In biblical times, the role of bankers and the practice of banking were significantly different from modern financial systems. The Bible provides insights into the handling of money, lending, and the ethical considerations surrounding these activities.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the concept of banking as we know it today did not exist. However, there were practices related to lending and borrowing. The Law of Moses provided specific instructions regarding loans and interest. Israelites were forbidden from charging interest to their fellow countrymen, as seen in Exodus 22:25 : "If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest." This command was intended to promote compassion and prevent exploitation among the Israelites.

However, lending to foreigners with interest was permitted, as stated in Deuteronomy 23:20 : "You may charge a foreigner interest, but you must not charge your brother interest, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything to which you put your hand in the land you are entering to possess."

New Testament Context

By the time of the New Testament, the economic landscape had evolved, and money changers and lenders played a more prominent role in society. Jesus addressed the issue of money and wealth on several occasions, emphasizing the moral and ethical responsibilities of those handling money.

In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus highlighted the importance of wise stewardship. The master commended the servants who invested and multiplied the talents entrusted to them, while the servant who buried his talent was rebuked. This parable underscores the expectation of responsible and productive use of resources.

Jesus also encountered money changers in the temple, whom He drove out, saying, "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it 'a den of robbers'" (Matthew 21:13). This incident reflects Jesus' condemnation of those who exploited religious practices for financial gain.

Ethical Considerations

The Bible consistently emphasizes the ethical treatment of others in financial dealings. Proverbs 22:7 states, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender." This proverb highlights the power dynamics inherent in lending and borrowing, urging caution and fairness.

The biblical perspective on wealth and money management is rooted in the principles of justice, mercy, and humility. Believers are called to be generous and to use their resources to serve others and glorify God. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Timothy 6:10 , warns, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows."

Conclusion

While the Bible does not provide a detailed blueprint for modern banking, it offers timeless principles for ethical financial conduct. Bankers and those involved in financial services are encouraged to act with integrity, fairness, and a heart for service, reflecting the character of Christ in their professional lives.

Foreign Exchange.
... You will have to go to the bankers and get it changed into German marks and then
I'll be pleased to complete this sale." And so you would be obliged to do if ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on service/foreign exchange.htm

Some Parts of the Old Testament Written to Try Us.
... For thus He spake: Become experienced bankers.' Now the need of bankers arises from
the circumstance that the spurious is mixed up with the genuine.". ...
/.../unknown/the clementine homilies/chapter xx some parts of the.htm

Enterprise of Gainas, the Gothic Barbarian. Evils which He ...
... Ga??nas intended to seize first upon the stores of the bankers, and hoped
to collect together their enormous wealth. But since the ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter iv enterprise of gainas the.htm

Apocryphal Traditions.
... (4) "Be ye trustworthy money-changers, or, proved bankers (trapezitai dokimoi);
ie expert in distinguishing the genuine coin from the counterfeit. ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 18 apocryphal traditions.htm

Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week-On the Mount of Olives ...
... if he had been afraid to incur responsibility , he might have cast' (a word intended
to mark the absence of labour) the money to the bankers,' when, at His ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter vii evening of the.htm

Asa
... who have holes enough in their armour, God knows, easy to be hit by respectabilities
sitting in their lounge-chairs, and having large balances at their bankers ...
//christianbookshelf.org/milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/asa.htm

The Fountain of Grace.
... Let a business man go to one of your bankers to borrow a few hundred dollars for
sixty or ninety days; if he is well able to pay, the banker will perhaps lend ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/sovereign grace/chapter i the fountain of.htm

A Plymouth Usher
... possibly Claflin, Bowen, Sage, Hutchinson, Storrs, Arnold, Graves, Corning, Healy,
Bush, Benedict, Dennis, there were no merchant princes or princely bankers. ...
/.../griswold/sixty years with plymouth church/a plymouth usher.htm

The Kingdom of God: Its Tasks
... servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not
scatter; thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter v the kingdom of.htm

Carey's Last Days
... The six firms, which had developed the trade of Northern India so far as the Company's
monopolies allowed, had been the bankers of the Government itself, of ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter xvi careys last days.htm

Bankers (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Bankers (1 Occurrence). Matthew 25:27 You ought
therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and ...
/b/bankers.htm - 6k

Banking
... In the Greek-Roman period, without doubt, bankers both received money on deposit,
paying interest, and let it out at a higher rate, or employed it in trade, as ...
/b/banking.htm - 13k

Bank (28 Occurrences)
... In the Greek-Roman period, without doubt, bankers both received money on deposit,
paying interest, and let it out at a higher rate, or employed it in trade, as ...
/b/bank.htm - 26k

Ought (130 Occurrences)
... Matthew 25:27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and
at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. ...
/o/ought.htm - 36k

Interest (35 Occurrences)
... Matthew 25:27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and
at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. ...
/i/interest.htm - 21k

Invested (2 Occurrences)
... Matthew 25:27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and
at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. (See RSV). ...
/i/invested.htm - 7k

Returned (328 Occurrences)
... (WEY NIV). Matthew 25:27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the
bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. ...
/r/returned.htm - 34k

Exchange (41 Occurrences)
... 6. (n.) The place where the merchants, brokers, and bankers of a city meet at certain
hours, to transact business. In this sense often contracted to 'Change. ...
/e/exchange.htm - 20k

Deposited (10 Occurrences)
... Matthew 25:27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and
at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. (WEB). ...
/d/deposited.htm - 9k

Deposit (19 Occurrences)
... Matthew 25:27 You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and
at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. ...
/d/deposit.htm - 15k

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