Biblical Perspectives on Property Ownership- Integrating God’s Law with Legal Concepts

Biblical Perspectives on Property Ownership- Integrating God’s Law with Legal Concepts

Ownership of Property

Property can belong to an individual, community, company, or government. The laws that regulate ownership and protection of both communal and private property vary. Each regulation seeks to achieve a certain objective in addition to protection. The Bible also holds an interesting view on property. The biblical rules and regulations may have inspired the legal position on property significantly. The Bible advocates for kindness, while the law allows the owner to determine the usage of their property.

Biblical Perspective

The Bible acknowledges that property or earthly things belong to man. In the book of Genesis, God gave man dominion over the living things. God says in Genesis 1:26, “have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth” (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011). This verse implies that men got a sense of ownership right from creation.

Secondly, the Bible provides man with a strategy for managing the property under his care. After God created the world and all within it, he saw it fit to create a man who would till the land. This aspect of work provided man with the necessary information on the acquisition and management of wealth/property. The man was expected to practice honesty during the work process. The 10 commandments clearly state that stealing and coveting other peoples’ property is wrong. This means that man is only allowed to use honest means to acquire the property instead of their neighbours. Paul, in the New Testament, reminds the Christians to avoid stealing because there is a punishment for such behaviour. Instead, Paul encourages the Christians to labour with their own hands, take part in the right things, and share their fortune with the needy (Leightner, 2009).

The bible highlights that property can only be shared with others with the owner’s consent. Paul in the Bible encourages the Christians to share their fortune with the needy people after labouring for it. At the same time, all men are expected to work hard for anything that they need. Stealing is not allowed in the Bible. Thus, others can only share in an individual’s property after they are permitted. The Bible also creates an opportunity for kindness by instructing Christians to leave some of their produce on the fields for the less fortunate to find. The book of Deuteronomy states that “Any fruit that ripens after your one harvest is to be left for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. Anybody, not just the poor, can go into a neighbour’s field and eat his fill. He just cannot take any extra out” (Leightner, 2009, p. 346). This allowance is intended to eliminate theft cases that may occur due to a lack of food and such basic needs.

Both the Old and the New Testaments acknowledge the ownership of property. The two sets of books also highlight the necessity of hard work to acquire the property. The Bible goes further to encourage rest on the Sabbath days. The Bible’s readers are encouraged to share their wealth and property with the poor, an aspect that could eliminate theft. Those who steal go against one of the Ten Commandments and are encouraged to embrace work to help the poor. Thus, the Bible seeks to create a more egalitarian society that owns the property and shares a proportion with the less fortunate.

Legal concepts of property ownership

Legally, individuals have the right to own property individually or communally. Once an individual owns the property, they possess the right of control. They can use the property quietly. Leases and licenses control the use of the property by other individuals. At the same time, the owners can exclude other individuals from usage and enjoy their privacy. The property can also be transferred to other individuals through sale, gifting, inheritance, or other legal means of transfer. In addition, the law allows property owners to use it for credit purposes. The law also protects the rights of property owners by categorizing specific actions as illegal (Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 2021). These actions include stealing, damage, illegal use of private property, illegal sale, and trespassing.

Similarities and Differences

The legal aspects are somewhat similar to the biblical elements that govern ownership of property. First, both concepts advocate for ownership of the property through the accepted means and strategies. Secondly, it is illegal to steal other’s property. Thirdly, the owner reserves the right of ownership and controls their estate as well as its use. The legal concepts borrow from the Biblical aspects that govern access to others’ property, means of acquisition, and owners’ control over their property.

The two concepts also exhibit a significant difference. The Bible directs property owners to share with others who are less fortunate by leaving some of the harvests on the field for by-passers. The legal concept of sharing or allowing others to benefit from private property is governed by a formal contract, which generates financial benefits from the owner. This means that the owner is not obliged to allow others to access their property based on kindness.

References

Association of the Bar of the City of New York. (2021). Ownership Rights in Real Property. Retrieved from https://www.nycbar.org/get-legal-help/article/real-property-law/ownership-rights-in-real-property/

Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Biblica, Inc.

Leightner, J. E. (2009). Property, Ethics, and God. Journal of Markets & Morality, 12(2), 337-358.

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Using the information to this point in the course (specifically the week two readings on property), as well as outside scholarly material, write a paper (1) from a biblical worldview perspective that discusses (2) the legal concepts and rules of property ownership and (3) how God’s law or God’s intent informs those legal concepts of propertyHints:

(a) for God’s law or intent: you may use the mandate of humankind’s dominion over the earth, the commandments (thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not covet), various admonitions or proverbs (e.g., to provide for your family), or examples having to do with property or wealth.
(b) You may then compare and contrast or otherwise comment on the relationship between our legal concepts and rules and God’s law or intent ].
Compose the research paper in accordance with APA standards and cite a minimum of three scholarly peer-reviewed sources (in addition to your textbook and the Bible) as references, as well as multiple biblical references (word count range 1200-1400 words).
Be sure to follow the writing guidelines and APA style provided in the Program Guidelines & Grading Rubrics section within “Course Resources.” You can also access the Project Grading Rubric through “Course Resources” in the “Program Guidelines & Grading Rubrics,” then click the folder “Grading Rubrics.”