Through the Eye
of a Needle<\/h1>\n
Jesus\u2019s Teachings on Wealth and Their Modern Relevance<\/p>\n
About the Course<\/p>\n Understanding what Jesus actually taught about wealth, before deciding what it means for us today<\/p>\n Some devout followers of Jesus insist he was at heart a capitalist. Others, equally devout, insist he was a socialist. Some read his instruction to the rich man literally: \u201cSell everything and give to the poor.\u201d Others argue he meant it metaphorically, noting that his elaboration, \u201cIt is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven,\u201d describes a flat impossibility. To which others reply: Jesus himself says it is impossible.<\/p>\n What did Jesus actually say? And what, just as important, did he mean?<\/p>\n In this course we will examine Jesus\u2019s teachings on wealth in their proper historical, cultural, and religious context. We will place his words alongside other moral teachers of his day, Greek, Roman, and Jewish, and consider how an apocalyptic Jew from rural Galilee understood money, poverty, and the obligations of those with more than they needed to survive. And we will ask whether any of it can have relevance for the very different economic systems of our own time.<\/p>\n Your Instructor<\/p>\n James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies Emeritus \u00b7 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill<\/p>\n Bart D. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he taught from 1988 until his retirement in 2025. Recognized internationally for his scholarship on the New Testament and early Christianity, Professor Ehrman has written or edited thirty-five books, including six New York Times bestsellers. His college-level textbook The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings<\/em> has remained the best-selling text in the field for more than twenty-five years. His scholarly works have been published by Oxford, Harvard, Yale, and other premier academic presses, and his books have been translated into twenty-seven languages, reaching millions of readers worldwide.<\/p>\n Beyond the classroom, Professor Ehrman is a widely recognized public scholar. He has produced nine acclaimed courses for The Great Courses, in addition to numerous online courses available through bartehrman.com. His books and courses have sold more than two million copies.<\/p>\n He also writes for his charitable blog, The Bart Ehrman Blog, which has raised millions for organizations addressing poverty, homelessness, and hunger. In addition, he hosts the weekly podcast Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman<\/em>, available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms, where he brings cutting-edge biblical scholarship to a global audience.<\/p>\n 6 NYT Bestsellers<\/span> Princeton Seminary Ph.D.<\/span> 35 Books Written or Edited<\/span> 2M+ Copies Sold<\/span> Professor Emeritus<\/span> <\/p>\n What You\u2019ll Discover<\/p>\n Most people have never seriously examined these themes. Most people have never had the tools to explore them. This course changes that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Theme I<\/p>\n The economic gap between first-century Palestine and our world is almost impossible to comprehend. Understanding it changes everything about how we read Jesus\u2019s teachings.<\/p>\n 1st-century Roman Palestine<\/span> <\/p>\n Theme II<\/p>\n Most people don’t think Jesus could really mean it when he said it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. In this section, we examine what his words actually meant.<\/p>\n The Gospel of Mark<\/span> <\/p>\n Theme III<\/p>\n Many American Christians argue that at heart Jesus endorsed the accumulation of wealth. We examine the parables they use to support this claim, and what those parables actually say.<\/p>\n Matthew 20 & 25<\/span> <\/p>\n Theme IV<\/p>\n Others insist Jesus was a socialist. This reading has real problems too, and understanding why reveals the deeper limits of applying any modern economic label to Jesus.<\/p>\n Luke & Matthew<\/span> <\/p>\n Theme V<\/p>\n Jesus almost always incentivizes doing good for others with promises of future reward for oneself. Is that genuine altruism, or something more complicated?<\/p>\n The Sermon on the Mount<\/span> <\/p>\n Theme VI<\/p>\n Hospitals, orphanages, and food banks for the poor all trace their origins to the Christian monastic movement of the 4th and 5th centuries. Most people have no idea.<\/p>\n 4th \u2013 5th Century CE<\/span> <\/p>\n 8<\/p>\n Lectures<\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Live Q&A Sessions<\/p>\n 2,000+<\/p>\n Years of Debate<\/p>\n 0<\/p>\n Prior Knowledge Required<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What This Course Offers<\/p>\n Bart Ehrman has spent a career asking the hard questions about what Jesus actually said. Here\u2019s what that means for you.