What is the Christian view of money and wealth?

Stewardship: everything we have is a trust from God, to be enjoyed with gratitude and used generously, not our own to hoard. Scripture tells the rich not to be arrogant or trust their money, but to do good and be ready to share (1 Timothy 6:17-18).

Is the prosperity gospel biblical?

No. The prosperity gospel treats wealth and health as guaranteed rewards for faith, but Jesus never taught this, warned about trusting riches, and had nowhere to lay his head. Scripture treats wealth as stewardship carrying real spiritual danger, not as proof of God's favour.

Is it more holy to be poor?

No. Scripture does not treat poverty as holiness or wealth as sin. It blesses the poor because God is near the overlooked, and it calls the rich to generosity. Holiness is a matter of the heart's trust and love, not the size of one's possessions.

Jesus and Money

The Christian View of Wealth

The historic Christian view of wealth is stewardship. Everything we have is a trust from God, not finally our own, given to be used well and shared freely. This rejects the prosperity gospel, which treats riches as proof of faith, and it rejects the idea that poverty is holiness. Wealth is neither a reward nor a sin; it is a responsibility, and one day an accounting.

What Scripture actually teaches

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

Matthew 6:19-21

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

Luke 12:15

“Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.”

1 Timothy 6:17-18

What it means

That last passage is the clearest summary the Bible gives to the wealthy, and it is strikingly balanced. It does not say ‘stop being rich.’ It says: do not be arrogant, do not trust your money but trust God, enjoy his good gifts, and be generous, ready to share. God ‘giveth us richly all things to enjoy’ is not the language of a faith that hates money.

Stewardship holds two truths together. Wealth is genuinely good, a gift to be enjoyed with gratitude and used to bless others. And wealth is genuinely dangerous, because it tempts us to trust it instead of God and to forget the poor. The prosperity gospel keeps only the first truth and turns God into a vending machine; a grim asceticism keeps only the second and turns money into an enemy. The Christian view keeps both: receive it as a trust, hold it with an open hand, and remember you are a manager, not an owner.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Christian view of money and wealth?: Stewardship: everything we have is a trust from God, to be enjoyed with gratitude and used generously, not our own to hoard. Scripture tells the rich not to be arrogant or trust their money, but to do good and be ready to share (1 Timothy 6:17-18).
Is the prosperity gospel biblical?: No. The prosperity gospel treats wealth and health as guaranteed rewards for faith, but Jesus never taught this, warned about trusting riches, and had nowhere to lay his head. Scripture treats wealth as stewardship carrying real spiritual danger, not as proof of God's favour.
Is it more holy to be poor?: No. Scripture does not treat poverty as holiness or wealth as sin. It blesses the poor because God is near the overlooked, and it calls the rich to generosity. Holiness is a matter of the heart's trust and love, not the size of one's possessions.

Turn it into a step: How should Christians handle money? → Money follows the heart, so the surest way to loosen its grip is to give. You can serve someone in need or offer your gifts today.

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Come and meet him yourself

Jesus did not talk about money to shame the poor or flatter the rich. He talked about it because he wanted our hearts, and money is the thing that most quietly competes for them. The living Christ is not an argument to be won but a Person to be met, and he still draws near to everyone who comes to him with an open hand and an honest heart. Read his own words, watch what he does, and see.

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Jesus Christ is Lord.

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