Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20010513.htm

1 CORINTHIANS: MINISTERING TO BELIEVERS WITH DEEP PAGAN BACKGROUNDS
Part XXX: Making Our Financial Contributions Holy
(1 Corinthians 16:1-4)
  1. Introduction
    1. There has long existed questions, confusion and hurt regarding financial contribution to Churches: at times Church leaders put guilt trips on believers in the pew to meet budget obligations, or men in the pew wonder if God expects them to "give until it hurts, and then give some more" as is sometimes taught! Some wonder if a Church should be involved in fund raisers from the community to meet budget needs.
    2. Combining what Paul describes on contributions in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 with other Scripture texts, we answer many such questions and provide guidelines for making our financial contributions holy:
  2. Making Our Financial Contributions Holy, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4.
    1. Guideline One - Contributions to Churches should come only from believers, 1 Cor. 16:1a; 3 John 5-8.
    2. Guideline Two - Only money gained from legally-acceptable methods of income should be given to the Lord's work, cf. Deuteronomy 23:18. This protects the Church's reputation and honors the Lord.
    3. Guideline Three - Giving should be made for worthy Biblical ministries, for "the saints," 1 Cor. 16:1b:
      1. The money should go to those from whom one received the Gospel, or to needy believers, 16:1b, 3.
      2. The money should go to those who teach us the Word, 1 Corinthians 9:9-11, 14.
      3. The money should go to the needy poor in general, Galatians 2:10; Acts 24:17.
    4. Guideline Four - Giving is to be performed with a godly attitude, 1 Cor. 16:2a,b with 2 Cor. 9:7.
      1. Giving should come from individuals (16:2a,b) who are not under personal false guilt pressures to give more than they can reasonably afford to give, 2 Corinthians 9:7a NIV ("reluctantly" = personal grief, cf. UBS Greek N.T., p. 638; Richard C. Trench, Synonyms of the N.T., p. 237).
      2. Giving should come from individuals (16:2a,b) who are not under legalistic oppression particularly from other people to do so, 2 Corinthians 9:7b NIV ("compulsion" = under oppression, Ibid., UBS Greek N.T.; Theological Dictionary of the N.T., vol. I, p. 345).
    5. Guideline Five - Giving is to be under a godly methodology, 1 Corinthians 16:2:
      1. It should be done regularly (weekly [or by regular salary income]), 16:2a KJV ("first day of the week")
      2. It should be done out of budgeted savings, 16:2 KJV (with "by him in store").
      3. It should be an amount above the giver's own expenses, 16:2 NIV ("in keeping with his income" and 2 Cor. 9:6, 10. It should not drain what is needed to care for one's family livelihood needs, 1 Tim. 5:8.
      4. It should aim to be all the individual is reasonably able to contribute as God will not let Himself be mocked in the amount one gives as per his actual income, 2 Cor. 9:6-10 with Gal. 6:6-7. (Note: there is no tithe set for the Church era as was true under the Law; a Christian gives freewill offerings!)
    6. Guideline Six - The congregation of the giving Church body should carefully approve how the money is to be disbursed to the intended recipients once the offering is collected, 1 Corinthians 16:3.
      1. The Treasurer or recognized oversight entities who handle the collection should meet the approval of the giving Church body as a whole, cf. 1 Corinthians 16:3a.
      2. The mission agency or Church receiving the collection must receive it by responsible sources mutually sanctioned by the giving body and their recipients, cf. 1 Corinthians 16:3b-4.
Lesson: Holiness in contributions occurs where the giver's capacity to give from the heart is protected while the collected moneys are carefully monitored by reputable, appointed parties so that what the givers individually INTENDED will be ACHIEVED with the collections!

Application: For holy giving in practical terms, (1) collections of goods or moneys should come only from believers (2) who give from reputable sources of income, (3) and who donate to Biblically worthy causes such as needy believers, reparations for teachers of the Word or for the poor. (4) These gifts should be given free of false personal guilt or legalistic pressures from others, (5) which gifts also methodically arise out of budgeted savings of moneys that are above the givers' reasonable living expenses. (6) The collections should be carefully monitored so the intents of the givers are protected.