{"id":30525,"date":"2021-02-02T10:36:07","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T15:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/?p=30525"},"modified":"2021-03-19T14:28:47","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T18:28:47","slug":"who-or-what-is-mammon-in-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/who-or-what-is-mammon-in-the-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"Who (or What) Is Mammon in the Bible?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, \u201cYou cannot serve God and mammon\u201d (Matthew 6:24b, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">King James Version<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">). It\u2019s clear from the context that mammon means \u201cwealth,\u201d and the Lord is juxtaposing two forces competing for our allegiance. But there\u2019s so much packed into this six-word sentence that it\u2019s worth exploring more thoroughly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s a peek at how other Bible translations render this passage:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You cannot serve both God and money. (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New International Version)<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You cannot serve God and wealth. (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New American Standard Bible)<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You cannot be slaves of God and of money. (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Holman Christian Standard Bible<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">New Living Translation)<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a deep dive into the word \u201cmammon\u201d and uncover what it means, how the church has used it, and what Jesus was trying to communicate about material possessions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Where did we get the word mammon?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like many words in the Bible, mammon is a transliteration. To understand what this means, it\u2019s helpful to understand the difference between transliteration and translation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic languages use entirely different writing systems. If you\u2019re a native English speaker with no background in these languages, documents in these languages will not make any sense to you. They\u2019ll simply look like a jumble of symbols.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take, for example, the Greek word <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u03c7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03cc\u03c2<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you\u2019re entirely new to Koine Greek, that word won\u2019t mean anything to you. But when it\u2019s transliterated as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chr\u012bst\u00f3s<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it becomes a little more accessible to an English speaker. You still won\u2019t understand it, but at least you\u2019ll be able to sound it out. This is a transliteration, and it\u2019s more focused on pronunciation than meaning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, if I\u2019m a Bible translator, I\u2019m faced with a choice. What should I do with the word <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chr\u012bst\u00f3s<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? I can translate it into a word that conveys its meaning. In this case, I might translate it as \u201canointed.\u201d Or I might simply take the transliterated word and Romanize it as \u201cChrist.\u201d This means that I create a new English word that\u2019s very close to the transliterated Greek word.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This happens quite a bit in the Bible. Words like sabbath, apostle, baptism, and mammon are all examples of transliteration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Greek word <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u03bc\u03b1\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd\u1fb6\u03c2 <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is transliterated as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mam\u014dnas.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In the first English translation of the New Testament (1382\u20131395), Wycliffe and his followers translated <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mam\u014dna<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> into <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">richessis <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(riches) in Old English. But King James translators opted to keep the transliterated and Romanized mammon (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mammona<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Latin).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does mammon mean?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is some debate about the origin of the word mammon. It would appear to come from the Aramaic word <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">m\u0101m\u014dn\u0101<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which would make sense since it\u2019s likely that Aramaic was Jesus\u2019 primary language. But because Aramaic shares such a close relationship with Hebrew, it appears that it might derive from the Hebrew <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mihamon\u2014<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which literally translates as \u201cfrom accumulation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It makes sense that mammon would be translated as \u201cmoney\u201d or \u201cwealth,\u201d but it might be better translated as \u201cgreed\u201d or \u201criches.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-15-at-10.07.25-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-30496\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-15-at-10.07.25-AM-717x1024.png\" alt=\"Navigating the New Normal eBook\" width=\"193\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-15-at-10.07.25-AM-717x1024.png 717w, https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-15-at-10.07.25-AM-210x300.png 210w, https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-15-at-10.07.25-AM-768x1098.png 768w, https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-15-at-10.07.25-AM-1075x1536.png 1075w, https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-15-at-10.07.25-AM-640x915.png 640w, https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/Screen-Shot-2021-01-15-at-10.07.25-AM.png 1156w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 193px) 100vw, 193px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Churches in the Wilderness\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Navigating COVID-19 and the New Normal<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The questions you ask yourself today will determine whether your church merely survives in this period of transition\u2014or thrives. This ebook will help you position your church for the new normal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<script>\n\t\t\t\t\t\thbspt.enqueueForm({\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tportalId: 6060861,\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tformId: \"396722f5-1d93-4dd0-92c2-0af188a11f7b\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttarget: \"#hbspt-form-1775378360000-0272179982\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tshortcode: \"wp\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tregion: \"\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t});\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hbspt-form\" id=\"hbspt-form-1775378360000-0272179982\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is mammon a literal demon?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personification is when you attribute a personal nature to something non-human. In this case, Jesus talks about mammon as if it can be worshipped like God. This personification had a significant impact on early theologians.