Giving as a part of a balanced redemptive lifestyle
There are many actions we can do, that if we do them right, we are displaying our faith in God. We can pray, and as long as we are doing it for God, not other people, then God recognizes it as an act of faith. We can get baptized, and as long as it is not an empty social ritual, God recognizes it as an act of faith in Jesus. But one of the most significant acts we can do to show that our faith is real is by giving. In James, giving to a brother in need is used as an example of faith (James 2:15-17). In I John, giving to a brother in need is used to show our love of God (I John 3:16-17). But even giving is only potentially an act of faith. It isn’t necessarily. We can give to others through empty motives, or we can give for the sake of God, wishing him alone to reward us.
How to give without faithfulness to God
Giving as a ritual
Sacrifices in the Old Testament were ultimately a gift to God, in hopes that he would listen to the needs of the giver. God often accepted the sacrifice, but if a person was just shallowly obeying a ritual, without any desire for God or his salvation, then God refused to accept the sacrifice (Isaiah 1:11-15). And most often, God was unhappy with sacrifices because the people were giving to God, but refusing to give justice to the poor and needy (Isaiah 1:17; Isaiah 58; Matthew 12:7). Also if the people offered sacrifice without love of God, he would refuse it (Hosea 6:6). God desires giving to assist the needy—not to just increase a church’s coffers. And he desires people to give out of a desire for him—not just because they are “supposed to.”
Giving just for personal gain
Some people give because they know they can receive from others in the long run. If we give parties and do favors for the wealthy and important, then later we can ask them for favors. Perhaps they will treat us kindly and give us gifts. The thinking, says Jesus, is not wrong, but our only patron should be God alone. If we want to gain good gifts, we should give to God alone. And who does God want us to give to? The needy. So Jesus tells us to gain God’s favor, we should shower parties and gifts on the needy and do favors for them—and then God, the greatest benefactor, will do us mighty favors. (Luke 14:12-14; Luke 16:9)
Giving to impress others
Some people give in order to gain praise and recognition from others. Some of the most famous philanthropists give huge amounts of money so that they will gain recognition as philanthropists—and their every gift is advertised. Others are interested in recognition only by the IRS, in order to gain a tax deduction. Or some want their name on a plaque, or even a newsletter, gaining recognition of their gifts. However, Jesus told us to give in secret in order to give in a way that only God sees. (Matthew 6:1-4) If we are only trying to impress God, then we will gain God’s reward. But if we are trying to impress other people, then God will not give us any reward—no matter how good we think we are. Remember, God doesn’t care about how “good” our reputation is, only how faithful we are before Him.
How to show your faithfulness to God through giving
1. To give sacrificially is to impress God
Jesus saw many people giving to God. Many people gave many huge gifts. But the only gift that impressed him—the only one that caused him to take notice was the small, sacrificial gift. God doesn’t care how large our gift is. It could be millions or dollars, or it might be just a few dollars. But our love to God is shown when we give all that we have to God. And God does not reward a large pocket, but a large heart. (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 7:47)
2. To give willingly is to show pure motivation
Many people give, but they feel that it is a terrible trial, an overwhelming burden. And often they let everyone know about it. But the Lord is looking for those who give to him and to his people willingly—those who give happily to those who need it. These people who give with open hearts show the purity of their love for God, for they give out of joy, not because they feel forced by God. (II Corinthians 9:7)
3. We give in love, for to love is to fulfill the word of God
It is easy to give without a desire to benefit another. We can sacrifice everything we have, and only do it because we are forced to. We can give because of social pressure. We can give because we want something out of God or out of someone else. But Paul warns us that even if we give everything we have, if we do not give out of a concern to benefit others, then our giving was pointless (I Corinthians 13:3). To love is to fulfill God’s word, and to do God’s word is life, both now and eternally (Romans 13:8-10; Matthew 7:21). To love is to do all that God requires of us, and we will gain our reward from Him.
4. To give to the needy is to represent God’s interest
When God told us to give, he did not tell us to build buildings or to create statues. There is nothing wrong with these things as gifts of love to God, but they are not God’s heart. God’s heart is with the needy, those who cry out to him day and night for justice. God hears the people who have no one else to turn to, no one else to save them. They are God’s true heart, and God wants us to give to them. To give to a church is not necessarily to give to God. Rather, to give to the poor—that is storing treasure in heaven. (Luke 12:33; Mark 10:21; Exodus 22:22-27; James 1:27)
5. To give to the representatives of Jesus is to give to Jesus
If we give to those who love God, then we are giving to God, and showing our love of God as well. The world can know how much we love God by how much we love those who love God. The world can know that we belong to Jesus if we love those who love Jesus. And the world can see that we love Jesus if we give to other’s who come in Jesus’ name. On the last day, our love of Jesus will be measured—not by our prayers to God or by our faithfulness in evangelism—our love will be measured by how much we showed our love to Jesus’ people. (Luke 16:9; Matthew 10:40-42; John 13:35; Matthew 25:31-46)
6. If we give for the next age, we are increasing our reward from God
All that Jesus said about giving could be summarized in this way: don’t make investments for this age—this age is falling apart. This age will soon be destroyed. Rather, give so that you can gain great benefits in the next age, where the only rewards are handed out by God. If we want to impress someone with our giving—impress God. If we want to gain something from our giving—let’s get something from God. If we want to make investments for the future—let’s invest in God’s future. When you compare a finite present to an eternal future, eternity is all that counts. (Matthew 6:19-24)
Thursday, December 25, 2008
What Does God Want Me To Do With My Money?
Often, this is the last question we want to ask. Our money is ours! We should be able to do with it what we want. This is what our society teaches us and how everyone acts—whether Christian or not.
Some Basic Principles
Money is serious business
However, whether we have a whole lot of money, or whether we have a little, how we use our money will determine how God will use us. (Luke 16:10-12) And if we use our money without regard to God’s desire, then we will certainly not receive God’s salvation, no matter how holy we are in other areas (Matthew 6:24; Mark 10:17-21; Luke 12:33-34). How we use our money indicates whether we really have faith in God or not.
We do not need money, we need God
Money will not meet our needs. We can’t eat or drink money. Money will not shelter us from rain. Money will not give us pleasure. Money is just a means to an end. We need food and drink. We need a roof over our heads. We need companionship and security. Money can be used to give us some of these things, but we don’t really need it. All good things come from God, and so he is the one we should seek. (James 1:17) Do not focus on money—focus on God (Luke 16:13). He is the one who will meet our needs, and he is the one who teaches us what to do with what we have (Matthew 6:25-33).
