What the Bible Says About
Tithing
and Christian Giving part 7
Peter Ditzel
2). Give based on
faithfulness, not results.
Besides legalism, giving to get, and giving to get rid of sins or pay
for grace, there is another wrong way that Christians have come to think
about giving. I mention it here because it fits the context of giving to
support the preaching of the Gospel. This fallacy is one that modern
Christians have picked up from the world around them. It concerns
results. Often, Christians will donate only to ministries or churches
that produce big, visible results. It is as if the investment mindset
has crept into Christian giving. You might be shocked to learn (at least
I was) that there are now businesses that "help Christians put together
a sound donation portfolio of ministries that produce results." Just as
Wall Street investors want to put their money behind obvious winners,
Christians have come to feel that they should give only to those
ministries that appear to produce the biggest bang for the buck.
Ministries are judged by how many Bibles they distributed, how many
hungry they fed, how many people came forward in their crusades, etc.
Churches are judged by how many thousands they are bringing into their
massive structures. Even our modern emphasis on financial efficiency is
results oriented. When we look at what percent of a ministry's income is
spent on fundraising and administrative expenses, for example, as
opposed to the work we expect them to be doing, we are really saying
that we expect to get as many results per dollar as possible. But what
are those results?
Are such results the criteria the Bible tells us to look for? No. The
Bible shows us that we should evaluate Christian ministries by their
faithfulness to God's Word. As we have already read in many Scriptures
above, God tells us to be faithful to His Word and to support the
preaching of His Word. The results are up to God. Often, those
ministries that are most faithful to His Word are among the smallest
because God, in His good will, has sovereignly determined that this is
the way it should be in this age. Also, the visible results of
faithfulness to God may not show for many years. We must remember that
God has His timetable, and we should not try to impose our schedules and
expectations on Him. When we attempt to judge God's work with such human
criteria, we can cut ourselves out of having a part in ministries that
God judges faithful.
To look at this another way, many even obvious cults are very successful
by worldly standards, are financially sound, attract large numbers of
people, and do "good works." But it should be evident that Christians
are not to support them. Just because we think a ministry is producing
solid results, or because it claims to be doing so, does not necessarily
mean that God is blessing that ministry or that we should support it.
God does not judge by the outward appearances that men usually use.
Instead, He looks on the heart: "For man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7b). Because
sin so easily clouds our judgment, we must be sure to be led by the
guidelines God gives us; we must look to faithfulness to His Word, the
Bible.
It is common to misunderstand Jesus' words when He said, "By their
fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20), as meaning "by their
results." But in the verses that immediately follow, Jesus tells those
who in His name have "done many wonderful works" that He never knew
them: "depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:21-23). Why did
He not know them? Because they did not know Him through His Word. The
"fruits" that we are to use as criteria in examining a ministry are
their words, their faithfulness to the Bible. The contrast is between
those who are faithful and those who are "false prophets" and "ravening
wolves" (verse 15). It is between those who build their lives and
ministries upon the rock and those who build them upon the sand (verses
24-27).
3). Give to needy brethren. Are there both poor people and affluent
people in your church? There should not be. The Bible clearly instructs
us to care for our needy brethren. "Hereby perceive we the love of God,
because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his
brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him,
how dwelleth the love of God in him?" (1 John 3:16-17). And, in 1
Timothy 6:17-18, Paul writes, "Charge them that are rich in this world,
that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the
living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good,
that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to
communicate." (Remember that "communicate" in the language of the King
James Version means to share.) The end result should be that the poor do
not remain poor.
Of course, I am not saying that poor people who can work but refuse to
should be allowed to syphon off the resources of those who work hard to
make a living. Paul addresses this problem: "For even when we were with
you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should
he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly,
working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we
command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they
work, and eat their own bread" (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). Sadly,
however, a Rush Limbaugh conservatism has crept into the church that has
allowed us to conveniently dismiss all poor people, even other
Christians, as lazy and shiftless and undeserving of our help. Such
thinking should not have a place among God's people. Other factors
besides an unwillingness to work can cause people to be poor.
The idea that Christians should readily share with those in need,
especially their brethren, is found throughout the New Testament.
