The Bible and causes of povertyTwo major causes of poverty, unrepayable debt and unfair trade, are dealt with clearly in the Bible: Show DebtThe Prophet Amos was quite clear: God was not impressed with religious rituals, because outside the Temple they were cheating the poor. What God wants is justice!
God wants people not to be greedy, and cancel debts when someone cannot pay. These quotes can apply to the international debt situation today…
Jesus' first public statement echoed the words of the prophets when he claimed that he had come to 'preach good news to the poor' and 'release the oppressed'. This may include debt cancellation:
Trade
We often see developing countries as victims - of war, of the weather etc. However, the truth is that many developing countries produce 'abundant food' but unjust trade laws mean that they cannot sell their produce for a decent price. The Bible warned that it was wrong to cheat the poor out of money:
Many people and organizations view poverty in economic terms. The World Bank has described poverty as “pronounced deprivation in well-being.” This conventional view primarily links well-being to the ability to have command over commodities. By this definition of poverty, the poor are those who do not have enough income. But how does this conventional view align with how the Scripture describes the poor? How does the Bible define poverty? There are 178 uses of the word “poor” in Scripture. Although there are a few exceptions, the term “poor” in Scripture means economic or material poverty. Review the following verses and notice the characteristics: insufficient food, cannot afford, cannot support himself, debt and shabby clothes.
The term “poor” in Scripture refers to an economic condition, but the circumstances and causes associated with that condition are complex. The condition of poverty is sometimes associated with oppression, isolation and injustice. Consider Proverbs 13:23:
Proverbs 19:4 speaks of social isolation:
There are many conditions and experiences that surround economic poverty, but they are descriptions of the circumstances/causes and not definitions of it. A person who has a right relationship with God can be economically poor:
In other words, the term “poor” describes the man’s economic condition despite his spiritually rich state. Poverty can also exist in a person whose moral/spiritual condition is degraded:
A poor person may be wise and discerning:
As another example, consider Ecclesiastes 9:15:
Poverty can also result from foolishness:
The verses above demonstrate that the terms “poor” and “poverty” as used in Scripture refer to economic poverty. They also show that the condition may exist in a person who is wise or foolish, godly or otherwise. There may be a few instances in Scripture in which “poor” is used metaphorically, such as Revelation 3:17:
There is also Jesus’ unique use of the phrase “poor in spirit” in Matthew 5:3, which refers to spiritual realities:
Despite these few exceptions, the case can overwhelmingly be made that references in Scripture to the poor or to poverty should be taken to mean economic poverty, unless the passage can clearly be argued to have a different meaning. Compassion’s mission to release children from economic, spiritual, social and emotional poverty in Jesus’ name begins with economic poverty as described in the Bible. Because economic poverty is often a catalyst of other forms of poverty, it is a nonnegotiable element in our definition of poverty. Learn more about what the Bible says about poverty.This article was originally published July 5, 2016. What are the spiritual causes of poverty?Spiritual poverty is when someone is rich in money and material possessions, but not towards God. The Church in Laodicea was rich but complacent in their self-satisfaction, they never realised that the presence of Christ was not with them anymore—the root cause of spiritual poverty.
Is poverty caused by sin?It is argued that sin entails the violation of God's standard of loving Him and caring for others, which applies at a personal as well as societal level. It will be demonstrated that poverty as a situation of dire needs or a lack of means for survival is caused mainly by oppression and economic exploitation.
What is poverty according to the Bible?In the New Testament there are four terms that refer to poverty: ptochos, penes, endees and penichros. (1) The term ptochos refers to poverty in its most literal sense, and actually indicates those who are extremely poor and destitute, to the point of begging, thus implying a continuous state (Louw & Nida 1988:564).
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