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gregory of Nyssa was a bishop in Cappadocia from 372 to 376 (and then again from 378 until his death). In a homily on the Lord\u2019s Prayer, he made this statement:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt seems to me that the Lord names the Evil One by many and various titles according to the variations of evil operations. He calls him by many names such as Devil, Beelzebul, Mammon, ruler of the world, murderer of man, Evil One, father of lies, and other similar names.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The view that mammon was more than a personification of wealth abounded in early Christianity. Peter Lombard (1096\u20131160), Bishop of France and academic theologian, said, \u201cRiches are called by the name of a devil, namely Mammon, for Mammon is the name of a devil, by which name riches are called according to the Syrian tongue.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The idea that mammon was a specific demon became fairly common teaching in the church. A sixteenth-century bishop, theologian, and witch hunter named Peter Binsfeld published a list of the demons associated with each of the deadly sins:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pride: Lucifer<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lust: Asmodeus<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wrath: Satan<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gluttony: Beelzebub<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Envy: Leviathan<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sloth: Belphegor<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Greed: Mammon<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And one of the most influential and well-read Christian poems of all time\u2014Paradise Lost\u2014features the demon Mammon, who is more interested in the gold of heaven\u2019s floor than the holiness of God:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mammon led them on\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mammon, the least erected Spirit that fell<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From Heaven: for even in Heaven his looks and thoughts<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Were always downward bent, admiring more<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The riches of Heaven&#8217;s pavement, trodden gold,<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Than aught divine or holy else enjoyed<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In vision beatific.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The leap from Jesus\u2019 metaphoric use of \u201cmammon\u201d as an inhuman tool competing for our worship to a literal demon is in keeping with some of the embellishments that came out of the middle ages. But that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that there is absolutely no value from overly personifying mammon.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lessons we receive from personifying mammon\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jesus was a master communicator. He wasn\u2019t using an empty rhetorical device when he compared serving God with serving wealth. By following Jesus\u2019 logic, we can take away some very meaningful lessons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b> Both God and wealth are things we put our faith in<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hebrews 11:1 tells us, \u201cNow faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen\u201d (<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">English Standard Version)<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This is a beautiful representation of our belief in God and His kingdom. We are so assured of God\u2019s reality that we\u2019re willing to make changes in our life to align ourselves with the things we hope for. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same can be said for money. We have faith that our cash will retain its value. That we will keep being compensated for the work we do. That the financial securities we have are enough to stave off any immediate hardships. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Faith in God and faith in finances aren\u2019t necessarily in competition. In fact, it\u2019s entirely possible (and preferable) to believe that our finances can be used to serve our faith in God. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/20-bible-verses-about-tithing-and-generosity\/\">These 20 Bible verses on tithing provide a good view of how that can take place<\/a>). But it\u2019s also possible that the security and power that comes from money can corrupt us in ways that cause us to put more of our faith in wealth than in God.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><b> Our faith is revealed in our behavior\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Book of James is full of wisdom. In its second chapter, James talks about the fact that our faith and our deeds go hand in hand:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhat good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, \u201cGo in peace, be warmed and filled,\u201d without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead\u201d (James 2:14\u201318).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">James makes it abundantly clear that faith and works go hand in hand. It\u2019s easy to convince ourselves that we have faith in something even when our behavior says otherwise. James wants his readers to understand that true faith in God is demonstrated by what we do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is also true when it comes to who we\u2019re truly serving. We have an almost neverending capacity for fooling ourselves. We may believe we serve God, but our true allegiance is seen in how we devote our time and how we use our resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We must be careful not to worship God in word while worshiping mammon in deed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><b> Both God and mammon require different sacrifices<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everything we worship requires something from us. Jesus encouraged his followers to follow his example and to take up their own cross. <\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He told them to put one another first and to put themselves last.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His parables and teachings often encouraged personal and private sacrifices that would be rewarded by Jesus. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mammon also requires sacrifices. There are a million offerings we can make to mammon. As a receiver of our worship, mammon isn\u2019t picky. You can work tirelessly. You can horde your wealth. You can take advantage of others. There are millions of ways to serve mammon, and many of them appear to reward us faster than serving God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">John Chrysostom, the early fifth-century archbishop of Constantinople, explained it this way:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c\u2018You cannot serve God and mammon,\u2019 and, \u2018No man can serve two masters\u2019 (Matthew 6:24), for they lay upon us contrary orders. Christ says, \u2018Spare the poor\u2019; mammon says, \u2018Even from the naked strip off the things they have.\u2019 Christ says, \u2018Empty yourself of what you have\u2019; mammon says, \u2018Take also what you have not.\u2019 Do you see the opposition; do you see the conflict?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jesus\u2019 words in context\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If we want to understand what Jesus was trying to tell us about mammon, we need to look at his words in context.