Earlier in this article, we saw God's people represented as sheep
feeding and clothing the poor (Matthew 25:35-45). We have also seen that
Jesus told the rich, young ruler to sell all he had and give the
proceeds to the poor (Mark 10:21). Luke quotes Jesus as saying, "He that
hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath
meat, let him do likewise" (Luke 3:11). If you have excess beyond your
needs, share it with others. In Luke 12:33-34, Jesus instructs, "Sell
that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old,
a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth,
neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also." How often have we read such statements and not realized
their radical nature? As we go about our daily business, how do we
"remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed
to give than to receive"? (Acts 20:35).
It is interesting that when Paul, Barnabus, and Titus went to Jerusalem,
James, Peter, and John did not interfere with the work they were doing
among the Gentiles, except to tell them, as Paul says, "that we should
remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do" (Galatians
2:10). Paul gives us further instruction in Galatians 6:10: "As we have
therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them
who are of the household of faith."
Now let us try to read Acts 2:44-45 without bringing into our minds
modern concepts of capitalism and communism, which are completely
foreign to the context of Acts: "And all that believed were together,
and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and
parted them to all men, as every man had need." Now, if you have read
this far, you might not be surprised to learn that the Greek word
translated "common" in this verse is related to the Greek word
translated "communicate" in Galatians 6:6 and 1 Timothy 6:18 discussed
earlier in this article. It means, "belonging to several." In other
words, they shared what they had with each other so that no one was in
need.
This is explained in more detail in Acts 4:32, 34-35: "And the multitude
of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said
any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but
they had all things common.... Neither was there any among them that
lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and
brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at
the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according
as he had need." No one forced anyone to give his possessions to someone
else (modern socialism), and no one said there was no such thing as
private property (modern communism). This was all done voluntarily, as
each person was led by the Spirit to share with his brethren in need.
Some are critical of this sharing in the early church and say that it
led to poverty in the Jerusalem church. But the Bible says that the need
in Jerusalem arose because of a drought (Acts 11:28-30). And, more
importantly, the Bible does not criticize these Christians for sharing.
So, how dare we criticize them and, by so doing, judge the Bible? Is not
the Bible supposed to be our standard for belief and practice? Of
course! Then we had better start doing what it says.
3). Give to our neighbor. And who is our neighbor? Jesus answered this
way: "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among
thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and
departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain
priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him,
and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he
journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on
him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine,
and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care
of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and
gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and
whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that
fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then
said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise" (Luke 10:30-37).
Of course, if the man who helped the man in need was his neighbor, then
the man in need was the helper's neighbor. That answers the question.
The person we come across who is in need is our neighbor and, therefore,
the person we are to love as ourselves (see Luke 10:27; Matthew 19:19;
22:39; Mark 12:31; Leviticus 19:18). Earlier, I quoted Galatians 6:10,
which says, "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all
men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Our first
priority in caring for others is to care for our brothers and sisters in
Christ. But we are also to help those in need whom God puts in our path.
By the way, when we help our neighbor, we are to do it in the name of
Christ. That is, at the very least, we should make certain that our
neighbor understands that we are not helping because we are "good
people," but because we are Christians. As we have opportunity (and we
should try to create that opportunity) we should tell our neighbor the
Gospel. Also remember, as I have mentioned, supporting ministries that faithfully preach
the Gospel is also a way to help our neighbor.
Conclusion
What have we learned? We have learned that false teaching has wounded
many Christians' view of giving. They either see giving as legalistic
tithing, or as a way to get, or as a way to alleviate guilt. Also, many
are afraid to give except to ministries producing concrete results as
judged by man's standards. And we have learned that God instead wants us
to give to those who faithfully teach Truth, and to the poor in the
church, and to our neighbor in need; and we are to do so voluntarily,
freely, and cheerfully. We are to give as we determine according to our
ability. Our ability may be more than our old patterns of thinking
allowed, especially when we consider the luxuries we in our society heap
upon ourselves with the excuse that we "need them."
To get over our old ways of thinking about giving, we will need to seek
God's help in prayer. But we will also need to start breaking out of our
old patterns of thinking by giving in the ways the Bible instructs. This
breaking out of the old patterns can be very freeing (I always think of
Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol),
which, after all, is what the Truth always does: "And ye shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
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Copyright © 2004-2009 Peter Ditzel