Is Jesus Anti-Capitalist?

[Veridican]

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus seems to have a real distaste for merchants. He has very little regard for money at all, and definitely is opposed to the accumulation of wealth. In my religion, we use the Gospel of Thomas, and there in V. 64 (which is a long verse about the master preparing a feast and inviting guests), interestingly it says: "Buyers and merchants will not enter the places of my father."

In similar passages (the Parable of the Great Banquet) in the New Testament Gospels, it doesn't say that specifically. But the bad guys in the story are described in Matt 22:5 thusly: But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

A parallel in Luke 14 reads:

18“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

19“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’


Of course, we know he whipped the money-changers in the temple. He preached against accumulating wealth. He championed the poor. And he did say, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven." And he said you can't serve God and money ("mammon", to be exact). He also seemed to suggest we shouldn't even labor for money (Matt 6, Luke 12).

From what we know about communism, I highly doubt that Jesus would be a communist, but I think he has a real hatred for capitalism.

If one reads Revelation 17, the description of the whore of Babylon, it seems pretty clear he's talking about the whole concept, the whole system of money and capitalism. That seems to be who the whore is.

So, what do you think? Is he opposed to money and capitalism, and if so, what is the replacement? What is the alternative?

[Sherlock Holmes]

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus seems to have a real distaste for merchants. He has very little regard for money at all, and definitely is opposed to the accumulation of wealth. In my religion, we use the Gospel of Thomas, and there in V. 64 (which is a long verse about the master preparing a feast and inviting guests), interestingly it says: "Buyers and merchants will not enter the places of my father."

In similar passages (the Parable of the Great Banquet) in the New Testament Gospels, it doesn't say that specifically. But the bad guys in the story are described in Matt 22:5 thusly: But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

A parallel in Luke 14 reads:

18“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

19“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

20“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’


Of course, we know he whipped the money-changers in the temple. He preached against accumulating wealth. He championed the poor. And he did say, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven." And he said you can't serve God and money ("mammon", to be exact). He also seemed to suggest we shouldn't even labor for money (Matt 6, Luke 12).

From what we know about communism, I highly doubt that Jesus would be a communist, but I think he has a real hatred for capitalism.

If one reads Revelation 17, the description of the whore of Babylon, it seems pretty clear he's talking about the whole concept, the whole system of money and capitalism. That seems to be who the whore is.

So, what do you think? Is he opposed to money and capitalism, and if so, what is the replacement? What is the alternative?

Good questions, what I mean is I too ponder this from time to time.

Jesus seems to be OK with a person earning a wage, Mat 20 seems to make that point.

I wonder if in reality we are all "capitalists" in the sense that we all use and manipulate capital in some way or another.

Capitalism - the term - doesn't appear in the Bible either, what we mean by that term today might have had no direct analog all that time ago.

[Athetotheist]

[Replying to Sherlock Holmes in post #2

Capitalism - the term - doesn't appear in the Bible either, what we mean by that term today might have had no direct analog all that time ago.

The core of capitalism is the love of money. The Christian Bible definitely makes mention of the love of money.

[Veridican]

I wonder if in reality we are all "capitalists" in the sense that we all use and manipulate capital in some way or another.

Oh, yes. There is no other system that I know of in the world. I mean, we have to survive. We can't just mass kill ourselves. And the idea of taking up begging still relies on someone else being a capitalist. Ironically, the idea of gambling comes to mind. I wonder, seriously, if playing blackjack or poker is more holy than going to work--based on Jesus' teachings.

[bjs1]

In my religion, we use the Gospel of Thomas, and there in V. 64 (which is a long verse about the master preparing a feast and inviting guests), interestingly it says: "Buyers and merchants will not enter the places of my father."

What religion are you a part of? While the Gospel of Thomas is interesting and useful, I was unaware that there remained in group that considers it authoritative.

[1213]

...
So, what do you think? Is he opposed to money and capitalism, and if so, what is the replacement? What is the alternative?

It depends on how “capitalism” is defined. I don’t think he was against private ownership. Nor he was against accumulation of money. But, I think he was against greed and oppression. Worker deserves his wage, but people should love others and help them, if they see that their “neighbor” needs it.

…the laborer is worthy of his wages…
Luke 10:7

“For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey. Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. In like manner he also who got the two gained another two. But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them. He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.’ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.’ “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter. I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter. You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who has not, even that which he has will be taken away.
Matt. 25:14-29

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Matt. 16:27

For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, …covetings, … All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
Mark 7:22-23

I don’t think Jesus is against property, or money or owning. He is against that those are overvalued. There are more important things.

He said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, don't be anxious for your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing… … Don't seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious. For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek God's Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
Luke 12:22-31

[nobspeople]

I wonder how one would think this. I don't recall much, if anything, in the bible relating to capitalism, especially considering the term didn't exist at that time.
But fortunately, I've forgotten much that was written therein , so....

[Veridican]

In my religion, we use the Gospel of Thomas, and there in V. 64 (which is a long verse about the master preparing a feast and inviting guests), interestingly it says: "Buyers and merchants will not enter the places of my father."

What religion are you a part of? While the Gospel of Thomas is interesting and useful, I was unaware that there remained in group that considers it authoritative.

As far as I know, we are the only religious group that has ever canonized the Gospel of Thomas. There may have been some sect that used it back in the first or second centuries, but we have no history of those if they ever existed. Some theorize that it is derived from what scholars call the "Q" document, which seems to be a source document used by the synoptic Gospels. When I wrote my Gospel synthesis (The Veridican Gospel of Jesus Christ) in 2005, I synthesized all four NT Gospels and the Gospel of Thomas. That makes my work the only true (synthesized and edited) Gospel harmony to have ever done that. Tatian did not include the Gospel of Thomas when he wrote the Diatessaron in the second century. He may not have known it existed. It only resurfaced in 1945 with the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library. It wasn't published in English until 1959.

And I have to say, this is what many people don't realize about the Veridican religion. First off, we are historically unique. Before us (and even now, I believe) there has never been a sect of Christianity that followed only the teachings of Jesus Christ (All others, as a minimum, follow equally the teachings of the Apostles as well as the Jewish Old Testament, and as you know the Catholics include the deification of Mary), strange as that may seem. Second, we are the only sect of Christianity to canonize the Gospel of Thomas, and the only Christian sect to publish a true Gospel harmony that includes the Gospel of Thomas.

[nobspeople]

I wonder is the proper wording should have been WAS jesus anti-capitalist, as IS seems to indicate he is currently