Our Money is not ours
The first thing we need to realize is that our money is not actually ours. Perhaps we have worked for it, or it was given to us, but nothing we have is actually ours. It is all God’s. “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” Psalm 24:1. We do not own anything—rather, we care for it for God’s sake. God has placed things in our care, and we are to use all these things in accordance with God’s instruction, for it is all His.
We are to use money to build God’s kingdom
If we are committed to Jesus, then we have surrendered everything we have to his use—our relationships, our possessions, our labor, and our money (Luke 14:25-33). They no longer belong to us, but to Jesus. And Jesus tells us that to use our resources in his way is to build up God’s kingdom and to increase our righteousness in God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Nothing else should be so important. And whatever is important to us is what we will use all of our resources on (Luke 12:34).
We are not to think that paying for an elaborate building or establishing things in the here-and-now will build up God’s kingdom. Tangible things and buildings and collections of books or CDs or videos will not build God’s kingdom. Rather, it is people that will survive to be in God’s kingdom. Political entities and nice cars will all be destroyed. God’s kingdom is built by giving to people and their needs (Luke 12:33-34; Luke 16:9; Acts 4:34-35).
What Not To Do With Money
Do not increase your debt
Even if you are looking to meet your needs, do not increase your debt. Try to rely on God’s people, not on those who will charge you interest and cause you difficulties. (Romans 13:8)
Do not build up your life on earth
It is pointless to increase our possessions or our life on earth. All of these things will be destroyed and are of no use in the kingdom of God. Rather, we are to focus on the things of God. ( Matthew 6:19;II Peter 3:10-12)
Do not pursue your own desires, comforts or entertainments
If we use our money to meet our whims or comforts, then we are in danger of gaining nothing when the Lord returns. Again, the Lord insists that we use our resources for his sake, not for our own comforts. (Luke 6:24-25; I Timothy 6:6-10)
Do not give to teachers insisting on your money
There are many teachers today who say to receive God’s blessing you should give to them, their ministry or their church. However, the scripture is clear that teachers who insist on their own gain are false teachers, and not deserving of our money. We are not to give any kind of help to false teachers—not even to welcome them into our house. Do not throw your money away by giving money to false teachers who oppose Jesus’ words—“Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8; II John 9-10; I Timothy 6:5)
Tithing To Our Churches
Tithing (giving 10% of) our money and giving it to our churches is a good idea, but how it is accomplished today isn’t found in the Bible. The ancient Hebrews had three annual taxes of 10 percent each and another tax of 10 percent taken every third year—equaling to 33 1/3% of their income every year going to things. Jesus isn’t requiring such a tax to meet the needs of his churches. Rather, he is advocating that everyone grant him all of their resources, and that they redistribute their income according to the following guidelines:
Jesus’ plan: What To Do With Money
1. Care for your own needs
We are all responsible to meet our own needs and not to depend on the church or their family to provide for us, if we can do anything about it. (II Thessalonians 3:6-10) This does not mean that we must all have a “job,” but we must work to meet our own needs. Thus, if we have money, then we should use that money to provide for our own needs.
2. Care for your family’s needs
If we have family that is dependant on us for sustenance, then we are responsible to care for them (Mark 7:10-13; I Timothy 5:8). This could mean children in our care, or aging parents that can no longer care for themselves, or someone who through injury or illness is unable to care for their own needs. By whatever means we care for our own needs, we must care for our family.
3. Pay your taxes
The government we live under now requires money. The scripture says that we must be faithful to give them what they ask, whether we agree with their policies or not. It is a part of the honor we are responsible to give them. (Romans 13:7)
4. Give to those who sacrifice themselves to build you up in the Lord
If our needs are met and our family’s needs are met—not everything they desire, but just their basic needs—then we are responsible to care for others as well. The first ones we are responsible to care for are those who have sacrificed their own well-being in order to bring us closer to the Lord. This could be teachers or healers that travel from town to town, or people who regularly teach us God’s word in our congregation—but the Scripture is clear that we are responsible to make sure that their needs are met, as well as those of their family. (Luke 10:5-9; Matthew 10:40-42; Galatians 6:6;I Timothy 5:17-18)
5. The Key: Give to the needy
If we are able to care for our basic needs, and our family’s and our minister’s, then we are also responsible to meet the needs of others, especially those who are following the Lord. If we see someone in need, and we do not respond with what we have, then we are not responding with the Lord’s love. To give to the needy is showing our faith in the Lord. If we fail to give to those who follow Jesus in need, then we will rejected by the Lord on the final day. (Luke 12:33; I John 3:17; Galatians 6:10; Matthew 25:31-46;
Planning and Giving
To redistribute our income in the above way is difficult and, in some ways, painful. In order to demonstrate our faith in giving to the needy, often we will have to sacrifice our desires and some of our needs so that others may be helped. Sometimes the Lord calls us to put other’s concerns and needs before our own. But if we are going to do that, we have to plan. It is so easy to overspend in our society, with commercials telling us every minute the newest thing we “need.” But the Lord says that what we need to do is to give to the needy. That is a part of our salvation—not a kitchen gadget or a better car or the food we always wanted to try. It isn’t easy to follow Jesus’ plan on redistributing our money, but if we pray to the Lord and seek the counsel and assistance of his Spirit, we can make the first steps.
If you have not been faithful to God in the use of worldly money,
how can God entrust true riches to you?
-Jesus Luke 16:11
Some Basic Principles
Money is serious business
However, whether we have a whole lot of money, or whether we have a little, how we use our money will determine how God will use us. (Luke 16:10-12) And if we use our money without regard to God’s desire, then we will certainly not receive God’s salvation, no matter how holy we are in other areas (Matthew 6:24; Mark 10:17-21; Luke 12:33-34). How we use our money indicates whether we really have faith in God or not.
We do not need money, we need God
Money will not meet our needs. We can’t eat or drink money. Money will not shelter us from rain. Money will not give us pleasure. Money is just a means to an end. We need food and drink. We need a roof over our heads. We need companionship and security. Money can be used to give us some of these things, but we don’t really need it. All good things come from God, and so he is the one we should seek. (James 1:17) Do not focus on money—focus on God (Luke 16:13). He is the one who will meet our needs, and he is the one who teaches us what to do with what we have (Matthew 6:25-33).
