a tomb for our Lord. The problem is attachment to wealth as in the story of the man in the Gospels who stored up all his grain and said now I can live high off the hog. The Lord took his life that very night. The issue is not wealth but seeking after wealth rather than being blessed by it, and when we have attained some wealth through the Lord's blessing what we do with it. Do we make the world a better place. Health and Wealth is seeking after wealth. It puts down people who are not wealthy as not blessed. That is where I find the biggest problems with it.

The dangers of wealth are like the rich man I spoke of above, men tend to forget God and think they can do it on their own. They loose their sense of dependence on God and forget that he gave them the talents to attain the wealth and the circumstances that brought it about. Bill Gates didn't get to be a billionare without the american infrastructure and thousands of workers and millions of customers. Those are all blessings from God. So their are dangers in having wealth that the word "WOE" is intended to call to mind. We must be poor in spirit, meaning humble about any wealth we have and know that tommorrow it could all be taken away and we will stand naked before God if we have not put on Christ in this life.

Blessings

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[quote name='Maggie' post='1198441' date='Feb 17 2007, 05:58 PM']I believe the Church's position is that money is morally neutral, and that it is the [b]love[/b] of money that we have to watch out for. How can I explain these verses? :scratchhead:[/quote]

I always understood that to one that is blessed much, much is expected. It is not much of a secret that I run a business centered in south minnesota, but networked in multiple states. I am in a position at retiring far before I am 30 years old. I feel very blessed and although I fully intend on spoiling my wife, my goal has always been to make a difference in other lives. That is what motivates me. That is what inspires me.

Money is neutral, but it is powerful. If we lack money then our mind is on simple living situations (food, house, etc) if we have control of money (or time and money in my case) then I feel we will be strongly judged by the amount of good we can do with it. I have directly seen marriages saved, families brought together, dreams inspired. People joining the ministry, people being concerned about hunger in the 3rd world. There is alot of good that can be done.

As an evangelical working through bible college I was told by some professors that it was sinful to spend time in the pursuit of money. 3 years later, now that I am making more than the majority of those professors I was able to fund a trip for a student to go back to africa and see his family over the summer. I was able to put serious funds into work for mission trips.

I see that as a gift in which I can do good.

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[quote]As an evangelical working through bible college I was told by some professors that it was sinful to spend time in the pursuit of money.[/quote]

This is a matter of the heart as to what is pursuing money and what is using the talents God has given you to the best of your ability and reaping the blessings. In Eccelsiasties it speaks of it being good to enjoy the blessings that the Lord has given you. Once again if your heart is right, I don't think wealth is bad. It carries with it dangers however that we must be aware of.

Good info rev. I wasn't disagreeing with you at all. Balance, perspective, and moderation.

By the way, you raise a good point. The parable of the talents. One was given 5 and made 5 (an increase), one given 2 and made 2. But the one given 1 buried it in the ground. The others were given more and even what the one who was given he had taken away and given to them. The Lord expects increase from us and best use of what he has given us to produce fruit.

Blessings

Edited by thessalonian
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