THE BIBLE AND ECONOMICS Dr. Jobe Martin Biblical Discipleship Ministries Rockwall, Texas.

www.biblicaldiscipleship.org

THE BIBLE AND ECONOMICSTHE BIBLE AND ECONOMICS

Dr. Jobe Martin

Biblical Discipleship Ministries

Rockwall, Texas


GENESIS 2:15GENESIS 2:15

• “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” (KJV)

• “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.” (NASB)

• God ordained God ordained workwork for Adam for Adam before sinbefore sin entered the Garden of Eden at the Fall .entered the Garden of Eden at the Fall .


2 THESSALONIANS 3:10-122 THESSALONIANS 3:10-12

• “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would that if any would not work, neither should he eatnot work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at allworking not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command…they work and eat they work and eat their own breadtheir own bread.”


THE BIBLE AND PRIVATE THE BIBLE AND PRIVATE PROPERTYPROPERTY

• THOU SHALT NOT STEAL!THOU SHALT NOT STEAL! In the 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:15) God gives His okay to private property.

• Why would God say “Thou shalt not steal” if no one owned anything that could be stolen?

• Private property can be stolen!Private property can be stolen!


EXODUS 20:17EXODUS 20:17

• “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s neighbor’s househouse,… nor hishis manservant, nor hishis maidservant, nor hishis ox, nor hishis donkey, nor anything that is thy neighbor’sneighbor’s.”

• In this commandment God endorses ownership of private property.

• The neighbor has things that belong to belong to him and him alone. him and him alone. (Notice: Possessives)(Notice: Possessives)


EPHESIANS 4:28EPHESIANS 4:28

• Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour working with his

hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to

him that needeth.


2 SAMUEL 24:242 SAMUEL 24:24

• “And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the thresh-ingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.”

• David bought and owned this property!David bought and owned this property!


PROVERBS 24:27PROVERBS 24:27

• “Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thinethine house.”

• It is not unbiblical to work hard and to build a house and to ownown it.

• To Abram: “I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give to give thee this land to inherit.thee this land to inherit.” Genesis 15:7Genesis 15:7


THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT: LAND, SEED, BLESSING

• LandLand: The Palestinian Covenant (Deut. Deut. 28-3028-30) amplifies the land aspect of Cov.

• SeedSeed: The Davidic Covenant (2 Sam. 7:8-2 Sam. 7:8-1717) amplifies the seed aspect of the Cov.

• BlessingBlessing: The New Covenant (Jer. 31:27-Jer. 31:27-37; Ezek. 36:22-3237; Ezek. 36:22-32) amplifies the blessings aspect of the Abrahamic Cov.


THE ABRAHAMIC COVENANT: LANDLAND

• Deuteronomy 28:11

• And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goodsgoods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattlecattle, and in the fruit of thy groundground, in the landland which the Lord

sware unto thy fathers to give thee.

• God says ownershipownership of goods, cattle and land is OK.


ECONOMICS IN THREE VARIETIES

• Capitalist EconomyCapitalist Economy: Free market and private property, voluntary philanthropy

• Interventionist EconomyInterventionist Economy: Limited Free Market, private property but heavy taxation and tariffs, voluntary and invol- untary philanthropy.

• Socialist EconomySocialist Economy: Abolition of private property, coerced philanthropy, taxation


ABOLITION OF PRIVATE PROPERTYABOLITION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY

• Karl Max believed that ownership of private property was the source of all evil.

• Because he believed in the inherent goodness of man, when no one owned anything there would be no greed and mankind would live in peaceful coexistence.


KARL MARX: THE THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO:COMMUNIST MANIFESTO:

• “You are horrified at our intending to do away with private property. But in your existing society, private property is already done away with for nine-tenths of the population; its existence for the few is solely due to its nonexistence in the hands of those nine-tenths. (Collected Works, NY:Internat’l Pubs., 1976, vol. 6, p. 500).


