INSTRUCTIONS ASSIGNMENT REVIEW BOOK
OVERVIEW
Business for the glory of God: The Bible’s teaching on Read the following: Grudem, W. (2003).
.the moral goodness of business. Wheaton: IL: Crossway. ISBN: 9781581345179
INSTRUCTIONS
first module of the course. In the assigned module, you will submit aBegin reading during the
book review of 3 to 4 pages in current APA format for undergraduate papers. Choose 1 chapter
hdepth review of the chapter you have selected. Discuss 1 or 2 main points wit-and write an in
-which you agree and 1 or 2 with which you do not agree, supporting your thoughts with well
reasoned arguments. Your analysis must also be supported by at least 3 sources other than the
text and in a-be cited in Grudem book, and by biblical principles. Each additional source must
.reference list in current APA format. I was able to find the book on Google Scholar
1
OWNERSHIP
OwningpossessionsisfundamentallygoodandprovidesmanyopportunitiesforglorifyingGod,butalsomany
temptationstosin
SOMETIMESPEOPLETHINKofallownershipofpropertyasakindof“greed”that
is morally tainted, and they imagine that in a perfect world people would not even
own personal possessions. But the Bible does not support that idea. When God
gavethecommand,
“Youshallnotsteal”(Ex.20:15),
heaffirmedthevalidityofpersonalownershipofpossessions.Ishouldnotstealyour
car,becauseitbelongstoyou,nottome.UnlessGodintendedustoownpersonal
possessions,thecommandnottostealwouldmakenosense.
I believe the reason God gave the command, “You shall not steal,” is that
ownership of possessions is a fundamental way that we imitate God’s sovereignty
overtheuniversebyourexercising“sovereignty”overatinyportionoftheuniverse,
the things we own. When we take care of our possessions, we imitate God in his
takingcareofthewholeuniverse,andhedelightstoseeusimitatehiminthisway.
In addition, when we care for our possessions, it gives us opportunity to imitate
manyotherattributesofGod,suchaswisdom,knowledge,beauty,creativity,lovefor
others,kindness,fairness,independence,freedom,exerciseofwill,blessedness(or
joy),andsoforth.
NowsometimesChristiansrefertoownershipas“stewardship,”toremindusthat
whatwe“own”wedonotownabsolutely,butonlyasstewardstakingcareofwhat
really belongs to God. This is because “the earth is the LORD’s and the fullness
thereof”(Ps.24:1)andsoultimatelyitallbelongstohim(seealsoLev.25:23;Ps.
50:10-12;Hag.2:8;Luke16:12;1Cor.4:7).
Whydochildrenfromaveryearlyageenjoyhavingtoysthataretheirown,and
why do they often want to have a pet that is their own, one they can care for? I
realize that such “ownership” of toys and pets can be distorted by the sins of
selfishnessandlaziness,butevenifwelivedinasinlessworldchildrenfromavery
youngage would havea desire tohave thingsthatare their own.I thinkGod has
createdus with a desiretoown thingsbecause he wanted us to have adesireto
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 21:59:24.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
imitatehissovereigntyin thisway.Thisdesirein itself should notautomaticallybe
called“greed,”becausethatwordslanderssomethingthatisagooddesiregivento
usbyGod.
Whenweareresponsiblestewards,whethertakingcareofourtoysattheageof
fourormanagingtheentirefactoryattheageofforty,ifwedothiswork“asuntothe
Lord,”Godlooksatourimitationofhissovereigntyandhisotherattributes,andheis
pleased. In this way we are his image-bearers, people who are like God and who
representGodontheearth,whetherweownfewpossessionsormany,andwhether
weownasmallbusinessoralargeone.
Sowhatshouldwedowiththethingsweown?Therearemanygoodthingstodo,
allofwhichcanglorifyGod.Onegood“use”ofourresources—paradoxically—isthat
weshouldgivesomeofthemaway!Thisissothatotherscanusethemwisely,not
justweourselves.Forexample,wecangivetothechurchtohelpitsevangelismand
teaching, and in that way we build up the church. Or we can give some of our
possessionstomeettheneedsofothers,especiallythepoor:
Donotneglecttodogoodandtosharewhatyouhave,forsuchsacrificesarepleasingtoGod(Heb.
13:16).
The Bible frequently speaks of the importance of regularly giving away some of
whatwehavebeengiven:
HonortheLORDwithyourwealth
andwiththefirstfruitsofallyourproduce(Prov.3:9).
