KFLCC Kingdom Economics

F INANCIAL S ECURITY IN THE L AST D AYS

If Jesus had been motivated by His flesh, He could have purchased a summer home in the mountains of Galilee, a special getaway in the Judean wilderness, or a winter cabin on Mount Hermon. Using His popularity and tapping into His “partner base,” Christ could have invested in vineyards in the Jezreel Valley, or organized a fishing business by partnering with Peter and John. Instead Christ ascended to heaven, leaving no possessions on earth—just zealous disciples who would shake the world and create a holy nation (1 Pet. 2:9), known as the church! Christ rejected the prosperity aspect of the covenant and instead released blessings to us if we would walk in His Word. He became poor so that we could become rich. Some suggest that the word rich in 2 Corinthians 8:9 refers only to spiritual riches. They point out that the word rich is used when speaking of rich in mercy (Eph. 2:4), rich in faith (James 2:5), and rich in good works (1 Tim. 6:18). But a word study reveals the true meaning. The Greek word for the verb rich in 2 Corinthians 8:9 is a common Greek word, plouteo, and refers to being increased with goods and having acquired wealth. The same Greek word is used in the New Testament when indicating that people have financial and material wealth (Rev. 18:3; 15:19). It is used to indicate a wealthy person (Matt. 19:23), including Joseph of Arimathea, who is called a rich man in Matthew 27:57. If a theologian assumes that this promise of Christ becoming poor that we might be rich refers only to spiritual riches, then we must ask, when Christ became poor to make us rich, then what was His poverty? Christ had the gifts of mercy, good works, and great faith, and was rich in these; He was not poor in these gifts. Being poor in the context of the verse refers to natural and earthly poverty, not spiritual poverty. Since a workman is worthy of his hire (Luke 10:7), and a Christian leader is worthy of double honor (1 Tim. 5:17), if anyone deserved riches because of his ministry it was Christ, who healed all that were oppressed of the devil (Acts 10:38). Christ, however, willfully forfeited the prosperity and natural blessings promised for obedience to the law, and instead passed these blessings on to His righteous and obedient spiritual family. He knew that His followers would need these blessings in their daily lives. God wants His children to enjoy abundant life (John 10:10) and serve as an example to the unsaved and the unbelieving scoffer of how good God is and how blessed we are to have a covenant with Him. W HAT A BOUT THE P OOR B ELIEVERS O VERSEAS ?

74