The doctrine of the poor

1. God can raise the poor out of the poverty of their circumstances — 1 Samuel 2:8; Psalm 113:7.

2. There is a special happiness for those who help the poor [charity, not government] — Psalm 41:1,2; Proverbs 19:17; 22:9; 29:14.

3. The poor are not only delivered by God from poverty but in the reality of their poverty they see the need for salvation — Psalm 72:12-14; Matthew 11:5.

4. Charity to the poor is a bona fide function of the establishment — Proverbs 14:30,31; 19:17. But again, we must learn to distinguish between charity and welfare. Charity is for the helpless poor; welfare is for the poor helpless — Galatians 2:10. Welfare is rejected; charity is a Christian virtue.

5. The poor cannot enter into pseudo friendship because of his poverty. Poor people, if they have friends, generally have real friends. Proverbs 19:4.

6. There is a special curse for those who ignore helping the poor — Proverbs 21:13; 22:16,22; 28:3.

7. Until the Millennium there will always be poverty — Matthew 26:11; Mark 14:7; John 12:8.

8. It is possible to be poor and still have great happiness — Mark 12:43.

9. The Bible teaches that the poor are often the target for hypocrisy — John 12:5; James 2:2-4.

10. The poor have the same spiritual privileges as the wealthy believer possesses — James 2:5. Financial status does not in any way cause spiritual discrimination.