I hope you will get a clearer picture why the Bible declares that gold & silver are honest and true money, which will always stand the test of time. Today silver and gold are considered archaic forms of money, given the modern trend toward abstract paper money and credit instruments. It would be wise to review some of the reasons that God's Word declares that gold and silver are true wealth and the benefits they could offer Christians at the end of the 20th century.

• Gold is good. In Gen. 2:12 God declares that gold is good because He created it. Paper money, referred to as "your wealth" will be consumed. Also, our so-called paper money is really made from a mixture of paper and cloth, which is referred to as "rag." Interesting that our righteousness is always referred to as "filthy rags" in scripture.

• Gold is tested by fire. I Cor. 3:12 tell us that the foundation and quality of our lives will be tested by fire. Notice gold and silver are simply purified by fire, but wood, hay, and stubble are consumed and loss if suffered. Need I say more?

• Gold is a sign of power and blessing. Throughout history the ruling class has always sought to own gold and silver, because they represent purity and longevity. Gold and silver are precious because they are scarce, they cannot be counterfeited by man. God commanded that the tabernacle in the OT and the New Jerusalem in the NT were to be built of gold, not paper. (Ex. 25 & Rev. 21)

• Gold & Silver belong to God alone. Hag. 2:8 tells us that "the silver is mine and the gold is mine saith the Lord." This cannot be said of man's counterfeit credit instruments which are contrary to God's commandment that we use a just weight and measure in our transactions.