The Ethics of Shrewdness

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Read some comments and criticisms of this paper at the
Scruples Forum on Marketplace Ethics.

Term Paper for Marketplace Ethics Course

Regent College, Vancouver, BC

Mike McLoughlin, August, 1997

Introduction: Christian Survival in a Marketplace of Moral Relativism

Ethics may be "in"; but "Christian" Ethics are definitely "out". In the late 1990's concern for corporate social responsibility and for ethical decision making is a growing trend in our culture.(1) At the same time, Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship observes a increasing divide between secular and non secular ideas of morality. On one hand, there is an obvious need for accountability in public and private life. On the other hand, postmodern culture has abandoned the Judeo-Christian ethic as a means for that accountability.(2)

In the name of tolerance and moral relativism, a new intolerance has arisen in society that shuts out ethical decision making based upon a belief in absolute truth.(3) A pluralistic Society says, "Yes, we need to have values, we need to have standards by which we can hold people accountable, but we don't want a Christian belief system imposed on us!"

This is true in the marketplace. A Christian manager can argue against a decision to secure a foreign contract via bribery because it is potentially damaging to the company's reputation if made public, but he would not be allowed to justify his ethics by stating that he believes bribery to be just plain wrong. By whose standards does he believe it to be wrong? If he says, "By God's standards." he risks being labeled a religious fanatic and may face the loss of his job for his "religious convictions."(4) Media scorn, that is regularly heaped upon Christians who call for morality in public, business and entertainment life, has created a climate of hostility in the marketplace towards Christians who espouse "absolute" ethics.

In this climate of intolerance to Christian belief, the Christian in the marketplace is faced with difficult and dangerous choices. Under the pressure of competition and the need to succeed, he or she is encouraged to be "shrewd" in business dealings. Shrewdness is a virtue in business decision making.(5) The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines the word "shrewd" to mean "sagacious, sensible, discriminating, astute, judicious" (6)

However, many unethical business practices are considered to be shrewd business dealing such as bribery, cutting corners or cheating to achieve the end result -- success.(7) Although the sage in Proverbs does not approve of the practice he acknowledges its effectiveness. "A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it; wherever he turns, he succeeds." (Proverbs 17:8)

If one is not "shrewd" in these matters it commonly believed that one will not succeed or stay competitive in business. Absolute ethics would restrict this form of shrewdness in business decisions. Thus a Christian's adherence to an absolute standard of morality is not only seen as "religious fanaticism" it is also viewed as business suicide.

Faced with this hostile environment, how is a Christian in the marketplace able to be faithful to God and coexist with a value system that is contrary to their core beliefs? How can they relate to fellow managers or business people who would consider them naive for not acting shrewdly. How can they survive let alone succeed in business?

Jesus' answer: Be Shrewd

The purpose of this paper will be to examine the ethics of shrewdness to discern a way that enables the Christian to remain true to faith in Christ while at the same time maintaining relationship with those who do not share that faith and succeeding in the mission of business activity. Jesus anticipated the marketplace Christian's dilemma when he exhorted his disciples, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." -- Matthew 10:16 (NIV)

In sending his disciples into the world, he counsels them to be shrewd, even as a snake is shrewd. However, the question arises, how can Jesus counsel his followers to be shrewd when it is well known that shrewdness characterizes those who do business in wicked ways?

Other translations do not risk the negative implications of the word "shrewd" so they translate the Greek word "phronimos" to mean "wise" or "prudent". For example in the New King James Version, the verse is translated: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

"Phronimos" is used 17 times in the New Testament and is mostly translated "wise". (See Matthew 7:24\; 24:45\; 25:2\; Romans 11:25\; 12:16\; 2 Cor. 11:19). However, Jesus' association of the word "phronimos" with the word "snake" renders the former translation "shrewd" as more accurate in Matthew 10:16. The Greek used to translate the word "crafty" in the Old Testament Septuagint to describe the serpent in the Garden (Genesis 3:1) is the same Greek used for shrewd here. Again, in the parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1-9) Jesus uses the same word to describe the actions of an unfaithful manager who squanders his Masters wealth and then deals dishonestly with the creditors to escape ruin. The Master then praises the steward for acting "shrewdly".

It is possible for the same word to have similar uses in similar contexts but to be different in the actual meaning. We know from Scripture that God does not "tempt" his people to sin (James 1:12), (that is reserved for Satan), but he does "test" them.(John 6:6) The Greek word for "tempt" is the same as that for "test" but it has a different meaning in these two instances. So in this passage, Jesus uses the word "phronimos" in a positive sense recommending it to his followers; whereas, he uses it in a negative sense in Luke 16:9 to describe the actions of the dishonest steward.