...wemusthelptheweakandrememberthewordsoftheLordJesus,howhehimselfsaid,“Itismore
blessedtogivethantoreceive”(Acts20:35).
GivingisimportantbecauseitdemonstratestrustinGod.WhenIgiveaway$100,
I am essentially saying, “God, I am trusting you to provide for $100 of my future
needs, because I no longer can depend on this $100.” Thus, giving money away
shifts our trust from our money to our God. God is pleased when we give (“God
lovesacheerfulgiver,”2Cor.9:7)becauseitnotonlydemonstratestrustinhimbut
alsoreflectshisloveforothers,hismercy,hiscompassionforthoseinneed.
But we do not need to give away all that we have! The Bible talks about other
morallyrightusesofourresourcesaswell.Forexample,amanwhoownsatractor
canuseittohelp“subdue”theearth(Gen.1:28)—thatis,maketheearthusefulfor
usashumanbeings—bycausingtheearthtoyieldcornandbeans.Peoplewhoown
morecomplexequipmentcanextractmaterialsfromtheearthtomakeplasticsand
siliconinordertomakecomputersandcellphonesandPalmPilots.
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 21:59:24.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
Atothertimes,weshoulduseourpossessionsnottomakeothergoodsbutsimply
forourownenjoyment,withthanksgivingtoGod,
whorichlyprovidesuswitheverythingtoenjoy(1Tim.6:17).
Itisalsorighttosavesomeofourresourcesforfutureuse.Thiswillenableusin
the future to provide for our relatives, and especially for members of our own
households,asGod’s Wordtellsus weshoulddo(see1Tim.5:8).We canglorify
Godthroughalloftheseusesofresourcesifwehavethanksgivinginourheartsto
God.
On the other hand, ownership of possessions provides many temptations to
misuse the resources that God has entrusted to us. We can use our resources to
pollute and destroy the earth, or to rob and oppress others, thereby disobeying
Jesus’ command to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:39), and thereby
dishonoringGodbyouractions.TheauthorofProverbs30knewthatstealingisnot
imitating God but is showing to the world a picture of a God who is selfish and
unjust,forhesaid,
...lestIbepoorandsteal
andprofanethenameofmyGod(Prov.30:9).
Orwecoulduseourpossessionstoturnpeopleawayfromthegospelandattack
thechurch,assomewealthypeopledidinthefirstcentury:
Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the
oneswhoblasphemethehonorablenamebywhichyouwerecalled?(James2:6-7).
Wecouldalsouseourresourcestoadvanceourownpride,orwecouldbecome
greedyandaccumulatewealthforitsownsake,orwecouldtakewrongfulsecurityin
riches(seeMatt.6:19;Luke12:13-21;James5:3).Wecoulduseourpossessions
foolishly and wastefully, abounding in luxury and self-indulgence while we neglect
the needs of others (see James 5:5; 1 John 3:17). These things are rightly called
“materialism,”andtheyarewrong.
In many parts of the world, the wonderful, God-given privilege of owning and
managing property is not possible for large segments of the population. In some
cultures,propertyrightsareselfishlyhoardedbyasmallnumberofpowerfulpeople
andgovernmentregulationsaresocomplexandtimeconsumingthattheyeffectively
makeitimpossibleforpoorpeopletoownanypropertyortoownasmallbusiness.1
In Communist countries, most private ownership of homes and businesses is
prohibited by law, and the government owns all factories and all real estate. Such
systems are evil because they prevent people from owning anything more than a
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 21:59:24.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
small number of personal possessions, and thus they prevent people from even
havingtheopportunitytoglorifyGodthroughowninganyproperty,orowningahome
orabusiness.
Ownershipcanbeabused,butthedistortionsofsomethinggoodmustnotcause
ustothinkthatthethingitselfisevil.Possessionsarenotevilinthemselves,andthe
ownershipofpossessionsisnotwronginitself.Norisownershipsomethingmorally
neutral.Initself,theownershipofpossessionsissomethingthatiscreatedbyGod,
andverygood.OwnershipprovidesmultipleopportunitiesforglorifyingGod,andwe
shouldbethankfulforit.