<\/p>\n Every claim is traced back to the actual words attributed to Jesus in the Gospels. No theology, no preaching. Just the texts themselves, read carefully.<\/p>\n Rigorous historical-critical analysis applied to separate what Jesus likely said from what later traditions added. This is how historians actually work.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Capitalist and socialist readings of Jesus are both examined honestly, with their strongest arguments and their real weaknesses laid out side by side.<\/p>\n The course doesn\u2019t stop at history. It asks what, if anything, teachings from a very different world might still mean for the economic realities we live in today.<\/p>\n Ask Bart your own questions directly, in real time. Each day closes with a 45-minute live Q&A where nothing is off the table.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Built for curious, thoughtful people, not seminarians. If you can read the news and care about ideas, this course is for you.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Course At a Glance<\/p>\n Dates<\/p>\n May 16 & 17, 2026<\/span> Watch On Demand<\/span> <\/p>\n Format<\/p>\n 2-Day Live Event<\/span> Self-Paced Course<\/span> <\/p>\n Lectures<\/p>\n 8 \u00d7 50 Minutes<\/p>\n Live Q&A<\/p>\n 2 \u00d7 45 Minutes<\/p>\n Day 1 Time<\/p>\n 1:00 \u2013 5:45 pm EST<\/p>\n Day 2 Time<\/p>\n 2:00 \u2013 6:45 pm EST<\/p>\n Instructor<\/p>\n Bart Ehrman<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Prepare to Rethink<\/p>\n Common Assumption<\/p>\n Jesus\u2019s teachings are more nuanced and more historically specific than a simple anti-wealth message. Setting them in their correct economic and apocalyptic context reveals something quite different from what most people expect.<\/p>\n Common Assumption<\/p>\n The encounter with the rich young man is widely treated as a special case, a high bar set for one exceptionally wealthy individual. A close reading of the surrounding text suggests Jesus intended something far more universal.<\/p>\n Common Assumption<\/p>\n The economic systems of our world (capitalism, socialism, markets, governments) would have made virtually no sense to Jesus or anyone else in his day. Asking what Jesus would do in our economy may be the wrong question entirely.<\/p>\n Common Assumption<\/p>\n Hospitals, orphanages, and organized relief for the hungry and homeless are so familiar that we assume they\u2019ve always existed. In fact, their origins trace directly to the Christian monastic movement and to Jesus\u2019s teachings about wealth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Full Schedule<\/p>\n Four lectures per day, each 50 minutes, with a 45-minute live Q&A to close. Click any lecture to read its description.<\/span> Eight lectures available on demand, each approximately 50 minutes. Click any lecture to read its description.<\/span> <\/p>\n Day 1 \u2013 May 16<\/span> Series Part I<\/span> <\/span> 1:00 \u2013 5:45 pm EST<\/span> 1<\/span> Economics in the Days of Jesus<\/span> 1:05 pm<\/span> <\/p>\n We look at the economic situation of the first-century Roman world: the distribution of rich, poor, and destitute; the possibilities of employment; the burden of taxation. We then narrow the focus to the small towns and villages of rural Galilee where Jesus lived, and ask how understanding those circumstances helps explain his key teachings on money, wealth, and poverty.<\/p>\n 2<\/span> Is Wealth a Problem? The Greek and Roman Worlds<\/span> 2:05 pm<\/span> <\/p>\n We examine how ancient Greek and Roman moral teachers treated wealth as a potential problem, asking: for whom, and why? Where they thought money should be given away, we ask to whom, under what conditions, and for what reasons. This lecture shows how radically different ancient ideas about charitable giving were from what most people assume today, setting the stage for Jesus\u2019s equally distinctive teachings.<\/p>\n 3<\/span> Problems with Wealth in the Ancient Jewish World<\/span> 3:05 pm<\/span> <\/p>\n We move from pagan philosophy to the world of ancient Judaism, starting with the Hebrew Bible\u2019s repeated insistence that those with resources must provide for the poor and needy. We ask why this conviction developed within Judaism, how unusual it was in the ancient world, and how it gave rise to the tradition of almsgiving, including the striking idea that giving away one\u2019s resources could bring atonement for sins.<\/p>\n 4<\/span> Jesus and Wealth<\/span> 4:10 pm<\/span> <\/p>\n We consider Jesus\u2019s own distinctive understanding of wealth and its obligations. His views overlapped with other Jewish teachers of his day, but diverged in significant ways, shaped by his deep conviction that the Day of Judgment was about to arrive. That apocalyptic urgency pushed him toward a radical and universal ethic of giving: no time for half-measures, and no reason to limit generosity to one\u2019s own people.