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acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
Established
November 2008 Published weekly on
Friday
1 Corinthians Lesson 48
Welcome to
HBS.
I have one
announcement for the group before we get started with this week’s Bible
lesson. My wife and I are preparing to
move this weekend to a new address, which translates to a long list of minute
details to tend to and a lot of work for the two of us. For all you faithful
students of God’s Word this means I’m going to be “Off the Air” for at least two weeks. I apologize for the interruption in
service. Please use this time wisely. Please study the previous lessons posted to this site or use
the time to read ahead.
Introduction
to 1 Corinthians 16
1 Corinthians 15 is
a highly developed theological section of this letter without a doubt. Why Paul chose to reveal the “secret” or mystery of the resurrection of the dead
to these “infants in Christ’s” no
one knows for certain. However, he
shifts from dealing with this reality, to practical Christian living starting at 16:1 without skipping a beat, as if
saying, “Should the Lord return today let
Him find us minding the church’s business.”
Brief
Outline of Chapter 16:
16:1-4 – Collection
for the poor Jews in Judea
16:5-9 – Tentative
Plans to visit Corinth
16:10-12 – Other
Christian Workers
16:13-18 – Final
Admonitions
16:19-24 – Closing
Greetings
********
Let’s Compare Paul’s Fund-Raising to Church
Fund-Raising Today (16:1-4)
On
November 6, 2007 Senator Charles Grassley sent formal letters to 6 top
televangelists requesting that they turn over their financial records to the
Senate Finance Committee. These six well
known preachers were under federal investigation for using their tax-exempt
status, as churches, to shield their lavish life styles – a serious offense. All
six televangelist targeted in the investigation preach some form of the prosperity gospel, which teaches that
God wants to bless the faithful with “earthly riches.” Ministers in this tradition often hold up their own wealth as evidence that this
teaching works. If it doesn’t work for
you, then you’re faith is inadequate or so they say. After three years, no penalties were handed
out by the senate committee to the two preachers who cooperated or to the four
who refused to cooperate by releasing their financial documents to the
investigators, and no definitive findings of wrongdoing were established with
this group. However, it could be said
this investigation helped shine the light of truth on the fact that some people
in the church misuse their position and people’s trust in order to fleece the flock.
While
it’s undeniably true that men of God have labored long to raise funds for the
Lord’s work, it also true more than a few others, greedy and lusting after the
things of the flesh, have brought reproach upon the name of Christ by using the
Lord’s work for their own material advantage.
While the majority of the people in their congregations live their lives
from meager paycheck-to-paycheck and are literally one disaster away from
financial ruin, there are many church leaders living a disproportionate lifestyle.
The
six church leaders that were investigated live in multi-million dollar homes,
drive or they are chauffeured in luxury vehicles, own private jets (one of the
preachers under investigation owns his own airport), and they command 7-figure annual
salaries, while preaching some form of the prosperity
gospel. However, the only people
prospering are the preachers themselves.
What Does the Bible say About the
Prosperity Gospel?
In
the prosperity gospel, also known as the “Word of Faith,” the Believer is told
to use God, whereas the Truth of God’s Word is just the opposite. God uses the Believer. The prosperity gospel theology sees the Holy
Spirit as a power to be put to use for whatever the Believer wills. But the Bible teaches the Holy Spirit is a
Person who enables the Believer to do God’s will on earth. Paul warned Timothy about men who came
preaching false gospels such as this: …and
constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of (what) the truth, who suppose that godliness is a
means of gain… But those who want to get
rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires
which plunge men (and women) into
ruin and destruction. For the love of
money is a root of all sorts of evil… (1Timothy 6:5, 9-11; Ephesians 5:5-7;
Hebrews 13:5).
Over
the years church-goers have become cynical about religious “fund-raising.” Admittedly, I’ve joined their ranks and I’ll
explain why that is. A few years back,
the church my wife and I were members of owned the building from the foundation to the roof and the surrounding property. For some reason, not made clear to the 5,000+
church members, the pastor and elders alone determined we needed a “much bigger
building.” Therefore, a “building fund”
commenced and each member was asked to “pledge” a fixed amount for three
years. This faith “pledge” was in
addition to our normal giving amount. Our
pastor always called this a “tithe;” please don’t get me started on this
subject; we’ll save it for later. My
wife and I wrote down our faith “pledge” amount on the post card provided and
mailed it back to our church, and for three years we worked it into our budget
by working things out of our budget; that’s how things work in the “real-world,
right?
