How can Christians do righteous business, untarnished by “filthy lucre”?

Business is inherently missional, extending beyond mere profit or evangelism to the pursuit of human flourishing. So argues Georgie Lee in his new book The Bottom Line: Business by the Book, launched on October 15, 2025.

Georgie Lee is an investment banker and former journalist with the London Financial Times, also the immediate past President of Gatekeepers Singapore.

Drawing from the author’s career over the past 50 years in journalism, stockbroking and investment banking, “the book offers a refreshing perspective on marketplace theology, looking from the outside in, that is, through the lens of the marketplace instead of the church,” writes The Most Rev Dr Titus Chung, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of the Province of South East Asia, and Bishop of Singapore in the foreword.

‘”The case studies and testimonies (from Singapore and Asia) provide guideposts for managing business in alignment with Biblical teachings … They are not meant to provide answers but to stimulate believers to resource the Holy Spirit for solutions.”

Joseph Castleberry, President of Northwest University in the USA dubbed the book as a “wise and deeply spiritual guide to missional business, rooted in Asia but relevant to business leaders worldwide”.

Below is an extract from the chapter on “Filthy Lucre”, reproduced with permission:

Upon coming to faith, Mr A, a well-known property developer in an Asian country, realised he could no longer continue “greasing the palms” of government officials to secure timely approvals for his building projects – the norm in his industry.

Mr A wrestled with the prospect of waiting indefinitely for approvals for his project to proceed and the financial consequences of choosing to obey God.

He then thought of a creative solution to achieve expeditious approvals without having to dirty his hands: “I will pay the architect a higher fee and let him take care of the problem.” 

When he shared this with his wife, she rebuked him: “How dare you outsource your sin!”

Mr A repented and decided to put his trust in the Lord. His obedience paid off, but not immediately.

Not surprisingly, one of his housing projects took a few years to secure approval as he refused to bribe government officials. However, the delay turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

When the long-awaited approval was received, the property market had turned in his favour, and he could quickly dispose of all the houses for a tidy profit. Given the previously poor market conditions, an earlier approval would have resulted in a loss for him.

In obeying God, he was blessed.

What the Word says about “filthy lucre” 

“Filthy lucre” is used four times in the King James Bible, and each time, it refers to a grave temptation (1 Timothy 3:3,8; Titus 1:7; 1 Peter 5:2).

Originating from the Latin word lucrum from which we get “lucrative”, it means profit. However, the underlying Greek word is a compound word meaning “unclean gain”. Hence, the Bible warns against unclean gain or filthy lucre.

Unclean gain from corruption and bribery is filthy lucre. Bribery is a global problem and is endemic, especially in third-world nations. It is a challenge for Christians.

In many cultures, bribery has become an acceptable norm, and many Christians no longer bat an eyelid at it. They go with the flow with scant regard for biblical warnings.

An African nation with almost half of its population identified as Christian has been ranked by Transparency International as among the most corrupt nations in the world. Christians behave no differently in such countries.

The Bible has several references warning believers against engaging in bribery, including: “And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.” (Exodus 23:8)

What constitutes bribery? Is a gift a bribe? Varying cultural norms of gift-giving accentuate the muddle.

Bribery and the Bible by Richard L Langston is an excellent resource for understanding this subject. 

The Cambridge Dictionary defines bribery as “an attempt to make someone do something for you by giving the person money, presents, or something else that they want”.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition: “Money or favour given or promised in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust”.

The Bible has several references warning believers against engaging in bribery. Photo from Depositphotos.com.

The Singapore Government’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) website says: “Corruption in Singapore is broadly defined as a bribe offered in return for a favour. The bribe can be of a monetary or non-monetary nature”.

However, these definitions do not factor in what is considered the acceptable practice in a particular culture.

The underlying determinant of whether a gift constitutes a bribe lies in the intent of either the giver, the recipient, or both, and is a question of conflict of interest.

Is the intent to extract favour, and does a potential or actual conflict of interest exist? As long as intent is in the mind of just one of the parties, it is sufficient ground for a gift to constitute a bribe.

The Singapore government has set an even higher bar for public servants. Section 165 of the Singapore Penal Code declares it an offence for a public servant to receive gifts irrespective of intent. This clause removes the need to establish intent on the part of the public servant.

The law’s application was highlighted in the high-profile 2024 court case of former Singapore cabinet minister S Iswaran, who was found guilty of receiving gifts. The law also applies to the gift giver. The businessman involved, Ong Beng Seng, was convicted of abetment on similar grounds.