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 21:59:24.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
CONTENTS
Preface
Introduction:ANeglectedWaytoGlorifyGod
1Ownership
2Productivity
3Employment
4CommercialTransactions
5Profit
6Money
7InequalityofPossessions
8Competition
9BorrowingandLending
10AttitudesofHeart
11EffectonWorldPoverty
Notes
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
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3
EMPLOYMENT
HiringpeopletodoworkisfundamentallygoodandprovidesmanyopportunitiesforglorifyingGod,butalso
manytemptationstosin
INCONTRASTTOMarxisttheory,theBibledoesnotviewitasevilforonepersonto
hire another person and gain profit from that person’s work. It is not necessarily
“exploiting”theemployee.Rather,Jesussaid,
“thelaborerdeserveshiswages”(Luke10:7),
and by this statement he implicitly approved of the idea of paying wages to
employees. In fact, Jesus’ parables often speak of servants and masters, and of
peoplepayingothersfortheirwork,withnohintthathiringpeopletoworkforwages
is evil or wrong. And John the Baptist told soldiers, “Be content with your wages”
(Luke3:14).
Forsomeoccupations,beingemployedbysomeoneelse is necessary, because
some people sell services and not goods. In the ancient world, a maid or a
messengerorthelaborerinafieldwouldworkforsomeoneelse;andinthemodern
worldateacherorababy-sitter,orapainteroraplumber,earnsmoneywhenhired
byanotherperson.Butthehiringofonepersonbyanotherisalsonecessaryfora
greater production of goods.Many products can only be produced by a group of
peopleworkingtogether.Intheancientworld,shipbuildingandshippingcouldonly
bedonebyhiringmanypeople,andinthemodernworld,buildingairplanes,ships,
steel mills, and in most cases houses and computers, and many other consumer
goods,canonlybedonebyhiringotherpeople,becausethetasksaretoolargeand
toocomplicatedforonepersonalone.Butworkingingroupsrequirestheoversight
ofamanager,andthisismostoftenanownerwhopaystheothersfortheirwork.
ThisisawonderfulabilitythatGodhasgivenus.Payinganotherpersonforhisor
herlaborisanactivitythatisuniquelyhuman.Itissharedbynoothercreature.The
ability to work for other people for pay, or to pay other people for their work, is
anotherwaythatGodhascreatedussothatwewouldbeabletoglorifyhimmore
fullyinsuchrelationships.
Employer/employee relationships provide many opportunities for glorifying God.
Onbothsidesofthetransaction,wecanimitateGod,andhewilltakepleasureinus
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
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whenheseesusshowinghonesty,fairness,trustworthiness,kindness,wisdomand
skill,andkeepingourwordregardinghowmuchwepromisedtopayorwhatwork
we agreed to do. The employer/ employee relationship also gives opportunity to
demonstrate proper exercise of authority and proper responses to authority, in
imitation of the authority that has eternally existed between the Father and Son in
theTrinity.
When the employer/employee arrangement is working properly, both parties
benefit.Thisallowslovefortheotherpersontomanifestitself.Forexample,let’ssay
thatIhaveajobsewingshirtsinsomeoneelse’sshop.Icanhonestlyseekthegood
of my employer, and seek to sew as many shirts as possible for him along with
attentiontoquality(compare1Tim.6:2),andhecanseekmygood,becausehewill
pay me at the end of the week for a job well done. As in every good business
transaction,bothpartiesendupbetteroffthentheywerebefore.Inthiscase,Ihave
moremoneyattheendoftheweekthanIdidbefore,andmyemployerhasmore
shirtsreadytotaketomarketthanhedidbefore.Andsowehaveworkedtogetherto
producesomethingthatdidnotexistintheworldbeforethatweek—theworldis500
shirts“wealthier”thanitwaswhentheweekbegan.Togetherwehavecreatedsome
new “wealth” in the world. This is a small example of obeying God’s command to
“subdue”theearth(Gen.1:28)andmakeitsresourcesusefulformankind.Nowifwe
multiply that by millions of plants, millions of workers, and millions of different
products,itisevidenthowtheworldgainsmaterial“wealth”thatdidnotexistbefore
—new products have been created by an employer hiring an employee to
manufacturesomething.
Thereforeifyouhiremetoworkinyourbusiness,youaredoinggoodformeand
youareprovidingbothofuswithmanyopportunitiesto glorify God. It is the same
way with hiring people to produce services—whetherhiring teachers to teach in a
school, doctors to care for people in a clinic, mechanics to fix cars, or painters to
painthouses.Theemployer/employeerelationshipenablespeopletocreateservices
forothersthatwerenottherebefore.
However, employer/employee relationships carry many temptations to sin. An
employercanexercisehisauthoritywithharshnessandoppressionandunfairness.
