I would venture to say that most people who read the New Testament do not pay much attention to the subject of money. However, skipping over this topic can leave us vulnerable to unscrupulous tithe teachers who try to tell us that we should pay at least 10 percent to our churches. I believe that before we allow them to try to control our pocketbooks that we should take a look at this important subject. In this post I intend to show that money was essential and inseparable from the economy, and also provide contextual background that I can make reference to in some of my future articles.

Many passages in the New Testament imply money without using the actual terms, which in the New Testament are coin, silver, gold, copper, drachma, denarius, talent, pennies and minas (terms from the NIV). Passages that explicitly mention money are: Matthew 6:19-24, 10:9, 17:24-27, 18:23-34, 20:1-15, 21:12, 22:17-21, 28:12-15; Mark 12:14-16, 12:41-43, Luke 12:59, 14:28, 15:8-9, 19:11-26, 21:1-2; John 13:29 and Acts 16:19. When considering the other passages where money is implied rather than explicitly stated, the total number of references is much higher. For example, words like possessions and purse would most likely include money, and oftentimes the value of something strongly implies money. All together, specifically stated or implied, I found roughly 140-150 passages that discuss money.[*] Not included in this list are references to tithing, which never consisted of money.

In order to get a sense of the breadth and depth of this topic, it is necessary to not only consider what the NT describes as money, but to also consider the role it played in the social, cultural and economic life of the time. The economy was much larger and robust than just small businesses and farms. It was an advanced, full fledged, market driven system spanning thousands of miles around the Mediterranean Sea, connecting Northern Africa, Asia Minor and Southern Europe.

Trade and commerce flowed freely in this international community that was populated by people in all segments of the social and economic strata – poor, middle income and rich – and money was earned in various ways. There were skilled and unskilled laborers, investors, entrepreneurs and professionals. There were some who were highly educated and some who were not. If we just look at the shipping industry and the cargoes that were transported we get a pretty clear picture of the goods and commodities that existed and the types of jobs that were necessary for their production, acquisition, and disposition. For instance, the Apostle John writes in Rev 18: 11-17:

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore–cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; articles of fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and artifacts of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves. They will say, “The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.” The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!” Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off.

The above passage mentions gold, silver, precious stones, bronze, iron and marble, which indicate a mining industry. The fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth suggest a strong textile industry. And the fact that the cloth is a commodity that is somewhere between a raw material and a finished product, shows an industry that was divided into specialized components for efficiency and economy of scale. There were most likely traders and other business operators in support of these industries who purchased these items and sold them to the next step in the chain, eventually making their way to end consumers.

In this capitalistic economy, the profit motive required these ships to be fully loaded as they navigated to and from various ports. And these ports would have had ship maintenance experts and large numbers of dock workers to perform loading and unloading. Land based transportation companies were needed to move the goods to and from the docks. Also, as mentioned above and evidenced by Paul’s missionary journeys by ship and overland, there would have been a vibrant travel industry, complete with supporting food and lodging industries. 

In describing the economy of the time, it is important to look at the fundamentals — what the people wore for clothing and what their diet consisted of. The poorest of the poor wore garments made of camel hair, as evidenced by the description of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:4. From there, depending on who could afford them, there were clothes made of fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth as mentioned in the ships cargoes above. The reference to John the Baptist also states that he ate locusts and wild honey, which would not require money to obtain. On the other hand, depending on a person’s income and what they could afford, there was a tremendous variety of very tasty and delightful food. For example, the ship cargoes mentioned above contained cattle, sheep, cinnamon and spice, wine and olive oil, fine flour and wheat. In addition, other passages mention pigs — Matthew 8: 28-34, reptiles and birds — Acts 10: 9-16. bread and fish — Matthew 14: 13-21. mint dill and cumin — Matthew 23:23, salt — Matthew 5:13. Fruit is mentioned several times and, since the population lived in close proximity to the sea, we can also infer that seafood was abundantly available. And, as with most everything else, food was bought and sold — Matthew 14: 13-21.

Undergirding this diverse and well-developed economic ecosystem was a strong financial industry that supported both local economies and also international trade. I am sure you are familiar with Matthew 21:12 and John 2:15 where Jesus entered the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers. Traditional teaching usually focuses on Jesus’ reaction to the money changers, but from a money point of view these people were dealing with international currencies, and the passage clearly shows that the economy of that time was not only local but also international in scope. A large financial industry like this would require educated professionals — skilled in mathematics, accounting and bookkeeping. To show how ingrained money was in the society of that time, Consider John 12:3-5:

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.’”

Notice there is no discussion about possibilities of exchanging or bartering. It was simply stated that the perfume could be sold for money – the most practical and convenient method of conversion – without giving any thought to anything else. This passage summarizes in one place the idea that money supported the disposition and acquisition of everything from pure luxury items for the well-to-do to basic necessities for the poor.

To further cement the idea that money was essential to the way of life of that place and time, consider Mark 12:41 – 44 about the widow and her two coins:

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on.”

Notice this passage states “all she had to live on.” In other words, in order for this woman to live independently, she needed money — because it was essential in that society.

As as you can see from this brief overview, the robust economy of the New Testament was both local and international in scope. People worked and earned their livings in countless vocational occupations such as general laborers, dock workers, miners, carpenters (Jesus was a carpenter) and stone masons. There were entrepreneurs of all sizes of businesses. There were commodities traders, engineers and builders. There were those who were skilled in the culinary arts, and there were physicians (Luke for example) and professionals skilled in handling money and related aspects of business. At the core of this economy was money, which was more than a common denominator that allowed trade and commerce to thrive, It was essential to the way people lived.