Well,
the long and short of this is, some land was purchased, and a huge building
went up. They didn’t cut any corners or
expense in the construction or in supplying each individual department’s
request. They even managed to include a
Starbucks Coffee Café in the main lobby of the church, and a parking lot
capable of hosting thousands of vehicles.
People driving by this church often mistake it for a shopping mall
today. The price tag for all this was upwards
of $16 million dollars, which means this particular church will be in debt for
many years to come; oh yeah, the elders asked us to continue with the faith
“pledges” because now those funds were needed to pay down this debt.
Hang
on. We’re only getting started. I was coordinating the Children’s Ministry at
the church during this period of time and working closely with the pastor in
charge of this division and the ministry leader. One year after we opened the doors I remember
arriving early to set up our Sunday morning children’s program. I found the ministry leader there ahead of me
and over a cup of coffee I asked her how things were going. She said there had been a meeting and the
pastors had decided they didn’t have enough space, i.e. they did not have
enough rooms in the building to accommodate all the Bible study groups, individual
programs, etc. So, they were talking
about another “building fund.” I was
stunned because on any given day, including Sunday, the busiest day of the
week, I’d seen dozens of empty and locked rooms unused throughout the church
building and not just in the children’s wing and I brought this up.
Once
again, my wife and I had been faithful members of this church (the denomination
will remain a secret) for many years. We
knew nothing about this proposal. But we
did know this was not a wealthy congregation.
The majority of the families sitting in the seats every week were like
us, living their lives from paycheck-to-paycheck; praying and hanging on in
other words. The long and short of this
means the church leaders were not being “good
stewards” of the finances entrusted to them by the faithful. Their vision for this church didn’t line up
with the reality sitting right there in front of them week after week and this
truth proved itself out when the Housing Bubble burst in 2008. Many of the people lost their jobs when the
recession hit their homes or they saw their take-home pay reduced after they
were “down-sized.”
I
was already wary of church fund-raising because of situations I’d encountered
years ago but this was a whole new “ball game,” as they say. This took the phrase, “Fleecing the Flock,” to another height. However, having said that, I’ve also seen the
positive side of church fund-raising. At
one time I was a member of a Bible believing church that held itself
accountable for every nickel that came in.
This church wouldn’t spend money to replace a torn Bible in the pew without
talking to their membership about it first and only then after putting it to a
vote; demonstrating accountability!
Now,
before we go much further I am not casting
a shadow of doubt on your church, its leadership, or its accounting principles,
nor am I saying every church leader is working “an angle.” I am also not
telling people to stop giving to their church.
The church needs financial support in order to function properly. I am merely reporting a personal experience
and directing your attention to the truth.
Satan is the god of this age, which means his evil influence has
corrupted every facet of our existence. There isn’t a corner of society that has not
been tainted by his evil influence. In
the American Political System, for example, the three branches of government defined
in the constitution (legislative, executive, and judicial) make up three of the
four estates. The fourth estate is said
to be “the people,” “interest groups,” “the press,” “administrative agencies,”
or “popular culture.” Looking at all
these, can you name one that has not been infiltrated by Satan? Corruption (evil) is inherent in every aspect
of society and you can add the church to this list. We know from church history that Satan has had
his way with it. Read up on “The Crusades” and “The Spanish Inquisition,” and you’ll see what I’m talking
about.
Digging Deeper
I
don’t know if Believers are “up to speed” on the facts of Church Embezzlement
in this country, but according to ShareFaith Magazine’s article, dated
September 30, 2015, Christians stole
$39 billion in church related financial fraud in 2014. They go on to report that church staff (employees
and volunteers) steals 30% of the church funds annually. The average church loss, across the board due
to fraud is $120,000, and growing every year!
What’s even more shocking folks is this statistic: 80% of annual church fraud is
unreported. It’s handled quietly behind
the scenes; the congregation knows nothing about it. It’s the churches “dirty little secret.” To save space and time I didn’t record all
the information from this article for you, so it’s much worse than what I’ve
shown in print.
I
believe an informed Believer is a wise Believer. As I’ve said, when church fund-raising is the
topic, I’ve learned to open both eyes, I listen, and I ask questions. I’ve seen the program misused by the very
people I put my trust in. From this
point onward, it’s up to you. As Ronald
Reagan said, after signing the INF Treaty with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987, “Trust, but verify.” Meaning, you need to do the “leg-work” in
your own church to see what’s going on behind the scenes. The church I attend today provides an annual
“cash flow” statement to each person.
