New Testament and Economics
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. [1 Cor. 6, 12]
Christianity is an immanent part of the modern European civilization. It has been shaping our minds through last (almost) 20 ages and it is still - undoubtedly - doing that.
The same applies to economics as such (peoples were using and managing all kinds of material goods long before Mandeville and Smith). I have decided then to note all parts of the Catholic New Testament where such an art has been somehow mentioned. The quest is a part of a great initiative of Tertio Millennio Institute - Dar na 100 [darna100.pl/en/home].
The whole list below is my personal work that is a fruit of my half-a-year contemplation of the New Testament. Attached you will find some short comments why I have chosen some of these formally unrelated exerpts. Moreover, I've made bold the most important (in my opinion) fragments. If you have any comment feel free to write them below or by e-mail: marcin.kawko@doktorant.sgh.waw.pl.
Gospel
1) [Mt. 6, 19-24] Do not lay
up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where
thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and
steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The eye is the lamp of the
body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if
your eye is not sound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the
light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
No one can serve two masters;
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to
the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
1b) [Lk. 12, 32-34] Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good
pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide
yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens
that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where
your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
1c) [Lk. 16, 1-13] He also
said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges
were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. And he called him and
said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your
stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ And the steward said to
himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the stewardship away from
me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what
to do, so that people may receive me into their houses when I am put out of the
stewardship.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the
first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’
And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’
Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred
measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The
master commended the dishonest steward for his prudence; for the sons of this
world are wiser in their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you,
make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when it
fails they may receive you into the eternal habitations.
He who is faithful in a very
little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is
dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous
mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been
faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?
No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the
other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
God and mammon.
1d) [Lk. 16, 14-15] The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all
this, and they scoffed at him. But he said to them, “You are those who justify
yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; for what is exalted among men
is an abomination in the sight of God.”
2) [Mt. 6, 25-34] Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your
life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you
shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look
at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And
which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why
are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they
grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory
was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the
field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not
much more clothe you, O men of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious,
saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things shall be yours as well.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious
for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
2b) [Lk. 12, 22-31] And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you,
do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor about your body,
what you shall put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than
clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither
storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you
than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a cubit to his span
of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you
anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil
nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like
one of these. But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today
and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O men
of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink,
nor be of anxious mind. For all the nations of the world seek these things; and
your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these
things shall be yours as well.
2c) [Jn. 6, 26-35] Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you
seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the
loaves. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which
endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has
God the Father set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be
doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that
you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do
you do, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers
ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from
heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was
not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true
bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven,
and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Lord, give us this bread
always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall
not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.
3*) [Mt. 10, 5-10] These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go
nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And preach as you go, saying, ‘The
kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,
cast out demons. You received without pay, give without pay. Take no gold, nor
silver, nor copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor
sandals, nor a staff; for the laborer deserves his food.
*/about the Apostles/
4) [Mt. 13, 18-23] Hear then the parable of the sower. [see: Mt 13, 1-17] When any one hears
the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and
snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path.
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and
immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures
for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word,
immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who
hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the
word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is he
who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in
one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
5) [Mt. 13, 44-46] The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a
field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all
that he has and buys that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine
pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had
and bought it.
6) [Mt. 19, 16-22] And behold, one came up to him, saying, “Teacher,
what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do
you ask me about what is good? One there is who is good. If you would enter
life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which?” And Jesus said, “You
shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall
not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have observed;
what do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell
what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful; for
he had great possessions.
6b) [Mk. 10, 17-22] And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran
up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to
inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one
is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not kill, Do not commit
adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your
father and mother.’” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have observed
from my youth.” And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, “You
lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” At that saying his countenance fell,
and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions.
6c) [Lk. 18, 18-23] And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I
do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit
adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your
father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have observed from my youth.”
And when Jesus heard it, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all
that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow me.” But when he heard this he became sad, for he was very
rich.
7) [Mt. 19, 23-26] And Jesus
said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, it will be hard for a rich man to
enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
When the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then
can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is
impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
7b) [Mk. 10, 23-27] And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples,
“How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again,
“Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of
God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich
man to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and
said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With men
it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”
7c) [Lk. 18, 24-27] Jesus looking at him /MK: a ruler/ said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to
enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of
a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Those who heard it
said, “Then who can be saved?” But he said, “What is impossible with men is
possible with God.”
8) [Mt. 22, 15-22] Then the
Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent
their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know
that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man;
for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it
lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said,
“Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax.” And
they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and
inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Render
therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that
are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.
