Ed Silvoso writes in his book, Anointed for Business, about the need for a transformation of the marketplace. Silvoso aims to demolish the dichotomies that wrongfully exist in our world between the worshiping of God and working for pay, and also between “professional” Christian ministers and Christian business people. Brilliantly referencing to concepts and characters from Scripture and citing the expertise of multiple Christian authors, Silvoso supports his personal convictions about the world of business.
The definition of marketplace according to Silvoso is “the combination of business, education, and government” that forms a city’s heart and keeps it functioning properly (Silvoso 15). In the book’s introduction, a very real problem involving the marketplace and God’s people is communicated. Silvoso writes that several Christian business people wrongfully believe they are “second-class citizens” when measured against the Christians who minister “full-time in a church or missionary context (Silvoso 16).” He concludes that it is part of the devil’s plan to make the aforementioned feel as though they are “just a layperson (Silvoso 19).” By convincing business world believers that their occupations are somewhat lesser than their pro-Christian counterparts’, Satan minimizes the effect that the former can potentially have. Satan also negatively impacts Christians by destructing the view of profit and deceiving believers into thinking profit is evil which will either cause them to be unsatisfied with their work or leave it for traditional ministry which they are not specifically called to (Silvoso 56-7).This good news for the devil because he places more demons in the not yet redeemed marketplace than he does in the churches (Silvoso 29).
So that God can be more greatly glorified, Silvoso is passionate about making it known to Christians in the marketplace that they are “anointed” or “chosen and empowered by the Holy Spirit” to do their work which is a crucial truth to understand (Silvoso 17). His passion for this subject grew from his own life experiences with “misguided leaders” who pressured him to quit his secular jobs and to begin serving God traditionally speaking (Silvoso 26). The foundational problems that Silvoso’s church leaders had, resembled the viewpoint Arthur Holmes refers to as “Gnostic dualism” in his book The Idea of a Christian College (Holmes 16). It is an idea that a secular job is evil because it is comprised of materials that Gnostics wrongly believe is not godly. One can find many biblical examples of marketplace ministers in the text that support Silvoso’s declarations of this anointing upon Christian business persons including the fact that the very authors of the Bible were businessmen (Silvoso 42). He also makes a strong point that Jesus recruited His disciples in the marketplace as opposed to the temples; therefore, Christians should not make a distinction between ministers (Silvoso 18). Marketplace Christians should be encouraged to know that God allows them to be “fishers of men” and fishers of fish simultaneously (Matthew 4:19).
In Alice R. Cullinan’s book, Sorting It Out, she explains the idea that there is a “universal call” from God for all Christians to serve and minister (Cullinan 9). This verbalization is parallel to when Silvoso states, “The call to serve in the marketplace and the call to serve in traditional religious settings are both valid and interdependent, since they involve ministers who respond to the same divine calling (Silvoso 19).” Silvoso also agrees with Cullinan by affirming that “every Christian is a minister (Silvoso 21).” It is important for Christians to realize this because without doing so, they are not motivated to participate in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) and are tempted to sit on the sidelines as mentioned in Silvoso’s clever World Cup analogy (Silvoso 21).
Silvoso mentions that the call of Christian business people has been almost mocked relative to the praise of the calling of an orthodox minister. It is understandable that Silvoso is trying to emphasize this double-standard in order to help marketplace Christians feel equally as qualified; however, it is possible that too much focus is placed on the recognition of ministers versus different types of ministers, and the issue of ministers receiving recognition, attention, and glory rather than God cannot be found.
In Chapter 2 of Anointed for Business, Silvoso elaborates on the significance of Jesus’ birth and work in the marketplace It is important for us to realize that Jesus was a businessman and not simply a teacher of spiritual things (Silvoso 34). Jesus was by no means an ascetic recluse or what John Stott would refer to as an anti-intellectual (Stott 14). One can see from Jesus’ teachings that he was experienced in the marketplace and “well-informed” in current cultural matters (Silvoso 36). The example set by Christ in using life experiences to convey spiritual truths and doctrines should be noted for business world Christians.
Jesus Christ did not enter the world to bring instant eternal life to the people who believe in Him, but He left believers on the planet to make more disciples (Silvoso 50). Christians are to be a “counterculture, not another subculture merely satisfied with survival (Silvoso 51).” Christians will live in freedom when they adopt this worldview.
It is important for Christians acknowledge that God is Lord over their business like David did by giving God the credit for his ability to protect his sheep (Silvoso 54). David was not guilty of separating his relationship with God from his work like many Christians do today.
Silvoso points out that there are two common errors that Christians make. One is that they believe God is disgusted with people who are rich (Silvoso 65). This is proven to be incorrect when Jesus displays love and the need of salvation for Zacchaeus, a rich sinner, and Bartimaeus, a poor sinner (Silvoso 66).
The second common error that is mentioned is that Christians are not able to maintain their wealth in a godly manner (Silvoso 65). The simple fact that several scriptures instruct Christians on the management of their money; however, proves that it can be done properly and righteously (Silvoso 65).
There is an unfortunate divide in the minds of many Christians that basically separates rich, lost people’s need for salvation from the need for Jesus in the lives of citizens of third-world countries (Silvoso 66). For example, Christians are often wrongfully judgmental of the sins of celebrities or other people in the public eye while they mourn for the sins of a cute, hungry child on a Feed the Children infomercial. This view should be corrected within the body of believers and aligned with the mind and heart of Christ.
Chapter six focuses on reconciling six specific social gaps which are: ethnic, denominational, ministerial, gender, generational, and marketplace (Silvoso 79). Closing these gaps strengthens the body of Christ against the devil and his schemes. It also helps believers to find their joy in participating in what Michael E. Wittmer in Heaven is a Place on Earth refers to as the “cultural mandate (Wittmer 124).” One example of the benefits of closing one of the social gaps is the direct association between leading poor people to Christ and providing them with food (Silvoso 83).
Silvoso also talks in the sixth chapter about how these principles apply to Christians today. He talks about how every believer should have a “financial ceiling” so that they will know how much they can allot to the needs of a poorer community (Silvoso 89). He does not mention in this financial plan, however, anything about the biblical call from God for His people to tithe.
Silvoso also talks quite a bit about what he refers to as prayer evangelism (Silvoso 111). This is an important concept for Christians to learn because as Silvoso explains with several anecdotes, it can have a great effect on the redemption of businesses. He points out that the marketplace is the “modern-day garden” that believers are called to cultivate and redeem (Silvoso 119).
The ninth chapter focuses on speaking peace to one’s occupation (Silvoso 125). It explains that Christians are to transform their jobs rather than look for transformed jobs to acquire (Silvoso 126). This peace will lead to satisfaction in their work and also will help them to be more efficient servants to the Lord through obeying the call to cultivate and redeem the world.
Silvoso’s book, Anointed for Business, is overall an effective description of how God’s people are to view and redeem the marketplace.