Every dollar is accounted for.
Paul’s Fund-Raising Example
As
we will soon discover, the fund-raising of today as compared to our Apostle
Paul’s fund-raising is as different as “Light” is to “darkness.” I’ll begin by saying he wasn’t shy when it came
to asking the churches to contribute to the poor Jews in Judea or reminding the Corinthian church of their prior
commitment (2 Corinthians 8:8-11). Paul
had his own method of fund-raising
and it’s far different from what we’ve come to expect. Before we “dig” into Paul’s instructions
concerning “charitable” contributions, let’s consider the kind of man Paul was,
especially as this relates to (OPM) Other
People’s Money.
Let’s
face facts folks, one of the reasons people have become cynical about church fund-raising is that there are a lot of
crooks hiding behind their Bibles, clerical collars, and pulpits. But if there ever was a man who deserved to
be heard when it comes to contributing money, that man is Paul. His example was a man named Barnabas. Barnabas was a Jewish saint. He set the “bar” for the church in Jerusalem
when it came to giving funds: Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who
was also called Barnabas by the apostles -the twelve – (which translated means Son of Encouragement, and who owned a tract of
land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostle’s feet (Acts
4:36-37).
This
is the same man who befriended Paul when he was first saved, when the other
apostles wanted nothing to do with him (Acts 9:26-27). When Agabus and other prophets came down to
Antioch from Jerusalem to announce that a great world-wide famine was
forthcoming, the newly formed church at Antioch took up a collection for the saints in
Judea, and these funds were sent with Barnabas and Paul (Acts 11:27-30) to
the saints in need in Jerusalem.
As
an apostle Paul had every right to be supported financially by those to whom he
was ministering. But he chose to waive
this right, preaching the gospel that
saves at no cost to the Corinthians, so that this same gospel might not be hindered in any way (1 Corinthians
9:1-23). Thus, when Paul arrived in
Corinth, he went to work as a tentmaker along with Aquila, and when he finally
ministered full-time to the Corinthians, it was because of the financial
support he received from the Macedonians (Acts 18:1-5; 2 Corinthians 11;7-9;
Philippians 4:15-18). This practice was
not the exception but the rule. Paul was
not going to be a financial burden to anyone including the churches where he served. In the midst of warning the Ephesian elders
of false teachers, Paul reminded them that his hand was never found in their
pockets (Acts 20:30-33).
Paul
did not gain financially from the Corinthians.
If anything, the Corinthians were taken advantage of by the false
apostles (2 Corinthians 11:20). Paul, on
the other hand, was poor in their midst (1 Corinthians 4:8-13).
Paul
never raised funds for himself and he never took advantage of those he
ministered too. He was completely
honorable in the use of the funds entrusted to him (1 Corinthians 16:3-4; 2
Corinthians 8:19-23, 9:3-5).
If
there were only more men like Paul in the church today; that’s all I’m saying!
Please
open your Bible at 1 Corinthians 16:1.
Paul’s Instructions on Giving
1 Corinthians 16
1: Now concerning the
collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you
also.
2: On the first day
of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so
that no collections be made when I come.
3: When I arrive,
whomever you may approve, I will send them with letters to carry your gift to
Jerusalem;
4: and if it is
fitting for me to go also, they will go with me.
Paul’s
opening remark, Now concerning, in
verse 1 introduces answers to questions which this church had asked in its
letter to Paul (1 Corinthians 7:1, 25, 8:1, 12:1, 16:1).
The collection for
the saints, Logia in the Greek
language, (pronounced: log-ee’-ah), Noun
Feminine, Strong’s Greek #3048, means – a
collection of money for the relief of the poor in Judea. The word collection does not appear anywhere else in the N.T., however, Paul
calls it by other names in some of his other letters: “almsgiving
or gifts of charity” (Acts 24:17); “indebtedness”
(Romans 15:27); “fellowship” (2 Corinthians 8:4); and “service” (2 Corinthians 9:12).
Paul had mentioned this matter before, so it was not “news” to the
Corinthians. All that was needed at this
time was the giving of instructions in which the collection should be made.
There’s
continuity between Paul’s teaching on the resurrection of the dead in the
preceding chapter and his opening remark concerning the collection for the saints.