Hemightwithholdpayarbitrarilyandunreasonably(contrarytoLev.19:13)ormight
underpay his workers, keeping wages so low that workers have no opportunity to
improve their standard of living (contrary to Deut. 24:14). He might also become
puffed-upwithpride.Jameswritesaboutsuchsinsofoppressiveemployers:
Behold,thewagesofthelaborerswhomowedyourfields,whichyoukeptbackbyfraud,arecryingout
againstyou,andthecriesoftheharvestershavereachedtheearsoftheLordofhosts(James5:4).
Employeesalsohavetemptationstosinthroughcarelessnessinwork(seeProv.
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 21:57:57.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
18:9), laziness, jealousy, bitterness, rebelliousness, dishonesty, or theft (see Titus
2:9-10).
But the distortions of something good must not cause us to think that the thing
itselfisevil.Employer/employeerelationships,inthemselves,arenotmorallyneutral
but are fundamentally good and pleasing to God because they provide many
opportunitiestoimitateGod’scharacterandsoglorifyhim.
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 21:57:57.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
9
BORROWINGANDLENDING
BorrowingandlendingarefundamentallygoodandprovidemanyopportunitiesforglorifyingGod,butalsomany
temptationstosin
SOMETIMESCHRISTIANSHAVEreadOldTestamentpassagesthatspeakagainst
lending money at interest (what the King James Version called “usury”), and they
have had an uneasy conscience about borrowing or lending money at interest
because of these passages. But if we look at those passages in detail, and
understandthemintheirproperhistoricalcontext,theyseemonlytoprohibittaking
advantage of the poor in their poverty (see Ex. 22:25; Lev. 25:35-37; Deut. 23:19;
Neh.5:710;Ps.15:5;Prov.28:8;Luke6:34).Thereareotherpassages,eveninthe
OldTestament,thatassumethatpeoplewillborrowsomethings(seeEx.22:14;2
Kings4:3),andsomeversesregulatetheprocessoflending:
“Whenyoumakeyourneighboraloanofanysort,youshallnotgointohishousetocollecthispledge”
(Deut.24:10).
The phrase, “when you make your neighbor a loan,” assumes that the people of
Israel would loan things to one another.Therefore it assumes that some of them
would borrow from others (for you cannot loan something unless someone else
borrowsit).ThereforeevenintheOldTestamenttherewasnoabsoluteprohibition
onloans.
Infact,someversesencouragelendingandcommendthemanwholends:
Itiswellwiththemanwhodealsgenerouslyandlends;
whoconductshisaffairswithjustice(Ps.112:5;seealsoPs.37:26).
IdonotthinkthatRomans13:8(“owenooneanything”)prohibitsallborrowingor
evendiscouragesborrowing,fortakenincontextitsimplysaysweshouldpaywhat
weowewhenweoweit.Ifwelookatthestatementinitspropercontext,translated
to show the connection between verse 7 and verse 8 (as is done in the recently
publishedEnglishStandardVersion),itreadsasfollows:
Forthesamereasonyoualsopaytaxes,fortheauthoritiesareministersofGod,attendingtothisvery
thing.Pay to all whatisowedto them: taxes to whom taxes are owed,revenue to whom revenue is
owed,respecttowhomrespectisowed,honortowhomhonorisowed.Owenooneanything,exceptto
loveeachother,fortheonewholovesanotherhasfulfilledthelaw(Rom.13:6-8).
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
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Asisevidentinthistranslation,thecommand,“owenooneanything,”issimplya
summaryoftheobligationstopaywhatweoweasspecifiedinthepreviousverses,
whethertaxesorrespectorhonororsoforth.Therefore,ifIhaveamortgageonmy
house,Ishouldmakethemortgagepaymentswhentheyare“owed”;thatis,Ishould
makepaymentsontimeasIhaveagreedtodo.Idonot“owe”theentirebalanceof
themortgagetothelenderuntilthedatespecified.ThoughIhaveborrowedmoney
andamcarryingalong-termdebt,IamcompletelyobedientRomans13:8,“oweno
oneanything,”becauseIhavenopast-duepaymentsonmymortgage.
Ofcourse,borrowingmayattimesbeunwise(seeProv.22:7,“theborroweristhe
slaveofthelender”;alsoDeut.28:12),andtheabilitytoborrowmaybemisusedby
thosewhoincurexcessivedebt (“Thewickedborrowsbutdoesnotpayback,” Ps.
37:21),andborrowingdoescarrysomeriskandsomeobligationsthatcanbevery
hardtogetoutof(seeEx.22:14),buttheBibledoesnotsaythatborrowinginitself
iswrong.
