Usually once getting involved with cryptocurrency we begin starting to think about money differently.
One of the first questions that usually come to mind is "where does the money come from?" Once we start diving down that rabbit hole we usually begin to question or own understanding of money, which up till then most of us have taken for granted.
Its not long before we bump into phrases like "store of value" and "medium of exchange" etc.
It's then that we figure out that pretty much anything can be a reasonable currency if it meets those two fundamental requirements. The degree to which it satisfies those requirements determines the effectiveness of that thing operating as a currency.
Gold and silver are "things" and have operated as currencies or money for millennia because they mostly satisfy the two requirements.
They are relatively hard to come by and because they are scarce and that makes them generally good "stores of value". For transactions they are similar to bearer instruments and can be exchanged in person. Thereby they satisfy the "medium of exchange" criterion.
Their usefulness as currencies becomes a little strained if the value of gold or silver drops wildly, therefore they no longer "store their value" or the transactions are very large or occur over vast geographies. Hauling tonnes of gold half way across the planet just to perform a transaction is not very feasible theses days, therefore in those scenarios they become impractical as a "medium of exchange"
But that's enough on currency criteria and usefulness.
When we hear Christian speaking about Jesus Christ they often use phrases that mention "paying the price of sin", etc.
This had me thinking: "Is Christ or His blood then a currency" that can pay for something?
If that is so, what is the "store of value" and what is the "medium of exchange"
"Store of value" is not that difficult to discern. Even non-Christians that have studied indepth the teachings of Christ find immense value in his teachings and example. If we think about it carefully, just as inanimate objects or things (like gold and silver) can "store value" so can living things store or produce value. It is however a little more difficult to transfer or exchange value in living things especially if they are living people, unless we have no qualms about slavery, force etc.
Many of the ancient trading economies of the past used the products of living things or those things themselves as mediums of barter or trade. One simply has to think of furs, ivory, spice etc.
Spice is a very nice example because the store of value is in nurturing the grove or orchard of spice producing trees and the spice it produces is the medium of exchange while the trees remain in the same place. The spice essentially is the "proof of work" either in nurturing, harvesting or transporting the end product. It's value was based on how useful and scarce the resource was and to some extent how much work went into making it available.
In this case we can consider that the great learning and ideas of a person can be transferred (in a sense, exchanged) through their teachings and writings. Is this a way that Christ is seen as a store of value and exchange?
Perhaps in some senses, but this would not require the shedding of his blood, his teachings would have been sufficient.
Geez!...
Hello @jang 👌
"Is Christ or His blood then a currency?" No. It is a gift, not a currency.
While His blood does "pay" for our sin (and therefore could be considered to act as a store of value), it is by no means a barter-able commodity. Christ's gift of eternal life (salvation) was given freely (Eph 2:8-9; 1John 5:13), but it cannot be given or traded away.
Great topic! You really got me thinking!
This comment cuts the assumption of the subject so far. 👍 But i would like to add something:
Also, apart from shedding of His blood, His teachings and all of the prophets prophecies would have no sense at all. He was speaking about His death, the prophets wrote about it hundreds of years before He came. And for us, the practical thing in which we can apply this sacrificial love of Christ is that we must see how evil really sin is. It took the death of God's own son for us to be right with Him because we ourselves are not righteous enough to stand before a Holy God. All of us have sinned and fall short of God's glory (Rom. 3:23), yet when we are still sinners, Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). It is a gift. The question is, will we respond to this gift of eternal life through Christ? Will we repent on our sins and believe in His gospel?
This is of paramount importance. This is the only way things are.... His blood was not shed in vain, but to pay for each and every one of us... It is the payment of a Father who finds his children sold to slavery, and pays the ultimate price (his own life) for them....
Blessed are they who believe these things without seeing them, for even those who saw did not believe.
I am in accordance with you, it cannot be traded or even taken out of us once we are sealed by it...
It is an exclusive of God to pay with it! And the one that is bought, remains bought... Blessings!