SOME PEOPLE SAY THERE ISSOME PEOPLE SAY THERE IS COMMUNISMCOMMUNISM IN ACTSACTS

• Acts 2:44,45: “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men as every man had need.” (KJV)

• “And they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all as anyone might have need.” (NASB)


ACTS 2:44, 45ACTS 2:44, 45

• Some of the Jerusalem believers in the Lord Jesus began a community effortcommunity effort and came together to help each otherto help each other.

• This coming together was voluntaryvoluntary!!

• They sold possessions and goods as people had needs. (NO GUN TO THE HEAD)

• The Scripture does notnot say they allall sold all their possessions and goods. (Jerusalem)


ACTS 2:44, 45ACTS 2:44, 45

• This Scripture passage does notnot say that these early Christians had some sort of common fundcommon fund by which they all pooled their resources, although this has been assumed from the statement “had all things common”+“laid $ at apostle’s feet”

• What they actually did is more clearly stated in Acts 4:32.


ACTS 4:32ACTS 4:32

• “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.” (KJV)

• “…not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them.” NASB


ACTS 4:32: ACTS 4:32: commentary by Prof. Robert McBurney:

• “Here we have a declaration indicating that the common effort was not a legal not a legal pooling of resources in a communal fundpooling of resources in a communal fund but rather a feeling of unity in dealing with common problems so that no man ‘said’ his possessions were his own but developed and used them…to fill the needs of the group as well as himself.”


THE JERUSALEM CHRISTIANS

• A REASON FOR THE COMMUNAL A REASON FOR THE COMMUNAL ATTITUDE IN JERUSALEM:ATTITUDE IN JERUSALEM:

• Matt 24:2: “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

• “Sell it all, destruction is coming to us!!!!


ACTS 5:1-11: ANANIAS AND ACTS 5:1-11: ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRASAPPHIRA

• They decided to sell a piece of property that they ownedowned.

• Scripture does not say they sold everythingScripture does not say they sold everything

• They decided to keep some of the money.

• They gave what was left to Peter, but ap- parently led him to believe that it was the total profit. They lied=not good, not smartThey lied=not good, not smart


PETER TEACHES BIBLICAL ECONOMICS, ACTS 5:4:

• Peter to Ananias: “While it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. (KJV)

• “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? (NASB)


PETER TEACHES BIBLICAL ECONOMICS, ACTS 5:4ACTS 5:4:

• Peter teaches that the property of Ananias and Sapphira belonged to thembelonged to them.

• Their property was not requirednot required for some sort of communal fund.

• To keep or sell their property was their own private business.

• The property money was theirs to control


PETER TEACHES BIBLICAL ECONOMICS, ACTS 5:4ACTS 5:4:

• The property money could be kept, spent kept, spent or contributedor contributed to the common good.

• If Ananias and Sapphira decided to give the money to the church it was a free-free-will, voluntary offeringwill, voluntary offering, no coercion.

• Under communismcommunism: possessions are con- con- fiscated or expropriatedfiscated or expropriated and given to others by the dictator or committee.


DUMMELOW’S BIBLE COMMENTARY:

• “The church of Jerusalem recognized the principle of private propertyprinciple of private property. A disciple’s property really was his own, but he did not say it was his own; he treated it as if it were common property.”

• Many early Christians kept titlekept title to their property but “said” it was for the benefit of all. You need a donkey? Use mine!You need a donkey? Use mine!


DR. ADAM CLARK’S BIBLE COMMENTARY:

• “If there had been a community of goods in the church, there could have been no ground for (collections)… as there could have been no such distinction as rich and poor, if everyone, on entering the Church gave up his goods to a common stock.”


MATTHEW 25:14-30

• Property was not owned in commonProperty was not owned in common

• (each servant had their own property)

• Property was not owned in equal Property was not owned in equal quantities quantities

• (three servants had differing amounts)

• People are to enjoy their private property People are to enjoy their private property and make profitable use of it before God.and make profitable use of it before God.