It seems to me, therefore, that borrowing and lending in themselves are not
prohibited by God, for many places in the Bible assume that these things will
happen.
Jesusevenseemstoapprovelendingmoneyatinterest,nottothepoorwhoneed
ittolive(asintheOldTestamentpassagesquotedabove),buttothebankerswho
borrowthemoneyfromussothattheycanuseittomakemoremoney:
“Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with
interest?”(Luke19:23;alsoMatt.25:27).
Whenweunderstandwhatborrowingreallyis,wewillrealizethattheprocessof
borrowingandlendingisanotherwonderfulgiftthatGodhasgiventousashuman
beings.Itisanotheractivitythatisuniqueamonghumanbeings,foranimalsdon’t
borroworlendorpayinterest,norcouldtheyevenunderstandtheprocess.
Whatareborrowingandlending?Initself,lendingisthetemporarytransferofthe
control of property but not of the ownership of property. This wonderful process
allowsthelendertohaveaninfinitevarietyofchoiceswithrespecttothefollowing
factors:
(a) Control: I have an infinite variety of choices between keeping an item and
givingitaway.Icanlendyoumycarandcomewithyouwhileyourunyourerrand,
orIcanlendittoyouforonebrieferrand,orIcanlendittoyouwithoutrestrictions
foradayoraweekorayear.
(b)Amount:Icanlendyouasmallitem(suchasmypocketknife)oralargeitem
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 22:21:30.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
(suchasmycarorhouse),andthereareallsortsofchoicesinbetween.
(c)Risk:thereisverysmallriskinlettingmywifeborrowmycarkeysormyjacket,
butthereisverylargeriskinlettingatotalstrangerborrowmycar,andthereareall
sortsofchoicesinbetween.
Borrowingalsoallowstheborroweraninfinitevarietyofchoicesbetweennouse
ofanitemandowningtheitem.Icanrentacarforaday,aweek,oramonth,thus
allowingmetohavelittleuse,orsomeuse,ormuchuseofthecar,withoutactually
owningit.
Thegreatvalueofborrowingandlendingisthattheymultiplytheusefulnessofall
thewealthofasociety.Mylocallibrarymayhaveonlyonecopyofareferencebook,
but300peoplemightuseitinayear, thusgivingmycommunityapproximatelyas
muchvalueas300copiesofthatbookifeachpersonhadtobuyone.
IownacarinArizona,butbecauseoftheprocessofborrowingandlending,Ican
fly into any city in the United States and have the use of a rental car for a day,
withouthavingtoownacarinthatcity.Theexistenceofthewonderfulmechanismof
borrowing and lending thus gives me approximately as much value as owning
thousandsofcars,oneineachcitythatImaywanttoflytointhewholeworld!Andit
doesthesameforeveryotherpersoninsociety.Thesameistrueforhotelrooms,
apartments,lakecabins,boats,formalclothingforweddings,trucksandtrailersfor
movingthings,andthousandsofothergoodsthatcanberentedforatime.Inthis
way, the process of borrowing and lending multiplies the available wealth in the
worldmoretimesthanitispossibletocalculate.
The same kinds of benefits occur with borrowing and lending money. When I
borrow money to buy a house or start a business, I enjoy the usefulness of that
money (just as I enjoy the usefulness of a rental car) for a period of time without
actuallyhavingtoownthemoneymyself.JustasIpayafeefortherentalcarwhileI
use it, so I pay a “rental fee” for the money while I use it (this rental fee is called
interest).Borrowingthemoneyandusingitforatimeisfareasierthanobtainingall
themoneymyselfbeforeIcangaintheuseofit.
The process of borrowing and lending money also means that more people can
use the money, just as more people can use a rental car. To take a simplified
example,let’ssayabankerhas$90,000sittinginhisbankvaultdoingnogoodfor
anybody,justsittingthere.Butyouwanttobuyahousefor$100,000,andyouonly
have$10,000.Itwouldtakeyoumanyyearstosavetheadditional$90,000tobuy
that house. But the banker loans you $90,000, and suddenly the money is doing
somegood—itenablesyoutobuyandliveinthehouse.(Andyoupaythebanker6
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 22:21:30.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
percent “interest” on the use of the money, or $5,400 per year, which makes the
bankerhappyaswell.)
