You have been working hard to build up a sustainable business in one of the poorer Muslim nations. Several families are now getting an income through your company. Your business is seen as a blessing to the wider society because of the good services you provide and the way you handle customers. You have also used some of the profit to take care of the needy in the society.

Your spouse and your kids love living in this nation. After many years you have your main network of contacts here. You have also seen many people giving their lives to Christ.

This year you are however facing a new problem. To have your accounting approved, you need four different offices to stamp your papers. Without the necessary approvals, you know that your business will be forced to shut down. You have already visited the offices several times to have things sorted out. Now only a few days remain until the deadline for having the accounting approved. 

Asking for bribes

You realize that the officers who are unwilling to stamp your papers, indirectly are asking for a small bribe that will help them to take better care of their families. In one way you do not blame them. The living conditions are harsh, food expenses are growing, and salaries are kept far below minimum of what families need. 

Lots of questions are racing through your mind: Can you pay a small “fee” to have your accounting approved, or would that be bribing? Could you maybe offer help to these families from the funds you set aside for providing for the needy? Or could you just give them the services your company offers for free? What is lost if you decide that you will follow your principle of never paying bribes strictly and your business has to close? What will happen to all your employees and their families? And what will happen to your customers who enjoy your services? What is the correct Biblical approach this situation?

Good tool

We can all imagine how intense a situation like this can be, and it can be hard to maneuver in a God-honoring, Biblical way. It is thus important to think through everything and establish good principles ahead of time. 

A good tool that can help you do this is the book “Missionaries and Bribes” published in 2012. The book is now made available for free at http://www.missionarycare.com/ebooks/missionaries_bribes.pdf . This book tries to bring definition to what a bribe is. It also gives you an overview of what the Bible says about bribes and practical advice on what to do and what you should avoid doing.

The book is authored by Ronald L. Koteskey.  He admits that it is not always easy to find the right way when it comes to paying bribes. In the chapter where he writes his conclusions, he states,

– During the months of uncovering new information, my position changed several times on the basis of what I discovered. I realize that my position may change again.

By Steinar Opheim