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You shall not steal.The theft of money or property is not the only infringement of the eighth commandment. To steal is to rob a person of anything which belongs to him or is due to him. Tax evasion is robbery. So is dodging the customs. So is working short hours. What the world calls ‘scrounging’ God calls stealing. To overwork and underpay one’s staff is to break this commandment. There must be few of us, if any, who have been consistently and scrupulously honest in personal and business affairs. As Arthur Hugh Clough wrote:
‘Thou shalt not kill’, but need’st not strive
Officiously to keep alive;
‘Thou shalt not steal’—an empty feat
When it’s more
These negative commandments also imply a positive counterpart. In order truly to abstain from killing, one must do all in one’s power to foster the health and preserve the life of others. To refrain from the act of adultery is insufficient. The commandment requires the right, healthy and honourable attitude of each sex towards the other. Similarly, to avoid stealing is no particular virtue if one is miserly or mean. Paul was not satisfied that a thief should stop stealing; he had to start working. Indeed, he had to continue in honest labour until he found himself in a position to give to those in need. To read samples of the content of John Stott's book (from which this material originates), please click this... eighth commandment link ... then click on the title "Basic Christianity". |