The Gospel Coalition
By Wayne Grudem
Accessed on June 24th, 2023
Wayne Grudem is research professor of theology and biblical studies at Phoenix Seminary in Phoenix, Arizona.
Abstract
The Eighth Commandment, “You shall not steal,” has massive implications for human life on earth.
Exodus 20:15 provides the necessary foundation for system of private ownership of property, of stewardship and accountability, and of an expectation of human flourishing.
This article also argues that “business as mission” is a legitimate calling and that founding and running a profitable and ethical business glorifies God.
Is it right to send missionaries to start businesses that make a profit in other countries? 1
For centuries, Christians have sent doctors and dentists and nurses as medical missionaries, and have sent teachers as educational missionaries.
The medical missionaries don’t just pretend to heal people’s bodies-they really do heal people’s bodies.
The educational missionaries don’t just pretend to teach in schools-they actually do teach people to read and write and pursue advanced subjects.
But is it the same for business missionaries?
Is “business as mission” a legitimate calling?
And should these businesses make money, like a real business, or should they just be charades that are pretending to be a business but are actually a disguise for evangelism?
I’m going to argue in what follows that “business as mission” is a legitimate calling, and that founding a business that actually makes a profit is something that in itself glorifies God.
Starting a business that earns a profit is a good thing in God’s sight in addition to the God-glorifying salvation of people who come to know Christ through the personal witness of the Christians in the business.
Just as God is pleased when medical missionaries heal people’s bodies, and God is pleased when educational missionaries heal people’s minds, so God is pleased when business missionaries help to heal a country’s economy.
In this regard, I want to focus on just one verse, Exodus 20:15: “You shall not steal.”
EXODUS 20:15:
“You shall not steal.”
This verse has massive implications for human life on earth, and for careers in business, and for thinking about business as mission.
Extended reflection on the words of the Bible will often yield deeper insight than what is evident on a first reading.
This should not be surprising. If we believe that the Bible is the product of the infinite wisdom of God, we will naturally expect that the Bible contains more wisdom than human minds will ever fully understand.
This is certainly true with regard to the Eighth Commandment, 2 “You shall not steal” (Exod 20:15).
Our first impression is that the commandment is quite simple, consisting of only four words in English and only two in Hebrew: לֹא תִּגְנֹב .
t tells us we should not take something that does not belong to us. What part of that do we not understand?
It tells us we should not take something that does not belong to us.
On deeper reflection, however, we will discover that this commandment provides the necessary foundation for all human flourishing on the face of the earth.
Governments and cultural traditions violate the Eighth Commandment at their peril, for wherever this commandment is ignored, entire nations remain trapped in poverty forever.
When that happens, they tragically fail to achieve many of God’s purposes for them on the earth.
Governments and cultural traditions violate the Eighth Commandment at their peril, for wherever this commandment is ignored, entire nations remain trapped in poverty forever.
When that happens, they tragically fail to achieve many of God’s purposes for them on the earth.
Outline
- 1. Not Stealing Implies Private Property
- 2. Private Property Implies Stewardship
- 3. Stewardship Implies that God Expects Human Flourishing
- 4. The Dangers of Materialism and Asceticism
- 5. A Christian Worldview Will Enable Poor Nations to Prosper
- 6. The Immense Challenge of the Eighth Commandment
To be continued …
References
[1] This article revises a sermon preached to Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN on October 17, 2015.