8b) [Mk. 12, 13-17] And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some
of the Herodians, to entrap him in his talk. And they came and said to him,
“Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no man; for you do not regard
the position of men, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes
to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their
hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin, and let
me look at it.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and
inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Jesus said to them, “Render
to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
And they were amazed at him.
8c) [Lk. 20, 20-26] So they watched him, and sent spies, who pretended
to be sincere, that they might take hold of what he said, so as to deliver him
up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. They asked him, “Teacher,
we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly
teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”
But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Show me a coin. Whose
likeness and inscription has it?” They said, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then
render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him by what he
said; but marveling at his answer they were silent.
9*) [Mt. 23, 25-28] Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full
of extortion and rapacity. You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the
cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you are like
whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within they are full
of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous
to men, but within you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
*/see: PR, fake philanthropy and CSR/
10) [Lk. 19, 11-27] As they
heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to
Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear
immediately. He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive
kingly power and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten
pounds, and said to them, ‘Trade with these till I come.’ But his citizens
hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to
reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingly power, he
commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him,
that he might know what they had gained by trading. The first came before him,
saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten pounds more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well
done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall
have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound
has made five pounds.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five
cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound, which I kept
laid away in a napkin; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man;
you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said
to him, ‘I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew
that I was a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I
did not sow? Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming
I should have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by,
‘Take the pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten pounds.’ (And they
said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) ‘I tell you, that to every one who has
will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken
away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them,
bring them here and slay them before me.’”
10b) [Mt. 25, 14-30] For it will be as when a man going on a journey
called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five
talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then
he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with
them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made
two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the
ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those
servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five
talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you
delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master
said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over
a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ And he
also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me
two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well
done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set
you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the
one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping
where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid,
and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But
his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap
where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to
have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have
received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give
it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given,
and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be
taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men
will weep and gnash their teeth.’
10c) [Lk. 8, 16-18] No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a
vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter
may see the light. For nothing is hid that shall not be made manifest, nor
anything secret that shall not be known and come to light. Take heed then how
you hear; for to him who has will more be given, and from him who has not, even
what he thinks that he has will be taken away.
11*) [Mt. 27, 57-61] When it was evening, there came a rich man from
Arimathe′a, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate
and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And
Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in
his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to
the door of the tomb, and departed. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were
there, sitting opposite the sepulchre.
*/wealth may be useful sometimes/
12) [Mk. 12, 41-44] And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched
the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large
sums. And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny.
And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, “Truly, I say to you,
this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the
treasury. For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her
poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.”
13) [Lk. 3, 1-6] In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tibe′ri-us
Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of
Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Iturae′a and
Trachoni′tis, and Lysa′ni-as tetrarch of Abile′ne, in the high-priesthood of
Annas and Ca′iaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechari′ah in the
wilderness; and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism
of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the
words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:Prepare the way of the Lord,make his paths straight.Every valley shall be filled,and every mountain and hill shall be brought low,and the crooked shall be made straight,and the rough ways shall be made smooth;and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”
14) [Lk. 3, 10-14] And the multitudes asked him, “What then shall we
do?” And he answered them, “He who has two coats, let him share with him who
has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” Tax collectors also came
to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to
them, “Collect no more than is appointed you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And
we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Rob no one by violence or by false
accusation, and be content with your wages.”
15) [Lk. 4, 1-4] And Jesus,
full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit
for forty days in the wilderness, tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing in
those days; and when they were ended, he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If
you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered
him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”
16) [Lk. 4, 5-8] And the devil took him up, and showed him all the
kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give
all this authority and their glory; for it has been delivered to me, and I give
it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it shall all be yours.” And
Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and
him only shall you serve.’”
17) [Lk. 6, 24-26] But woe to you that are rich, for you have received
your consolation.
Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger.
Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to
the false prophets.
18*) [Lk. 6, 27-36] But I say
to you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless
those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him who strikes you on
the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your cloak do not
withhold your coat as well. Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who
takes away your goods do not ask them again. And as you wish that men would do
to you, do so to them.
If you love those who love
you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And
if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For
even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to
receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive
as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing
in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most
High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish. Be merciful, even as
your Father is merciful.
*/argument against fetishization of the utilitarian approach and general
“economization” of languages and worldviews/
19) [Lk. 6, 37-38] Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not,
and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it
will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running
over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure
you get back.
20) [Lk. 6, 43-45] For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a
bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are
not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good
man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out
of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaks.
21) [Lk. 9, 23-25] And he said
to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and
whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. For what does it profit a
man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”
22) [Lk. 10, 1-12] After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and
sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he
himself was about to come. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but
the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out
laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the
midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the
road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a
son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall
return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they
provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.
Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you;
heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets
and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off
against you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ I
tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
23) [Lk. 10, 38-42] Now as they went on their way, he entered a village;
and a woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister
called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But
Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, “Lord,
do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to
help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and
troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good
portion, which shall not be taken away from her.”
24) [Lk. 12, 13-21] One of the
multitude said to him, “Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with
me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or divider over you?” And he
said to them, “Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does
not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable,
saying, “The land of a rich man brought forth plentifully; and he thought to
himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said,
‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build larger ones; and there I
will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have
ample goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat, drink, be merry.’ But
God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you; and the things
you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is he who lays up treasure for
himself, and is not rich toward God.”
25) [Lk. 12, 48b] Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be
required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.
26) [Lk. 12, 58-59] As you go with your accuser before the magistrate,
make an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag you to the judge,
and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer put you in prison.
I tell you, you will never get out till you have paid the very last copper.
27) [Lk. 14, 7-11] Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when
he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are
invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor,
lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both
will come, and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you will begin
with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in
the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go
up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table
with you. For every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles
himself will be exalted.”
27b) [Lk. 18, 9-14] He also told this parable to some who trusted in
themselves that they were righteous and despised others: “Two men went up into
the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee
stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other
men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast
twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing
far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast,
saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to
his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself
will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
28) [Lk. 14, 12-14] He said
also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do
not invite your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich neighbors,
lest they also invite you in return, and you be repaid. But when you give a
feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed,
because they cannot repay you. You will be repaid at the resurrection of the
just.”
29) [Lk. 14, 15-24] When one of those who sat at table with him heard
this, he said to him, “Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of
God!” But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many;
and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had
been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make
excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and
see it; I pray you, have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five
yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I pray you, have me excused.’ And
another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So the
servant came and reported this to his master. Then the householder in anger
said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and
bring in the poor and maimed and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir,
what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said
to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges, and compel people to come
in, that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those men who were
invited shall taste my banquet.’”
30) [Lk. 15, 11-32] And he said, “There was a man who had two sons; and
the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property
that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later,
the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country,
and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent
everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want.
So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent
him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods
that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself
he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to
spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I
will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no
longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”’
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his
father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And
the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am
no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants,
‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand,
and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat
and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and
is found.’ And they began to make merry.
“Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the
house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked
what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father
has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he
was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he
answered his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed
your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my
friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with
harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are
always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and
be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is
found.’”
31) [Lk. 16, 19-31] There was
a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted
sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Laz′arus, full of
sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table; moreover
the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the
angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades,
being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Laz′arus
in his bosom. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send
Laz′arus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in
anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that you in your
lifetime received your good things, and Laz′arus in like manner evil things;
but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this,
between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would
pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’
And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house, for I
have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this
place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let
them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if some one goes to them
from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses
and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if some one should rise from
the dead.’
Other Books
32) [Rom. 8, 12-13] So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh,
to live according to the flesh - for if you live according to the flesh you
will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will
live.
33) [Rom. 13, 6-7] For the
same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God,
attending to this very thing. Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes
are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor
to whom honor is due.
34) [1 Cor. 6, 12] “All things
are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for
me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything.
35) [1 Cor. 9, 4-14] Do we not have the right to our food and drink? Do
we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and
the brethren of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no
right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own
expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a
flock without getting some of the milk?
Do I say this on human authority? Does not the law say the same? For it
is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading
out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak
entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should
plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. If we have
sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material
benefits? If others share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more?
Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything
rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. Do you not know
that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the
temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In
the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get
their living by the gospel.
36) [2 Cor. 5, 1] For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is
destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in
the heavens.
37) [2 Cor. 8, 9] For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that
though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty
you might become rich.
38) [2 Cor. 8, 10-15] And in
this matter I give my advice: it is best for you now to complete what a year
ago you began not only to do but to desire, so that your readiness in desiring
it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the
readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a man has, not according
to what he has not. I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened,
but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should
supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may
be equality. As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing over, and he
who gathered little had no lack.”
39) [2 Cor. 9, 6-9] The point is this: he who sows sparingly will also
reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each
one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every
blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may
provide in abundance for every good work. As it is written,
“He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;his righteousness endures for ever.”
40) [2 Cor. 12, 14] Here for the third time I am ready to come to you.
And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you; for children
ought not to lay up for their parents, but parents for their children.
41) [Eph. 4, 28] Let the thief
no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so
that he may be able to give to those in need.
42) [Phil. 4, 12-13] I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound;
in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and
hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
43) [Col 3, 2] Set your minds on things that are above, not on things
that are on earth.
44*) [2 Thess. 3, 10] For even when we were with you, we gave you this
command: If any one will not work, let him not eat.
