The Eighth Commandment of the Law of God

“You shall not steal.”

Here the Lord God forbids the appropriation of what belongs to others. The forms of theft are diverse: stealing, robbery, sacrilege (appropriation of sacred objects or negligent handling of them), bribery, parasitism (when one receives payment for work that is not performed), usury (when one takes large sums of money from those in need, taking advantage of their misfortune), and any appropriation of another’s property by means of deception. It is considered theft when a person evades payment of a debt, conceals what is found, measures short or weighs light when selling, withholds a worker’s wages, and so on.

What prompts a person to steal is his attachment to pleasures and material goods. In opposition to covetousness, the Christian faith teaches us to be selfless, hardworking, and merciful: “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” (Eph. 4:28). A high Christian virtue is complete non-possession and renunciation of all property. This is proposed to those who strive for perfection: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;” — the Lord said to the rich young man (Mt. 19:21). Many ascetics followed this evangelical ideal, such as, for example, Saints Anthony the Great and Paul of Thebes, Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov, Blessed Xenia of Petersburg, and many others. Monasticism sets as its goal the complete renunciation of personal property and the comforts of family life.