Our Money is not ours
The first thing we need to realize is that our money is not actually ours. Perhaps we have worked for it, or it was given to us, but nothing we have is actually ours. It is all God’s. “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it.” Psalm 24:1. We do not own anything—rather, we care for it for God’s sake. God has placed things in our care, and we are to use all these things in accordance with God’s instruction, for it is all His.
We are to use money to build God’s kingdom
If we are committed to Jesus, then we have surrendered everything we have to his use—our relationships, our possessions, our labor, and our money (Luke 14:25-33). They no longer belong to us, but to Jesus. And Jesus tells us that to use our resources in his way is to build up God’s kingdom and to increase our righteousness in God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Nothing else should be so important. And whatever is important to us is what we will use all of our resources on (Luke 12:34).
We are not to think that paying for an elaborate building or establishing things in the here-and-now will build up God’s kingdom. Tangible things and buildings and collections of books or CDs or videos will not build God’s kingdom. Rather, it is people that will survive to be in God’s kingdom. Political entities and nice cars will all be destroyed. God’s kingdom is built by giving to people and their needs (Luke 12:33-34; Luke 16:9; Acts 4:34-35).
What Not To Do With Money
Do not increase your debt
Even if you are looking to meet your needs, do not increase your debt. Try to rely on God’s people, not on those who will charge you interest and cause you difficulties. (Romans 13:8)
Do not build up your life on earth
It is pointless to increase our possessions or our life on earth. All of these things will be destroyed and are of no use in the kingdom of God. Rather, we are to focus on the things of God. ( Matthew 6:19;II Peter 3:10-12)
Do not pursue your own desires, comforts or entertainments
If we use our money to meet our whims or comforts, then we are in danger of gaining nothing when the Lord returns. Again, the Lord insists that we use our resources for his sake, not for our own comforts. (Luke 6:24-25; I Timothy 6:6-10)
Do not give to teachers insisting on your money
There are many teachers today who say to receive God’s blessing you should give to them, their ministry or their church. However, the scripture is clear that teachers who insist on their own gain are false teachers, and not deserving of our money. We are not to give any kind of help to false teachers—not even to welcome them into our house. Do not throw your money away by giving money to false teachers who oppose Jesus’ words—“Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8; II John 9-10; I Timothy 6:5)
Tithing To Our Churches
Tithing (giving 10% of) our money and giving it to our churches is a good idea, but how it is accomplished today isn’t found in the Bible. The ancient Hebrews had three annual taxes of 10 percent each and another tax of 10 percent taken every third year—equaling to 33 1/3% of their income every year going to things. Jesus isn’t requiring such a tax to meet the needs of his churches. Rather, he is advocating that everyone grant him all of their resources, and that they redistribute their income according to the following guidelines:
Jesus’ plan: What To Do With Money
1. Care for your own needs
We are all responsible to meet our own needs and not to depend on the church or their family to provide for us, if we can do anything about it. (II Thessalonians 3:6-10) This does not mean that we must all have a “job,” but we must work to meet our own needs. Thus, if we have money, then we should use that money to provide for our own needs.
2. Care for your family’s needs
If we have family that is dependant on us for sustenance, then we are responsible to care for them (Mark 7:10-13; I Timothy 5:8). This could mean children in our care, or aging parents that can no longer care for themselves, or someone who through injury or illness is unable to care for their own needs. By whatever means we care for our own needs, we must care for our family.
3. Pay your taxes
The government we live under now requires money. The scripture says that we must be faithful to give them what they ask, whether we agree with their policies or not. It is a part of the honor we are responsible to give them. (Romans 13:7)
4. Give to those who sacrifice themselves to build you up in the Lord
If our needs are met and our family’s needs are met—not everything they desire, but just their basic needs—then we are responsible to care for others as well. The first ones we are responsible to care for are those who have sacrificed their own well-being in order to bring us closer to the Lord. This could be teachers or healers that travel from town to town, or people who regularly teach us God’s word in our congregation—but the Scripture is clear that we are responsible to make sure that their needs are met, as well as those of their family. (Luke 10:5-9; Matthew 10:40-42; Galatians 6:6;I Timothy 5:17-18)
5. The Key: Give to the needy
If we are able to care for our basic needs, and our family’s and our minister’s, then we are also responsible to meet the needs of others, especially those who are following the Lord. If we see someone in need, and we do not respond with what we have, then we are not responding with the Lord’s love. To give to the needy is showing our faith in the Lord. If we fail to give to those who follow Jesus in need, then we will rejected by the Lord on the final day. (Luke 12:33; I John 3:17; Galatians 6:10; Matthew 25:31-46;
Planning and Giving
To redistribute our income in the above way is difficult and, in some ways, painful. In order to demonstrate our faith in giving to the needy, often we will have to sacrifice our desires and some of our needs so that others may be helped. Sometimes the Lord calls us to put other’s concerns and needs before our own. But if we are going to do that, we have to plan. It is so easy to overspend in our society, with commercials telling us every minute the newest thing we “need.” But the Lord says that what we need to do is to give to the needy. That is a part of our salvation—not a kitchen gadget or a better car or the food we always wanted to try. It isn’t easy to follow Jesus’ plan on redistributing our money, but if we pray to the Lord and seek the counsel and assistance of his Spirit, we can make the first steps.
If you have not been faithful to God in the use of worldly money,
how can God entrust true riches to you?
-Jesus Luke 16:11
Friday, December 5, 2008
How Do We Give?
1. Leaving one’s wealth
Mark 1-2—Disciples left their occupations and families
Mark 10—The disciples told that they will gain eternal life and more for leaving all they had.
John 1—Disciples told to leave their occupations and families
2. Selling one’s wealth and giving to the poor
Luke 12:33—Sell your possessions and give to the poor
Mark 10:21—Sell your possessions and give to the poor
Acts 4:32-37—Many in the church selling what they had, which was then distributed to the poor
3. Becoming a patron of the poor—keeping a certain amount of wealth for the well-being of the righteous poor
Luke 8:2-3—Women who followed Jesus provided for his needs and the needs of the disciples.
Romans 16:2—Phoebe was a patroness of Paul.
II Kings 4:8-11—Elisha had a patron who provided room and board when he was in town
4. Living a life of hospitality to the poor
Luke 16:9—Give unrighteous mammon to those who will welcome you into eternal dwellings
Luke 14:12-14—Invite the poor to your festivals and parties.
Acts 28:7—Pubius welcomed Paul and his companions to stay with him for three days.