<\/p>\n Day 2 \u2013 May 17<\/span> Series Part II<\/span> <\/span> 2:00 \u2013 6:45 pm EST<\/span> 5<\/span> Was Jesus a Capitalist?<\/span> 2:05 pm<\/span> <\/p>\n Many American Christians, including prominent public voices, argue that Jesus was at heart a capitalist who saw wealth accumulation as good and godly. Among the passages cited are the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (private property and market wages), the Parable of the Talents (capital investment), the Parable of the Sower (investment strategy), and the Parable of the Mustard Seed (compound interest). We examine each to ask whether these readings hold up.<\/p>\n 6<\/span> Was Jesus a Socialist?<\/span> 3:05 pm<\/span> <\/p>\n Other Christians argue just as forcefully that Jesus was a socialist, pointing to his opposition to unequal distribution of wealth and his call for the well-off to give their resources to the poor. We examine this view honestly, asking whether it is coherent to apply Jesus\u2019s words to economic systems that arose only out of the Industrial Revolution, and whether the principles behind his teachings might still carry relevance for today.<\/p>\n 7<\/span> Difficult Passages and the Troubling Views of Jesus<\/span> 4:05 pm<\/span> <\/p>\n Some of Jesus\u2019s sayings about wealth are almost impossible to process: Why would he praise a steward who lied and cheated his employer for personal gain? Why would he commend his disciples for abandoning their jobs, homes, wives, and children? How can he seriously advise people not to worry about having food or clothing? We confront these hard sayings directly, trace their interpretation over the centuries, and see whether any of it can be made sense of.<\/p>\n 8<\/span> The Real-World Effects of Jesus\u2019s Teachings on Wealth<\/span> 5:10 pm<\/span> <\/p>\n After Jesus\u2019s death, thousands of Jerusalem converts reportedly sold everything they owned and gave the proceeds to the apostles for distribution. The practice didn\u2019t last. But the teachings lived on, especially in the monastic movement, where fourth and fifth-century monks built hospitals, orphanages, and institutions for the destitute. We trace this legacy alongside the rival impulse within the church to accumulate wealth, and ask how both streams echo in Christian social and economic debates today.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Exclusive Bonuses<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Recordings of both 45-minute live Q&A sessions, so you can revisit the questions and Bart\u2019s answers anytime.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Download Bart\u2019s full slide decks for all eight lectures, ideal for review, note-taking, or sharing with a study group.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Searchable transcripts of every lecture, perfect for quoting, deeper study, or following along if English is not your first language.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n MP3 downloads of every lecture. Listen on your commute, during a walk, or whenever you\u2019re away from a screen.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Laborers and Management in the Vineyard: How to Assess Kingdom Economics, a lesson by Dr. Amy-Jill Levine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Curated discussion questions and a reading list for each lecture, for going deeper on your own or with a study group.<\/p>\n $1 from every registration is donated to charity: water<\/strong>, bringing clean water to people in need.<\/p>\n [tcb-script] (function() { const cutover = new Date(‘2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00’); const isEvergreen = (new Date() >= cutover) || (window.location.search.indexOf(‘mode=evergreen’) > -1); if (isEvergreen && !document.body.classList.contains(‘eon-is-evergreen’)) { document.body.classList.add(‘eon-is-evergreen’); } })(); [\/tcb-script] <\/p>\n Instance 1<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Stand-Alone Purchase<\/p>\n Enjoy University-level learning at a fraction of the cost<\/p>\n $199.80<\/span> Value<\/p>\n <\/span>$79.95<\/p>\n Included in Your Purchase: Lifetime Access to This University-Level Course With:<\/p>\n Access this Course PLUS Every Course in Our Vault (250+ Hours of Biblical Learning!)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n __CONFIG_colors_palette__{“active_palette”:0,”config”:{“colors”:{“b04af”:{“name”:”Main Accent”,”parent”:-1}},”gradients”:[]},”palettes”:[{“name”:”Default Palette”,”value”:{“colors”:{“b04af”:{“val”:”rgb(251, 194, 13)”}},”gradients”:[]},”original”:{“colors”:{“b04af”:{“val”:”rgb(19, 114, 211)”,”hsl”:{“h”:210,”s”:0.83,”l”:0.45,”a”:1}}},”gradients”:[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__ <\/span> Start FREE Trial<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/a> <\/p>\n then special rate $49.95\/month<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Frequently Asked Questions<\/p>\n How many lectures are included? <\/p>\n Bart Ehrman will present eight lectures over two days, four per day, each running approximately 50 minutes. Both days also close with a 45-minute live Q&A session where you can ask Bart your own questions directly.