Thestorydoesnotstopthere,however.Youpaythe$100,000tothebuilderofthe
house. Let’s say the builder in turn puts $80,000 of that money back in the very
samebankforawhile.Thebankernowseesthat$80,000sittinginhisbankvault,
doingnothingworthwhile,soheloanspartofit(say$70,000)toPersonB,whouses
ittobuyan$80,000house.1Onceagain,thathomebuilderputsthesamemoney
backintheverysamebank,let’ssay$60,000thistime.Sothenthebankerloans
out$50,000ofthismoneytoPersonC,andbythistimethesame“useless”money
thatwassittinginthebankvaulthasbeenusedthreetimestoenablethreeseparate
people to buy houses. And the process goes on and on. Thus, borrowing and
lendingmultiplytheusefulnessofmoneymanytimesover.(Itisatechnicaltaskfor
economiststocalculatejusthowmanytimesitmultiplies,givenvariousinterestrates
andotherfactorsintheeconomy.)
Thisprocessisnotjust“smokeandmirrors”withnorealitybehindit.Youreallyare
makinguseofthe$90,000,andyoureallyarelivinginyourownhouse,justasyou
reallyareusingtherentalcarwhenyouvisitanothercity.Thedifferenceisthatyou
can’tbothusetherentalcarandreturnittoberentedbysomeoneelseatthesame
time,butyoucandothatwithmoney.
Whatistrueofbuyingahouseisalsotrueofstartingabusiness.Veryfewpeople
haveenoughmoneyonhandtobuytheequipmentneededtostartanewbusiness.
Butwhenpeoplecanborrowthemoney,theycangettheirbusinessesrunningand
then pay back the loan from the money they earn. Such loans to start small
businesses (“microloans” for “micro-enterprises”) are starting to have an amazing
impact among the poor in many countries of the world.2 Through the amazing
process of borrowing and lending, the usefulness of money is multiplied and even
very poor people are able to start profitable businesses and work their way out of
poverty.
Thepointisthatifwecouldnotborrowandlendmoney,buthadtooperateonly
onacashbasis,theworldwouldhaveavastlylowerstandardofliving,notonlyin
therichernationsbutalsointhepoorernationsaswell.Theexistenceofborrowing
andlendingmeansthatthetotalavailableamountofgoodsandservicesintheworld
hasbeenmultipliedmanytimesover.
In this way, borrowing and lending multiply phenomenally our God-given
enjoymentofthematerialcreation,andourpotentialforbeingthankfultoGodforall
thesethingsandglorifyinghimthroughouruseofthem.
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 22:21:30.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
In borrowing and lending, we can reflect many of God’s attributes. We can
demonstrate trustworthiness and faithful stewardship, honesty, wisdom, and
thanksgiving.Wecan demonstrate some knowledge of thedistantfuture,andlove
andmercyandthankfulnesstoGod.
However, there are temptations to sin that accompany borrowing. As many
Americansarenowdiscovering,thereisagreattemptationtoborrowmorethanis
wise,ortoborrowforthingstheycan’taffordanddon’tneed,andthustheybecome
foolishly entangled in interest payments that reflect poor stewardship and
wastefulness,andthatentrappeopleinadownwardspiralofmoreandmoredebt.In
addition, lenders can be greedy or selfish. Some lenders will lend to people who
have no reasonable expectation of repaying and then take advantage of these
peopleintheirpovertyanddistress.
Christians who work in the business world tell me that one of their greatest
frustrations is “collections”: Customers owe money and they won’t pay their bills!
ChristianswhotaketheBibleasGod’sWordhavetorealizethatGodtellsustopay
our bills when they are due: “Owe no one anything” (Rom.13:8) surely means we
shouldpayourbillsontime!Peoplewhofailtopaybillswhentheyareduearenot
viewed positively in Scripture, for it says, “The wicked borrows but does not pay
back”(Ps.37:21).Failingtopayabillwhenwehavesaidwewouldisalsofailingto
keepourword,anditdishonorsourCreator,whoalwayskeepshisword.
But the distortions of something good must not cause us to think that the thing
itselfisevil.Borrowingandlendingarewonderful,uniquelyhumanabilitiesthatare
goodinthemselvesandpleasingtoGodandbringmanyopportunitiesforglorifying
him.Becauseborrowingandlendingaresuchgoodthings,Iexpectthattherewillbe
borrowingandlendingeveninheaven,nottoovercomepovertybuttomultiplyour
abilitiestoglorifyandenjoyGod.(ButIdon’tknowwhattheinterestratewillbe!)
Grudem, W. (2003). Business for the glory of god : The bible's teaching on the moral goodness of business. Crossway.