Rom 16:3-5; I Cor 16:19—Prisca and Aquilla allowed churches to meet in their homes.
II Tim 1:16—Onesiphorus gave hospitality to Paul
Philemon 1-7—Philemon provided hospitality to Paul and many others.
3 John 5-6—Send brothers on their way in a manner worthy of God.
Matthew 25:31-46—To assist the poor brothers and sisters in Christ is assisting Christ himself.
Matthew 10:40-42—The one who does the smallest act of hospitality in the name of a disciple will not lose his reward.
I John 3:17—Those who do not provide for brothers or sisters in need , yet have the resources, do not know of God’s love.
Mark 1-2—Disciples left their occupations and families
Mark 10—The disciples told that they will gain eternal life and more for leaving all they had.
John 1—Disciples told to leave their occupations and families
2. Selling one’s wealth and giving to the poor
Luke 12:33—Sell your possessions and give to the poor
Mark 10:21—Sell your possessions and give to the poor
Acts 4:32-37—Many in the church selling what they had, which was then distributed to the poor
3. Becoming a patron of the poor—keeping a certain amount of wealth for the well-being of the righteous poor
Luke 8:2-3—Women who followed Jesus provided for his needs and the needs of the disciples.
Romans 16:2—Phoebe was a patroness of Paul.
II Kings 4:8-11—Elisha had a patron who provided room and board when he was in town
4. Living a life of hospitality to the poor
Luke 16:9—Give unrighteous mammon to those who will welcome you into eternal dwellings
Luke 14:12-14—Invite the poor to your festivals and parties.
Acts 28:7—Pubius welcomed Paul and his companions to stay with him for three days.
Rom 16:3-5; I Cor 16:19—Prisca and Aquilla allowed churches to meet in their homes.
II Tim 1:16—Onesiphorus gave hospitality to Paul
Philemon 1-7—Philemon provided hospitality to Paul and many others.
3 John 5-6—Send brothers on their way in a manner worthy of God.
Matthew 25:31-46—To assist the poor brothers and sisters in Christ is assisting Christ himself.
Matthew 10:40-42—The one who does the smallest act of hospitality in the name of a disciple will not lose his reward.
I John 3:17—Those who do not provide for brothers or sisters in need , yet have the resources, do not know of God’s love.
A Private Discussion About Giving To The Poor
After more conversation about the New Testament and wealth, Rosette focuses on a particular point.
Rosette: I do have a question. I know that you said you wanted to speak for a bit, but it seems like it is appropriate to ask this question here.
Francis: (Shrugs nonchalantly) Go ahead.
Rosette: Well, I just wanted to know why you emphasize giving to the poor so much. I mean, we want to give to those in need, don’t get me wrong, but don’t we want to be building the kingdom with what resources we have? I mean, we want to do everything we can to help the church, don’t we? And isn’t that more important than helping those in need?
Francis: Why do you think that?
Rosette: Well, the spiritual is more important than the worldly, isn’t it? Doesn’t Paul say, “The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy” ? And doesn’t Jesus say that God will take care of our food and clothing, but we need to “seek the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you as well.”
Francis: Good, very good. However, what both Paul and Jesus are speaking about is not looking to meet our own needs, but providing for others. When Jesus is speaking about seeking the kingdom and not clothing in Luke 12, he is saying that seeking the kingdom is selling your possessions and giving to the poor. That is his definition of it. That is why he tells us not to worry about food and clothing, because we’ve given away all of our extra to provide for the poor! And Paul is speaking of a circumstance where people are causing others to sin for the sake of having particular food or drink. And Paul is emphasizing that it isn’t the freedom to have food or drink or fasting from it that the kingdom of God emphasizes, but to love others in righteousness. So Paul is recommending that if eating something causes someone to sin, it is better not to eat.
Rosette: But still, isn’t it better to focus on people’s spiritual needs first, and then their physical needs.
Francis: I understand what you are saying—that the spiritual needs of people are greater than their physical ones. And I think I understand what you are implying—that we should be giving to those who give the gospel, not to those who offer benevolence to the poor.
Rosette: Well, I’m not saying we shouldn’t give to those who help the poor at all. But I think the emphasis should be on those who give the gospel.
Francis: I would agree, but I might apply it in a different way than you would think. If you look on my sheet, you can see that I say that we need to give to the poor. That means, we need to give to those people who are in need. If they don’t need something, we don’t need to give.
James: What kind of needs?
Francis: Paul talks about food and clothing. I think warmth beyond clothing is necessary, some kind of shelter. Also we need to provide people with what they need in order to be righteous. Sometimes we need to provide work, sometimes we need to provide Bibles, sometimes we need to provide time and energy to disciple someone. Whatever will help someone understand and live out the gospel.
James: Okay.
Rosette: That’s fine, but building the kingdom of God requires more than just the basic necessities for individuals. There are youth programs, Sunday school materials, buildings, videos, books, study materials and more.
Francis: This is what I wondered about. When you say, “building the kingdom of God,” you really mean building the church, right?
Rosette: I don’t know what you mean…
Francis: Well, Jesus said to seek the kingdom of God. And he said to give to those who would welcome you into heavenly dwellings. But he didn’t say to create the kingdom of God on earth. God will do that. Anything that we do here, any building or material, will burn. This is not to say that making materials or whatever is wrong. But if we are to seek God’s kingdom, we need to focus on the people who are a part of God’s kingdom, not the material things that seem to be God’s kingdom. A building is just a building. And a church doesn’t need to meet in a million-dollar sanctuary. The early church met in homes. Many churches today meet in businesses or schools. In Mexico, our village has a small church building, but the real ministry takes place in many different homes. So, what I’m saying is that Jesus emphasized giving to people in need, not to programs, buildings or the care and feeding of a non-profit organization.
Rosette: Are you saying that we shouldn’t give to organizations?
Francis: No, because some—relatively a few—organizations make it easier for those who are in need to have their needs met. But we shouldn’t give to organizations that exist for the development of the organization. Rather, we should give to organizations that exist for helping those in need. Or we can give directly to those in need. Most of the time, that’s better.
Rosette: Why is that better?
Francis: Because the money goes directly to those who need it and there’s no chance of it getting caught up in a bureaucracy. Also, there’s no chance of it getting given to those who use the gospel as a means of personal wealth or gain.
Rosette: What do you mean by that?