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treasures in heaven\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDo not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,\u00a0 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also\u201d (Matthew 6:19\u201321, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">English Standard Version<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins talking about treasure. Many of the things that his first-century Jewish audience would have considered valuable would have been subject to decay. Expensive fabric was in danger of moths, and precious metals could rust, tarnish, or be stolen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of putting their hope in these ultimately worthless treasures, Jesus encourages them to invest in heavenly treasures. This is in keeping with many of the things he\u2019s already told them about what God rewards:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giving in secret (Matthew 6:2\u20134)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Praying in secret (Matthew 6:6)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fasting in secret (Matthew 6:17\u201318)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Throughout Jesus\u2019 ministry, he promised to reward people for their sacrificial obedience. The catch was that they had to have faith that they\u2019d receive this reward at the final judgment. This was Jesus\u2019 promise at the end of Revelation, &#8220;Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done&#8221; (Revelation 22:12, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ESV<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But he also assures his listeners that as they pour their treasures out on God\u2019s kingdom, their hearts would be turned in that direction. Their faith would grow. As they continue to invest in God\u2019s kingdom, the giving gets easier because their faith grows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lamp of the body\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness\u201d (Matthew 6:22\u201324, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ESV<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">)!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jesus then explains what he\u2019s saying using a metaphor about sight. If your vision is healthy, your whole inner world is flooded with light. The more unhealthy your vision is, the less light there is. If your entire inner world is full of darkness, you\u2019re in serious trouble. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And it\u2019s here that Jesus puts an exclamation point on his discussion.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You cannot serve both God and mammon<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money\u201d (Matthew 6:24, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ESV<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Jesus gets to mammon, he\u2019s driving home his point. Your loyalties cannot be divided. You can only devote your life to one master, so you must choose wisely. If you choose to serve God, you will learn to despise the empty accumulation of wealth and material things. And if you choose to serve money, you will find yourself set against the things that matter to God.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The centrality of giving\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One way that we combat the encroachment of mammon into our lives is to grow in our generosity. By regular, sacrificial giving, we serve God and care for our community of faith. If your church is looking for ways to make giving simple and easy for your members, check out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/online-giving-for-churches-easily-take-donations-via-mobile-or-text\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharefaith Giving<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seamlessly integrates into your website, church app, and social media through a link, donate button, or QR code. It makes it incredibly easy for people to give as the Lord prompts them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you consider Mammon, and what it can teach you and your congregation, you may be interested in the following resources:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/4-things-to-avoid-when-talking-to-your-church-about-giving\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4 Things to Avoid When Talking to Your Church about Giving<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/3-kinds-of-givers-in-every-church-and-how-to-communicate-with-them\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3 Kinds of Givers in Every Church (and How to Communicate with Them)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/2021\/03\/5-creative-ways-to-teach-children-generosity\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 Creative Ways to Teach Children Generosity<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, \u201cYou cannot serve God and mammon\u201d (Matthew 6:24b, King James Version). It\u2019s clear from the context that mammon means \u201cwealth,\u201d and the Lord is juxtaposing two forces competing for our allegiance. But there\u2019s so much packed into this six-word sentence that it\u2019s worth exploring more thoroughly.\u00a0 Here\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3603,"featured_media":30634,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-30525","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-general"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/josh-appel-NeTPASr-bmQ-unsplash-1.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v14.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Who (or What) Is Mammon in the Bible? - Sharefaith Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2021\/02\/who-or-what-is-mammon-in-the-bible\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Who (or What) Is Mammon in the Bible? - Sharefaith Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, \u201cYou cannot serve God and mammon\u201d (Matthew 6:24b, King James Version). It\u2019s clear from the context that mammon means \u201cwealth,\u201d and the Lord is juxtaposing two forces competing for our allegiance. But there\u2019s so much packed into this six-word sentence that it\u2019s worth exploring more thoroughly.\u00a0 Here\u2019s [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2021\/02\/who-or-what-is-mammon-in-the-bible\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sharefaith Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SharefaithPage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-02-02T15:36:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-03-19T18:28:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/josh-appel-NeTPASr-bmQ-unsplash-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1442\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@sharefaith\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@sharefaith\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Sharefaith Magazine\",\"description\":\"The Best in Church Leadership, Worship, Tech and Gear!\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2021\/02\/who-or-what-is-mammon-in-the-bible\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogrouting.sharefaith.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/josh-appel-NeTPASr-bmQ-unsplash-1.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1442,\"caption\":\"money\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2021\/02\/who-or-what-is-mammon-in-the-bible\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2021\/02\/who-or-what-is-mammon-in-the-bible\/\",\"name\":\"Who (or What) Is Mammon in the Bible? - Sharefaith Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2021\/02\/who-or-what-is-mammon-in-the-bible\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-02-02T15:36:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-03-19T18:28:47+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/fbb8014142649a2ecce3352c0375431e\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sharefaithblog.wpengine.com\/2021\/02\/who-or-what-is-mammon-in-the-bible\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/fbb8014142649a2ecce3352c0375431e\",\"name\":\"David Choate\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/192a3eb052209bbb0167ba1db43ebb278e662be09da90119b3f4a0ffe9e072a5?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"David Choate\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9jHXE-7Wl","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3603"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30525\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30634"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sharefaith.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}