Created from liberty on 2022-10-20 22:21:30.
Copyright © 2003. Crossway. All rights reserved.
1
Book Review – Business for the glory of God
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Instructor's Name
Assignment Due Date
2
Book Review – Business for the glory of God
Introduction
The topic of lending, borrowing and debt in the biblical context often elicits a somewhat
controversial debate, especially in Christian settings, with different scholars taking different
stands and perspectives on the subject matter. Grudem (2003) addresses the topic of borrowing
and lending in Chapter 9 of the book “Business for the glory of God: The Bible’s teaching on the
moral goodness of business." In this chapter, Grudem (2003) presents the biblical perspectives
on borrowing and lending, as supported by scripture in both the Old and New Testaments. The
chapter also extends these biblical perspectives to fit the contemporary business world,
explaining how humans can apply them in context to govern their positions on lending and
borrowing. In line with this overview, this book review goes deeper into the chapter and analyses
it critically to provide an in-depth review that includes both points I agree with and disagree
with.
Points of agreement
One of the main points Grudem (2003) presents that I agree with is that the Bible is clear
on the fact that people should pay all debts due to them. Based on scripture from Romans 13:6-8,
Christians ought to pay their dues, including taxes, revenue, and debt. I agree with Grudem’s
(2003) perspective on this point since it is consistent with several other elements of scripture and
current laws in the business world. For instance, Psalms 37:21 points out that only the wicked
borrow and fail to pay. This shows that the failure to pay back what was borrowed is heavily
condemned in the Bible, proving the case for the need to pay debts. Further, 2 Kings 4:1-7 also
recounts the story of Elisha and the widow whose olive oil was replenished. In the passage,
Elisha instructs the widow to sell the oil and pay her debts, again showing the importance of
3
paying back what was borrowed. Thus, the Bible's core message on debt and borrowing is that
borrowers should pay their debt. Additionally, current laws in the business field exist, which
govern the nature and process of lending and borrowing; these laws enforce the requirement for
the borrower to pay back what they owe the lender over a stipulated duration, with specific
repercussions should they fail to honor the agreement (Goldmann, 2012).
Another point I agree with in Grudem's (2003) chapter is that lending should improve the
borrower's situation. Thus, lenders should not be proud or take advantage of the borrower's
situation by collecting excessive interest on debts. Grudem (2003) mentions Jesus cautioning
lenders against exploiting the poor (Luke 19:23; Matthew 25:27). I agree with this perspective
since it can also be corroborated by other parts of scripture and modern regulations that govern
interest rates in the contemporary business environment. For instance, the Old Testament
prohibits people from taking advantage of the poor in their poverty by cautioning them against
setting interest rates on them when they borrow. This is explicitly mentioned in Exodus 22:25
that when lending to the needy, one should not treat it like a business deal; instead, they should
charge no interest on the borrowed amount or commodity. Psalms 15:5 acknowledges lending to
the poor without charging interest as a righteous deed. Therefore, the Bible strongly emphasizes
the need for lenders not to take advantage of the poor or the needy; and not to charge interest on
their debts.
Similarly, some laws enforce this biblical principle in the contemporary business world,
most of which exist to guard against usury. Luther (2015) defines usury as lending money to
individuals or firms and charging unreasonably high-interest rates, often beyond the rates
permissible by law. Keynes (2018) adds to this definition to explain usury as the interest charged
by a lender over and above the existing limit set by the law. Loans created at this rate are referred
4
to as usurious. They are often illegal in most states since they aim to enrich the lender at the
expense of the borrower's misfortunes and poverty. Usurious rates are often punishable by law,
including monetary fines on the lender, compensation for the borrower, or the lender losing some
of the interest or even principal borrowed from them (Basile, 2020). From these two standpoints,
both biblical and contemporary, the arguments intersect with the fact that lenders should not
capitalize on the borrower's poverty or oppress the needy by setting high-interest rates on their
loans.