Francis: I would hope that would be obvious. How many people live lives of wealth and pleasure off of preaching the gospel? Jim Bakker and other television preachers are the most notorious examples. But there are also people who are at the head of non-profit organizations who are supposed to be teaching the gospel to the poor who are living in wealth. And there are how many pastors who go from church to church based on an income/benefits package, without determining whether God has called them to a church or not. I have also heard of a travelling evangelist who agreed to teach the gospel at a particular church in Southern California only if the church agreed to send him and his family to Disneyland. Scripture has some harsh things to say about such people. I Timothy 6 says, “If there is anyone who advocates a different teaching from that of Jesus which is for godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing…but thinks that godliness is a means to great gain.” Such people will be punished. 2 Peter 3 says, “False prophets in their greed will exploit you with false words. And if God did not spare angels when they sinned, or Sodom and Gomorrah when they sinned, then the Lord will keep these ungodly people under judgment.” Even so, those who preach the gospel, demanding wealth and pleasure as their “just income” will reap the benefits on the final day.
Rosette: Does that mean it is wrong to give a person a decent salary for preaching the gospel?
Francis: No, of course not. Paul said that an elder who works hard in preaching and teaching is worthy to have a good income. To have his needs met, at least. However, if a church decides to give a person an income that exceeds his needs and he does not give to the poor, I would question that person’s ability to preach the gospel.
Rosette: Why is that?
Francis: Because he is not living the gospel. Again, the gospel says, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor,” and, “Do not treasure up treasure for yourself on earth.” A teacher of the gospel who disobeys the gospel will be judged—will receive a harsher judgment than those who just listen to it. Those who are unrepentant of their sins against the law of Christ do not make good teachers of that gospel. Well, Rosette, did I answer your question?
Rosette: I’m not sure. What was my question?
Francis: (Laughing) You don’t know?
Rosette: (Thinking) Oh, yes. I wanted to know why you say we should only give to the poor.
Francis: And my answer is that Jesus only commanded us to give to the poor. We should, the Bible says, focus on giving to believers in need or on those who preach the gospel in need, but we should give to those in need.
Maria: Now, wait. I have a question now.
Francis: (Under his breath) Oh oh.
Maria: Why do you focus on giving to those who are believers? Why those who give the gospel? Shouldn’t everyone who is in need be treated equally?
Francis: Well, yes and no.
Maria: Huh? What does that mean?
Francis: We are to help everyone in need, if we can. However, we all have limited resources. And Scripture makes it clear that we are to prioritize those who follow Jesus and are faithful to him, rather than focusing on everyone.
Maria: (Disbelieving) Where does it say that?
Francis: There are two places where it is clear. Paul says in Galatians 6:10—“Do good to all people, especially to those of the household of faith.” And then there is the passage in Luke 16, which I’ve quoted already: “Make friends for yourselves using the wealth of unrighteousness who will welcome you into heavenly dwellings.” Paul is emphasizing giving to everyone, but prioritizing people of faith in Jesus. Jesus is saying to give to the poor who especially will be there in the kingdom to welcome you. At another place, Jesus emphasizes giving to those who preach the gospel.
Maria: But doesn’t Jesus say, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”? Doesn’t he say, “Give to those who ask of you” ? Doesn’t he say, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor” in general, without emphasizing those who are righteous? Doesn’t he say, “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…”?
Francis: Yes, yes, and no. Yes, Jesus certainly taught that we are to help the poor in general, without necessarily emphasizing that they be believers or even righteous. Jesus also says to do good to everyone and give money, “and your reward will be great. You will be sons of the Most High, for He himself is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”
James: Wait, are you saying we should give to people who are evil?
Francis: I’m getting it on all sides. Yes, James, I am. First, let me answer Maria’s question and then I’ll get to yours okay? (Takes a breath.) Okay. So, Maria, Jesus does say that we are to help everyone, according to their need and not by their righteousness. However, there is a priority. Let me clarify my position by looking at the paper I handed out, okay?
(Referring to “To Whom Should We Give?”)
Francis: On the sheet that says, “To whom shall we give?” There is a list of priorities. First of all, we are to give to anyone who is in need, without regard to their righteousness, without regard to what they have done to you. If they have sinned, give to them anyway.
James: I still have a question about that.
Francis: And we will get to that in a minute or so. However, Maria, we do prioritize some people for help above others. Those who are obeying the gospel have a priority on our resources above those who are unbelievers. And those who have sacrificed their regular income to preach the gospel have a priority over those who do not.
Maria: But why? Doesn’t everyone have these needs equally?
Francis: Perhaps so. This is how I understand it. To help the poor in general and to help those who do evil against you—that is obedience to the teaching of Jesus and it is a good thing and you will enter into the kingdom for doing it. However, to help someone who is representing Jesus is an additional act of faith, and you will gain greater reward for helping him. It isn’t that you wouldn’t gain reward for helping the poor, but if you help a believer, you are helping the representative of Jesus—and if you are helping a teacher of the gospel of Jesus, then it is even more so. In that way, you are helping the righteous of Jesus, the brothers of Jesus.
Maria: No, I thought the poor are the brothers of Jesus.
Francis: Many people think that. Let’s look at the passage, because it is very important to understand here. Matthew 25, beginning at verse 31. (Francis looks up the passage and begins to read)
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all of the holy angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
All the nations will be gathered before him (to be judged)
As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
The sheep will be put on the right and the goats on the left.
And the King will say to those on his right:
‘Come, inherit the kingdom, you who are blessed of my Father
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat;
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink;
I was naked and you gave me clothes;
I was a stranger and you invited me in;
I was sick and you came to me;
I was in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him:
‘When did we do these things?’
And the King will answer them,
‘Amen, I say to you, in as much as you have done it to one of these brothers of Mine, even to the least of them, you have done it to Me.’ “
And the passage goes on with the unrighteous who had not done all these things to the King, and they ask “why?” and the King replies, “Because you have not done it to the least of these, you have not done it to me.” And the passage ends with, “And these will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Pretty familiar, I hope?
Maria: Of course
(Rosette and James nod their heads.)
Francis: There are a couple things I want to emphasize. First of all, this passage supports again the rest of Jesus’ teachings which say what we do with our resources determines what we will receive on judgment day.
James: I have heard that this isn’t a description of our judgment, but someone else’s.
Francis: It is the judgment of the “nations” or the “gentiles”. We are gentiles, I think? And it makes sense that we would be judged like this because Jesus made it clear that those who enter the kingdom would give their resources to the poor, especially to believers.
Maria: But the sheep are giving to the poor, right? Any poor, right?