Talking about this topic is very sensitive, only the one who can deduce an answer in a responsible way without offending any kind of religion, has the right to respond and give his opinion.
I, as a woman of God, a Christian for 15 years and knowing a little the word, I can say my own opinion and that Jesus was sent by his Father to earth to pay the highest price that a human being can pay, Jesus He was 100% man 100% God, but he suffered for the sin of each one of us.
His price was the highest and he did it with obedience, no monera reaches a comparable value or what Jesus cost to everything he lived.
Beloved is my simple opinion as a woman of God. I have no words to thank for the payment of my life. God bless you greatly
You are also right in these statements... There is no comparison.
His blood cannot be considered a currency, because it cannot be traded; the Redeemed cannot be un-redeemed in exchange for something else, or even to "pass on Redemption" to a loved one.
Jesus' teachings ARE sufficient. To those who need to believe in "miracles" or "superstition" or who believe in a God of human sacrifice, they need bloodshed. I find it unfortunate that so many people are either constituted this way or refuse to give up on their barbaric tradition.
In order for the teachings to have value, people must find value in them. Again, so many are constituted such that they think the teachings don't have value and can't receive them.
No, you are wrong... He did die in that cross... He and the Father did consider it a NECESSITY. And if you find them sufficient, it is because you've been bought at the price of blood, too.
God bless you, my brother.
I haven't been bought at the price of blood. I don't believe in a God of human sacrifice. Over and over again in the scripture it says that God hates human sacrifice. You have been lied to and disenfranchised of your spiritual self and your connection to God.
In this case we can consider that the great learning and ideas of a person can be transferred (in a sense, exchanged) through their teachings and writings. Is this a way that Christ is seen as a store of value and exchange?
You have justified the statement completely my friend thus christ is a currency that can pay.
No, it is not that what he meant... In fact, the teachings COULD be considered a currency (can be stored and to a degree traded), but the BLOOD OF CHRIST is not tradable... nor it is storable unless it has already been given away freely, BY GRACE.
BY GRACE
BY GRACE
Well now this is a topic I certainly not expected to see ever. Which is why I appreciate it even more because it makes me think in ways I haven't done before.
I think a simple way of explaining Store of value is that it is effectively referred to something that has intrinsic value in itself which is what gold or silver is and that value is not linked to something else. :)
Oh btw, Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver my friend.. or atleast that's what the book states (of course we can't be too sure, since some of the money might've been black that was unrecorded ..lol)
thanks, typo nice catch
please sir see this post.
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@merina/introducing-courtesy-of-a-s-foundation-help-in-sunrise-orphanage-school
Thanks gavvet for this thoughtful post.
First of all whats a store of value?
A store of value is the function of an asset that can be saved, retrieved and exchanged at a later time, and be predictably useful when retrieved. More generally, a store of value is anything that retains purchasing power into the future.
In other words, things that are generally perceived and somewhat proved to be appreciating in value with time, some known examples would Land, Money, Gold, and other precious metals etc.
Can jesus be a store of value?
Hes already is a store of value and has consistently proved it. In a way that people are using him to heal others.
Excellent explanation
Very interesting take, resteemed.
Gracias a que Jesucristo pagó el precio de nuestras vidas, hoy día tenemos la gran oportunidad de ser hijos de Dios el dueño del oro y la plata. Quiere decir que tenemos un valor incalculable en las manos del Señor...Bendiciones para ti, gracias por compartir tan hermoso tema.
Really Great Piece on Values , looking forward to the next episode!
For christians Jesus blood is more than a medium of exchange. It is what we hold sacred and holy. For he has defeated sin. Any one who believes in him and do his will is free from all sins.
In my opinion..
What we call the current currency, Dollar, Yen, Rupiah, Pound Sterling, Euro, and so on, is essentially just a plain piece of paper (and coins are also worthless coins), which only becomes "money" because there is a guarantee from the bank. Banks themselves guarantee the currency is worthless because it has foreign exchange reserves of gold and silver.