<\/p>\n Bart Ehrman presents eight lectures, each running approximately 50 minutes. You also get full access to the recordings of both 45-minute live Q&A sessions from the original event.<\/p>\n Is this course live? Can I watch the recordings afterward? <\/p>\n Yes, this is a live event on May 16 and 17, 2026. Day 1 runs from 1:00 to 5:45 pm EST; Day 2 runs from 2:00 to 6:45 pm EST. All lectures and both Q&A sessions will be recorded. If you can\u2019t watch live, you\u2019ll have access to the full recordings, including the Q&A, after the event.<\/p>\n Do I get instant access to the course? <\/p>\n Yes. As soon as you purchase the course, you will receive an email with login instructions for our online platform, ThriveCart Learn. You can immediately access all eight lectures, the recordings of the live Q&A sessions, and all bonus materials.<\/p>\n How will I join the live sessions? <\/p>\n Once you have purchased the course, you will receive instructions by email to log on to our online course platform, ThriveCart Learn. All joining details and links will be provided there. If you are a member of Biblical Studies Academy (BSA), your access will also be available inside the community.<\/p>\n How long will I have access to the course? <\/p>\n You will have lifetime access to the course materials. You can watch the lectures, download the transcripts, and review the slides as many times as you like, whenever works best for your schedule.<\/p>\n Do I need any prior knowledge of the Bible or early Christianity? <\/p>\n No prior knowledge is required. Bart introduces all the relevant texts, historical background, and scholarly context as the course unfolds. Whether you are coming in fresh or already have some background in biblical studies, you will find the course genuinely rewarding.<\/p>\n Will subtitles or captions be available? <\/p>\n Yes. All lecture recordings include closed captions. Full transcripts are also included with the course, so you can follow along in text, search for specific passages, or review key arguments after watching.<\/p>\n What payment types are accepted? <\/p>\n We accept PayPal and all major credit cards.<\/p>\n Do you offer a money-back guarantee? <\/p>\n![\"Through](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Eye-of-a-Needle-16x9-INSTRUCTOR-2.jpg\")
May 16 & 17, 2026<\/span> Watch Anytime<\/span> <\/span> 8 Lectures + 2 Live Q&As <\/span> Bart Ehrman <\/span> Watch Live or On Demand<\/span> Self-Paced Course<\/span> <\/span> [tcb-script] (function() { const cutover = new Date(‘2026-05-18T00:00:00-04:00’); const isEvergreen = (new Date() >= cutover) || (window.location.search.indexOf(‘mode=evergreen’) > -1); if (isEvergreen && !document.body.classList.contains(‘eon-is-evergreen’)) { document.body.classList.add(‘eon-is-evergreen’); } })(); [\/tcb-script] <\/p>\nJesus on Wealth<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nThe Camel and the Needle<\/h3>\n
![\"Bart](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Bart-Ehrman-Smiling-Arms-Crossed-Transparent-Background-e1776348120584.png\")
<\/p>\nBart Ehrman<\/h3>\n
Six Core Themes<\/h2>\n
Wealth in Jesus\u2019s World<\/h4>\n
The Camel Explained<\/h4>\n
The Capitalist Jesus?<\/h4>\n
The Socialist Jesus?<\/h4>\n
True Altruism?<\/h4>\n
The Birth of Charity<\/h4>\n
Why This Course Is Unlike Any Other<\/h2>\n
Directly from the Gospel Texts<\/h4>\n
Bart Ehrman\u2019s Historical Method<\/h4>\n
Both Sides, Fairly Examined<\/h4>\n
Ancient World, Modern Questions<\/h4>\n
Live Q&A Both Days<\/h4>\n
No Background Required<\/h4>\n
Through the Eye of a Needle<\/h2>\n
Common Assumptions This Course Will Challenge<\/h2>\n
\u201cJesus was clearly against wealth\u201d<\/h4>\n
\u201cThe rich man passage was just for one person\u201d<\/h4>\n
\u201cWWJD gives clear economic guidance\u201d<\/h4>\n
\u201cCharitable institutions are just common sense\u201d<\/h4>\n
What You\u2019ll Walk Away With<\/h3>\n
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Eight Lectures, Two Days<\/span> Eight Lectures on Demand<\/span> <\/h2>\n
Everything Included with Your Registration<\/h2>\n
Both Live Q&A Recordings<\/h4>\n
Lecture Slides<\/h4>\n
Full Transcripts<\/h4>\n
Audio Downloads<\/h4>\n
Bonus Lecture: The Parables of Jesus Lesson 3<\/h4>\n
Questions for Reflection & Recommended Readings<\/h4>\n
2 ways<\/span> to purchase this course<\/h2>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.bartehrman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/BSA-Logo-Dark-Letter-Transparent.png\" "\\"BSA"){kind=spacer}
<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Everything You Need to Know<\/h2>\n