Francis: Not any poor. The poor who could be called Jesus’ brothers. And who are the brothers of Jesus? In Matthew, the only place where this parable is given, there are only two other places where Jesus talks about “my brothers.” In Matthew 28, Jesus speaks about the disciples as his brothers. And in Matthew 12:50, Jesus speaks about the disciples, those who “hear the word of God and do it” as his brothers. Not the poor in general. So, on judgment day, what is most significant? Faithfulness to the King who is currently absent, by providing help to those who represent him, those who are in need and are doing the will of God. Jesus supports this idea in Matthew 10. Jesus is sending out his disciples on a mission and he says, “He who receives you receives me.” And Jesus had already said that those who receive the disciples are those who listen to them and provide them food and boarding during their stay in the town they are ministering in. And Jesus told them, “The worker is worthy of his hire.” Which means that the one who works for the gospel is allowed to have his needs met by the work he does, namely gospel teaching.
Maria: So, what does this mean in reality? If you have two people in front of you and one is a Christian and one is not, then you tell the non-Christian to go away?
Francis: Of course not.
Rosette: Does it mean that if you have limited resources, you should focus the resources on the believer instead of the unbeliever?
Francis: If you can’t help both. Also, Scripture has some people fully provided for by the church, or by certain believers. But the only ones who are helped in this way are people who teach the gospel, or those unable to work, like widows, who have no other means of support, who also have a ministry of helping those in need. So, let me summarize. On the sheet here, you can see, that we are to help everyone in need. But we are to prioritize those who are followers of Jesus. Of the followers of Jesus, we are to prioritize those who preach the gospel. And of those who preach the gospel, we are to prioritize those who are persecuted and who help the poor. That’s talked about in Hebrews 13.
James: I have to say, I like that line of thinking better than what I thought you were saying.
Francis: What did you think I was saying?
James: That we should just be helping everybody, no matter what they do.
Francis: Well, I am not advocating that, but given the right context, I might agree with that statement, too.
James: You seem to be speaking out of both sides of your mouth.
Francis: Then I will try to speak more clearly. Scripture says that if a believer is in a lifestyle of sin, then we should not help them. I think the passage, “If anyone does not work, he will not eat” should sound familiar?
Chuck: (Grunts affirmation.)
James: Yes. I must say, Frank, I have been concerned about your ministry to the homeless at times because I felt that it was encouraging people to live without jobs. And, of course, since Scripture says if you don’t work, you won’t eat, then if you were feeding people who didn’t have jobs, weren’t you going against what Scripture says?
Francis: Two things I need to say to that. And I am only going to clarify what this Scripture says, not defend my church among the homeless. First of all, Paul does not say, “If anyone doesn’t have a job, they won’t eat.” It says, “If anyone doesn’t work, they won’t eat.” Working means doing what you can to make a living. If that living is going around at 5 in the morning for four hours a day collecting cans to live off of the deposit, that is working. If it is doing yard work for whatever you can make, that is working. If it is volunteering at a soup kitchen or a benevolence ministry so you can have food that day, that is working. Paul didn’t speak of a “job” as we understand it in modern-day United States.
James: Well, if you don’t have a job, you can’t make a living, I don’t think.
Francis: Most people in the world would disagree with you. It may not be much of a living by the standards most Americans uphold, but it allows for one to have food and warmth. That’s good enough. My second point on the passage in II Thessalonians 3 is that those whom Paul was speaking to were clearly believers. He mentions it a few times in the passage: “keep away from every brother”; “some among you are living an undisciplined life”; “do not treat them as an enemy but admonish them as a brother”. Why does he emphasize this so much? Because he makes a clear distinction between disciplining or judging those of the world and those of the church. Let’s look at I Corinthians 5.
Rosette: Well, we shouldn’t judge anyone. Jesus said, “Judge not lest you be judged.”
Francis: Yes, Jesus did say that, but he also said that those in the church needed to be disciplined in sin. And this is the context that Paul is speaking about. Starting at verse 9, Paul says, “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous…” and here he goes through a list of sins. So he makes it clear here that judging—or discipline— should not be done against someone who is outside the church. And what does he say is the kind of judging or discipline we should be giving to believers who have a sinful lifestyle? We should “not even to eat with such a one.” This is pretty much what he said in I Thessalonians 3. If a person won’t work, if they are living a lifestyle of idleness, then they won’t eat—with who? With the church, which is where they are getting their food. That’s the discipline the Lord gives him. Then Paul continues, “ For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” Again, Paul makes a distinction between the believer who will not receive benevolence from the church—literally food—because they are living an unrighteous lifestyle, and an unbeliever who might gain some food from believers, even if he is unrighteous. I think Paul makes that distinction because Jesus makes that distinction.
James: What if someone has been irresponsible and so gotten into poverty that way?
Francis: To be honest, James, most people who are poor are that way. At least they might be unwise. Or they might be mentally ill in some way. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t help them. Jesus’ command is still firm. We need to give to those in need. If a follower of Jesus was irresponsible and they got in a bad situation that way, then you can help them if they are repentant. If they are not, then the believer needs to be confronted on their sin. But if an unbeliever was irresponsible in their actions and so ended up in a bad situation, you might want to talk to them about their responsibility, but you can’t expect them to change without Christ. I always speak to people about their sins that cause their problems and I speak about the solution, Jesus. And I help them, if I can. I still follow my priorities—believers who are faithful to Jesus come first, but I help unbelievers if I can.
Rosette: I do have a question. I know that you said you wanted to speak for a bit, but it seems like it is appropriate to ask this question here.
Francis: (Shrugs nonchalantly) Go ahead.
Rosette: Well, I just wanted to know why you emphasize giving to the poor so much. I mean, we want to give to those in need, don’t get me wrong, but don’t we want to be building the kingdom with what resources we have? I mean, we want to do everything we can to help the church, don’t we? And isn’t that more important than helping those in need?
Francis: Why do you think that?
Rosette: Well, the spiritual is more important than the worldly, isn’t it? Doesn’t Paul say, “The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy” ? And doesn’t Jesus say that God will take care of our food and clothing, but we need to “seek the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you as well.”
