To Whom Do We Give? A Scriptural Guide

1. Give to those who are in need—the poor.
Luke 12:33—Sell your possessions and give to the poor
Hebrews 13:2—Provide hospitality to strangers
Acts 4—Apostles redistributed money to the poor.
Note: No one has to give to anyone not in need

a. Give to those who ask
Matthew 5/Luke 6—Give to those who ask of you
Luke 11—If anyone asks, then they will receive

b. Do not exclude people because they have been evil to you
Luke 6:27-36--Love your enemies... lend and do not expect in return
Romans 12:20-- If your enemy is hungry, feed him
Matthew 5:38-48

c. Do not exclude people because they are unrighteous
Luke 6:35-- The Lord is kind to ungrateful and unrighteous men

d. Give to those who are in need in front of you
Luke 10:30-37- The one who did mercy to the one in front of him in need loved his neighbor
I John 3:17—If you have resources, you must help the brother or sister right in front of you with a need
James 2—The one who has faith is the one who helps another believer in need who comes to them

2. Among those in need, prioritize giving to those who are believers.
Luke 16:9—Use money to make friends with those who will welcome you into the kingdom
Galatians 6:10—Do good to everyone, especially those of the household of faith
I Thess 5:15—Always seek doing good to one another and to all people.
II Corinthians 8-9—Paul and others collecting for believers in need
a. Do not provide for believers who are living in sin.
II Thess. 3:6-12—If a brother does not work, neither let him eat
I Corinthians 5:9-13—Don’t judge the world, but if a brother is in continuous sin, do not even eat with such a one.

3. Among believers, prioritize giving to those who give the gospel to others
Luke 9; Matt 10—The workman (of God) is worthy of his hire
Matthew 10:40-48—The one who gives to these who Jesus sends to do mission work will not lose their reward
I Timothy 5:17-18—Elders who work hard, especially at teaching are worthy of their wages

a. Give to those who give the gospel from a simple lifestyle
Matt 10:9-10; Mark 6:8-9; Luke 9:3; Luke 10:4—Those whom Jesus sends out, he sends telling them to bring nothing except the clothes on their backs.

b. Do not give to those who teach something opposed to the teaching of Jesus.
2 John 1:9-11—Do not greet a person who teaches that which is opposed to Jesus

c. Do not give to those who use the gospel for their own greed.
I Timothy 6:3-11—The false prophet advocates greed.
II Peter 2—The false prophet advocates greed and will be punished eternally
Jude 1:16—False prophets are concerned with their own desires.

d. Do not give to those who sell the gospel
Matthew 10/Luke 9—Freely you have received, freely give.
I Corinthians 9:18—Paul’s reward is to give the gospel free of charge.

4. Among those who give the gospel, prioritize those who minister to the poor and who are being persecuted.
I Tim 5:9-10—Give to widows who are not given to pleasure, but to hospitality and helping the needy.
Hebrews 13:3—Remember the prisoners as if you were with them.