A. Because the Scripture clearly forbid it. The same God who commanded that we not commit adultery or murder commanded that we not lay up treasure on earth. It is wrong because it violates the clear command of Christ.

A. Yes, a rich person can go to heaven--it is not impossible-- it is just harder. It is about as hard as getting a camel through the eye of a needle. But all things are possible with God. However while having riches will not automatically keep one out of heaven, trusting riches will.

A. Riches work against religion as follows:

1. Redirects one's faith & trust.
2. Hinder loving neighbor.
3. Engenders pride.
4. Reduces meekness.
5. Less yielded or approachable
6. Reduces patience.
7. Promotes atheism
8. Leads to idolatry
9. Encourages self-will
10. Enables anger
11. Hatred of self-denial
12. Sloth
13. Indolence
14. Love of ease
15. Softness, delicacy
16. Despising fasting or rising early

A. Yes, most assuredly, t to want to be rich is even more dangerous. It is those who want to be rich who fall into the Devil's snare. Some become rich thorough no desire of their own--almost accidentally as a matter of inheritance or good fortune. While all riches are dangerous to one's spiritual health, the greatest danger is wanting to be rich. Riches do not always drown men in destruction and perdition, desire of riches does. (1 Tim 6:9)

A. Yes, increasing riches. If you are rich your soul is in grave danger, but there is an even greater danger in seeking to increase your riches.

A. Simply this: the desire of having more.

A. Anyone that has the basic necessities of life and any more is rich.

A. Precisely.

A. It is not sinful to be rich. But it is dangerous beyond expression. The rich walk on slippery ground. It is possible to gain the world and not lose one's own soul, it is just more difficult to keep your soul while gaining the world.

A. In 60 years I have not met 60 rich men--perhaps not even 30--that would have not been more holy if they had been poor. By rich I mean any person who has food and clothes and anything beyond.

A. No, there are lawful reasons to set aside money:

• To pay your debts for this is right.
• To provide yourself the necessities of life.
• To provide for your family is your duty.
• Necessary investment to carry on business.

A. It is but the operative word is "necessary" investment. Some escape this issue by living simply and reinvesting all their yield back into their business so they can claim to be cash poor but they are laying up all their value in their increased net worth even while they have little cash on hand. These misers might fool men but they will not fool God--their riches will not purchase them a pillow in hell or a drop of water to quench the fires.

A. Several things:

• Don't be high minded--don't think of yourself as any better than others.
• Don't trust the riches.
• Don't count on wealth to give happiness.

A. If you are seeking happiness in anything but God you are guilty of idolatry. Whatever we seek our happiness in is an idol. Money is a means of seeking gratification and thus lends itself to the sin of idolatry. A few love money for its own sake--and this is the sin of the miser. But most love money for what it can procure--happiness in the things it purchases. This is the sin of the idolater.

A. Because laziness is a sin as well. You should make as much money as you can. I try to earn all I can, chiefly through writing. Then I save all I can by living simply. This is so I can give all I can to aid the poor and needy. This is how I avoid laying up treasure on earth.

A. Riches are a blessing of God but care must be used to see that they do not become a curse.

A. There are limits in how a Christian may earn money:

• Never earn at the cost of your health--even if the pay is good.
• Never engage in a sinful trade: dishonest work, or any job that requires dishonesty or cheating
• Never take any work that may endanger your own soul because of who you are (For Wesley that included Mathematics which he believed would make him a Deist or Atheist).
• Do not enter any trade that abuses a neighbor (pawnbroker, gambling, selling below market price to ruin a competitor, enticing away a competitor's employees)
• Never earn a living by anything that hurts a neighbor's body: selling alcohol, drugs.
• You cannot be a gett-rich-medical doctor who feasts on the illness of men and women.
• Never enter a trade that encourages intemperance, such as taverns, restaurants, play-houses, opera-houses, or other diversions.

But given these limitations one should work hard and earn all you can.

A. Never say that word, "afford." Who gave you this fortune? God did. Can you "afford" to squander His money on yourself? Don’t waste a single penny of God's money on superfluous things--you can never "afford" it.

A. Not at all. But be careful. Leaving your child money is poison they might drink and ruin their own soul. But you should leave to your child enough to ensure that they are not a burden to others, but not so much that they do not need to work.

A. I would not. If I had one child that knew the value of money and I knew they would put money to its true use I would feel it my absolute duty to leave the bulk of my fortune to that child and leave just enough to the rest of my children so that they would not be a burden on society.

A. First you should give to yourself--food, clothes, shelter--what moderate living requires. Second, you should give to your family and employees providing for their needs. Third, if there is still money left, you should give to the household of faith--other Christians. Fourth, you should give to all men in need

A. They can and they do. Indeed in many Christian graces the heathen and the Christians in developed countries are alike--in humility, or soberness, but not in this command of Christ. The heathen obey this command far better than the Christians of developed countries--it is as if the command were never given.

A. Few indeed. Where could you find 1 in 500 a Christian who makes the least scruple to obey this command rather than laying up just as much treasure as he can. They were bred by their Christian parents without any instruction on it unless it was this: break this command as soon and as much as they could and continue breaking it to their lives' end.

A. It is one of the greatest contributing factors to why Christianity has had so little effect among us.

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So, what do you think? Did John Wesley totally misunderstand and misapply Scripture in his teachings on money? Or is he right, or partly right? Why do so few Christians today treat the teachings of Jesus on money with any seriousness? Are these commands now "loosed" and no longer apply in a modern economic system? And, one final question: Why do so many people who follow Wesley's teachings on holiness largely discard his teachings on money?

Paraphrased answers from John Wesley to contemporary questions on money. By Keith Drury, 2002 kdrury@indwes.edu

To contribute to the thinking on this issue e-mail your response to Tuesday@indwes.edu

Keith Drury January, 2001. Revision suggestions invited. May be duplicated for free distribution provided these lines are included.

Other "Thinking Drafts" and writing by Keith Drury -- http://www.indwes.edu/tuesday