Ownership
In the Bible, ownership fundamentally reflects the concept of stewardship rather than absolute possession. The foundational belief is that God is the ultimate owner of all creation. Psalm 24:1 states, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it," emphasizing that all resources and life ultimately belong to God. This perspective shapes the biblical understanding of ownership, where humans are seen as stewards or caretakers of God's creation, entrusted with the responsibility to manage it wisely and ethically.Ownership in the biblical sense also carries moral and social implications. For instance, the laws given to Israel in the Old Testament included provisions for the care of the poor and the alien (Exodus 22:25-27), illustrating that one's possessions should be used to benefit others and uphold justice. In the New Testament, the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) further reinforces this idea of stewardship, where individuals are expected to use their resources wisely in service to God and others, ultimately holding them accountable for how they manage what has been entrusted to them. Thus, biblical ownership is intertwined with responsibility, accountability, and the ethical use of resources for the common good.