Gold and silver is what continues to be seized and dumped by the International Conspiracy from the hands of all citizens of the world, for gold and silver the whole world is in their hands and in the hands that do not know is a piece of worthless paper that is used as a means of transaction. This situation will greatly benefit the International Conspiracy who can arbitrarily play the currency exchange rate so that people can be controlled easily.
that's just my idea
Hi @gavvet it is really a written article that explains cryptocurrency and how we can relate the biblical teachings to cryptocurrency.
This is incredibly silly to me.
That's a very nice article. It's also informative to me since it breaks down cryptocurrency into simple terms for easy understanding. I used to ask that question too? Where is the money coming from? It's a questions that's still puzzling most newbies and I wish they can read this article. Waiting for the next round.
We already had the brutal history of human beings being tradeable assets. The idea of trading Christ is intriguing though, considering we can hardly prove the Christ we're owning is real or not.
"so can living things store or produce value."
Hmm interesting. I think living things unlike gold or silver, can be valuable depending on what they are or produce like a painting. But unlike silver and gold they can be divided. So it is hard to become something to exchange, and thus that makes it less valuable.
very, very interesting. thanks for this post..I'd apprec. you looking at my work carefully. I believe you'll find it of interest.
It is true, before I saw the blockchain or Criptocurrencys as now, I knew nothing of that subject until I met Steemit, now I see everything as an opportunity to win, grow, invest, and create new projects that contribute to the investment of such currency
I think the Word of God is the base of the currency you're speaking of. It backs the value of it. The Blood of Christ guarantees it and the Holy Spirit witnesses that contractual transaction.
That's all I'm going to say for now. :) So glad I found this. Can't wait to see the next installment. Followed.
I always love it when some circumstance interacts with our knowledge of scripture and triggers questions like this. Thanks for raising this fascinating question, @gavvet.
My understanding of "payment for sin" mostly revolves around the biblical words "atonement" and "redemption."
As I best understand atonement, the concept is one of covering. My understanding of redemption is a payment of a ransom or a price to free someone from bondage.
The actual price will vary from individual to individual, depending on the amount or degree of their sinfulness, and the desperate nature of their separation from a state of grace. This amounts to a specific debt, unique to each individual, as calculated in the perfect accounts--the absolutely accurate ledger--of God.
Another interesting monetary/cryptocurrency concept comes into play here, and that is the relationship between debt and settlement. Real money settles debt.
As I best understand it, the price paid for sin, for atonement, for redemption, is an all or nothing proposition. Either Christ pays for precisely all of an individual's debt, thus completely settling that individual's accounts in God's ledger, or that individual settles--i.e., atones--for their own account by suffering the punishment of condemnation.
And so, in this case, I would conclude that the "store of value" has nothing to do with the value of Christ's teaching. It is, rather, the exact payment of the debt required by God's justice, specifically the satisfaction of that debt that Christ experienced when he suffered the wrath of God's judgement, the pains of death and hell, for each of those whom he has chosen to redeem and atone for.
Again, @gavvet, thanks for raising such an interesting question. I look forward to reading more of your thoughts on this.
😄😇😄
Whoa! This is the most interesting non-news post I've read all day. I find it interesting that you can combine these two subjects into such a well-written article. I look forward to reading the other segments of this series. You've got something good going on here!
Insta-re-steem to you, brother... Great post, I enjoyed it deeply...
I also believe the Blood of our Saviour to be a currency, but maybe not in the sense you are picturing it... I mean, can it be really stored and exchanged?
No, not really.
It is given freely from the Father for all mankind to find forgiveness, and is permanently stored, unchanged, un-exchangeable, in each of us...
Many blessings in Christ to you, beloved.
The blood of christ has paid for all, now and forever more.
Following bro and follow me please :) I am a student help me :/
I don't see how your post has anything to do with crypto other than using vague comparisons and clickbait in the title. You haven't even finished your thought on Christ (or his blood) as a type of currency. Is there a thought somewhere in there, I wonder?
"Is this a way that Christ is seen as a store of value and exchange?"
What would you exchange him for?