Christian Pure
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What Does the Bible Say About Finances in Marriage?

Christian Pure Team

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Published

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Summary

  • The Bible gives married couples no budget, but it asks them to hold money as one flesh, honestly, generously and without loving it.
  • Hebrews puts marriage and contentment in neighbouring verses, and grounds contentment in God’s promise, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
  • Ananias and Sapphira agreed together in a lie about money, and Peter says the money itself was theirs to keep.
  • Scripture asks every believer to provide for their own household; Southern Baptists teach that the husband is charged to provide, protect and lead, while Christians for Biblical Equality teach that spouses share leadership.
  • The woman of Proverbs 31 buys a field, trades and gives to the poor, and her husband trusts and praises her.
  • The Old Testament tithe was a tenth; the New Testament sets no percentage for Christians, though Jesus spoke of the tithe, and some churches still teach it as the standard.
  • Scripture warns that the borrower is servant to the lender, praises steady saving, and warns against storing up treasure without being rich toward God.

The Bible gives married couples no budget, but it does show how to hold money together: as one flesh, honestly, generously and without loving it. Hebrews even puts marriage and money side by side. “Marriage is honourable in all,” it says, and in the very next verse, “be content with such things as ye have” (Hebrews 13:4–5). Hebrews grounds that contentment in a promise: “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). We can…

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Bibliography (Click to show)
  • The Holy Bible, King James Version (public domain), text from BibleGateway. Passages quoted: Genesis 2:24; Exodus 21:10 (with 21:7–9); Leviticus 27:30; Psalm 24:1, 37:21; Proverbs 6:6–8, 13:11, 15:17, 21:20, 22:7, 31:11, 31:16, 31:18, 31:20, 31:24, 31:31; Haggai 2:8; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 6:21, 6:24, 23:23; Luke 12:18–21; Acts 5:1–2, 5:4, 5:9, 16:14, 18:3; Romans 13:8; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Ephesians 4:25–26, 5:29; Philippians 4:11; 1 Timothy 5:8; Hebrews 13:4–5; James 1:19; 1 Peter 3:7.
  • Southern Baptist Convention, The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Articles XIII (Stewardship) and XVIII (The Family).
  • CBE International, Men, Women and Biblical Equality.
  • Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2043 (the precepts of the Church), Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2nd edition 1997: vatican.va.
  • Seventh-day Adventist Church, 28 Fundamental Beliefs, 21 Stewardship.
  • The National Domestic Violence Hotline, What Is Financial Abuse? and contact details at thehotline.org.

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