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Christian

Sunday, 7 October 2001

& Money

Aim:	To understand the Christian prespective of money

Memory verse: [2 Cor 9:6, 7] " But this I say  He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. "

References:
(1) The Holy Bible, NKJV
(2) H. G. Bishop Moussa, "The family and money" (3) H. H. Pope Shenouda III, "The Spiritual Means"
(4) St. Clement of Alexandria, "Who is the rich man that shall be saved?"
(5) St. John Chrysostom, "Homilies on First Timothy"

Lesson:

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(A) Important Christian principals on money
(1) Money is a gift from God: "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." [1 Tim 6:17]
(2) Craving riches is condemned by God. Jesus gave us a parable of the "Rich fool":
And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses." 16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. 17 ''And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' 18 "So he said,
'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' 20 "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' 21 "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." [Luke 12:15-21]
(3)   Christians  are   commanded   by  God   to   give  one-tenth   of   their  money  to   God: "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Mel But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation. [Malachi 3:8-9]

(4) We ought to know when "enough is enough":
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. [1 Tim 6:6-8]
(5) We are required to be "good stewards" of the money that God has given us, and budget for the following items:
(a) Our tithes
(b) Living expenses
(c) Family (see 1Tim. 5:8) (d) Savings for future needs.

(B) Writings of the Church Fathers on Riches

•	St. John Chrysostom writes in his homily on 1 Timothy:
"For what evil is not caused by wealth, or rather not by wealth, but by the wicked will of those who know not how to use it? For it is possible to use wealth in well doing, and even through means of it to inherit the kingdom. But now what was given us for the relief of the poor, to make amends for our past sins, to win a good report, and to please God, this we employ against the poor and wretched, or rather against our own souls, and to the high displeasure of God. "

•	St. Clement  of Alexandria  wrote to the wealthy Christians in the early church:

Some had begun to despair from Christ's teaching that: "that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven". St. Clement wrote a lengthy article titled "Who  is the Rich Man who shall be saved?".  He accurately interprets  the teachings ofChrist, writing:
Riches, then,  which benefit also our neighbours, are not to  be thrown away. For they are
possessions, inasmuch as they are possessed, and goods, inasmuch as they are useful and provided by God for the use of men; and they lie to our hand, and are put under our power, as material and instruments which are for good use to those who know the instrument. If you use it
skilfully, it is skilful; if you are deficient in skill, it is affected by your want of skill, being itself
destitute of uyblame. Such an instrument is wealth. Are you able to make a right use of it? It is subservient to righteousness. Does one make a wrong use of it? It is, on the other hand, a minister of wrong. For its nature is to be subservient, not to rule. That then which of itself has neither good nor evil, being blameless, ought not to be blamed; but that which has the power of using it well and ill, by reason of its possessing voluntary choice. And this is the mind and judgment of man, which has freedom in itself and self-determination in the treatment of what is assigned to it. So let no man destroy wealth, rather than the passions of the soul, which are incompatible with the better use of wealth. So that, becoming virtuous and good, he may be able to make a good use of these riches. The renunciation, then, and selling of all possessions, is to be understood as spoken of the passions of the soul.
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