Jesus condemned the commercialization and exploitation within the Temple by driving out money changers and sellers, calling it a "den of robbers" (Matthew 21, John 2) and rebuking Temple officials for preying on the poor (Mark 12, Luke 20). He also taught generosity in lending, urging followers to lend without expecting repayment, love enemies, and help those in need, contrasting this with worldly lending that seeks profit.
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.”
[Jesus] entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple” (Mark 11:15-16).
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.
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 6:12 - Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 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.
Proverbs 22:7 says, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.” If you owe someone money, they'll own your life until you pay it back.
But God's Word calls His people to a radically different way of relating to one another when it comes to lending. For Christians, lending to other believers is not meant to be a profit opportunity, but an act of service, love, and obedience to Christ.
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).
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.”
He became a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, sin was passed ceremonially to the offering for sin. Jesus paid what we owed by dying in our place.
John 16:33 means Jesus assures His followers they'll face trouble ("tribulation") in the world, but offers them peace and courage ("take heart") because He has already triumphed over the world's evils, sin, and death through His own life, death, and resurrection, promising that believers share in His victory and can find lasting strength and hope in Him.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Proverbs 6:16-19 New Living Translation (NLT)
There are six things the LORD hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
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.
Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of thieves. ' ”
Bible. 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)."
Matthew 5:42 says, “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” At the same time, Proverbs 3:27 tells us, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.”
The city destroyed in the Book of Revelation is called Babylon the Great, often described as a "great harlot" and symbolized as the "great city". While some interpret this literally as ancient Babylon or a future city in Iraq, many scholars see it as a symbolic name for Rome, the powerful empire during the time Revelation was written, known for its idolatry and persecution.
Whether a name can be erased from the "Book of Life" is a complex theological debate, with some interpretations (like unconditional eternal security) saying no, a true believer's name is secure forever, while others argue that the promise in Revelation 3:5 ("I will not blot out his name") implies it is possible through a lack of faith, though the promise is for the faithful, offering security, not a universal threat for all. The concept is metaphorical, representing spiritual standing, and different Christian traditions hold varying views, often focusing on perseverance or God's preserving grace.