I mentioned earlier that tithing is not included in my list of money passages. But I think it is important to at least touch on the four New Testament passages that mention it in case you are questioning why. Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42 describe the same account, while Hebrews chapters 7-8 and Luke 18:9-14 describe separate events. These all mention tithing, but they are somewhat different and warrant separate discussions. Let’s look at the first account as described in Matthew 23:23:

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (KJV)

Notice the description of food items, especially in light of the fact that the NT economy was entirely, or at least almost entirely, money driven. While there may have been isolated instances where someone may have used something like food as a payment instead of money, it would have been extremely rare. This is not one of those cases, however, because notice that Jesus used the plural when he said “you scribes and Pharisees,” which suggests a group of people performing something in a systematic manner, not an isolated case. Also notice that Jesus mentioned, “matters of the law.” The tithing in this passage was required under the Mosaic Law, to which Christians are not obligated, and the Jewish scribes and Pharisees were attempting to fulfill this requirement the best way they knew how by carefully counting out their spices. If tithes had anything to do with money or income, the food would have been sold at the market using common weights and measures and then 10 percent of the money paid. Also, tithing in the Law had an instruction manual, so to speak, which contained many detailed rules regarding not only what it consisted of (only food and produce raised on God’s holy land) but also who paid it, who received it and what the recipients were to do with it, which included animal sacrifices.

Now let’s take a look at Hebrews chapters 7-8, which discuss the account in Genesis 14:20 where Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek. Abraham was a much revered patriarch to the nation of Israel, and to the Jews there was no one greater except God. In Hebrews 7-8, the writer explains that since Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, that the scriptures are showing that there is someone greater than Abraham, and that someone is Christ. There are no instructions in this passage for anyone to tithe, nor is the writer using this as an example to follow. Also, if you read the account in Genesis you will see that the tithes were spoils of war and not money, it was a one-time event, and there were no instructions from God.

Luke 18:9-14 is a parable:

To some who were confident in their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and one a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, thank you that I am not like the other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all those who humble themselves will be exalted.

The above passage is from the NIV version and uses the word, “tenth.” Many other versions use the word tithe, which I actually prefer because this man was a Pharisee, and this group steadfastly adhered to the Mosaic Law, which required tithes. In any case, note that Jesus did not think much of this type of self righteousness, and this again is not any type of instruction for Christians to follow.

Tithing is a fairly in depth study, and in the interest of staying on the topic of this post, I will stop here and refer you to the Links tab at the top of this page where you can find more information.

Hopefully this post was interesting to you. It certainly was for me. The subject of money in the New Testament opened my eyes a little wider and gave me a broader understanding of life in that day and time. Money was indispensable and inseparable to people’s lives because that is how the economy operated.

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[*] New Testament references to money:

Matthew 5:46, 6:1-4, 6:19-24, 9:9-11, 10:9, 10:29, 11:16, 11:19, 13:44-45, 14:15, 16:26, 17:24-27, 18:17, 18:23-34, 19:21-24, 20:1-15, 21:12, 21:31-32, 22:17-21, 25:9, 25:14-30, 26:6-9, 26:14, 27:7, 27:57, 28:12-15

Mark 1:20, 2:14, 2:15-16, 4:19,6:8, 6:36-37,  10:21-24, 11:15-16, 12:14-16, 12:40-43, 14:3-8, 14:10, 15:46,

Luke 3:12-14, 5:27-30, 6:20, 6:24, 6:34-35, 7:25, 7:29, 7:34, 7:41, 8:3, 9:3, 9:13, 10:4, 10:35, 11:21, 12:16, 12:33-34, 12:44, 12:59, 14:13, 14:18-19, 14:14:21, 14:28, 15:1, 15:8-9, 15:11-14, 15:30, 16:1, 16:9-14, 16:19-23, 18:22-25, 19:2, 19:8, 19:13-25, 19:45, 20:9, 20:22-23, 20:46-47, 21:1-4, 22:35-36, 23:2,

John 2:13-16, 6:7, 8:20, 10:12, 12:3-6, 13:29

Acts 2:45, 3:2-4, 4:32-5:11, 8:18, 8:27, 9:36, 10:2, 10:4, 10:30, 11:29-30, 16:14,19:19, 20:32-35, 21:23-27, 22:28

Romans 12:13, 13:6-7, 13:8, 15:23-29, 16:1-2

1 Cor 3:12, 7:30, 9:6, 9:14, 16:1-4

2 Cor 2:17, 8:1-15, 12:14-18

Gal 2:10

Eph 5:3

Phil 4:10-19

1 Thes 2:3-10

2 Thes 3:6-13

1 Tim 5:3-9, 5:16-18, 6:3-10, 6:17-19

Titus 3:13

Philemon 2:18-19

Heb 13:5

James 1:9-11, 9:27, 2:1-7, 2:14-18, 4:13, 5:1-8

1 Peter 1:7, 1:18, 5:2

2 Peter 2:2-3, 2:14

1 John 2:16, 3:17

3 John 1:5-8

Rev 2:9, 3:17-18, 5:12, 17:3-5, 18:3, 18:11-22, 21:11-21