What did Jesus say about loans?
In Luke 6:34-35 Jesus said: “And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
Luke 6:34-35
Here we have Jesus saying, “lend, expecting noth- ing in return,” again to the crowds as well as to Jesus' disciples (Lk 17, 7:1). Garland (2011) suggests that Jesus says this because his teaching reaffirms the essence of the Old Testament prohibition against interest.
Matthew 18:27, 30, 32, 34 - Forgive because your debts have been forgiven. Luke 7:42-43 - He who is forgiven much (debt) loves much; he who is forgiven little (debt) loves little. Romans 4:4 - Wages, like a debt owed, must be paid. Colossians 2:14 Jesus canceled the record of debt we owed by nailing it to the cross.
Deuteronomy 15:8 says, “You shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.” Turning to the New Testament, in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:42, Jesus says, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”
“Some people believe that Romans 13:8 does not allow for borrowing and that it is a sin to have a debt. However, the Bible does not forbid borrowing or legal financial transactions that involve interest.
The Old Testament "condemns the practice of charging interest on a poor person because a loan should be an act of compassion and taking care of one's neighbor"; it teaches that "making a profit off a loan from a poor person is exploiting that person (Exodus 22:25–27)." Similarly, charging of interest (Hebrew: נֶֽשֶׁךְ, ...
“Jesus drove the money-changers out because he said, 'My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves. ' God's action teaches me that if you are deceitful or use the church for the wrong reason, you will not be rewarded,” says Kosee, 10.
They cite the famous passage (Matthew 6:14) from the Sermon on the Mount, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” which is more accurately translated from the original language to “Forgive us our trespasses (our sins) as we forgive those who have trespassed (sinned) against us.”
It doesn't say that it's a sin to borrow
While the Bible offers many warnings about the dangers of debt, it never says that you are out of God's will or violating one of God's commandments when you borrow. We can debate the wisdom of incurring debt under certain circ*mstances, but it's never a black-and-white issue.
Romans 13:8 (AMPC) tells us to Keep out of debt and owe no man anything, except to love one another... My husband, Dave, says that if we learn to live within our income, or our borders, then God will bless us.
Were Christians banned from money lending?
When Christians heard the word of a disciple speak of lending but “hoping for nothing”, they followed their example and adhered to it. The Church thus placed a ban on usury for these religious and moral reasons. The Crusades also posed an economic reason for the prohibition of lending with interest.
God's Word does not forbid financial debt, but discourages it and warns of its bondage and its tendency to encourage us to presume upon the future. Jesus affirmed the personal right to borrow money and called His disciples to responsible stewardship.
“The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.” - Psalm 37:21. As Christians, we know that paying our debts is important.
All of us have a spiritual debt we cannot pay, but the Bible tells us God has paid our debt! He canceled the payment due for our sins and instead accepted the payment His Son Jesus provided when He died on the cross (Colossians 2:14). God grants this freedom to all who choose to follow Jesus (Colossians 2:13).
There is no biblical record of Jesus asking for money or receiving payment for preaching. Jesus received financial support from several women who traveled with him, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna. Jesus and his disciples shared a common purse for their needs and the needs of the poor.
Luke 6:20-21 (NIV)
“Looking at his disciples, he said: 'Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. '”
Biblical prohibitions on usury were later redefined as prohibitions on lending at excessive interest rates. Today, charging interest on loans is an everyday part of life. Modern Christian leaders condemn excessive interest rates, but not the lending of money itself.
The Biblical doctrine of usury rests primarily on three texts: Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35; and Deuteronomy 23:19-20. Exodus and Leviticus prohibit loans of money or food with interest to a needy brother or sister or even a resident alien. Deuteronomy forbids taking interest from any person.
If we take God's Word seriously, we should avoid debt when we can, since “the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7, NLT). And since Jesus tells us we cannot serve both God and money, we should ask ourselves, before undertaking any debt, How will this affect my capacity to give generously?
A central pillar of the Christian faith is that Jesus “paid” for all of our sins by sacrificing his life, zeroing out a debt we owed but could never repay. The Bible is drenched with a spirit of compassion and sympathy for the poor — and rails against the rich people who abuse them.
What does Jesus say about finances?
Money is a tool of evangelism, discipleship, and serving others. Jesus tells his disciples, “And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of worldly wealth so that when it fails, they may welcome you into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9).
' And He said to them, 'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's'” (Matthew 22:18-21). Jesus wisely avoided their trap and showed the need to pay both taxes to the civil government (represented by Caesar) and tithes to God.
At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed.
The 'Parable of the Unforgiving Servant' is from the Christian Bible: Matthew 18:21-35. It details the story of a servant who was forgiven a massive (unrepayable) debt, only to refuse forgiveness to another servant who owed a relatively small debt.
In Luke 6:34-35a, Jesus tells a crowd of people, “And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.”
