The Bible upholds the importance of owning and respecting private property, and it contains teachings that emphasize the sanctity of private property rights.
Key Points and Arguments:
- The Bible’s Stance on Private Property: The Bible emphasizes the importance of private property ownership and condemns theft or coveting someone else’s property. It suggests that, strictly speaking, all property is ultimately owned by the Lord.
- Private Property in the Old Testament: The Old Testament is cited as containing numerous references and commandments that underscore the significance of private property.
- Private Property in the New Testament: The article argues that the prohibition against stealing and coveting property is not unique to the Old Testament but continues in the New Testament.
- The Impact on Human Well-Being: The article concludes by asserting that the biblical respect for private property and the possessions of others has played a vital role in establishing human well-being throughout the modern world. Societies that adhere to these principles are more likely to experience prosperity and growth for all.
In essence, this article argues that the Bible promotes the idea of private property ownership and condemns theft, and it suggests that these principles have contributed to the well-being and prosperity of societies that have followed them.
DEEP DIVE
What the Bible Sais about Private Property? As It Turns Out, Quite a Lot.
Institute for Faith, Economics and Work
Dr. Art Lindsley
October 6, 2016
The Bible upholds the importance of owning and being able to use private property. It is especially wrong to steal or to covet someone else’s property. Strictly speaking, all property is owned by the Lord.
Private Property in the Old Testament
The Old Testament speaks a great deal concerning private property. Regarding the above statement that all property is owned by the Lord, Scripture says:
Two of the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt not steal” and “Thou shalt not covet,” imply and entail private property (Exod. 20:15, 17, KJV).
Stealing involves taking something that is another’s. Coveting involves desiring what is another’s. Minimally, the prohibition of stealing means that it is wrong to take someone else’s property without his or her permission. This prohibition is underlined throughout both the Old and New Testaments.
Divine prohibitions against moving boundary markers occur five times throughout the Old Testament.
In 1 Kings 21, the story of the prophet Elijah’s rebuke of Ahab and Jezebel for the murder of Naboth and their acquisition of his vineyard is a classic biblical story of theft. Elijah pronounced severe judgment on Ahab and Jezebel for this wicked deed.
Private Property in the New Testament
This prohibition against stealing was not, of course, unique to the ancient Jews. Old Testament scholar Walter Kaiser notes that “Rome made this crime one that was punishable by death, so seriously did they view such an action.”
Christianity inherited this prohibition:
Christians have accepted the biblical prohibition against theft and have continued to work out its implications. According to Kaiser, “John Calvin found removing the boundary stone to be an act of double deceit, for it was both an act of theft and one of false witness.”
It is evident that the New Testament restates emphatically the prohibition of theft, which clearly implies the upholding of private property.
Moreover, the controversial passage in Acts 2–5 does not constitute an exception to this, as the early believers retained private property while being generous with their possessions. They voluntarily shared what they had through what seems to have been a temporary arrangement.
The biblical respect for the property and possessions of others has been key in establishing human well-being throughout the modern world, and societies that have heeded these principles have been one step closer to experiencing prosperity and growth for all.
Originally published at https://tifwe.org on October 6, 2016.
