Getting Biblical in Daily Life
Wealth and Poverty
Money is a pretty big deal these days. Who has it? Who doesn't? And just what should we spend it on? Lots of folks have views on rich and poor people, and we want to know how the early Christians sorted this all out.
James lays out his views on wealth pretty thoroughly:
- "The rich will disappear like a flower in the field." (James 1:9-10)
- "Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?" (James 2:5)
- "Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire." (James 5:1-3)
Um, yeah. It's clear that James is firmly coming down on the side of the have-nots. Rich folks are portrayed as evil jerks who will get what's coming to them in the end. Might want to invest in mothballs and fire extinguishers now, guys.
But why is being rich such a bad thing? Does having money automatically make you evil? James has some thoughts:
Is it not the rich who oppress [Christians]? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you? (James 2:6-7)
You [rich people] have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you. (James 5:3-6)
James is painting with a broad brush here.
- He says that it's rich folks who haul Christians into court and have them arrested. That's probably true—People in positions of power do tend to have money.
- James also accuses rich employers of not paying their worker's what's fair. We're guessing that happens sometimes, too.
- But certainly not everyone with money in their pockets did these things. James's big argument against these guys seems to be that they loved making money more than they loved God. They spent all their time storing up gold and silver instead of trying to get closer to God.
Today, in the United States, 10% of the people control 75% of the total wealth (source), but things were even more extreme two thousand years ago. While rich folks lived in luxury in beautiful houses away from noisy and smelly cities, poor folks sweated and toiled day in and day out with almost no chance of moving up in the social ranks (source).
These epistles see the whole thing as a pretty unfair arrangement. Why should some people have everything and exploit those who don't? In the end, the Bible thinks God will sort it all out and put rich folks in their proper place. Trust us, God's plans will put Occupy Wall Street to shame.
Slavery
Okay, no-brainer here. Slavery is not a good idea. How could anyone—especially anyone in the Bible—have ever supported it? Jesus and his followers loved the poor and downtrodden, so they'll definitely be against slavery, right?
Not quite. Slavery actually gets mentioned a couple times in these epistles and it's never pretty:
Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. (1 Peter 2:18-19)
According to Peter, owning other folks is cool. What's more, this verse pretty much gives license to slave owners to act however they want. If your master is nice, obey him. If he's an insane jerk who wants to beat you because he thinks you stole a pie off the windowsill, well, obey him then, too. Ugh.
On the other hand, Peter does have a bit of a compliment for slaves:
If you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps[…] When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:20-21, 23)
He's saying that by enduring cruelty, slaves can become like Christ—it's holy and good to be peaceful in the face of violence and oppression. Slaves also have God's compassion and love when they're treated badly. Sure, it's not the same thing as abolishing slavery, but it's a start.
All three authors also say that they are "servant[s] of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" (James 1:1, 2 Peter 1:1, Jude 1:1). They encourage other Christians to serve each other as well (1 Peter 2:16). That means the life of a slave—a life serving others—is valuable and important…it just might be nice if folks had a choice in the matter.
Head on over to our other New Testament guides for more on the issue.
Feminism
A lot has changed for women since the 1st century. They can go to school, vote, own property, and wear way more supportive undergarments. But the role of women in Christian society is still a hot topic. How should ladies act? How should they dress? And what place do they have in the church? Let's see what our epistles have to say about all this.
In Peter's letter he doles out some advice to the married ladies:
Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives' conduct, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. (1 Peter 3:1-2)
The ideal wife recognizes that her man is in charge and is always on her best behavior at home.
How about women's clothes? Does Peter have any thoughts on how gals should gussy themselves up? You betcha:
Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight. (1 Peter 3:3-4)
Hair braids and gold are out. Modesty and meekness are in. Looks like it's time to clean out those closets.
What does this all mean? On one hand, it kind of seems like Peter is upholding the status quo. In 1st-century Roman families, the man of the family was the head of the household. He was the only one who could earn money or own property, and he had total authority over his wife and children (source).
Today, some Christians will argue that homes should still be run like this (source). Husbands should be in charge, provide for the family, and essentially make all decisions. Women just need to be sweet, supportive, and attentive to their man's needs.
Hmmm.
Anyway, the advice that Peter's doling out doesn't 100% jibe with this. While he does say that women should be on their best behavior at home, he's also in favor a little manipulation of the male mind. Some cleverly staged female submission becomes a way to win souls for Christ.
Think about it. If your husband sees how awesome and loving and gentle and kind you are, he'll be more inclined to listen to you when you talk about Jesus. And maybe he'll even start following J.C. himself. But, if you act hostile towards him he'll be turned off. So, hum a couple hymns while serving him that after-work martini he might start to show a little interest.
Total submission would also mean that the lady gives up her faith to follow her man. After all, if the husband dictates what the family does, that means he can tell them who to worship, too. But, Peter specifically says that gals should "do what is good and never let fears alarm [them]" (1 Peter 3:6). In other words, obey, but don't be afraid to stand up for your religious rights [The Oxford Bible Commentary, New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. p.1267].
The statements about how to dress are sort of the same thing. Since Roman clothes were pretty simple, women would sometimes dress up their outfits by wearing fancy hairstyles and jewels all around. The more gussied up you got, the more high society you were. Even today, we look at ladies with perfectly coifed hairdos and jewels differently than we do the girl in the glasses and a ponytail.
So, Peter is saying that women shouldn't conform to the standards of beauty for their day. Don't spend tons of time in front of the mirror having your hair braided by a slave or picking out which gold hoop earrings look best with your tunic. The thing that matters most is what's in your heart. Take care of your inside and the outside will be lovely. Aww.
Peter even goes more counter-cultural and gives some guidelines for how Christian husbands should act. Oh, do tell:
Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:7)
Sure, wives are the (physically) weaker sex, but that doesn't mean they're not equals in the eyes of God. Traditionally, men were the only ones worthy of honor, but here, Peter says that husbands should honor their wives as well. A guy is supposed to be compassionate and concerned for his woman. He also shouldn't forget that a faithful wife is entitled to the same rewards in Heaven as he is. Society might think she's beneath him, but God values her just as highly. Yay, equality!
Wow, Peter's starting to sound like quite the feminist.
Apocalypse
Check out our other New Testament guides for all the deets on the debate about the end of the world, but one thing's for sure: these epistles fall squarely on the side of a God-sponsored end of life as we know it:
- "Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord[…] See, the Judge is standing at the doors!" (James 5:7, 9)
- "The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers[…] For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God." (1 Peter 4:7, 17)
- "The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed." (2 Peter 3:10)
- "See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him." (Jude 1:14-15)
Basically, Jesus will come back, God will light up the world like a fireball, and everyone will be judged. End of story. Thank you for playing.