Paul Writes About Giving Or The Collection

I.          INTRODUCTION:

A.  SCRIPTURE READING:

I Corinthians 16:1-2  =  “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.  Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

2 Corinthians 9:7-8  =  “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

B.        PAUL SPEAKS BRIEFLY ON SUBJECT AND MOVES ON THE NEXT:

1.        In chapter 15, he wrote about the resurrection of the dead.

2.        And now in chapter 16, he wrote about the collection.

3.        He is concerned about the basic need of understanding and Christian living moves with simple ease from one subject to the other.

C.       THE LESSON OF THE HOUR CONCERNS WHAT PAUL WROTE ABOUT  THE  OFFERING   OF  GOD’S  PEOPLE  TO  THE  LORD.

II.       DISCUSSION:

A.       IT IS COMMANDED FOR CHRISTIANS TO GIVE:

1.        Paul states this as an order:  “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.”  =  I Corinthians 16:1.

2.        The Greek word for “order” is diatasso, pronoiunced  (dee-at-as'-so); Meaning to arrange thoroughly, that is to  institute, prescribe, and carry out;  Translated:  appoint, command, set in order, and ordain.

B.        BY WHOM IS THIS COMMAND IT TO BE CARRIED OUT: [ I Corinthians 16:1 ]

1.        “…The churches of Galatia”.

2.        And other Christians as well – “…Even so do ye”

3.        This command is just as plain and direct as the command to repent, pray, sing, partake of the Lord’s Supper, Etc.

4.        No Christian is exempt from giving.

Comment:  As no Christian is left out of the God’s blessing;  no Christian is left out of giving.  The command was to the church and it is to the church that “…The Lord added to … daily such as should be saved.” 
[ Acts 2:47 ].

5.        This includes the rich, the poor, the young, the old, male, and female.

I Corinthians 16:2 =  “…Every one of you…”

II Corinthians 9:7  =  “Every man …”   

C.       THE COMMAND INCLUDED WITH IT  THE FOLLOWING:

I Corinthians 16:2  =  “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

1.        A time to give  --  “Upon the first day of the week”.

a.         The command for the collection was to be at regular intervals prescribed by Divine direction.

b.         The command to be collected at a regular time is just as important as partaking of the Lord’s Supper.

Acts 20:7  =  “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.”

c.         It was a time when the disciples met together.

d.         It was the resurrection day of the Lord.  Therefore, it is fitting that the day of receiving should be the day of our giving.

Matthew 28:1-6  =  “In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.  And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:  And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.  And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

2.        The purpose  --  to “lay  by in store”.

a.         The collection being at a regular set time would  enable funds to be readily available to meet arising needs.

b.         If an emergency arose sufficient funds might not be readily available to meet the need.

c.         Yet if each one planned to give regular and as purposed in his heart there would be no necessity of being upset at a special request and put into a position to feel uncheerful in giving.

II Corinthians 9:7  =  “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

3.        How much  --  “As God hath prospered” each one.

a.         The amount given by each one was to be determine by his financial blessings.

b.         The ratio is not prescribed in the Scriptures but it is based upon how one has prospered in life:

(1)      The more prosperous would give more.

(2)      The less prosperous would give less.

(3)      However, in either case it would be in a proportion that would be pleasing to the Lord.

(4)      Consider   this  as  you  arrive   at  the  amount   of   your  giving:

(a)      In the Old Testament:

1.    The purpose of the giving of a tenth was to meet the material need of the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless (the orphan), and the widow (Deuteronomy 26:12-13).

2.    The tithe was an expression of gratitude to God by His people.

(b)      In the New Testament:

1.    The words tithe and tithing appear only eight times (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; Luke18:12;
Hebrews 7:5-6, Hebrews 7:8-9). All of these passages refer to Old Testament usage and to current Jewish practice.

2.    Nowhere is a Christian commanded  to tithe.

a.         Yet we are to be generous in sharing our material possessions with the poor and for the support of Christian ministry. Christ Himself is our model in giving.

b.        Giving is to be voluntary, willing, cheerful, and given in the light of our accountability to God.

c.         Giving should be systematic and by no means limited to a tithe of our incomes.

d.        We must recognize that all we have is from God and  we must be faithful stewards of all our possessions (Romans 14:12; I Corinthians 9:3-14; I Corinthians16:1-3;
II Corinthians 8:1-9; II Corinthians 8:15).

(c)      In view of this we need to give prayerful consideration to what the Lord said in
Matthew 5:20  =  “ For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

D.       WHY THE WEEKLY COMMAND TO GIVE WAS ISSUED?

1.        There would be no last minute opportunity to give  --   “No gatherings when I come”. [ I Corinthians 16:2 ]

a.         We cannot wait till the last minute to give.

b.         There will be no special called gathering.

c.         We therefore should be concerned about not forsaking the regular assembling of the church.

Hebrews 10:25  =  “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

2.        If we are obedient and loving children of God then we will do as God’s Word has directed us to do.

John 14:15  =  “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Luke 6:46  =  “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

III.    CONCLUSION:

A.  THE WORK OF THE LORD MUST GO FORWARD REACHING INTO THE WHOLE WORLD:

1.        Every nation  [Matthew 28:19-20]

2.        Every creature [Mark 16:15-16]

B.        THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THESE RESTS UPON EACH OF US:    [I Corinthians 16:1-2]

C.       MEETING THIS RESPONSIBILITY ON A REGULAR BASIS DOES NOT PRESENT A BURDEN UPON ANY OF US.

D.       A FAILURE TO CARRY OUT THE DIVINE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD CONTAIN IN HIS HOLY WORD  WILL BRING FORTH THE CONDEMNATION OF THE LORD.   

John 12:48-50  =  “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.  And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”

E.        HOW WILL YOU RESPOND TO THIS AND THE LORD’S OTHER COMMANDS IS IN YOUR HANDS --  WHAT SHALL YOUR ANSWER BE?

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