A Unified Oikonomia: How God’s Economy of Salvation Changes a Christian Household’s Economy

Abstract

In the Bible, the word oikonomia is used in two very different ways: one material (Luke 16:2) and the other spiritual (Ephesians 1:10). The purpose of this paper will be to unify the material definition of oikonomia with the Apostle Paul’s spiritual use of the word. Once unified, a Christian household will be equipped to manage their finances (i.e., economize) in a way that fully integrates with its union with Christ. This paper concludes with three case studies, aligning oikonomia to finance-related theories, such as the life-cycle hypothesis, debt repayment, and retirement account contributions.