The Response of the New Testament Church to Material Needs and Materialism

The New Testament church responded to materialism both in philosophical and ethical ways, stressing the spiritual side of poverty or wealth. The answer she was giving to this problem was based on the Old Testament approach to the poor who were not only poor in property but were also poor before the Lord (i.e. humble, godly and obedient). In modern times it is important to reiterate this message because the modern church tends to be preoccupied with the material side of the problem while the core of the problem is spiritual. “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom?” (James 1:25