Singapore’s anti-corruption law applies to both the public and private sectors. The law’s extraterritorial powers extend to corrupt acts committed by Singapore citizens outside Singapore as if they were carried out in Singapore.

The law also applies to the use of consultants to disguise bribes. A few years ago, a Singapore company, Keppel Offshore & Marine Limited (KOM), paid a fine for making bribe payments to foreign consultants involved in KOM’s business interests in Brazil. These consultants then used the money to pay bribes to officials of the Brazilian oil giant, Petrobras.

Singapore’s corruption laws are one of the strictest in the world, and the authorities are known to be equally conscientious and stringent in their enforcement. However, this may not be so in many countries.

Culture and bribery

Cultural norms often complicate attempts to distinguish gift-giving from bribery.

Differences in Western and non-Western ethical understanding accentuate this conundrum. Many Christians in the non-Western world have been influenced by Western theological perspectives, without considering local cultural mores.

Bishop Hwa Yung, in his book Bribery and Corruption, writes: “Christian moral thinking formulated in the West tends to prioritise principles over relationships, on the assumption that decisions are made individually.”

However, relationships are fundamental, especially in Asian cultures. Gift-giving forms an important and integral part of relationship building. Even in employment practices, extending employment to family or clan members is often the norm or is expected in some Asian cultures. However, the Western world will frown upon this as nepotism.

Anyone doing business in China will inevitably encounter the practice of guanxi. This practice, dating back several centuries in China, involves interpersonal relationships. Chinese enterprises are tied together in a tight-knit, intricate social and business web that makes relationship-building a complex exercise.

In an article titled “Definition, Principles, and Philosophy of Guanxi”, author Y Luo wrote: “The Chinese word ‘guanxi’ refers to the concept of drawing on connections to secure favours in personal relations. It forms an intricate, pervasive relational network that the Chinese cultivate energetically, subtly, and imaginatively.”

The principle of reciprocity – the exchange of favours – is key to guanxi. The concept is utilitarian, extracting favours from the relationship, and has nothing to do with sentiments.

Hence, gift-giving is a significant practice in guanxi. Gift-giving in guanxi is contextualised, depending on the nature of the relationship and occasion.

Relationships – kinship, employer-employee, customer-supplier, government official-public – affect the dynamics of gift-giving. The occasion – birthday, wedding, company anniversary – is another play on the dynamics.

Guanxi dynamics are also affected by the concept of mianzi or “face”. The Chinese idea of “face” concerns one’s image or the social and public perception of the person gained by performing one or more specific social roles. Hence, the expressions “losing face” and “giving face”.

Interpersonal relationships are fundamental in all societies, but the Chinese guanxi is ubiquitous and forms an integral part of daily life. Similar interpersonal relationships in different forms are present in other Asian societies.

Christians doing business in these countries are constantly challenged to navigate the corrupt minefield while respecting local norms. For believers, there are no easy answers in drawing the line.

Righteousness in business: Case studies of believers

SUTERA HARBOUR

Singaporean businessman Edward Ong decided to cash out his family’s construction business at age 44.

He thought it was time to live out his dream – enjoy life and sail the world in his luxury yacht.

However, six months into retirement, he was already getting restless, returning to what gave him a surge of adrenaline: projects.

Ong caught sight of a dirty and smelly swampland in Kota Kinabalu stretching across 384 acres. His spirit stirred. He sensed a divine calling to do something about the swampland. 

The scale of the Sutera Harbour project was mind-boggling – far from the bite-sized one Ong initially considered. All photos courtesy of The Bottom Line unless otherwise stated.

The US$330 million project was way beyond his resources. He had to grapple with seemingly insurmountable odds, especially in resisting bribery. 

Ong was determined not to engage in bribery from the outset, despite being a relatively young Christian. He knew the challenges. “Back then, corruption, collusion, and cronyism were part and parcel of the business culture in Sabah,” he wrote in his book, It’s Crazy.

A former chief minister scoffed at him for being naive: “This is our way of life. This is how we do business here.”

He stuck to his guns and, of course, soon hit roadblocks. Disgruntled officials and politicians with no opportunities to line their pockets hurled accusations and insinuations, resulting in a parliamentary inquiry.

A cloud of suspicion hung over the project. But Ong confounded his critics by inviting the government’s anti-corruption agency to audit his company – with the confidence that his company’s books were clean.

