Jesus on the Elevated Status of Poverty and the Condemnation of Wealth
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Wolran Kim
December 2012
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian bible after the first division, the Old Testament. This has different views from the Old Testament, Hebrew Bible, and deals with 1st century Christianity, although both are regarded as sacred scripture. The New Testament has accompanied the spread of Christianity around the world, and is reflected as a source for Christian theology. The New Testament has influenced not only religious, philosophical, and political movements in Christendom, but has also left a memorable mark on its literature, art, and music. The New Testament is a collection of Christian works written in the common Greek language of the first century, at different times by various writers, and named for the early Jewish disciples of Jesus of Nazareth.
The New Testament consists of 27 books compared to the Old Testament’s 39 books. The original texts were written in the first and perhaps the second centuries of the Christian Era, most likely in Koine Greek, which was the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean from the Conquests of Alexander the Great (335–323 BC) until the evolution of Byzantine Greek (c. 600).
All of the works which would eventually be incorporated into the New Testament would seem to have been written no later than AD 150. The New Testament consists of four narratives of the life, teaching, and death of Jesus, called “gospels.” A narrative of the Apostles' ministries in the early church, called the “Acts of the Apostles” were probably by the same author as the Gospel of Luke written by various authors and consisting mostly of Christian counsel, instruction, and conflict resolution; and the Book of Revelation.
The term "new testament" or "new covenant" first occurs in Jeremiah 31:31 (cited in Hebrews 8:8). The same Greek phrase is found in the New Testament, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 8:8, Hebrews 9:15, 2 Cor 3:14). In early Bible translations into Latin the phrase was rendered foedus, "federation," in Jeremiah 31:31 and testamentum in Hebrews 8:8 and other instances, from which comes the English "new testament." Modern English, like Latin, distinguishes testament and covenant as alternative translations, and consequently the treatment varies in English translations of the Bible. Use of the term New Testament to describe a collection of first and second-century Christian Greek scriptures can be traced back to Tertullian.
The form of the New Testament is divided into two kinds. The first part is the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, and John. This part focuses on Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles. The second part is the letter writing written about Jesus, the Gospel, and problems of denominations by the disciples of Jesus, the apostles (the twelve disciples except Judas and Paul), other authoritative people (the case of the Book of Hebrews). These letters were widely read when the early church had proper delivery of faith.
Since Christianity was authorized in the 4th century, confirmation of the new scriptures was seriously necessary while religious power expanded explosively. The Universal Church under the Roman Empire classified the New Testament of Acts, letters, and Gospels in accordance with certain criteria. The Reformers of the Western Church in the 16th century had intense debates with the Old Testament but not the New Testament in the course of the controversy against the rampant corruption and politicization of Christianity. Martin Luther harshly criticized The General Epistle of St. James which emphasized the faith and conduct compared to ‘straw,’ but did not ultimately deny it as the scripture.
The intended audience of the Bible is all human beings because God created humans and humans must follow God’s words to live right according to the Bible. The Bible stated that the gospel should be preached to the ends of the earth. Many people of the world live following abstract and vague stories or their own fictions. Many people claim the Bible’s errors and distortions, and argue that the truth should not be in conflict from the beginning to the end. Some people refute that the savior of Christianity brainwashes and enslaves humans, and the Christian faith means absolute obedience and zombie-dependency.
The doctrine of Christianity is largely primitive (maybe this is the limit of human thinking) because they say the Bible is perfect without a flaw and only a person who is obedient can get a candy. Finite three-dimensional human beings with awe in front of the power of Mother Nature are natural. Religion is a social phenomenon which tries to rely on the almighty god who can solve something that humans cannot. Self-understanding and solving things by humans can be no religion. The universal recognition and comfort in the Bible cannot be denied despite all the contradictions of mythical difficulties that cannot be understood with the ability of human rationality. One of those lessons is perception about poverty and wealth.
People are enslaved by property and wealth under the capitalist society, and then they struggle to make money from relative deprivations practically because money guarantees social status, honor, and power beyond comfort and convenience. The notion of poverty and wealth in the Bible awaken people who run for treasures that human desire is never satisfied. The concept of wealth in the Bible is God’s Ownership in a word. There is no necessity to fight if God is the owner of everything. People can be more honest and stay away from the net of greed if they are just guardians of riches. No one can serve two masters.
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 both God and Money (Matthew 6:24). According to the Bible, money easily occupies the place of God, and “the love of money” is not money itself that is evil. Poverty in reality is the same as material deprivation, isolation, dependence, lack of power and freedom, social conflicts, insecurity, and lack of well-being, but poverty in the Bible is much more hopeful and affirmative.
A lot of people laugh and cry because of money. Money became a touchstone of success in life but the heart of the Bible is in heaven and the afterlife rather than the wealth of the earth, and spiritual riches are blessings and gifts of God. This viewpoint reminds people to be on the lookout for unrestrained greed to the rich and spiritual blessings and solace to the poor. This new perspective on poverty and wealth surely consists of fresh sense of values and reassuring to capitalistic humans no matter how the Bible is written.