Also, the balancing statement Jesus makes, "but innocent as a dove" is an indication that more than prudence or intelligent wisdom is indicted in the meaning of shrewdness. This condition qualifies the use of shrewdness and points to a positive meaning of the word that is in contrast with the usually negative understanding of "crafty" or "cunning".

Thus if Christians are to survive and prosper as "sheep in the midst of wolves" Jesus main advice to them is to be shrewd, not as the world is shrewd, in a deceitful self interested way, but shrewd in an innocent sense.

Innocent Shrewdness: Four Challenges

Let us examine some clues that will help illuminate Jesus' positive exhortation to innocent shrewdness. The clues are discovered by looking back and asking the question, What it the conjunction, "therefore," there for? In doing so one discovers four challenges for positive shrewdness: context; commission; character; and community.

I. Shrewd to know the Challenges of the Context

Jesus begins his statement in Matthew 10:16 with the word, "Behold". The Greek for this word is "idou" which means "see" or "behold". What is Jesus pointing out to his disciples to see? I believe it is the context and the conditions of the world in which they will conduct their ministry. The world will be a dangerous place (the reference to wolves). They will face persecution, (flogging in Matthew 10:17). There will be temptation to compromise (Jesus says "stand firm", Matthew 10:22). There will be those who deny Christ. (Matthew 10:32-33)

Some religious people would espouse a form of moral purity that would exclude Christians from participating in activities and forming relationships that would tempt them to compromise. In our consideration, for example, they would hold that business is intrinsically evil and therefore Christians should not participate in profit making activities.(8)

Jesus knows that when Christians are sent into the world, they will exist in an impure environment. He would not favor a form of moral purity that avoids contact with the impurities of the world. Jesus himself lived in the marketplace of his day. He partied with known sinners. He went to their houses and had meals with them. His reputation amongst the moral purists of his day was that of a "glutton, drunkard and a friend of sinners" (Matthew 11:16). He even allowed one to wash his feet with her tears. (Luke 7:38)

Jesus not only knew his followers would have to exist in a sinful environment, he purposely "sent" them into that environment. But before he sent them he called them to consider where it was they were going. Christians that are naive and unprepared for the shock of business activity in a corrupt marketplace have not properly considered the challenges they will face there. Part of a shrewd mind is the knowledge of the "game" and the context in which it is played. For Christians to be shrewd they must first consider and know the challenges they will face in a corrupt marketplace and then prepare to meet those challenges while maintaining their innocence.

II. Shrewd to fulfill the Great Commission

Secondly, there is a difference between existing in a place and being sent to a place. There is purpose in being sent. Christ has a purpose for Christians to be in the world. Later, he warns his followers "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles." (Matthew 10:17-18 NKJV) Christians are "sent" into the world to be a testimony to the world, to confront the powers of the world with the gospel, for Christ's sake.

Christians in the marketplace need a sense of eternal purpose to confront the challenges, dangers and difficulties they will face there. They need to know that they have been "commissioned" to be in that context. Another part of shrewdness is having a purpose, plan or scheme. From the world's perspective, the scheme of a shrewd marketer is to outwit the competition and achieve business success. In contrast, the purpose of Christians in the marketplace is to witness to Christ by character and by testimony. To be shrewd, therefore, in a positive sense, a Christian must have that purpose always in mind while interacting with a fallen world. They must "outwit" the wolves that would devour them through equal acumen in anticipating the dangers, preparing for temptation and moral traps and overcoming the threats with good and with truth. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21 NIV)

III. Shrewd in Judgment, Strong in Character

Thirdly, it is important to note WHO it is that commissions Christians into the world. Christ is the active agent who sends his "ambassadors" into the world. (2 Cor. 5:20) They are sent to give testimony to him. They testify to him by displaying his character in the world. The character of wolves is to shrewdly hunt their prey and devour it. The character of Christ, the Lamb (sheep) of God, is to lay his life upon the altar to save those he loves. Christ came into the world not to condemn it but to save it. (John 3:17) So too, Christians are in the marketplace not to condemn it by their self-righteous objections to its corrupt practices but to act as salt and light to preserve and illumine the way to salvation.

The character Christ calls his followers to display is taught by him in the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 5-7) Christ calls his people to stand out, "And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" (Matthew 5:47 NIV) Not to stand out in a self- righteous way, but in a sacrificial way. Only self-sacrifice will draw attention to the person behind the character of the Christian in the marketplace, that is, Jesus himself.

