"One of the most difficult questions facing us today is that of the proper attitude toward possessions. In wealthy nations such as Britain and the USA, individuals accumulate much and yet are daily exposed to the plight of the poor, whether the homeless on their own city streets or starving children on their TV screens. What action should they take on behalf of the poor? What should they do with their own possessions?
In Neither Poverty nor Riches Craig Blomberg asks what the Bible has to say to these issues. He avoids easy answers, and instead seeks a comprehensive biblical theology of possessions. Beginning with the groundwork laid by the Old Testament and the ideas developed in the intertestamental period, he draws out what the whole New Testament has to say on the subject and finally offers conclusions and applications relevant to the modern world...
'On a subject as sensitive as this one, it is extraordinarily rare to find balance and prophetic voice rolled up in one. In my view, this is now the best book on the entire subject' (D. A. Carson)." [1]The Promise of Riches
It is no surprise that, far from the biblical ideal of "neither poverty nor riches" (Proverbs 30:8), more often than not we see either one or the other. What is a shocking surprise, with such a biblical consensus as observed by Blomberg, against both extremes of wealth and poverty, that today a movement within Christianity can so absolutely promise excessive riches to 'faithful' Christians in the name of Christ. Even more than most, Pentecostals need to urgently read Blomberg's book, and especially those of the Prosperity movement.
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[1] Blomberg, Craig L. Neither Poverty nor Riches, A biblical theology of possessions, IVP, 1999. talkingpentecostalism.blogspot.com | joe towns: christian discussion on pentecost, charisma, pentecostal and charismatic beliefs, the Bible and Jesus; including the origin and history of pentecostalism, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, gifts and miracles, divine healing and word of faith, prosperity and wealth, praise and worship, guidance and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit.
