Category: Jubilee
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Living Simply in Abundance (10)
What does the non-gospel portion of the New Testament have to say about wealth and abundance? In most ways, it is consistent with what we have seen in the rest of Scripture. But we need to go no further than Chapter 2 in Acts before we come across one of the more controversial passages concerning…
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Living Simply in Abundance (8)
What did the prophets have to say about wealth and justice? It is frequently preached today that the prophets condemned economic inequities and proclaimed God’s desire to equalize wealth. Is this true? First, we need to recognize that there are three aspects to economic justice. Distributive Justice – Addresses how capital and goods are distributed…
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Living Simply in Abundance (7)
Earlier in this series, I wrote that wealth and prosperity were promised outcomes for faithfulness to the Mosaic covenant. But within that covenant, we find this warning: Deuteronomy 8:17-20 17 Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." 18 But remember the LORD your…
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An Economic Fallacy Economists Believe About the Poor?
I recently finished reading a short but fascinating book by Charles Karelis called The Persistence of Poverty: Why the Economics of the Well-Off Can't Help the Poor. Karelis is a professor of research philosophy at George Washington University and a past president of Colgate University. His topic is essentially about marginal utility and the poor.…
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Economic Fallacies: “Biblical Redistribution”
The Biblical Redistribution fallacy identifies wealth equalization as the primary economic concern of the Bible; the Jubilee Code of Leviticus 25 is the most exemplary passage. Based on this perspective, public policies ranging from tax rates to debt cancellation for developing nations are advocated. These policies may be worthy and appropriate, but that is distinct…
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Household: Jesus’ Mission Statement
How did Jesus perceive his mission? The gospel of Luke tells in sequence of Jesus being baptized, going into the wilderness to be tested, and then reading from the scrolls during worship at Nazareth. Scholars believe the event at Nazareth actually happened later in Jesus' ministry. So why does Luke locate it at the beginning?…
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The Religious Left Speaking Nonsense to Power
Much criticism is made of religious conservatives for proof-texting cherished positions. Frankly, much of it is deserved. I have seen this with gender roles, financial management, and Church government. But the proof-texting is not just the work of the Religious Right. The Religious Left is every bit as guilty. In this lengthy post, I want…
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God’s Politics: Why Jim Wallis Doesn’t Get it Either
[I am away at the General Assembly Council Meetings of the PCUSA with little time to write. So here is a rerun from December 14, 2005. I should also point out that by identifying myself as a theistic evolutionist in my post yesterday, I probably annoyed some of my conservative friends. This article is my…
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Theology and Economics: Prosperity
Back on May 18, I wrote the following: I began this series noting that poverty is the natural human state of affairs. When we ask “What causes poverty?” the answer is “Being born.” We all come into the world owning nothing. The fact is that most people in most cultures throughout most of history have…
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Theology and Economics: Jubilee Code
The most instructive passage on economic behavior is Leviticus 25 instructions concerning the sabbath and Jubilee. Chapter 25 is often referred to as the "Jubilee Code." Leviticus 25:1-7 1 The LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: 2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that…