Theme 3A: Attitudes towards wealth

• Matthew = His teaching is taken from the sermon on the mount that tells Christian's how to live their life. We must not worry about clothes and food because God will provide this for us. "God clothes the grass of the field"

• Mark = He says that giving to the poor gets you into heaven. Uses the story of the rich man which demonstrates that he should sell his possesions and live a simpler life, Camel and needle metaphor "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God"

• Luke = He demonstrates the correct way to live through the idea of giving alms. For example, Zacchaeus was asked to give away half of his wealth "sell your possessions and give alms" This can be seen in acts as the early community shows Christian's living out this lifestyle 

• Timothy = Good Christian's who want a clear conscious and pure heart, should behave in regard to money because greed is a sin "for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil"

Stewardship

• Stewardship means management, God created humans for this reason so we cannot shy away from it 
• humans were taught to care for the world and his resources and give to the needy (tithings)
• Wesley "make all you can save all you can, give all you can"

The Ascetic Ideal 

• Asceticism comes from the greek word Askeo which means to exercise and train, such as the moral training to improve oneself.
• In the New Testament it demonstrates the need to commit to a new lifestyle
• "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themeesleves and take up their cross and follow me" 

History

• asceticism became quite popular in the early church as many were giving up marriage and homes, Monks would whip themselves and wear chains 
• origin gave up his home and fasted along with desert fathers. 

Prosperity Gospel 

• this is a teaching that says Christian's have the right to expect wealth and good health by making sure they have strong faith and pay tithes 
• this became popular at the end of the 20th century through TV evangelism.
• it is also known as the 'word-faith movement' because of the teaching that it is not good enough to merely believe what the bible says about well-being
• for example, christians have to exclaim that they health and wealth out loud to demonstrate their faith "you do not have because you do not ask" James 4:3

Does God want his followers to be wealthy?

• The leaders of the hebrew scriptures were often wealthy which doesnt make god sound very equal but there is a lot of scripture that puts down worship in a temple whilst the poor are hungry 
• the prosperity Gospel is used by those who economically deprived as it offers them a sense of hope for upward mobility and make them feel as though their wealth is deserved.

Craig L. Bloomberg makes three Criticisms of the bible and the gospel of prosperity 

1. God never promised that all Israelites that believed could inherit great wealth

the promise was made for all of the nation a some godly jews could be poor as a result of oppression by others

2. The covenant was just for the Israelites at the time 

It is not suitable to assume that we can apply this to other nations today

3. No New Testament text ever makes claims about people inheriting any wealth based on faith 

the wealth that Christian's receive is spiritual as both testaments make it clear that we should understand the corruption of wealth 

Wealth is good 

For                                                                      Against 

1. supported by the prosperity gospel               1. Luke, Matthew, Mark, Timothy say....

2. Christian belief on achieveing wealth             2. Bloomberg and his three criticisms 

3. we cannot be sure jesus was talking to          3. so why was Gods only son living the lifestyle 

anyone but the man at the time in matthew.       Of the poor 

Ascetic ideal is compatible with Christianity 

For                                                                                          Against 

1. Jesus was ascetic                                                              1 .there are stories of jesus enjoying the hospitality of others

2. Ascetics believe they shouldn't have wealth                      2. when  jesus told the rich man to sell his possessions he 

3. Sexual absintence does match as jesus practised it             was only talking to this man

                                                                                                3 . Sexual abstinece goes against many teachings