======================================================================
Wolran Kim
December 2012
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian bible after the first division, the Old Testament. This has different views from the Old Testament, Hebrew Bible, and deals with 1st century Christianity, although both are regarded as sacred scripture. The New Testament has accompanied the spread of Christianity around the world, and is reflected as a source for Christian theology. The New Testament has influenced not only religious, philosophical, and political movements in Christendom, but has also left a memorable mark on its literature, art, and music. The New Testament is a collection of Christian works written in the common Greek language of the first century, at different times by various writers, and named for the early Jewish disciples of Jesus of Nazareth.
The New Testament consists of 27 books compared to the Old Testament’s 39 books. The original texts were written in the first and perhaps the second centuries of the Christian Era, most likely in Koine Greek, which was the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean from the Conquests of Alexander the Great (335–323 BC) until the evolution of Byzantine Greek (c. 600).
All of the works which would eventually be incorporated into the New Testament would seem to have been written no later than AD 150. The New Testament consists of four narratives of the life, teaching, and death of Jesus, called “gospels.” A narrative of the Apostles' ministries in the early church, called the “Acts of the Apostles” were probably by the same author as the Gospel of Luke written by various authors and consisting mostly of Christian counsel, instruction, and conflict resolution; and the Book of Revelation.
The term "new testament" or "new covenant" first occurs in Jeremiah 31:31 (cited in Hebrews 8:8). The same Greek phrase is found in the New Testament, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 8:8, Hebrews 9:15, 2 Cor 3:14). In early Bible translations into Latin the phrase was rendered foedus, "federation," in Jeremiah 31:31 and testamentum in Hebrews 8:8 and other instances, from which comes the English "new testament." Modern English, like Latin, distinguishes testament and covenant as alternative translations, and consequently the treatment varies in English translations of the Bible. Use of the term New Testament to describe a collection of first and second-century Christian Greek scriptures can be traced back to Tertullian.
The form of the New Testament is divided into two kinds. The first part is the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, and John. This part focuses on Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles. The second part is the letter writing written about Jesus, the Gospel, and problems of denominations by the disciples of Jesus, the apostles (the twelve disciples except Judas and Paul), other authoritative people (the case of the Book of Hebrews). These letters were widely read when the early church had proper delivery of faith.
Since Christianity was authorized in the 4th century, confirmation of the new scriptures was seriously necessary while religious power expanded explosively. The Universal Church under the Roman Empire classified the New Testament of Acts, letters, and Gospels in accordance with certain criteria. The Reformers of the Western Church in the 16th century had intense debates with the Old Testament but not the New Testament in the course of the controversy against the rampant corruption and politicization of Christianity. Martin Luther harshly criticized The General Epistle of St. James which emphasized the faith and conduct compared to ‘straw,’ but did not ultimately deny it as the scripture.
The intended audience of the Bible is all human beings because God created humans and humans must follow God’s words to live right according to the Bible. The Bible stated that the gospel should be preached to the ends of the earth. Many people of the world live following abstract and vague stories or their own fictions. Many people claim the Bible’s errors and distortions, and argue that the truth should not be in conflict from the beginning to the end. Some people refute that the savior of Christianity brainwashes and enslaves humans, and the Christian faith means absolute obedience and zombie-dependency.
The doctrine of Christianity is largely primitive (maybe this is the limit of human thinking) because they say the Bible is perfect without a flaw and only a person who is obedient can get a candy. Finite three-dimensional human beings with awe in front of the power of Mother Nature are natural. Religion is a social phenomenon which tries to rely on the almighty god who can solve something that humans cannot. Self-understanding and solving things by humans can be no religion. The universal recognition and comfort in the Bible cannot be denied despite all the contradictions of mythical difficulties that cannot be understood with the ability of human rationality. One of those lessons is perception about poverty and wealth.
People are enslaved by property and wealth under the capitalist society, and then they struggle to make money from relative deprivations practically because money guarantees social status, honor, and power beyond comfort and convenience. The notion of poverty and wealth in the Bible awaken people who run for treasures that human desire is never satisfied. The concept of wealth in the Bible is God’s Ownership in a word. There is no necessity to fight if God is the owner of everything. People can be more honest and stay away from the net of greed if they are just guardians of riches. No one can serve two masters.
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 both God and Money (Matthew 6:24). According to the Bible, money easily occupies the place of God, and “the love of money” is not money itself that is evil. Poverty in reality is the same as material deprivation, isolation, dependence, lack of power and freedom, social conflicts, insecurity, and lack of well-being, but poverty in the Bible is much more hopeful and affirmative.
A lot of people laugh and cry because of money. Money became a touchstone of success in life but the heart of the Bible is in heaven and the afterlife rather than the wealth of the earth, and spiritual riches are blessings and gifts of God. This viewpoint reminds people to be on the lookout for unrestrained greed to the rich and spiritual blessings and solace to the poor. This new perspective on poverty and wealth surely consists of fresh sense of values and reassuring to capitalistic humans no matter how the Bible is written.