Exploitation, in a biblical context, refers to the unjust or unethical use of individuals or resources for personal gain or advantage. This concept is addressed throughout Scripture, where the principles of justice, mercy, and love for one's neighbor are emphasized. The Bible consistently condemns practices that oppress or take advantage of others, highlighting God's concern for the vulnerable and marginalized.

Old Testament References

The Old Testament contains numerous admonitions against exploitation, particularly in the context of economic practices and social justice. The Law of Moses includes specific commands to protect the poor and vulnerable from exploitation. For example, in Leviticus 19:13, the Israelites are instructed, "You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand." This command underscores the importance of fair treatment and timely payment for labor.

The prophets also speak out against exploitation, often linking it to the broader theme of social injustice. In Isaiah 10:1-2, the prophet declares, "Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of justice and withhold the rights of the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and rob the fatherless." Here, exploitation is condemned as a violation of God's justice and a perversion of His intended order for society.

New Testament Teachings

The New Testament continues to address the issue of exploitation, particularly in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Jesus' ministry often focused on the marginalized and oppressed, and He condemned the exploitation of the vulnerable. In Matthew 23:25, Jesus rebukes the religious leaders, saying, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence." This critique highlights the hypocrisy of those who exploit others while maintaining an appearance of righteousness.

The apostle James also speaks against exploitation, particularly in the context of economic inequality. In James 5:1-6, he warns the rich who exploit their workers: "Look, the wages you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts." This passage emphasizes God's awareness of exploitation and His impending judgment on those who engage in such practices.

Biblical Principles Against Exploitation

The Bible provides several principles that counteract exploitation and promote justice and equity:

1. Love for Neighbor: The command to love one's neighbor as oneself (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39) serves as a foundational principle against exploitation. This love requires treating others with dignity and respect, seeking their welfare rather than personal gain at their expense.

2. Justice and Righteousness: The biblical call to "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8) underscores the importance of fair and equitable treatment of all individuals. Justice involves protecting the rights of the vulnerable and ensuring that systems and structures do not enable exploitation.

3. Stewardship and Generosity: The Bible encourages believers to view their resources as gifts from God to be used for His glory and the good of others. This perspective fosters generosity and discourages the hoarding or exploitation of resources for selfish purposes (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

4. Accountability and Judgment: Scripture warns that God will hold individuals accountable for their actions, including exploitation. The parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) illustrates the eternal consequences of ignoring the needs of the poor and exploiting others for personal gain.

In summary, the Bible consistently condemns exploitation and calls believers to uphold justice, love, and mercy in their interactions with others. Through adherence to these principles, Christians are called to reflect God's character and promote His kingdom values in a world often marked by injustice and exploitation.1 Timothy 1:8-11
But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
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Jude 1:7
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
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Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
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Leadership for Service
... Service versus exploitation, that is one of the tests of all who claim leadership
in his name. We realize that in the field of religion. ...
/.../the social principles of jesus/chapter vii leadership for service.htm

Why we Believe the Bible.
... Bible miracles are never for mere exploitation or for personal profit to the
one who performs the miracle. They are for the good of others. ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter i why we believe.htm

The Conflict with Evil
... We think most readily of the children of the poor as a product of exploitation;
underfed and overstimulated, cut off from the clean pleasures of nature, often ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter x the conflict with.htm

How to Speak in Public
... unselfishness. In these days of self-exploitation and self-aggrandizement,
how refreshing it is to meet a man of true simplicity. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kleiser/talks on talking/how to speak in public.htm

A Review and a Challenge
... He points to the blackened fields of battle, to the economic injustice and
exploitation of industry, to the paganism and sexualism of our life. ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter xii a review and.htm

The Note of Accusation.
... Against the oppression of the poor, the robbery of the widow, the exploitation of
the savage; against the crimes of the empires, the Almighty, through his lips ...
/.../jackson/the message and the man/chapter i the note of.htm

The Economic Challenge to the Church
... Better organization, not for exploitation but for protection and maintenance of
a safe balance of influence in economic affairs, is fully justified, and the ...
/.../church cooperation in community life/chapter iii the economic challenge.htm

The Solidarity of the Human Family
... suffer and die for their State is all the more remarkable because all States hitherto
have been largely organizations for coercion and exploitation, and only ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter ii the solidarity of.htm

Political Parties in Connecticut at the Beginning of the ...
... its varying aspects from its outbreak in 1789 on through the years of its earliest
experiments in statecraft, of its exaggerated exploitation of "liberty ...
/.../chapter xiv political parties in.htm

The Cross as a Social Principle
... to walk off with the pleasures and powers of intellectual training, and to leave
the work of protecting children and working girls against exploitation to men ...
/.../rauschenbusch/the social principles of jesus/chapter xi the cross as.htm

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