–– Paul Schlehlein

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Calls for helping the world’s poor are ubiquitous. These cries arise from church pulpits, university professors, school textbooks, media channels, and especially government officials. Indeed, poverty exists all around the world. 

For example, Africa is by far the poorest continent globally. In 2023, twenty-three of the world’s twenty-five poorest countries were in Africa. In 2025, the country with the highest per capita GDP was Luxembourg at $141,080. The nation with the lowest per capita GDP was Burundi at $157, nearly 900 times less than Luxembourg. 

According to Visual Capitalist, South Africa has the greatest wealth inequality in the world. This means that, more than any other country, princes and paupers live side-by-side—or, more realistically—within distant sight of each other. But this is misleading, since the “poor” in South Africa are far wealthier than the middle class of, say, Malawi, where the per capita annual earningis $448 compared to $6,517 in South Africa. 

The progressive solution to this disparity is either higher taxes on the rich or forced wealth distribution among a nation’s citizens. But is this what the Bible teaches?

Consider the following ten theses on helping the poor.

1. Scripture commands Christians to help the poor.  

Poverty will always exist in the world (Mt. 26:11) and therefore can never be fully eradicated.  But because God cares for the poor (Ps. 68:10), we should do our best to help them. The Old Testament says we are to give freely to the poor (Dt. 15:10). We are to “rescue the weak and needy” (Ps. 82:4). We mustn’t “rob the poor because he is poor” (Ps. 22:22). 

Jesus said that if we have two tunics, we should give the extra to the one who has none (Lk. 3:11) and should do so humbly and without fanfare (Mt. 6:2). Though Christians should seek to help all the poor, according to Galatians 6:10, we must emphasise giving to other believers first and foremost (Jn. 13:35; Ac. 11:27-30). 

2. The Bible gives a special blessing to those who help the poor.

Solomon said: “Blessed is he who is generous to the poor” (Pr. 14:21) and “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor” (Pr. 22:9).  David said: “Blessed is the one who considers the poor” (Ps. 41:1)! 

We honour our Maker when we are generous with the poor (Pr. 14:31). When someone gives to those less fortunate, God “will repay him for his deed” (Pr. 19:17). Treasure in heaven awaits Christians who help those in poverty (Mt. 19:21). 

3. Giving to the poor is a mark of true conversion. 

Zacchaeus demonstrated his new life in Christ by giving half his goods to the poor (Lk. 19:8). By contrast, Christians who refuse to help the poor are hypocrites. Failure to help the poor shows there has been no true inward change, and “God’s love” does not abide in him (1Jn. 3:16-18). 

Our faith is worthless, dead, if we see the poor in need but neglect to help them (James 2:14-17). Deeds of mercy demonstrate the gospel. 

4. Many of the greatest characters in Scripture helped the poor.

Boaz generously helped Ruth (Ru. 2:14). Nebuzaradan gave vineyards and fields to the poor that had no property (Jer. 39:10). Tabitha was known for her “acts of charity”, meaning she gave to the needy and performed acts of mercy (Ac. 9:36). The imperfect verb shows that this is something Tabitha did continually. 

Barnabas sold his own property and gave the proceeds to the apostles so he could help those in need (Ac. 4:37), then personally distributed famine relief to the brothers in Judea (Ac. 11:30). Titus initiated poverty relief to the Christians in Jerusalem and worked with the churches of Macedonia to do so (2Cor. 8:3-6). 

Paul said he was “eager” to help the poor (Gal. 2:10) and delayed coming to Rome because he was so intent on delivering poverty relief (Rm. 15:25-27). He even implied he bestowed all of his goods to feed the poor (1Co. 13:3). 

The Good Samaritan is a model of charity and help for the poor (Lk. 10:29-37). James said that pure religion is seen when we help the poor, the orphans and the widows in their affliction (Jms. 1:27). Jesus is the ultimate example of One who helped the poor (Mt. 15:32). 

Jesus ate with the poor (Lk. 9:30) and gave them words of encouragement (Lk. 12:22-34). He fed the poor (Luke 9:10-17) and healed them often (Luke 5). 