Francis: Good, very good. However, what both Paul and Jesus are speaking about is not looking to meet our own needs, but providing for others. When Jesus is speaking about seeking the kingdom and not clothing in Luke 12, he is saying that seeking the kingdom is selling your possessions and giving to the poor. That is his definition of it. That is why he tells us not to worry about food and clothing, because we’ve given away all of our extra to provide for the poor! And Paul is speaking of a circumstance where people are causing others to sin for the sake of having particular food or drink. And Paul is emphasizing that it isn’t the freedom to have food or drink or fasting from it that the kingdom of God emphasizes, but to love others in righteousness. So Paul is recommending that if eating something causes someone to sin, it is better not to eat.
Rosette: But still, isn’t it better to focus on people’s spiritual needs first, and then their physical needs.
Francis: I understand what you are saying—that the spiritual needs of people are greater than their physical ones. And I think I understand what you are implying—that we should be giving to those who give the gospel, not to those who offer benevolence to the poor.
Rosette: Well, I’m not saying we shouldn’t give to those who help the poor at all. But I think the emphasis should be on those who give the gospel.
Francis: I would agree, but I might apply it in a different way than you would think. If you look on my sheet, you can see that I say that we need to give to the poor. That means, we need to give to those people who are in need. If they don’t need something, we don’t need to give.
James: What kind of needs?
Francis: Paul talks about food and clothing. I think warmth beyond clothing is necessary, some kind of shelter. Also we need to provide people with what they need in order to be righteous. Sometimes we need to provide work, sometimes we need to provide Bibles, sometimes we need to provide time and energy to disciple someone. Whatever will help someone understand and live out the gospel.
James: Okay.
Rosette: That’s fine, but building the kingdom of God requires more than just the basic necessities for individuals. There are youth programs, Sunday school materials, buildings, videos, books, study materials and more.
Francis: This is what I wondered about. When you say, “building the kingdom of God,” you really mean building the church, right?
Rosette: I don’t know what you mean…
Francis: Well, Jesus said to seek the kingdom of God. And he said to give to those who would welcome you into heavenly dwellings. But he didn’t say to create the kingdom of God on earth. God will do that. Anything that we do here, any building or material, will burn. This is not to say that making materials or whatever is wrong. But if we are to seek God’s kingdom, we need to focus on the people who are a part of God’s kingdom, not the material things that seem to be God’s kingdom. A building is just a building. And a church doesn’t need to meet in a million-dollar sanctuary. The early church met in homes. Many churches today meet in businesses or schools. In Mexico, our village has a small church building, but the real ministry takes place in many different homes. So, what I’m saying is that Jesus emphasized giving to people in need, not to programs, buildings or the care and feeding of a non-profit organization.
Rosette: Are you saying that we shouldn’t give to organizations?
Francis: No, because some—relatively a few—organizations make it easier for those who are in need to have their needs met. But we shouldn’t give to organizations that exist for the development of the organization. Rather, we should give to organizations that exist for helping those in need. Or we can give directly to those in need. Most of the time, that’s better.
Rosette: Why is that better?
Francis: Because the money goes directly to those who need it and there’s no chance of it getting caught up in a bureaucracy. Also, there’s no chance of it getting given to those who use the gospel as a means of personal wealth or gain.
Rosette: What do you mean by that?
Francis: I would hope that would be obvious. How many people live lives of wealth and pleasure off of preaching the gospel? Jim Bakker and other television preachers are the most notorious examples. But there are also people who are at the head of non-profit organizations who are supposed to be teaching the gospel to the poor who are living in wealth. And there are how many pastors who go from church to church based on an income/benefits package, without determining whether God has called them to a church or not. I have also heard of a travelling evangelist who agreed to teach the gospel at a particular church in Southern California only if the church agreed to send him and his family to Disneyland. Scripture has some harsh things to say about such people. I Timothy 6 says, “If there is anyone who advocates a different teaching from that of Jesus which is for godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing…but thinks that godliness is a means to great gain.” Such people will be punished. 2 Peter 3 says, “False prophets in their greed will exploit you with false words. And if God did not spare angels when they sinned, or Sodom and Gomorrah when they sinned, then the Lord will keep these ungodly people under judgment.” Even so, those who preach the gospel, demanding wealth and pleasure as their “just income” will reap the benefits on the final day.
Rosette: Does that mean it is wrong to give a person a decent salary for preaching the gospel?
Francis: No, of course not. Paul said that an elder who works hard in preaching and teaching is worthy to have a good income. To have his needs met, at least. However, if a church decides to give a person an income that exceeds his needs and he does not give to the poor, I would question that person’s ability to preach the gospel.
Rosette: Why is that?
Francis: Because he is not living the gospel. Again, the gospel says, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor,” and, “Do not treasure up treasure for yourself on earth.” A teacher of the gospel who disobeys the gospel will be judged—will receive a harsher judgment than those who just listen to it. Those who are unrepentant of their sins against the law of Christ do not make good teachers of that gospel. Well, Rosette, did I answer your question?
Rosette: I’m not sure. What was my question?
Francis: (Laughing) You don’t know?
Rosette: (Thinking) Oh, yes. I wanted to know why you say we should only give to the poor.
Francis: And my answer is that Jesus only commanded us to give to the poor. We should, the Bible says, focus on giving to believers in need or on those who preach the gospel in need, but we should give to those in need.
Maria: Now, wait. I have a question now.
Francis: (Under his breath) Oh oh.
Maria: Why do you focus on giving to those who are believers? Why those who give the gospel? Shouldn’t everyone who is in need be treated equally?
Francis: Well, yes and no.
Maria: Huh? What does that mean?
Francis: We are to help everyone in need, if we can. However, we all have limited resources. And Scripture makes it clear that we are to prioritize those who follow Jesus and are faithful to him, rather than focusing on everyone.
Maria: (Disbelieving) Where does it say that?
Francis: There are two places where it is clear. Paul says in Galatians 6:10—“Do good to all people, especially to those of the household of faith.” And then there is the passage in Luke 16, which I’ve quoted already: “Make friends for yourselves using the wealth of unrighteousness who will welcome you into heavenly dwellings.” Paul is emphasizing giving to everyone, but prioritizing people of faith in Jesus. Jesus is saying to give to the poor who especially will be there in the kingdom to welcome you. At another place, Jesus emphasizes giving to those who preach the gospel.
Maria: But doesn’t Jesus say, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”? Doesn’t he say, “Give to those who ask of you” ? Doesn’t he say, “Sell your possessions and give to the poor” in general, without emphasizing those who are righteous? Doesn’t he say, “I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me drink…”?
