Stop assuming that there are no problems with capitalism. The Bible doesn't present us with either communistic of capitalistic options when it comes to the economy. There is theological reason as well as a historical one for this. The theory of property in the Bible is that God is the owner of all things. When it comes to the Bible's viewpoint, neither the government nor private individuals really own anything. Rather, we are all just stewards of God's property, and God can do what God likes with it. The question is, Are we in tune with God's preferences about such matters?
If the philosophy of capitalism is "what's mine is mine, and if I choose to share it, I am philanthropic" and the philosophy of communism is "what's yours is actually ours and we must confiscate it or treat it as public property," then neither of these approaches to property will do from a Christian point of view. Christians need to constantly be assessing what good stewardship of the personal property we have from God looks like. We need to regularly ask:
God, what would you have me do with this? Why have you given it to me?
Too often the assumption of the health and wealth preachers is that one is simply in the "bless me" club and that is the end of the discussion. In fact, as Paul so aptly reminds us, we are blessed in order to be a blessing to others, which is precisely why we must keep asking why things have been given to us. Gratitude is not enough as a response to these graces. Responsibility and inquiry as to the purpose and function of a gift of grace is in order.
We must (even be free honest that there are some severe problems with capitalism, even free market capitalism from a Christian point of view. Capitalism tends towards an endless focus on making money and buying new things to keep the economy growing. It has led to the lust for ever cheaper goods, even at the expense of homegrown mom and pop that are forced out of business because most everything has to be outsourced overseas so we can enjoy low prices.
I have to admit I am guilty of buying as cheap as I can in this inflationary economy. I have mixed feelings about this because we now have a global economy. I have no problems with other countries improving their lot in life of their people through my purchases. But in the twenty-first century we must be global Christians, not just global capitalists. That means we must care about the well-being of the people in the world and the world in general, and Christians worldwide in particular.
Having framed this as a comparison/contrast between capitalism and communism, it is clear enough to me that capitalism is the lesser of two evils if the alternative is communism, especially Marxist communism. I have spent enough time studying history of formerly communist countries to see that it did not benefit the people in any appreciable way. It kept most of them in poverty and death. The issue is not just democracy versus communism. I am clear that the capitalism as a political system is more biblical than the communism, especially when it comes to religious freedom. The real larger issue is the Marxist economic system of absolute state control.
I find it difficult to understand why so many biblical scholars and liberal elites think that Marxist analysis, process, and economic theory are more in accord with the New Testament than other theories. Indeed, it seems to me that the John of Patmos who critiqued Rome and its slave-based totalitarian economy would have a similar reaction to anti-Christian Marxist governments and their totalitarian, centrally-organized economies.
Instead of listening to self-professed educated experts we to listen to others who are older and wiser, those who have spent considerable time simplifying their own lifestyles. The Wisdom literature of the Bible tells us that it is helpful to go to those who have reflected long and carefully about how to live a genuinely biblical life. The Old Testament speaks of how we should wish for neither wealth nor poverty. Instead the New Testament is all about how godliness with contentment and a theology of “just enough” should govern our lifestyle.
Therefore Prosperity Preachers are likely pimps. Rich politicians are likely crooked as a three dollar bill. God mostly wants you rich in the spiritual things not the material things. For prosperity preachers to see wealth and prosperity in Scripture passages that spiritual things is an abomination and horrible derailing of God’s word. Paul is referring to grace here in 2 Corinthians 8:9 not material riches. Look at the prior 9 verse including 8:9, it says grace 4 times and also speaks of love and a wealth of generosity not riches.
2 Corinthians 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 you by his poverty might become rich.
Others claim James 4:2 wants Christians rich too— “You do not have because you do not ask God.”
This verse is used to bolster the “name it and claim it” part of the prosperity gospel — if you don’t have things it’s because you haven’t done or prayed enough. This interpretation is absurd and ignores the very next verse that follows, in which James 4:3 says:
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
Wisdom should be used in these situations. Wisdom does not assume that we are not spiritually affected by what we own, by how we regard our possessions. It is not biblical wisdom to assume that God wants us all to be wealthy. Frankly, most fallen persons, and even most Christian persons, can't handle wealth properly. It goes to their heads, to their hearts and eventually corrupts their souls.
They give way to the delusion that they are special to and thus better than the the common people of society. Worse, they become convinced that they must be truly godly or God would not have blessed them with all this stuff. Wealth all too easily leads to delusion. Real wisdom assumes that "things” and especially an excess of things get in the way of our relationship with God. Wisdom suggests to us that things pose the danger of becoming our idol when they actually supplant our Bible.
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