Money: The Christian and the Church

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Money: the Christian, & the Local Church

Introduction: This lesson is not about “giving.” I say that hurriedly lest you roll your eyes and head for the exits. There is no need for me to talk to this church about giving. But what we do need to talk about is what the scripture says about why we have a collection and what the scripture tells us about how that money is to be used. 

Now if you are thinking, “This is a sermon about money,” you would be wrong. This study is about the contrast between how an individual Christian is to use the money God has given to him/her and how the local church is to use the collection God has asked a local church to make.

Your first thought may be that this subject isn’t that important. There are three reasons it is extremely important:

• Jesus and the apostles spoke extensively about the use of money, both personally and collectively. Jesus made clear that our salvation is dependent on the proper use of money.
• Just as with marriages, so with local churches, division over money is common on the list of serious problems. Churches have repeatedly divided on what is authorized and what is not authorized in the the way money is spent. We must have authority for what we do.
• Third, and possibly most importantly, if we do not understand the difference between what God has commanded the individual to do and what God has commanded the church to do, we will destroy God’s mission for the local church. In other words, this is ultimately NOT about money, it is about God’s kingdom work. 

1. Why Does a Local Church Take a Collection?
   1. There are numerous passages that talk directly about or refer to a collection that was regularly made by a local church. These same passages make reference to how these funds were used. Let’s notice:
   2. Acts 2:44-45; 4:34; 3:1-6 You will notice that the collection and distribution of funds in the Jerusalem church was just among brethren. In fact, the lame man was refused.
   3. Acts 6:1 A daily distribution of food was being made for needy widows within the church.
   4. Acts 11:27-29 Relief was sent to the brethren in Judea.
   5. Rom. 15:25-27 The principle of giving by churches was, if they are sharers in spiritual things, they ought to share in their physical things.
   6. 1 Cor. 9:11-12 Those who share spiritual things have a right to reap material things. Certain ones other than Paul even reaped from the Corinthians.
   7. 1 Cor. 16:1 The collection was for the saints.
   8. 2 Cor. 9:1, 12-13 The chapter begins with, “It is superfluous to write to you about the ministry for the saints. Some try to make verse 12 refer also to “all men.” But this goes beyond Paul’s context. Paul is referring to their liberal sharing with the saints in Jerusalem as well as with saints everywhere.
   9. 2 Cor. 11:8 Paul accepted wages from churches.
   10. Phil. 4:15-16 The church in Philippi repeatedly sent money for Paul needs.
2. The Authority for the Use of Money Is Different for the Individual and the Local Church
   1. 1 Timothy 5:4, 16. Paul makes a clear difference an individual’s responsibility in the use of their personal money and a local church’s responsibility.
   2. Acts 5:1-4. A common argument made is that since the church is made up of Christians, what the Christian can do with his money, the church can do with its collection. Peter spoke of two “bank accounts.” There was the personal money of Ananias. While the money was in his control, he could have done anything he desired with it. He could have given part of it, all of it, or none of it. But once he declared that he was giving all of it, and handed the money over, it was no longer in his control.
      1. Of course, what has often been pointed out in debate, “that which proves too much, proves nothing at all.” An individual can use his money to start a business and make a profit. 
      2. To illustrate, Jesus said in Matthew 25:35-36, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Is Jesus teaching that a local church ought to build cafeterias, homeless shelters, clothing outlets, hospitals, and prison relief organizations? There isn’t, and never has been, a local church on the face of the earth capable of doing all those things. But an individual Christian can do those things as he has ability and opportunity for another individual in need.
   3. There are two passages that are often used to teach that the collection ought to be given to people other than saints:
      1. Galatians 6:10 The question is whether this command is to local churches in the region of Galatia or whether this is a command to the individual Christian. We must admit that there are commands for both churches and for individual Christians (for example, 1 Tim. 5:1-16 gives the command for the individual to take care of his or her widow. The church is commanded to take care of widows who have no family). Reading the first ten verses of Galatians 6 shows that Paul is talking to the individual. Each verse refers to commands the individual is to fulfill.
      2. James 1:27 We must ask the same question here. Is this a command to the individual Christian or to the church? The answer is simple: whoever is to keep “himself” unspotted from the world is also the one who is to visit the fatherless and the widows.
   4. The point is, there is a difference in what God has commanded the individual to do and what he has commanded the church to do. We noticed in our beginning list of scriptures that every passage that speaks of a local church collection had to do with supporting a preacher or used in benevolence for needy Christians. There is never an example or command for a church to use funds for the needs of those who are not Christians. Instead, the individual is commanded to care for the needy per Galatians 6:10 & James 1:27. In fact, as we noted above, even within the church, the collection is not to be used for Christians who are needy if they have family who can help them – that the church be not burdened! 
3. For What Can the Collection Be Used?
   1. 1 Cor. 16:1-2 For needy saints – we have already noticed this. But we should also note from 1 Tim. 5:4, 8 that one’s family has the first obligation, not the church.
   2. Heb. 10:24-25 tells us that we are to assemble in order to stir one another up to love and good works, therefore, money can be used for a place to assemble in order to obey the command.
   3. Eph. 4:11-12 tells us there is to be an equipping process to bring saints to maturity: to the unity of the faith & able to do the work of ministry and edification of the body. Therefore, money can be used for this purpose.
   4. 1 Thes. 1:8 The church of the Thessalonians were evangelistic. Therefore money can be used to evangelize – whatever it takes to fulfill the command: go and make disciples of all nations.
   5. 1 Cor. 9:14 Money was to be used to support evangelists.
   6. 1 Tim. 5:17-18 Money can be used to support those who work full time at being both an elder and an evangelist.
4. Misplaced Emphasis: Destroying God’s Mission
   1. The modern church looks and acts in an entirely different way than what we read in the New Testament. 
      1. In Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
      2. Jesus’ last words before he left the earth were the Great Commission.
      3. Throughout the book of Acts, the salvation of lost souls is the supreme purpose. Christians went everywhere preaching the word.
      4. Further, Christians took care of each other. If there was a famine or other needs in an area where local Christians could not provide for themselves, churches sent their own messenger with money to the elders of the churches in the affected area.
      5. We read of individual Christians using their abilities and opportunities to take care of orphans and others who were in need.
      6. Churches also used their funds to send evangelists into regions where the gospel was needed or to churches that needed further teaching. That is what we read about.
   2. What we do not read about:
      1. We do not read of churches acting as social clubs where “fellowship” is defined as recreation and dinner parties. Individual Christians certainly came together and ate and enjoyed one another’s company, but that was never a part of the mission and work of the local church.
      2. We do not read about multiplying various “ministries” in order to provide for ills of society. The gospel message is what heals and makes us whole. The reason the world is spiritually sick is because they do not know God. The American government has spent trillions of dollars for every human need imaginable. But the world only gets worse. It is God and godly families that is needed, and that is the mission. Cf. Hosea 6:6.

Berry Kercheville