Christianity today is associated with the upper classes; yet these verses show that this is inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus.

1. James 5:1-3 Idle wealth will condemn the rich. Wealth that is not being used will be a curse on those who have it. We in the West let food rot, clothes become moth-eaten, and let rust and dust collect on other belongings while the Third World goes hungry.

2. James 1:9-11 The rich will be made low. Good news to the poor is bad news to the rich. Bringing down the rich and lifting up the poor is part of the gospel. (Luke 1:52-53)

3. James 2:5-7 God has chosen the poor. One rarely gets rich without loving money, and so Jesus' stand against greed makes him the enemy of the rich, and vice versa.

4. Luke 6:20-26 Heaven belongs to the poor. Churchies argue that the 'poor' here are just 'humble' people, that it has nothing to do with real poverty. Who are they kidding?

5. Luke 18:24-25 Nearly impossible for a rich person to get into heaven. Churchies say the "eye of the needle" is a small gate in Jerusalem. Possibly. But the only way a camel can get through that gate is to take everything off it, and crawl through on its knees. How many rich people are prepared to let go of everything and humble themselves before God?

6. 1 Timothy 6:7-9 Be content with food and clothing. Contentment comes from lowering our expectations, and concentrating on doing what God wants. Providing for our material needs is his responsibility.

7. 1 Timothy 6:3-5 Stay away from people who preach prosperity. Prosperity teachers are the most popular in the church world today. They say poverty is a curse from the devil, and godly people have a right to be rich. This is exact fulfilment of this prophecy.

8. Titus 1:10-11 False teachers are motivated by greed. These heresies are taught because the rich won't pay to hear anything else. Even small time preachers must water down the gospel to keep the money rolling in.

9. Luke 17:26-29, Matthew 24:38 The real sins of sodom. Jesus never mentioned homosexuality here. The root problem was materialism. And the same is true today.

10. Matthew 6:19-20, Luke 12:33 Save up wealth in heaven. You do it by giving to the poor now. You can't save up money here and in heaven at the same time.

fShare

Tweet