Essay: The Teachings of the Apostles Regarding Poverty

Sample Essay

Words 1,430

The effect of Jesus’ teachings was visible in his apostles. The apostle James excoriated the rich people of Jerusalem, those who hoarded wealth and denied the poor people that worked for them their wages. He warned them that in the afterlife, the gold and silver they hoard would burn their flesh like a fire. (James 1:1-5 New International Version)

He taught that the poor were the chosen ones of God, the ones who God had chosen to inherit the heavenly kingdom in the next life. (James 2:5 New International Version)

The apostle Paul condemned those that believed that following Christianity was a means to acquiring worldly wealth (1 Timothy 6:3-5 New International Version). He taught people to be patient and content with whatever little they had and warned them against wishing for more (1 Timothy 6:6-11 New International Version)

According to Paul, greed and covetousness disqualifies one from holding any office of the Church:

“…not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” (1 Tim 3:3 New International Version)

Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless–not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. (Titus 1:7 New International Version). He exhorted the elders of the Church to abandon greed (1 Pet. 5:2 New International Version).

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