It wasn’t that long ago Paul encouraged these Believers with these words
“your
labor in the Lord is not in vain” (15:58). Therefore, responding to the poor Jewish
Believer’s need in Judea is one of the ways they can lay up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).
Furthermore,
the contribution to the saints,
which Paul has instructed these Believers to prepare for, is that which will be
delivered after he arrives at Corinth, so Paul’s discussion of his travel plans
logically follow in verses 5-9.
At
this juncture I feel the need to point out the following facts about this
contribution:
The
churches of Macedonia and Achaia participated (Romans 15:26).
The
Church of Rome may have participated for Paul writes to them about it (Romans
15:27).
The
churches of Galatia participated (1 Corinthians 16:1).
Twice
Paul sent Titus to arouse the well-to-do but unresponsive Corinthians to this
financial responsibility. Paul had to
urge them to complete it one year later, “But
now finish doing it also, so that just as there
was the readiness to desire it, so there
may be also the completion of it by your ability” (2 Corinthians 8:6,
8:10-11, 9:2-5).
In
his letters to them he did not refrain from advising them of poor churches who
were doing better than they or from reminding them of their good intentions of
the year previous, urging them to fulfill the undertaking without further
delay, lest he and they should both be embarrassed by their failure to do their
fair share (2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 9:3).
The
churches at Berea, Philippi, Thessalonica, Troas, and others are not mentioned,
but we may assume that they participated in this collection. An important
dispensational lesson is taught here, as both the Jews appeal and the Gentile’s
response showed that they were beginning to recognize one another as one in Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 16
1: Now concerning the
collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you
also.
2: On the first day
of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so
that no collections be made when I come.
For the saints – this means people
of faith, holy, i.e. set apart for God’s service (1 Corinthians 1:2, 2
Corinthians 1:1; Romans 1:1; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians
1:2). It is always plural in the New
Testament except on one occasion in Philippians 4:21, but even there, it is
used corporately. Paul’s saying to be
saved by God’s grace is to be part of the covenant community of faith – the family of Believers. Believers
are declared holy and called to a lifestyle of holiness (or progressive
sanctification).
As I directed the
churches of Galatia so do you also. Here it’s important
to understand, even though the saints in
Corinth were “men of flesh,” “infants,” divisive and above all proud;
Paul wasn’t treating them any differently.
There was a standard procedure to be followed in this offering (1
Corinthians 4:17; 7:17, 11:34, 14:33; Titus 1:5).
In
these two verses Paul does not explicitly state what percentage of his income
the Believer should contribute toward the
collection. In doing so, he does not
place the Believer back under the Law, he does, however, teach systematic giving: On
the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, and
he teaches proportionate giving: as he
may prosper, (or according to your ability).
Paul
is saying the Believer is not to give in proportion to what others are giving,
but in proportion to his or her ability to
give: as God has prospered them.
These guidelines are to be observed by all. How do we know this? Note Paul’s words, each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper (v2).
There’s
more than one reason for this comment to the Corinthians “each one of you is to put aside and save,” and I would think, after
all we’ve learned to date, that it would be obvious, especially since he added the
phrase, so that no collections be made
when I come. In other words, Paul’s
saying let’s put this Judean contribution matter behind us because we
have more important items to discuss and things to do when I arrive.
Finally,
we catch a glimpse of Paul’s integrity here, and his insistence on the
integrity of any who might have a hand in conveying this vast offering (gifts from
many churches) to Jerusalem. Those
chosen were to be from their own number, at least two (2 Corinthians 8:16-24),
and accredited in writing (by your own letters), to carry your gift to Jerusalem (v3).
To
further insure that all would be done properly and in order, he reminds them of
his apostolic authority: whomever you may approve, I will send them…
(v3). And if is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me (v4).
There
were those who were chosen by the churches at large (2 Corinthians 8:16-19),
further insuring the veracity of the undertaking, as Paul states: taking
precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this
generous gift; for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in sight of
the Lord, but also in the sight of men (2 Corinthians 8:20-21).
This
provides an important lesson for us and especially for those who lead us;
irresponsibility in fiscal matters is a sin.
Not only should our leaders have clear consciences in their use of the
funds we have entrusted to them, but they should prove their integrity by
careful and precise requirements and accurate record keeping.
Paul
has more to say concerning the responsibility of stewardship than any other
person in the Bible and we’ll get to that when we study chapters 8-9 of 2
Corinthians.
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
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