The term "well-to-do" refers to individuals or families who possess a significant amount of wealth or resources, allowing them to live comfortably and without financial worry. In the context of the Bible, wealth and prosperity are often discussed in relation to one's spiritual life, responsibilities, and the potential moral challenges that accompany material abundance.

Biblical Examples of the Well-to-do:

1. Abraham: Abraham is one of the earliest examples of a well-to-do individual in the Bible. Genesis 13:2 states, "Now Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold." Abraham's wealth is portrayed as a blessing from God, and he is depicted as a faithful servant who uses his resources to honor God and support others, such as when he rescues Lot (Genesis 14).

2. Job: Job is another figure known for his wealth. Job 1:3 describes him as "the greatest man among all the people of the East," with vast possessions. Despite his wealth, Job is characterized by his righteousness and fear of God. His account illustrates the transient nature of material wealth and the importance of maintaining faith through trials.

3. Solomon: King Solomon is renowned for his immense wealth and wisdom. 1 Kings 10:23 states, "King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth." Solomon's wealth is seen as a gift from God, yet his later years serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of allowing wealth to lead one's heart away from God.

Teachings on Wealth:

The Bible provides numerous teachings on the responsibilities and potential pitfalls associated with being well-to-do:

· Generosity and Stewardship: The Bible encourages those with wealth to be generous and to use their resources to help others. Proverbs 11:25 states, "A generous soul will prosper, and he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." The New Testament echoes this sentiment, as seen in 1 Timothy 6:17-19, which advises the wealthy to be rich in good deeds and to share with others.

· Warnings Against Greed: Wealth can lead to greed and a false sense of security. Jesus warns in Luke 12:15, "Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." The parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21) further illustrates the folly of hoarding wealth without regard for one's spiritual state.

· The Rich Young Ruler: In Matthew 19:16-22, Jesus encounters a rich young man who seeks eternal life. Jesus tells him to sell his possessions and give to the poor, highlighting the challenge wealth can pose to entering the kingdom of God. This account underscores the need for a heart fully devoted to God, rather than to material wealth.

The Role of Wealth in the Early Church:

In the early Christian community, wealth was often shared to meet the needs of all believers. Acts 4:34-35 describes how "there were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds, and lay them at the apostles' feet for distribution to anyone as he had need." This practice reflects the communal and selfless use of resources encouraged among believers.

Conclusion:

While the Bible acknowledges the existence and potential blessings of being well-to-do, it consistently emphasizes the importance of using wealth responsibly, maintaining a heart focused on God, and prioritizing spiritual riches over material ones.(a.) In prosperous circumstances.

Of Hope and True Religion, and of Superstition.
... do it more frequently! If it is well to do it at the first hour, then it
is well to do it throughout the day. If one victim renders ...
/.../lactantius/the divine institutes/chap xxviii of hope and true.htm

Chapter twenty
... What would the obedience to this pledge demand of me? I hesitate to answer.
My church is wealthy, full of well-to-do, satisfied people. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sheldon/in his steps/chapter twenty.htm

The Way to the City
... Take a step higher"a respectable, well-to-do Manchester man, successful in business.
He has made it his aim to build up a large concern, and has succeeded. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the way to the city.htm

To the Bishop Iren??us.
... I have therefore no hesitation in commending him to your Holiness, and begging
you to make him known to the well-to-do men of the city. ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of theodoret/xxxv to the bishop irenaeus.htm

Seeing and Blind
... with. Disbelief slays its thousands, and dissipation its tens of thousands,
but this sleek, well-to-do carelessness, its millions. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/seeing and blind.htm

An Appeal to Sinners
... for everybody to lie against what he believes, and to say he is a sinner, even when
he believes himself to be a very respectable, well-to-do man, and does not ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/an appeal to sinners.htm

Preface
... PREFACE. Clemens Brentano was a well-known and well-to-do German poet and
writer. After he had met the German nun and mystic, Anna ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/preface.htm

Reclaiming a Church to Meet a New Age
... It has been the reproach of the Protestant Churches that they have too
largely attracted only the well-to-do and middle classes. ...
/.../herrick/frank h nelson of cincinnati/reclaiming a church to meet.htm

The Lessons of a Feast
... Probably the bulk of the guests were well-to-do people of the host's own social
rank, and, as probably, there were onlookers of a lower degree, like the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the lessons of a feast.htm

A Letter from Origen to Africanus.
... However, since the Churches use Tobias, you must know that even in the
captivity some of the captives were rich and well to do. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origens letters/a letter from origen to.htm

Well-to-do (1 Occurrence)
Well-to-do. Well-spring, Well-to-do. Well-trained . Noah Webster's
Dictionary ... Multi-Version Concordance Well-to-do (1 Occurrence). ...
/w/well-to-do.htm - 6k

Judicial (2 Occurrences)
... respecting the person of the poor:" and "honoring the person of the mighty." Sympathy
with the poor no less than a bribe from the well-to-do might affect the ...
/j/judicial.htm - 25k

Lazarus (19 Occurrences)
... As intimated by the number of condoling friends from the city, and perhaps from
the costly ointment used by Mary, the family was probably well-to-do. ...
/l/lazarus.htm - 21k

Well-trained (1 Occurrence)
Well-trained. Well-to-do, Well-trained. Well-tried . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(See NIV). Well-to-do, Well-trained. Well-tried . Reference Bible.
/w/well-trained.htm - 6k

Well-spring (3 Occurrences)
Well-spring. Wellspring, Well-spring. Well-to-do . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(WBS). Wellspring, Well-spring. Well-to-do . Reference Bible.
/w/well-spring.htm - 7k

Drunkenness (10 Occurrences)
... 11:21). It must, however, be noted that it is almost invariably the
well-to-do who are charged with this vice in the Bible. There ...
/d/drunkenness.htm - 24k

Benefit (39 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. BENEFIT. ben'-e-fit (gemul = "a deed," 2 Chronicles
32:25); yaTabh = (causat.) "to make well," "todo good" (Jeremiah 18:10). ...
/b/benefit.htm - 19k

Boaz (25 Occurrences)
... HPM, sections 501-8, gives a picture of the life of "a well-to-do landed proprietor
of central Palestine," much of which could aptly be taken as a description ...
/b/boaz.htm - 19k

Sheep (413 Occurrences)
... Among the Moslems every well-to-do family sacrifices a sheep at the feast of
al-'adcha', the 10th day of the month dhu-l-chijjat, 40 days after the end of ...
/s/sheep.htm - 52k

Banquet (58 Occurrences)
... The custom of reclining at meals (see MEALS; TRICLINIUM, etc.) was everywhere in
vogue among the well-to-do in Christ's day, even in the case of the ordinary ...
/b/banquet.htm - 36k

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