*see: [Gen. 3, 19] In the sweat of your faceyou shall eat breadtill you return to the ground,for out of it you were taken;you are dust,and to dust you shall return.
45) [1 Tim. 3, 2-5] Now a bishop
must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, sensible, dignified,
hospitable, an apt teacher, no drunkard, not violent but gentle, not
quarrelsome, and no lover of money. He must manage his own household well,
keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way; for if a man does
not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for God’s church?
46) [1 Tim. 6, 6-10] There is
great gain in godliness with contentment; for we brought nothing into the
world, and we cannot take anything out of the world; but if we have food and
clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall
into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that
plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all
evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith
and pierced their hearts with many pangs.
47) [1 Tim. 6, 17-19] As for
the rich in this world, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes
on uncertain riches but on God who richly furnishes us with everything to
enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good deeds, liberal and generous,
thus laying up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they
may take hold of the life which is life indeed.
48) [Jas. 1, 9-11] Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and
the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass he will pass
away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its
flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So will the rich man fade away in the
midst of his pursuits.
49) [Jas. 2, 1-9] My brethren, show no partiality as you hold the faith
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man with gold rings and
in fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also
comes in, and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say,
“Have a seat here, please,” while you say to the poor man, “Stand there,” or,
“Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become
judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen
those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom
which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor
man. Is it not the rich who oppress you, is it not they who drag you into
court? Is it not they who blaspheme that honorable name by which you are
called?
If you really fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, “You
shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. But if you show partiality,
you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
50) [Jas. 2, 14-18] What does
it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his
faith save him? If a brother or sister is ill-clad and in lack of daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without
giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? So faith by
itself, if it has no works, is dead.
But some one will say, “You
have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I
by my works will show you my faith.
51) [Jas. 4, 1-4] What causes wars, and what causes fightings among you?
Is it not your passions that are at war in your members? You desire and do not
have; so you kill. And you covet[a] and cannot obtain; so you fight and wage
war. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive,
because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Unfaithful creatures! Do
you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore
whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
52) [Jas. 4, 13-17] Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go
into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain”; whereas
you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that
appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the
Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that.” As it is, you boast in
your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Whoever knows what is right to do
and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
53) [Jas. 5, 1-6] Come now,
you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches
have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted,
and their rust will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire.
You have laid up treasure for the last days. Behold, 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, you have killed the righteous man; he does not
resist you.
54*) [1 Pet. 3, 3-4] Let not yours be the outward adorning with braiding
of hair, decoration of gold, and wearing of robes, but let it be the hidden
person of the heart with the imperishable jewel of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which in God’s sight is very precious.
*/about wives/
55) [1 Pet. 5, 1-5] So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory
that is to be revealed. Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by
constraint but willingly, not for shameful gain but eagerly, not as domineering
over those in your charge but being examples to the flock. And when the chief
Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory. Likewise
you that are younger be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you,
with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace
to the humble.”
56) [1 Jn. 3, 17-18] But if
any one has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his
heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us
not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth.
57) [Rev 3, 14-18] And to the angel of the church in La-odice′a write:
‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s
creation.
I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were
cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will
spew you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need
nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be
rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness
from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.
58) [Rev 13, 11-18] Then I saw another beast which rose out of the
earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises
all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and
its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It
works great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight
of men; and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast,
it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image for the beast
which was wounded by the sword and yet lived; and it was allowed to give breath
to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast should even speak, and
to cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also
it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave,
to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell
unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its
name. This calls for wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of
the beast, for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six.
59*) [Rev 18, 9-19] And the kings of the earth, who committed
fornication and were wanton with her, will weep and wail over her when they see
the smoke of her burning; they will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and
say,
“Alas! alas! thou great city,
thou mighty city, Babylon!
In one hour has thy judgment come.”
And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys
their cargo any more, cargo of gold, silver, jewels and pearls, fine linen,
purple, silk and scarlet, all kinds of scented wood, all articles of ivory, all
articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense,
myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses
and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.
“The fruit for which thy soul longed has gone from thee,
and all thy dainties and thy splendor are lost to thee, never to be
found again!”
The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far
off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
“Alas, alas, for the great city
that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet,
bedecked with gold, with jewels, and with pearls!
In one hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”
And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on
the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning,
“What city was like the great city?”
And they threw dust on their heads, as they wept and mourned, crying
out,
“Alas, alas, for the great city
where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth!
In one hour she has been laid waste.”
*/about the annihilation of
Babylon/
The Bible – Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition, National Council
of the Churches of Christ, 1952, www.biblegateway.com/versions/Revised-Standard-Version-Catholic-Edition-RSVCE-Bible
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