Does James Support Marxism? | James 5:1–6

Does James Support Marxism? | James 5:1–6

July 19, 2026 · 51 min

Most people are hesitant to hear a sermon about money, and most pastors are hesitant to preach one. But the Bible isn't hesitant at all — Jesus gave sixteen of his thirty-eight parables on money, and Scripture references it roughly two thousand times. In this message from James 5:1–6, Dr. Abidan Shah takes on a passage that sounds, at first glance, like an attack on the wealthy, and asks a direct question: does the Bible support social Marxism?Drawing on his experience growing up in a socialist country and a fast tour through the history of economics, Dr. Shah works through what James is actually condemning — not wealth itself, but the wicked landowners who hoarded what they had, defrauded their workers, and lived only for themselves. James gives three attitudes to examine: how we guard our money, how we get it, and how we give it. And the question underneath all of it isn't whether you have money. It's whether money has you.Dr. Shah writes a personal letter every week — reflections on Scripture, faith, and living it out with clarity and purpose. Join the family: https://abidanshah.com/join-the-family/~~~~GIVE: https://abidanshah.com/give/BOOKS: https://abidanshah.com/books/LISTEN LATER: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clearview-today-with-dr-abidan-shah/id1651006506~~~~0:00 – The Bible Isn't Afraid to Talk About Money5:00 – What It's Actually Like to Live Under Socialism8:49 – A Whirlwind Tour Through the History of Economics19:19 – Marx, Religion, and the Abolition of Private Property28:45 – Is James Actually Against the Rich?31:37 – How They Guard It: The Difference Between Saving and Hoarding37:30 – How They Get It: Wages That Cry Out to God42:19 – Will a Man Rob God? (Malachi 3)47:05 – How They Give It: Fattened for the Day of Slaughter52:30 – Money Is a Great Servant but a Terrible Master

Dr. Abidan Shah

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