What the Bible Has

to Say About

The Poor
It is almost impossible to read the Bible without seeing a bias toward the poor.

D e u t e r o n o m y 15:1–11
Enshrined in the law is the principle that although “there will always be poor people in the land”
(v. 11), the people should lend freely, give generously, and cancel debts every seven years.

P r o v e r bs
Several proverbs condemn those who oppress the poor (see 14:31, 17:5, 19:1, 22:16) and
emphasize that riches have no bearing on one’s spiritual state (see 22:2, 28:6). Indeed being
wealthy carries greater responsibilities (see 22:9, 28:27). Many of the prophets speak out against
the plight of the poor. They know that the health of a nation is not gauged by how it amasses
wealth but by how it treats its poorer citizens.

Amos
The oracles of the prophet Amos are indeed about social reform, for he sees a people who “sell the
righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals. They trample on the heads of the poor as
upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed” (2:6b–7a). He also has much to say
about exploitation in the marketplace (see 8:5,6).

Mat t he w
Giving to the poor and needy should never be done for personal advancement (see 6:1–4). This
central chapter of the Sermon of the Mount points us all away from seeing any earthly attainments as
“treasure.” Instead we are encouraged to store up treasure in heaven (see 6:19–21). Jesus encourages
those with wealth to give it away if it spoils their relationship with God (see 19:21). He repeats the fact
that the poor will always be with us (see 26:11). These themes are also found in Mark and Luke.

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Acts
Generosity and concern for the poor are found in the care taken over the widows (see 6:1–7),
a commendation of Tabitha (see 9:36) and Cornelius (see 10:4), and an indirect statement that
delivery of aid to the poor is an occasional part of Paul’s work (see 24:17).

Letters
Generosity to the poor is regularly encouraged (see Galatians 2:10) rather than partiality to the rich
(which appears to be behind the admonition in James 2:1–13). A lack of generosity indicates a lack
of God’s love (see John 3:17). All this for the sake of Jesus Christ, who was rich and became poor
for our sake (see 2 Corinthians 8:9).

Scripture text taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright
©1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2008 by World Vision Resources, Mail Stop 321, P.O. Box 9716, Federal Way, WA 98063-9716,
253-815-3320, wvresources@worldvision.org. All rights reserved.

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 About World Vision
W o rld V i s i o n i s a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to helping
children and their families break free from poverty. Our work is motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ. We
see a world where each child experiences “fullness of life” as described in John 10:10. And we know this can
be achieved only by addressing the problems of poverty and injustice in a holistic way. That’s how World
Vision is unique: We bring nearly sixty years of experience in three key areas needed to help children and
families thrive: emergency relief, long-term development, and advocacy. And we bring all of our skills across
many areas of expertise to each community we work in, enabling us to care for children’s physical, social,
emotional, and spiritual well-being.

W o rld V i s i o n R es o u r c e s educates Christians about global poverty, inspires them to social justice,
and equips them with innovative resources to make a difference in the world. By developing biblically-based
materials for educators and ministry leaders on the causes and consequences of global poverty, World Vision
Resources supports the organizational mandate to move the church in the United States to more fully embrace
its biblical responsibility to serve the poor.

For more information about

our resources, contact:

World Vision Resources

www.worldvision.org
wvresources@worldvision.org

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