Money
Early Forms of Money in the Biblical World
In the earliest periods of biblical history, money did not exist as minted coins but as weighed quantities of precious metals, primarily silver and gold. When Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite, he "weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants" (Genesis 23:16). The Hebrew word for silver, keseph, became synonymous with money itself.
Metal was circulated in various forms: bars, rings, and ingots. The gold ring and bracelets Abraham's servant gave to Rebekah were specified by shekel weight (Genesis 24:22), indicating that jewelry functioned as a portable form of wealth. The silver pieces that Joseph's brothers carried to Egypt were likely bundles of silver rings or bars (Genesis 42:25-35). Joshua 7:21 mentions a "bar of gold" found among the spoils of Jericho, reflecting the Mesopotamian practice of casting metal into standardized shapes.
The Shekel System and Temple Economics
The shekel was the fundamental unit of weight and value throughout the Old Testament. It was not a coin but a standard weight, approximately 11.4 grams of silver. Multiples included the mina (50 shekels) and the talent (3,000 shekels). The "shekel of the sanctuary" (Exodus 30:13) may have represented a more carefully standardized weight used for religious purposes.
The temple played a central role in Israel's monetary life. Every Israelite male was required to pay a half-shekel annual contribution for the maintenance of the tabernacle and later the temple (Exodus 30:11-16). By Jesus' time, this had become the temple tax collected in Tyrian shekels, the most reliable silver currency available. When Peter was asked whether Jesus paid the temple tax, Jesus instructed him to catch a fish whose mouth contained a coin sufficient for both of them (Matthew 17:24-27).
The Introduction of Coinage
Minted coins first appeared in the biblical world during the Persian period, in the seventh and sixth centuries BC. The earliest reference to coins in Scripture is the Persian daric, mentioned in Ezra 2:69 and Nehemiah 7:70-72 in connection with contributions for rebuilding the temple. These gold coins bore the image of the Persian king.
By the Hellenistic and Roman periods, a sophisticated monetary system was in use throughout Palestine. Greek drachmas, Roman denarii, and local bronze coins circulated simultaneously. The denarius, a silver coin roughly equivalent to a day's wage for a laborer (Matthew 20:2), became the standard unit of Roman currency. When Jesus was asked about paying taxes to Caesar, he requested a denarius and pointed to the emperor's image and inscription on it (Matthew 22:19-21), using the coin as the basis for his teaching on obligations to God and government.
Money in Jesus' Teaching
Jesus spoke about money and possessions more than nearly any other subject. His teachings reveal money's unique power to become a rival to God. "No one can serve two masters," he declared. "You cannot serve both God and money" (Matthew 6:24). The parable of the rich fool warns against stockpiling wealth without being "rich toward God" (Luke 12:13-21). The story of the rich young ruler illustrates how wealth can become an obstacle to following Jesus (Mark 10:17-27).
Yet Jesus did not condemn money itself. He commended the widow who gave her last two small copper coins (Mark 12:41-44) and told parables about the faithful use of financial resources (Matthew 25:14-30). The parable of the talents teaches that God entrusts resources to his people and expects a return. Zacchaeus, the wealthy tax collector, demonstrated that genuine repentance transforms a person's relationship to money (Luke 19:1-10).
Money in the Early Church and Apostolic Teaching
The early church adopted a radical approach to money and possessions. Believers in Jerusalem shared their resources so that "there was not a needy person among them" (Acts 4:34). Barnabas sold a field and brought the proceeds to the apostles (Acts 4:36-37), while Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for lying about the price of their property (Acts 5:1-11), a story that underscores the seriousness of financial integrity in the community of faith.
Paul's letters frequently address the proper use of money. He organized a major collection from Gentile churches for impoverished believers in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8-9), teaching that generosity reflects the grace of Christ "who, though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor" (2 Corinthians 8:9). His famous warning that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10) has become one of the most quoted verses on the subject, though it is often misquoted as condemning money itself rather than the love of it.
Biblical Context
Money appears throughout Scripture from the patriarchal period to the early church. Key Old Testament passages include Abraham's purchase of Machpelah (Genesis 23), the half-shekel temple tax (Exodus 30:11-16), and wisdom literature's warnings about wealth (Proverbs 11:4, 28; 23:4-5; Ecclesiastes 5:10). In the Gospels, Jesus addresses money in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:19-34), numerous parables, and direct encounters like the cleansing of the temple (Matthew 21:12-13). The epistles address generosity, contentment, and the dangers of greed (1 Timothy 6:6-19; Hebrews 13:5; James 5:1-6).
Theological Significance
Money in Scripture serves as a test of the heart and a measure of spiritual priorities. Jesus identified it as the chief rival to God for human allegiance (Matthew 6:24). The biblical teaching on money consistently points beyond the material to the spiritual: generosity reflects trust in God's provision, greed reveals idolatry, and how one handles money demonstrates the authenticity of one's faith. The temple tax, tithes, and offerings established the principle that material resources belong ultimately to God and are to be used for his purposes and the care of others.
Historical Background
Archaeological discoveries have illuminated the monetary systems of the biblical world. Hoards of silver pieces from the patriarchal period have been found throughout the ancient Near East, confirming the use of weighed metal as currency. The earliest known coins were minted in Lydia (modern Turkey) around 600 BC, and the practice spread rapidly through the Persian and Greek empires. In Palestine, excavations have uncovered Tyrian shekels, Roman denarii, Hasmonean bronze coins, and coins of Herod the Great. The money changers whom Jesus drove from the temple (Matthew 21:12) were needed because Roman coins bearing the emperor's image were considered idolatrous and could not be used for temple offerings; they had to be exchanged for acceptable Tyrian currency.