Neither Poverty nor Riches (Craig L. Blomberg)

In Neither Poverty nor Riches, Craig Blomberg takes us through a systematic theology of possessions as shown in the Scriptures. He surveys the entire Bible, looking at how various literature looked at riches, to include the Old Testament (both historical books and wisdom/prophetic literature), historical background between the Testaments, and the New Testament (Jesus' teaching, other Gospel writings, James' and Paul's views, and that of the other authors). He concludes with a summary and application section.

Though scriptures on this topic are diverse and "any attempt to summarize the dominant emphases in any large swathe of biblical material inevitably oversimplifies," there are "unifying motifs" worth noting. They are as follows (and quoted from the book or the Bible):

1. Material possessions are a good gift from God meant for his people to enjoy.
• [But those with wealth are expected to give generously to others and not accumulate unnecessary amounts for themselves.]
2. Material possessions are simultaneously one of the primary means of turning human hearts away from God.
• "You cannot serve God and money." (Matthew 6:24b)
• "Love of money is a root of all kinds of evils." (1 Timothy 6:10a)
3. A necessary sign of a life in the process of being redeemed is that of transformation in the area of stewardship.
• Ultimately, one's entire life should be dedicated to God, but a particularly telling area for determining one's religious commitment involves one's finances.
4. There are certain extremes of wealth and poverty which are in and of themselves intolerable.
5. The Bible's teaching about material possessions is inextricably intertwined with more 'spiritual' matters.
• In a remarkable number of instances throughout history, poverty and piety have been found hand in hand, as have wealth and godlessness . . . [These are] just recurring trends. The rich are not necessarily wicked, but frequently surplus goods have led people to imagine that their material resources can secure their futures so that they ignore God . . . Conversely, when the Jews found themselves in desperate circumstances, they more often than not turned back to God.

Perhaps one could summarize Scripture's teaching on the topic with a proverb:

7 Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:7-9)

Though this proverb doesn't directly get into the generosity (and social justice) expected of Christians, the main concept of truth and moderation towards self implies a focus on God and others, and meeting the needs of the community.

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This book is excellent. As a broad survey of scripture, it cannot by necessity delve too deeply into any one area, but it is a good overview. Blomberg frequently quotes scholars (the bibliography is nearly 40 pages) for additional background and insights, too. Finally, I learned a lot about other topics, to include the context/audience for many of the New Testament books. Overall, recommended.

Rating: A