5. Many of the greatest characters in Church History helped the poor.

Augustine (354-430) started works of charity in thirteen cities. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), John Wyclif (1329-1384), John Hus (1374-1415), John Calvin (1509-1564), and many other famous preachers emphasised helping the poor. 

George Whitefield (1714-1770) initiated Georgia’s first orphanage and hospital. Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) founded over sixty different charitable ministries such as hospitals, orphanages and almshouses. DL Moody (1837-1899) established street missions, soup kitchens, and clinics. 

6. We must distinguish why people are poor before we help them.

There are two kinds of poor: the “deserving” or “oppressed” poor and the “undeserving” or “sluggardly” poor. When Scripture says we must give generously to the poor, such as bestowing “food to the hungry” (Ps. 146:5), it is speaking of the first category. These people are poor due to no sin of their own, like those facing famine in Genesis 45-47. 

We must also help the poor in the second category—the lazy—not with money but with rebuke (2Thess. 3:15; Pr. 13:18). This is because they are poor due to either idleness (Pr. 6:10-11; 10:4), wicked living (Pr. 21:17), lack of discipline (Pr. 13:18), rash promises (Pr. 22:26-27), or debt (Mt. 18:23-25). 

To give this person money would be subsidising his sin, for sluggards are wasteful (Pr. 12:27), boastful (Pr. 10:26), neglectful (Ecc. 10:18) and unproductive (Mt. 25:26). Other ways we warn sluggards can be over victim mentality, the welfare system, affirmative action, minimum wage, and union regulations. 

7. We hurt the poor if we do not help them in the right way.

If we give to the wrong kind of poor people in the wrong way, many harmful consequences will follow. First, we will make them dependent on handouts. Second, we will encourage fatherless, single-parent homes and illegitimate children. 

Family members are first responsible to care for the poor (1Tm. 5:4; Lv. 25:25). Third, we will encourage laziness. Fourth, we will hurt production in the home and society. Basic Economics by Thomas Sowell and Poverty of Nations by Wayne Grudem and Barry Asmus clearly warn of these pitfalls. 

8. The only sustainable solution to poverty is productivity.  

For a nation, this is an increase in GDP. For individuals, this is an increase in personal income. The transfer of wealth does not solve poverty because it only moves money around. 

The man with ten fish gives two of his fish to the man with none. Now he has two, but the two fish will soon be eaten. Then both will be poorer. 

In his excellent book, In the Shadow of Plenty, George Grant writes: “The only enduring and sustainable solution to poverty is productivity. A transfer of wealth won’t do it. Simpler lifestyles won’t do it. Better laws won’t do it. More government programs won’t do it. Only productivity will do it. And the only means for attaining productivity is through obedience and diligence” (p. 106). 

Specific ways we can help the poor become productive include enabling them to help themselves (Ex. 23:11; Lv. 25:25ff), urging them to work hard (1Th. 4:11; 2Th. 3:10) and setting a good example ourselves (Ac. 20:34). 

9. We must help the poor in more ways than just money.

We could open our homes to abused women or children. We could adopt. We could teach the poor how to use their money in a better way, like instructing them how to save (Pr. 6:6-8), budget (Luke 14, 16), set goals (Pr. 1), invest (Mt. 21), cut debt (Rm. 13:8) and tithe (Mal. 3:8-12). 

10. The greatest way to help the poor is by showing them their spiritual poverty. 

The best news for the poor is not money. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ (Lk. 4:18; Isa. 61:1; Mt. 11:5). The church in Laodicea said: “I am rich, I have prospered, and need nothing, not realising” they were poor, blind and naked (Rv. 3:17). 

Instead, we must be poor in spirit (Mt. 5:3) by recognising our bankrupt hearts and sinful deeds. God will always accept a broken and humble spirit (Ps. 51:17) and promises to hear their prayers (Ps. 102:17). Poverty is not something we should always seek to escape. Poor and humble is better than rich and proud (Pr. 16:19). Poor and wise is better than rich and foolish (Pr. 16:16).