Under the consideration of character, it is interesting to note that Aristotle considered "phronimos" (shrewdness) the chief virtue in ethical decision making. He understood it to be "good judgment" that arose from sound character rather than rote application of rules to specific problems. (9) Thus another aspect of innocent shrewdness is wise judgment. This is judgment that arises from the character of Christ and that seeks to win others to Christ through self sacrifice and service. While worldly judgment would wait for the best time to maximize the greatest benefit to oneself, good judgment knows the right time to act to make the most impact for Christ. It knows not to offend unnecessarily. It knows to wait until the right opportunity presents itself to testify to the love of Christ.

IV. Shrewdness in Community

The final clue to the understanding of positive shrewdness is that of community. Christ sends his people to be in the "midst" of the world. The last place for sheep is in the midst of wolves. Who ever heard of a shepherd who purposely allowed his sheep to graze among wolves? Sheep are not well endowed with natural abilities to defend themselves against wolves. In fact, in the animal kingdom, there is not a better mismatch than a fight between a wolf and a sheep. One well placed bite on the inside portion of the neck of a sheep and it bleeds to death almost instantly. How then could a sheep survive in the midst of a pack of wolves?

Yet that is where Christ sends them. There is intention in that word picture. Christ intends us to be in the world. Christians are not to function separately from the rest of their community. The German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer chose to remain in Germany rather than escape to the west during the Second World War. Although he could not accept the actions of his fellow countrymen, he knew that he was called to an ethic of community that required him to "be with them" rather than a private virtue that tempted him to be separate from them. (10) "For Bonhoeffer, ethics IS the ethics of community, for ethics means responsible action towards and for one another, not cultivation of private virtue." (11) Christians are to enter the fray and identify with that fray not try and keep themselves separate from it. Only by becoming part of it, by being in community with it, will they understand the needs of those in it, and only by identifying with those needs can they lead others out of it.

Thus the final aspect of shrewdness is that of identification without being co-opted. In the world it may be shrewd to ally oneself with others who share a common goal and "network" to achieve that goal. As a Christian in the marketplace, you must identify with those who are there, not in a deceptive way, but in a sincere way; not by compromising your integrity but by sharing in the struggle. You are tempted by the same temptations, yet you remain innocent not because you are stronger than they are (sheep are definitely not stronger than wolves) but because you live by grace and Christ's strength is sufficient for you. (2 Corinthians 12:9). You are one of them but different in that you know a way out and you love them enough to be where they are to help them out. This is what is known as "incarnational evangelism" or evangelism from the inside out. (12) "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." (1 Corinthians 9:22 NIV)

In summary, Jesus counsels Christians in the Marketplace to be "shrewd as snakes", but not shrewd as the world is shrewd. Rather, Christians are shrewd to know, perceive and understand the challenges of a corrupt marketplace, shrewd enough to have a plan that avoids the pitfalls and dangers there and that seeks to serve the purpose for which Christ has sent them into the marketplace; shrewd in judgment because they are strong in Christ; shrewd as Christ is shrewd, able to lay down his life as the Lamb (sheep) of God to save those who do not know him (wolves); and shrewd to be in the midst of it, even to identify with it, but not to be overcome by it so that they can lead others out of it.

Christ is the Ethical Agent in the Marketplace

Let us consider one final note in understanding Christ's exhortation. It begins with the pronoun "I". In the marketplace who is the ethical agent, Christ or the Christian? The presence of sheep assumes the presence of the shepherd. Christ is the ethical agent acting through the sheep. As commissioned ambassadors of the King, Christians can ask "what is it that Christ is doing here?" rather than asking "what am I doing here?" (13) "But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; "for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." (Matthew 10:19-20 NIV) Thus it is the Spirit of the Father which is also the Spirit of Christ who is resident within the Christian. It is he who will speak and who will act as the change agent to confront darkness and light the way.

Jesus sends his people into the world knowing they will face the danger of persecution, but he does not leave them to face it alone. He is with them as the active ethical agent protecting them, equipping them and bringing about his purposes through them.

Jesus models Innocent Shrewdness

Christ is also their example in the ethics of shrewdness. Let us examine his response to the challenge of the "Herodians" whose master he had previously labeled a "fox" (Luke 13:32).

Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are\; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's ," they replied. Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. (Mark 12:13-17 NIV)

Rather than avoid the question of taxes, Jesus faces the challenge head on. He understands the context of the question. He knows the Pharisees are out to trap him. He knows that the tax burden on the people was heavy. He knows that the people considered loyalty to Caesar as disloyalty to God. Jesus is not naive about his context, neither does he try and avoid it.

