“Give me neither poverty nor riches,” wrote the Wise (Proverbs 30:8), “but give me only my daily bread.”From that proverb comes the title of Craig Blomberg’s book: Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions, part of the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. What action should we take on behalf of the poor? What should we do with our own possessions? To answer, Blomberg begins with the groundwork laid by the Old Testament and the ideas developed in the intertestamental period, then draws out what the whole New Testament has to say on the subject, and finally offers conclusions and applications relevant to our contemporary world.
He draws five conclusions from the biblical overview, and makes five applications upon the conclusions:
First, wealth is an inherent good, and so “Christians should try to gain it.” And “if some of us succeed more than the majority, our understanding of it as God’s gift for all will lead us to want to share with the needy, particularly those who are largely victims of circumstances outside their control.”
Second, wealth is seductive, and so “giving away some of our surplus is a good strategy for resisting the temptation to overvalue it.”
Third, stewardship is a sign of a redeemed life, so “Christians will, by their new natures, want to give. Over time, compassionate and generous use of their resources will become an integral part of their Christian lives.”
Fourth, certain extremes of wealth and poverty are inherently intolerable, so “those of us with excess income (i.e., most readers of this book!) will work hard to help at least a few of the desperately needy in our world.”
Fifth, holistic salvation represents the ultimate good God wants all to receive, so “our charitable giving should be directed to individuals, churches or organizations who minister holistically, caring for people’s bodies as well as their souls, addressing their physical as well as their spiritual circumstances.”
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