Example and hero
Sixth, many New Testament heroes and devotees were poor. Jesus is our main example and our hero. He became poor so that we could get rich (2C 8. 9). Did he empty himself, taking the form of a servant? (Fp 2. 7). Some say that Jesus took the curse so that we do not have to live under it and therefore will not suffer like him. But in both passages, Jesus is presented to us as an example to follow. Paul even says he wants to “associate his sufferings, conforming to him in his death. “(Php 3. 10). There is a deep unity with Christ that we will only know if we suffer like him. And for us, union with Christ is the greatest wealth.
- Many of Jesus’ disciples in the New Testament were poor.
- The Macedonians were heroes because they gave.
- Despite their poverty.
- “Also.
- Brethren.
- We let you know the grace of God bestowed upon the Macedonian churches; For.
- In the midst of many trials of tribulation.
- Did they manifest abundance of joy.
- And did their deep poverty abound in the great richness of their generosity?(2Co 8.
- 1-3).
- The generosity of these poor Christians is described by the word wealth.
- Church for considering the rich superior to the poor.
- James said.
- “Listen.
- My beloved brethren.
- Didn’t God choose the poor for the world.
- That they may be rich in faith and heirs to the kingdom he promised to those who love?He? (Tg 2.
- 5).
- Poor believers are.
- In fact.
- Rich!.
In letters to the seven churches of Revelation, only two churches do not receive a rebuke. And both are described as not having what the world considers material success. The first is the church of Izmir. The angel speaks of his “poverty”, and immediately says, “But are you rich?”(Ap 2. 9). The second is the Philadelphia Church, which is described as “low strength” (Ap 3. 8). These are two rare exceptions for churches with God-approved lifestyles at a time of great commitment, and they were poor and weak!Isn’t it interesting how poor Christians are described in these passages in terms that suggest they were rich?This feeling of being rich is an important aspect of a Christian’s identity. If we are satisfied with our identity, we will certainly be happy people.
Jerusalem’s mother church was made up mainly of poor people, so other churches had to help him. Nothing says they were poor because something was wrong with their beliefs or actions. It was a time of economic hardship in Jerusalem, because many retirees had lost their pension benefits when they became Christians. Therefore, the Christians of Jerusalem had done so. great economic needs, which Christians from other parts of the world filled with their missionary gifts.
It is true that the Old Testament promises prosperity as one of the blessings of fidelity to God (for example, Deuteronomy 28. 11), but we must remember that such promises were made to a nation just under the Old Covenant. The pain of the righteous of this nation who fought against the fact that the wicked prospered when they were not. Many complaints in the Psalms mention this difficulty. Psalm 73 is a classic. Here, Asaf’s difficulty with his lack of prosperity in relation to the prosperity of the wicked is resolved only when he realizes that God will judge the wicked with righteousness. The books of Job and Habakkuk emphasize the faith of truly pious people who honor God, refusing to stop trusting him in the midst of terrible suffering. Therefore, the Old Testament does not guarantee prosperity to the righteous; Indeed, like the New Testament, he often warns people of the dangers of prosperity (for example, Dt 6:10-25; 8,11-20; 32,15-18).
Finally, history shows that some of the church’s greatest periods of growth occurred when Christians were truly poor and in difficulty. This has happened recently in China, Nepal and Korea (in the early years of church growth), and now in Iran, where there is significant growth. Many qualities, such as a child’s confidence, are easier for the poor to develop in their lives. This is one of the reasons Jesus said it is so difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.
There is no doubt that the Bible teaches that people who have faith and are rich play an important role in God’s plan. Some exemplary people in the Bible, such as Abraham (Gen 13. 2), Barzilai (2Sam 19. 32), the Sun semitic woman who helped Elijah (2R 4. 8), and Joseph of Arimathea (Mt 27. 57), were specifically described as rich. After saying that the rich should not be proud, Paul says that “God [?] Does it provide everything in abundance for our delight?”(1 Tim 6. 17) Enjoying the things you can buy with money is not necessarily a mistake. At the same time, it is significant that each of these four prosperous and pious people mentioned have been praised for their generosity.
Rich Christians can honor Christ especially by being humble, generous, and pious while rich; poor Christians can honor you above all by being satisfied, faithful, generous, and pious when they are poor. It is obvious that in the Bible wealth is much less. more important than contentment, joy, peace, holiness, love and generosity. People with such characteristics are, according to the Bible, truly prosperous, whether economically rich or poor. 2
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2 See Jonathan Lunde and Craig Blomberg, Christians in an Age of Wealth: A Biblical Theology of Stewardship (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013) for a discussion of the many topics covered in this article. [in English]