There is nothing in the bible to say that God favours the most uniform system of wealth distribution that is practical. Where equality is praised, it is only limited to ensuring that everyone has sufficient food, clothing and shelter. The fundamental law regarding wealth is the eighth of the Ten Commandments, that being, Thou shalt not steal.
Demanding a higher wage than the value of one’s labour is, in effect, stealing. Generally the market should set the value of labour by voluntary agreement between the worker and the employer. Jesus spoke I parable of the employer who said: Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius (coin).
If labour is valuable because of education at tax payer’s expense, they should receive less than the market value of their labour or pay a high tax. (Perhaps they pay this anyway.)
Governments should not overstep their authority by seeking to fully break down the gap between rich and poor. (Normally when they seek to do this they hurt the wrong people, the productive rather than the parasitic.) The bible teaches that God gives power to get wealth. Excessive redistribution undoes what God does. When God said not to steal, he put a certain amount of faith in the free market.
I see the role of government as being to ensure that the market operates honestly so that no one gets an unfair advantage. It should also ensure that excessive profits are not made from the necessities of the poor.
How may wealth be acquired?
Hard Work: The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich. (Proverbs 13:4)
Carefulness: Be diligent to know the state of your flocks and attend to your herds; for riches are not forever. (Proverbs 27:23) Without carefulness money is lost.
Wisdom: The crown of the wise is their riches. (Proverbs 12:24)
God’s Blessing: By humility and fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life. (Prov 22:4)
A just weight and balance are the Lord’s. All the weights in the bag are his work. (Proverbs 16:11)
Only accurate consumer information enables consumers to weigh up the merits of buying goods or even businesses.
In ancient Israel, land was owned in perpetuity by the descendants of its original owners. Only temporary sales were allowed, as at the conclusion of every fifty years, land reverted to the original owner or his descendants. This prevented the wealthy few from acquiring everything at the expense of the poor, and ensured adequate competition.
Perhaps today, when farms pass into the hands of the banks, this should only be for twenty-five years. And within the bounds of efficiency smaller businesses and farms are to be preferred to large monopolies.
Children, rather than the community, should provide for elderly parents: if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. (1 Timothy 5:4) One of the tragedies of old age is loneliness, and the government, by usurping the role traditionally played by the family, is largely responsible.
You shall not charge interest to your brother (Israelite) – interest on money or food or anything that is lent out on interest. To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest. (Deuteronomy 23:19,20)
Although this only now has full applicability to lending within the church to poor brethren, and that, for necessities, there is wisdom in low personal interest rates. But compensation for inflation is not really true interest.
The Israelites three thousand years ago were to lend for a maximum of seven years (Deuteronomy 15:1). Although this term is too short today, there is wisdom in not allowing people to get to heavily in debt. If this is allowed, the equation of supply and demand changes and it soon becomes essential to borrow heavily to meet one’s needs. This results in a two class society of rich lenders and poor borrowers struggling to pay the interest, and the higher the interest rate, the worse the situation becomes.