The Bible doesn't explicitly forbid borrowing money but strongly warns against the dangers of debt, highlighting that "the borrower is slave to the lender" (Proverbs 22:7) and encourages paying debts promptly. While Jesus teaches generosity, including lending to those who ask (Matthew 5:42), many scriptures caution against taking on excessive debt, advocating for financial responsibility, paying what's owed, and avoiding being a guarantor for others' loans (surety).
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.”
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.
And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves; and he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers.
The Bible does not prohibit borrowing. However, it has strong words of caution. “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). And there's this: “God paid a high price for you, don't be enslaved to the world” (1 Corinthians 7:23, NLT).
These verses can be found across both the Old and New Testaments. Exodus 22:25 – “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.”
There's no single #1 worst sin; it depends on the religious or moral framework, but pride is often called the root of all evil (Christianity/Islam), while the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (unforgivable sin) is considered the gravest in the Bible. Other severe sins include child abuse (Catholicism) and sins that "cry to Heaven" (like shedding innocent blood or oppressing the poor).
Proverbs 11:24 teaches a paradox about wealth: generosity leads to increase, while stinginess leads to poverty, even though it seems counterintuitive. It says a person who scatters or gives freely becomes richer, while someone who withholds more than is right (hoards) ends up in want or poverty. The core message is that true financial security and prosperity come from a generous spirit, not from selfishly holding onto resources.
When Christians borrow, it suggests that God is not taking care of their needs and that they have to make up the difference with a loan. If we do not have money for something, it may be that God is saying “wait” or “no.” It is far better to wait for God to provide rather than to borrow money to make the purchase.
The Christian church drew on biblical passages and moral and religious reasons to define usury as a sin. The Church placed a ban on the practice of usury to prevent this “evil”.
Deuteronomy 28:12-13 declares that the Lord will send rain (a necessary provision for the work of that day) and bless all the work that you do. You have been appointed to be the lender and not the borrower, the head and not the tail. God has purposed for you to be on top and never at the bottom.
Think about who is asking you for a loan and why. If it's someone who you know has trouble managing their money, and you want to help them out, that's okay. Just be aware that they might not pay you back. If it's someone you're bailing out constantly, you may want to reconsider.
Lending money to family members or close friends can sometimes make sense, especially if the person is responsible and has no other options. Even then, don't put your own finances in jeopardy. If you decide to proceed, make sure to get the terms in writing and consider what would happen if the person fails to repay.
First, the Bible does not prohibit borrowing, and certainly not lending. It does warn about the dangers of borrowing but leaves the door wide open for lending. In fact, the Jews were instructed not to charge interest on loans to other Jews.
The core teaching in Matthew 22:37-39 isn't the Golden Rule (which is in Matthew 7:12), but rather Jesus identifying the two greatest commandments: to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind" and to "Love your neighbor as yourself," stating these two encompass all the Law and the Prophets. This "second" commandment is the foundation for the Golden Rule ("Do to others what you would have them do to you") because loving your neighbor as yourself means treating them with the dignity and care you desire for yourself, as noted by the BYU Religious Studies Center and Plymouth Congregational Church.
Gospel of Matthew
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Jesus stated that angels in heaven do not marry or get given in marriage, but are like God's angels in that respect, a comment made while discussing the resurrection where humans also won't marry but will be like angels in that regard, emphasizing that the resurrected life transcends earthly marital status, though interpretations vary on whether this applies to fallen angels or implies a limitation on angels' nature, with some linking it to Genesis 6 events.
Isaiah 60:22 is a Bible verse promising transformation and growth, stating that "The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly" (NIV), emphasizing God's ability to make small beginnings into powerful forces at His perfect time. It assures believers that seemingly insignificant things or people will flourish and become great when God acts, bringing peace and fulfillment.
Proverbs 23:6-8 New Living Translation (NLT)
Don't eat with people who are stingy; don't desire their delicacies. They are always thinking about how much it costs. “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don't mean it. You will throw up what little you've eaten, and your compliments will be wasted.
According to a 2009 study by the Jesuit scholar Fr. Roberto Busa, the most common deadly sin confessed by men is lust, and the most common deadly sin confessed by women is pride.
Sin is sin. There's no sin greater than another except for blasphemy of God's Holy Spirit. In my opinion, yes, committing adultery is far worse than stealing a snickers, but with God, it's all the same. It's the most dangerous act in the world!
Christian religious prohibitions on usury are predicated upon the belief that charging interest on a loan is a sin.