The Wrong Question
I have never had to convince my daughters they “have to” contribute to the work
of the Lord’s church. They have always done so willingly, even enthusiastically.
They did when we just handed them a quarter apiece and told them to put them in
the plate. And they did when we started giving them their own money to spend as
they please. They grew up watching their parents contribute weekly. At some
point they asked us why, and we were glad to tell them:
Giving of our means is the New Testament-approved way of providing for the
financial needs of the church. Paul told the brethren in 1 Corinthians 16 that
he would be coming to collect the funds that were to be set aside for the
benefit of needy saints in Jerusalem. They were to take up this collection on
“the first day of every week” (v.2). This is the only pattern given for the
church regarding financial concerns. The church today has financial concerns
within the pursuit of its divine mandate — occasionally regarding benevolent
actions, but generally in the areas of evangelism and edification. So we use the
same pattern that they used.
Some have observed, correctly, that the passage does not say, “Giving (fill in
the blank with an amount or a percentage) is an obligation placed upon every
Christian in every era, and Christians sin in avoiding this obligation.” Nor is
there any other New Testament passage that gives that command. And so the
question is raised in every generation, by people who, admittedly, have much
more pressing financial obligations than do my daughters — “Do I have to give on
the Lord’s day? And if so, how much am I required to give?”
These are the wrong questions to ask, in my mind. Here are some alternatives:
“Do I want to follow the Bible? The pattern for Christians is clear. Our appeal
has always been to the pattern when we want to determine how a child of God is
born, or to determine the moral conduct he or she should observe. And we claim
the same pattern of authority in other matters of congregational business,
including the use of the funds collected. Is it not reasonable to follow the
same pattern as individuals as we wait before the Lord?
“Do I want people to hear the gospel?” Admittedly, attending worship services in
a bought-and-paid-for church building, led by a financially compensated
preacher, is not the only way for an alien sinner to hear words of salvation.
And if you are busy about the task of being a “personal evangelist”, feel free
to skip this paragraph. But church attendance is a time-tested, culturally
familiar way to spread the borders of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. It works.
“Do I want myself and my brethren to grow?” Again, we are not dependent upon the
church for our spiritual growth. (At least, we had better not be!) But we all
know the help that fellowship can provide. Everyone’s financial contribution
helps make that possible.
“Do I want to be involved?” For some Christians, the honest answer is, “No.” But
most Christians acknowledge the importance of their association with brethren,
both for their own sake and the sake of the group. The contribution is an easy
way to assure the ongoing involvement of Christians in the work.
“How much do I want out of my relationship with God and my brethren?” Paul
writes, “he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows
bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6) — ironically, in the
context of the financial contribution! Those with little or no financial
investment in the church are likely to have little spiritual, social and
emotional investment there either.
“Am I a giver or a taker?” Most of us are willing to accept the blessings that
come from local church membership. But it is selfish to assume we do not owe the
Lord and our brethren anything in return. The mind of Christ (Philippians 2:4-5)
would serve us well here.
Think about it!
By Hal Hammons
From Expository Files 18.1; January 2011
