Without question, there are texts in the New Testament that condemn an idolatrous obsession with wealth, and that might be taken as saying nothing more than that. At least, 1 Timothy 6:17–19 is often cited as an example of this—though (see below) it probably should not be. If one confines oneself to such passages, it is possible to imagine that the earliest church thought it sufficient, in order to avoid trying to serve both God and Mammon, simply to have the right attitude toward riches. But, if this really were all the New Testament had to say on the matter, then one would expect those texts
...more