1 CORINTHIANS 16:1,21 CORINTHIANS 16:1,2

• “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath pros- as God hath prospered him,….”pered him,….”

• Christian CapitalismChristian Capitalism: Give to the needs Give to the needs of the Church as God has prospered you!of the Church as God has prospered you!


GET OUT OF DEBT!!!!!!!GET OUT OF DEBT!!!!!!!

• Romans 13:8Romans 13:8

• “Owe no man anythingOwe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath

fulfilled the law.”

• Being free of Being free of allall debt is liberating debt is liberating: You are ready at a moments notice to serve our Lord Jesus in any place or way He

calls you---you can pick up and go!you can pick up and go!


SOMEONE HAS SAID:

•““Earn all you can!”Earn all you can!”

•““Save all you can!”Save all you can!”

•““Give all you can!”Give all you can!”


EARNEARN, SAVESAVE, GIVEGIVE ALL YOU CAN

• This is onlyonly possible in a “Free Market-Capitalistic economic system.” (Biblical)

• A Socialistic system establishes minimum and maximum wages.

• Minimum wages put people out of work and on Minimum wages put people out of work and on welfare.welfare. When a company is forced by law to increase its minimum wage it must increase its prices. price and decrease demand.


RENT CONTROLSRENT CONTROLS

• A socialistic government imposes maximum fees a property owner can charge clients.

• Low rent is supposed to help the poor.

• But Government controlled rent forces property owners to sell apartments as condominiums (therefore less apartments available), or maintenance is sacrificed and a slum is generated.


LAND CONTROLSLAND CONTROLS

• A socialistic government attempts to control all land resources.

• Farmers are told what crops to grow and how much land to use or not use.

• Land owners are restricted in the use of their property because of “wet-lands” designation or a protected animal or fish is supposed to live on their property.


BIBLICAL ECONOMICSBIBLICAL ECONOMICS

• Ownership of private property.

• Good stewardship of private property.

• Free market with good stewardship creates wealth as well as opportunities for economic advantages for others.

• McDonald’s, Wendy’s, etc. not only pro- vide entry level jobs for the unskilled, but a cheap outing for Dad, Mom and the kids.


BIBLICAL ECONOMICSBIBLICAL ECONOMICS

• “Further, the competition in a free market works according to the principle of comparative advantage, which affirms the inherent worth of every individual.” (Dr. David Noebel, (Dr. David Noebel, Understanding the Understanding the Times, Times, p. 714.)p. 714.)

• “Capitalism is also more socially just than socialism. While the socialist calls


for economic equality, capitalism respects the Biblical requirement of equality before

the law. This does not, as the socialist contends, cause the rich to get richer and the poor poorer. Rather, it encourages the rich to create more wealth, thereby aiding all of society. The policies of redis- tribution, including welfare systems, only multiply the problems for the poor--creating needless bureaucracies and con-


centrating too much power in the hands of the government. Conversely, capitalism en-

courages freedom in the political sphere. This removes the danger of granting sovereignty to the state instead of to God. In practice, capitalism proves the only workable system. Socialism leads to op- pression, while capitalism offers unparal- leled freedom and economic opportunity.. Socialism ignores man’s inherent sinful-


ness; capitalism works to stifle man’s sinful tendencies and to turn even selfishness to

service. Clearly, the Christian who accepts the Bible must also accept democratic capitalism or free enterprise as the system most compatible with his worldview.” (Understanding the Times, p. (Understanding the Times, p. 714-715)714-715)


1 Timothy 6:17-191 Timothy 6:17-19

• “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to com-


1 Timothy 6:17-191 Timothy 6:17-19

• municate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

THE BIBLE AND ECONOMICS Dr. Jobe Martin Biblical Discipleship Ministries Rockwall, Texas.

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