Point of disagreement
In the chapter, Grudem (2003) alludes that the Bible does not discourage or prohibit
borrowing and even encourages lending. From this perspective, Grudem (2003) argues that
borrowing and lending are seen as moral deeds from the biblical viewpoint. However, I disagree
with this argument since the Bible does not implicitly or explicitly ascribe morality to the
practices of borrowing and lending themselves. While elements of the scripture imply that
borrowing and lending are bound to happen, as seen from Deuteronomy 24:10 and Psalms 112:5,
the Bible remains neutral on the morality of borrowing and lending. It does not specify whether
borrowing and lending are good or bad. This decision lies with the individual, who is to evaluate
both sides of the situation based on their interpretation of scripture and choose whether to engage
in borrowing and lending or not. While the Bible does not mention debt being a sin or a result of
disobedience, many Christians tend to assume so based on their interpretation of scripture
(Christian Stewardship Network, 2021). Therefore, in line with this argument, I disagree with the
perspective of Grudem (2003) in ascribing morality to the practices of borrowing and lending in
themselves – that should be left at the discretion of the individual to make their own decision
based on biblical and personal principles.
5
References
Basile, C. (2020). Criminal Usury and Its Impact on New York Business Transactions. Touro L.
Rev., 36, 409.
Christian Stewardship Network. (2021, May 26). What does the Bible say about debt? —
Christian stewardship
network. https://www.christianstewardshipnetwork.com/blog/2021/4/16/what-does-the-
bible-say-about-debt
Goldmann, M. (2012, February). Responsible sovereign lending and borrowing: the view from
domestic jurisdictions. In Comparative Survey Written for the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development, available at http://www. unctad.
info/upload/Debt% 20Portal/RSLB_MGoldmann_02-2012. pdf (Accessed 1/5/2013).
Keynes, J. M. (2018). Notes on mercantilism, the usury laws, stamped money, and theories of
under-consumption. In The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (pp.
297-330). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Luther, M. (2015). On Commerce and Usury (1524). Anthem Press.
1
Book Review – Business for the glory of God – Paper Outline
Student's Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course Name and Number
Instructor's Name
Assignment Due Date
2
Book Review – Business for the glory of God – Paper Outline
Introduction
The topic of lending, borrowing and debt in the biblical context often elicits a somewhat
controversial debate, especially in Christian settings, with different scholars taking different
stands and perspectives on the subject matter.
Grudem (2003) addresses the topic of borrowing and lending in Chapter 9 of the book
“Business for the glory of God: The Bible’s teaching on the moral goodness of business."
In line with this overview, this book review goes deeper into the chapter and analyses it
critically to provide an in-depth review that includes both points I agree with and disagree
with.
Points of agreement
One of the main points Grudem (2003) presents that I agree with is that the Bible is clear on
the fact that people should pay all debts due to them.
Thus, the Bible's core message on debt and borrowing is that borrowers should pay their
debt.
Additionally, current laws in the business field exist, which govern the nature and process of
lending and borrowing; these laws enforce the requirement for the borrower to pay back what
they owe the lender over a stipulated duration, with specific repercussions should they fail to
honor the agreement (Goldmann, 2012).
Another point I agree with in Grudem's (2003) chapter is that lending should improve the
borrower's situation.
Therefore, the Bible strongly emphasizes the need for lenders not to take advantage of the
poor or the needy; and not to charge interest on their debts.
3
Similarly, some laws enforce this biblical principle in the contemporary business world, most
of which exist to guard against usury.
From these two standpoints, both biblical and contemporary, the arguments intersect with the
fact that lenders should not capitalize on the borrower's poverty or oppress the needy by
setting high-interest rates on their loans.
Point of disagreement
In the chapter, Grudem (2003) alludes that the Bible does not discourage or prohibit
borrowing and even encourages lending.
However, I disagree with this argument since the Bible does not implicitly or explicitly
ascribe morality to the practices of borrowing and lending themselves.
Therefore, in line with this argument, I disagree with the perspective of Grudem (2003) in
ascribing morality to the practices of borrowing and lending in themselves – that should be
left at the discretion of the individual to make their own decision based on biblical and
personal principles.
4
References
Basile, C. (2020). Criminal Usury and Its Impact on New York Business Transactions. Touro L.
Rev., 36, 409.
Christian Stewardship Network. (2021, May 26). What does the Bible say about debt? —
Christian stewardship
network. https://www.christianstewardshipnetwork.com/blog/2021/4/16/what-does-the-
bible-say-about-debt
Goldmann, M. (2012, February). Responsible sovereign lending and borrowing: the view from
domestic jurisdictions. In Comparative Survey Written for the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development, available at http://www. unctad.
info/upload/Debt% 20Portal/RSLB_MGoldmann_02-2012. pdf (Accessed 1/5/2013).
Keynes, J. M. (2018). Notes on mercantilism, the usury laws, stamped money, and theories of
under-consumption. In The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (pp.
297-330). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Luther, M. (2015). On Commerce and Usury (1524). Anthem Press.
