Greed Is Idolatry

What are the origin and meaning of the words "greed is idolatry" found in Ephesians 5:5 and Colossians 3:5? In what sense are the greedy guilty of idolatry? Many different answers have been given to this question throughout the history of interpretation. In fact, a consensus exists on only one score -- that the expression serves to vilify greed. Brian Rosner ably takes on the challenge of interpretation by tackling the phrase as a metaphor, structuring his argument around an intriguing comparison to mountain climbing. From this vantage point, he offers a thorough history of interpretation of the phrase, including a study of the origin of the concept of idolatrous greed in biblical and Jewish sources. Rosner concludes that the comparison of greed with idolatry teaches that to desire to acquire and keep for oneself more money and material things is an attack on God's exclusive right to human love, trust, and obedience. With this work comes a stunning, fresh understanding of familiar terms -- "greed," "idolatry," and even "God" -- challenging both the church as a whole and individual believers to consider the far-ranging implications of our materialistic world. The first full-length study of this intriguing Pauline expression, Greed as Idolatry has profound implications for theological ethics today.

We all recognize how prevalent the desire for money and possessions is in our culture. Yet the Bible encourages us to be content with what we have, with what God has given us. When do our desires for "more" become greed? How does greed in the life of a modern Christian resemble the idolatry in the Old Testament life of the Israelites? This book takes a look at Bible references to show what God's word has to say about greed in the life of a Christian. Colossians 3:5 reveals that greed is idolatry. The book shows parallels between greed in the church and the idolatry that provoked God's judgment in the Old Testament. A serious topic which could hold serious consequences for God's people...but God's truth is good, and His love for His church is redeeming. Richard Hockett and his wife Betty live in San Jose, CA. Dick is retired from the high-tech industry in Silicon Valley and has taught Bible studies for many years. He is the author of: Foundations of Wisdom: the book of Proverbs Choose the Best! The "Better Thans" of Wisdom Parenting with Proverbs: a workbook for families He is currently working on a new book: The Spiritual Wisdom and Understanding of Colossians.

The church in the West is rediscovering the fact that God cares deeply for the poor. More and more, churches and individual Christians are looking for ways to practice economic discipleship, but it's hard to make progress when we are blind to our own entanglement in our culture's idolatrous economic beliefs and practices. Practicing the King's Economy cuts through much confusion and invites Christians to take their place within the biblical story of the "King Jesus Economy." Through eye-opening true stories of economic discipleship in action, and with a solid exploration of six key biblical themes, the authors offer practical ways for God's people to earn, invest, spend, compensate, save, share, and give in ways that embody God's love and provision for the world. Foreword by Christopher J. H. Wright.

Idolatry, as it is traditionally understood, is pretty easy to recognize. It's the hidden idol that creeps into our daily routines and creates havoc in our lives, without us realizing we've been targeted and used for the enemy's purpose. I pray this book opens eyes to the hidden deception of greed and opens the readers' hearts to the call of the Father who waits ever so patiently for us to turn our eyes towards Heaven and open our lives to His perfect plan.

The heart of the biblical understanding of idolatry, argues Gregory Beale, is that we take on the characteristics of what we worship. Employing Isaiah 6 as his interpretive lens, Beale demonstrates that this understanding of idolatry permeates the whole canon, from Genesis to Revelation. Beale concludes with an application of the biblical notion of idolatry to the challenges of contemporary life.

Some people cant see the forest for the treesthey get so bogged down in details that they lose sight of what its all about. Others cant see the trees for the forestthey miss the wondrous details all around them. So why not look instead at both the forest and the trees? This commentary on Pauls letter to the Colossians guides you in doing just that. Even though we will be exploring ancient biblical cultures and learning plenty about the Greek language, no prior academic training is needed. Technical terms have been set aside. Instead, with everyday language we will discover the big picture and revel in the fine details of this stunning letter, amazed by how God is still speaking these same words today to contemporary personal and social challenges. We will not then be tourists rapidly zipping through Colossians as if on a monotonous interstate highway. Instead we will be hiking our way through this letter, step by step, phrase by phrase, finding joy in Gods truth and growing in our faith. Come and join the journey.

Leading scholars from the fields of biblical studies and ethics provide a one-stop reference book on the vital relationship between Scripture and ethics.

What is the way of the cross? Why does it create resistance? How do we answer objections to it? The revival of interest in Christ's kingdom and radical discipleship has produced a wave of discussions, but sometimes those discussions are scattered. This book aims to pull together in one place the core claims of the way of the cross. It aims to examine the deeply cherished assumptions that hinder us from hearing Jesus's call. When we do that, we'll see that the gospel of Christ is not primarily about getting into heaven or about living a comfortable, individually pious, middle-class life. It is about being free from the ancient, pervasive, and delightful oppression of Mammon in order to create a very different community, the church, an alternative city-kingdom here and now on earth by means of living and celebrating the way of the cross--the reign of joyful weakness, renunciation, self-denial, sharing, foolishness, community, and love overcoming evil.