The strategy worked, and the agency gave him a clean bill of health.

Ong believes corruption inflicts a grave injustice on a nation and needs to be resisted at all costs.

“Corruption is a slippery slope,” he said. With his mammoth project involving several government agencies, there would have been no end – bribing one agency would have meant having to bribe all.

Most businessmen, fearing victimisation, remain silent and give in to the demands.

“Being silent does not make one neutral … Silence is consent,” Ong said. “When silence enables evil and injustice to be perpetuated, it makes us a party to the crime.”

Ong shared another episode of intimidation and bullying by a powerful politician. The politician’s intent was obvious, and so was Ong’s stand.

There was a change of government with a new political leader in charge. Ong came under severe pressure with insinuations, baseless allegations, and unending questioning from the latest political leadership, culminating in a stop-work order on his project.

No official reason was given for the stop-work order. Against his lawyer’s advice and warnings of repercussions, he chose to defy the government’s order. He said: “I was confident that we had fulfilled all the requirements, so I decided that this bullying must stop.”

He then wrote a letter to the political leader with copies to other state ministers, further infuriating the politician. Never in his wildest imagination did the politician expect Ong’s vociferous response. The politician backed off, knowing there were no legitimate grounds for the stop-work order.

The political machinery met its match in Ong, who steadfastly refused to cave into their demand for bribes. “Authority without moral standing is hollow and should be challenged or ignored. However, we must make sure that on our end, we are standing righteous,” said Ong. “If we work with excellence, we need not fear.”

Ong strongly advocates that Christians must not be party to unrighteousness in a nation, for the Bible says: “Righteousness exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:34).

THUMBPRINTS

Tam Wah Fiong, Chairman of Thumbprints Utd Sdn Bhd, is widely recognised as the poster boy for ethical business in Malaysia. 

He actively pursues biblical values in conducting his offset printing business. Under his watch, Thumbprints has won several awards for being ethical and environmentally friendly.

Taking a strong stand against bribery, Tam said: “When we first started our Zero Corruption campaign in 1998, we faced immense challenges. It took two years to change the mindset of our people. Although we have faced challenges, including losing major contracts, our business has done well over the past several years.”

Tam Wah Fiong, Chairman of Thumbprints Utd Sdn Bhd, flies the flag for ethical business in Malaysia. Photo courtesy of Tam Wah Fiong.

Tam said it is easier to do business without having to think about bribes, contrary to the view commonly held.

He explained that bribes often originate from business people who offer them pre-emptively without being asked. To halt this practice, he distributes his company’s code of ethical business to all visitors. 

Not only that, he complies with all the requirements, however unreasonable, demanded of him by government officials. His refusal to succumb to bribes would result in more costs and delays.

To overcome this, Tam said, “If you can’t give bribes, there are only three things you can do: Improve your quality, control your costs, and make sure your service is above par so that customers will come back to you.”

With a zero-tolerance policy for corruption, the company was able to attract major clients who need approved suppliers with a reputation for integrity in business practices.

Hence, when the 1997 Asian financial crisis precipitated a steep fall in the Malaysian ringgit, his company was well-positioned to enter the export market and engage international clients.

Multinational companies such as Nestlé, Disney, and children’s book publisher Scholastic Books impose audit requirements on all suppliers to ensure compliance with laws and ESG benchmarks before they can be appointed.

This augured well for Thumbprints as it already met these standards.

With an enviable track record of uninterrupted profitability going back several years, Tam’s story testifies to the veracity of applying biblical truths in business. 

NEHEMIAH REINFORCED SOIL 

Another Malaysian entrepreneur passionate about zero corruption is Dr Nehemiah Lee, founder of Nehemiah Reinforced Soil Sdn Bhd (NRS).

He set Isaiah 33:15-16 as the foundation for his reinforced soil technology company: “Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil; they are the ones who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. Their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them.”

At the start of his business in 1993, Dr Lee was warned that his zero-corruption policy would spell the end of his new venture.

He persevered. Despite losing projects with his stand against bribery, his company became successful, achieving profitability for over 30 years, except for the first year of its founding and the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, NRS won several business awards and is now exporting its technology to other countries. Dr Lee’s story is a testament to God’s promise to those who walk righteously.

The Bottom Line: Business by the Book is available from bottomlinebook.org for S$45 (promotional price of  S$38 until November  15, 2025).

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