Secondly, Jesus knows why he is there. "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10 NIV) He made this statement in the home of Zacheus the Tax Collector. His commission was to "to seek and to save" not to do that which was politically correct -- object to paying taxes or avoid those who collected tax.

Thirdly, even the Pharisee's acknowledge Christ's character, as one of integrity, or wholeness. But their appeal to moral purism, "not swayed by men" falls to the ground, because Jesus knows their duplicity.

Fourthly, Jesus affirms the responsibility of people in community. His answer, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's" is a shrewd answer that affirms the authority of human government while acknowledging the obligations that we all have to God. Right relationship with both God and with men is affirmed, rather than a self righteousness that pits one against the other.

Jesus models the ethics of shrewdness. "To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd." (Psalms 18:25-26 NIV) Christ responds in kind to those who respond to him so should Christians in the marketplace.

A Modern Model of Innocent Shrewdness

In application, the best policy is prevention. A friend of mine in the Real Estate business was attending a job interview for a sales position. During the interview he told his potential employer that he would never lie TO them, but as a consequence of that personal standard of integrity he would also never lie FOR them. In doing so, he affirmed his loyalty to the company and made them aware of the benefits of truthful employees, in return, though he restricted what the company might require of him. This was done before he became an employee and constituted a shrewd preventative action on his part to protect his integrity while at the same time benefiting the company. Aware of this position, the company had the choice to hire him on these terms or to forego his services and hire some one with less scruples. By making this statement prior to employment he was also avoiding the surprise and potential offense that might occur when the company discovers his personal standard of integrity.

My friends story is a modern example of innocent shrewdness. He was aware of the context and pressures of the Real Estate business especially when it came to truthfulness. He had thought through the issue before it confronted him He understood his purpose in the marketplace was to witness to the character of Christ not just for the sake of money. He had a position already developed that maintained character. This position was developed to appeal to the needs of the employer as well as his own need for personal integrity. Employers need to trust the truthfulness of their employees. Thus his position was designed to respect his community, the company, as well as to maintain relationships in that community.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Christians in the marketplace are sheep in the midst of wolves. It is not by chance they are there but Christ's has sent them into that context. He has a purpose for them, not to preserve private virtue at the expense of relationships with others there, but to witness to his character in their workplace or marketplace community. To succeed Christians must not be naive about the moral challenges they will face. They must prepare for these challenges and plan to overcome them. They must use good judgment to make wise decisions concerning the purpose for which Christ has called them to the marketplace. They must identify with their marketplace community not by adopting its values system but by sharing in its struggles. They must believe that it is Christ who is the ethical agent working through them to win the lost to himself. In summary, they must practice the ethics of shrewdness to succeed in their mission in the marketplace.

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End Notes:

1. Thomas Donaldson & Patricia H. Werhane, Editors. Ethical Issues in Business, A Philosophical Approach, 5th Edition. (Prentice Hall, 1996) pp. ix - xii.

2. Charles Colson, "Postmodern Power Grab" Christianity Today, Vol. 38, p. 80. June 20th, 1994.

3. Peter Kreeft, Back to Virtue, (Ignatius Press, 1986) p. 29.

4. Robert Jackall, "Moral Mazes: Bureaucracy and Managerial Work" in Ethical Issues in Business, p. 66.

5. Paul De Vries, "The Taming of The Shrewd" Christianity Today, Vol. 34, p. 14. March 19th, 1990.

6. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English, (Claredon Press, Oxford, 1964) p. 1180.

7. Vinay Samuel, "Business and Corruption" Transformation Vol 12. pp. 23-27 Jan-Mar 1995.

8. Augustine is quoted as stating, "Business is in itself an evil" in "Why the Devil takes Visa, A Christian Response to the Triumph of Consumerism" Christianity Today, October 7th, 1996, p. 21.

9. Robert C. Solomon, "Corporate Roles, Personal Virtues: An Aristotelean Approach to Business Ethics" in Ethical Issues in Business, p. 53.

10. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethics, (SCM Press, 1955) pp. 185f.

11. Kieth Clements, "Community in the Ethics of Dietrich Bonhoeffer", Studies in Christian Ethics, Vol 10, Number 1 p. 23.

12. Mortimer Arias, "Evangelism from the Inside: Reflections from a Prison Cell." International Bulletin of Missionary Research, July, 1981. vol. 3, pp. 98f.

13. Tim Dearborn, "The Ethics of Grace in a World of Works: Theological Foundations for a Moral Workplace." Class Notes from Marketplace Ethics, p. 6.

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