Francis: Yes, yes, and no. Yes, Jesus certainly taught that we are to help the poor in general, without necessarily emphasizing that they be believers or even righteous. Jesus also says to do good to everyone and give money, “and your reward will be great. You will be sons of the Most High, for He himself is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”
James: Wait, are you saying we should give to people who are evil?
Francis: I’m getting it on all sides. Yes, James, I am. First, let me answer Maria’s question and then I’ll get to yours okay? (Takes a breath.) Okay. So, Maria, Jesus does say that we are to help everyone, according to their need and not by their righteousness. However, there is a priority. Let me clarify my position by looking at the paper I handed out, okay?
(Referring to “To Whom Should We Give?”)
Francis: On the sheet that says, “To whom shall we give?” There is a list of priorities. First of all, we are to give to anyone who is in need, without regard to their righteousness, without regard to what they have done to you. If they have sinned, give to them anyway.
James: I still have a question about that.
Francis: And we will get to that in a minute or so. However, Maria, we do prioritize some people for help above others. Those who are obeying the gospel have a priority on our resources above those who are unbelievers. And those who have sacrificed their regular income to preach the gospel have a priority over those who do not.
Maria: But why? Doesn’t everyone have these needs equally?
Francis: Perhaps so. This is how I understand it. To help the poor in general and to help those who do evil against you—that is obedience to the teaching of Jesus and it is a good thing and you will enter into the kingdom for doing it. However, to help someone who is representing Jesus is an additional act of faith, and you will gain greater reward for helping him. It isn’t that you wouldn’t gain reward for helping the poor, but if you help a believer, you are helping the representative of Jesus—and if you are helping a teacher of the gospel of Jesus, then it is even more so. In that way, you are helping the righteous of Jesus, the brothers of Jesus.
Maria: No, I thought the poor are the brothers of Jesus.
Francis: Many people think that. Let’s look at the passage, because it is very important to understand here. Matthew 25, beginning at verse 31. (Francis looks up the passage and begins to read)
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all of the holy angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
All the nations will be gathered before him (to be judged)
As a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
The sheep will be put on the right and the goats on the left.
And the King will say to those on his right:
‘Come, inherit the kingdom, you who are blessed of my Father
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat;
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink;
I was naked and you gave me clothes;
I was a stranger and you invited me in;
I was sick and you came to me;
I was in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him:
‘When did we do these things?’
And the King will answer them,
‘Amen, I say to you, in as much as you have done it to one of these brothers of Mine, even to the least of them, you have done it to Me.’ “
And the passage goes on with the unrighteous who had not done all these things to the King, and they ask “why?” and the King replies, “Because you have not done it to the least of these, you have not done it to me.” And the passage ends with, “And these will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.” Pretty familiar, I hope?
Maria: Of course
(Rosette and James nod their heads.)
Francis: There are a couple things I want to emphasize. First of all, this passage supports again the rest of Jesus’ teachings which say what we do with our resources determines what we will receive on judgment day.
James: I have heard that this isn’t a description of our judgment, but someone else’s.
Francis: It is the judgment of the “nations” or the “gentiles”. We are gentiles, I think? And it makes sense that we would be judged like this because Jesus made it clear that those who enter the kingdom would give their resources to the poor, especially to believers.
Maria: But the sheep are giving to the poor, right? Any poor, right?
Francis: Not any poor. The poor who could be called Jesus’ brothers. And who are the brothers of Jesus? In Matthew, the only place where this parable is given, there are only two other places where Jesus talks about “my brothers.” In Matthew 28, Jesus speaks about the disciples as his brothers. And in Matthew 12:50, Jesus speaks about the disciples, those who “hear the word of God and do it” as his brothers. Not the poor in general. So, on judgment day, what is most significant? Faithfulness to the King who is currently absent, by providing help to those who represent him, those who are in need and are doing the will of God. Jesus supports this idea in Matthew 10. Jesus is sending out his disciples on a mission and he says, “He who receives you receives me.” And Jesus had already said that those who receive the disciples are those who listen to them and provide them food and boarding during their stay in the town they are ministering in. And Jesus told them, “The worker is worthy of his hire.” Which means that the one who works for the gospel is allowed to have his needs met by the work he does, namely gospel teaching.
Maria: So, what does this mean in reality? If you have two people in front of you and one is a Christian and one is not, then you tell the non-Christian to go away?
Francis: Of course not.
Rosette: Does it mean that if you have limited resources, you should focus the resources on the believer instead of the unbeliever?
Francis: If you can’t help both. Also, Scripture has some people fully provided for by the church, or by certain believers. But the only ones who are helped in this way are people who teach the gospel, or those unable to work, like widows, who have no other means of support, who also have a ministry of helping those in need. So, let me summarize. On the sheet here, you can see, that we are to help everyone in need. But we are to prioritize those who are followers of Jesus. Of the followers of Jesus, we are to prioritize those who preach the gospel. And of those who preach the gospel, we are to prioritize those who are persecuted and who help the poor. That’s talked about in Hebrews 13.
James: I have to say, I like that line of thinking better than what I thought you were saying.
Francis: What did you think I was saying?
James: That we should just be helping everybody, no matter what they do.
Francis: Well, I am not advocating that, but given the right context, I might agree with that statement, too.
James: You seem to be speaking out of both sides of your mouth.
Francis: Then I will try to speak more clearly. Scripture says that if a believer is in a lifestyle of sin, then we should not help them. I think the passage, “If anyone does not work, he will not eat” should sound familiar?
Chuck: (Grunts affirmation.)
James: Yes. I must say, Frank, I have been concerned about your ministry to the homeless at times because I felt that it was encouraging people to live without jobs. And, of course, since Scripture says if you don’t work, you won’t eat, then if you were feeding people who didn’t have jobs, weren’t you going against what Scripture says?
Francis: Two things I need to say to that. And I am only going to clarify what this Scripture says, not defend my church among the homeless. First of all, Paul does not say, “If anyone doesn’t have a job, they won’t eat.” It says, “If anyone doesn’t work, they won’t eat.” Working means doing what you can to make a living. If that living is going around at 5 in the morning for four hours a day collecting cans to live off of the deposit, that is working. If it is doing yard work for whatever you can make, that is working. If it is volunteering at a soup kitchen or a benevolence ministry so you can have food that day, that is working. Paul didn’t speak of a “job” as we understand it in modern-day United States.
James: Well, if you don’t have a job, you can’t make a living, I don’t think.
Francis: Most people in the world would disagree with you. It may not be much of a living by the standards most Americans uphold, but it allows for one to have food and warmth. That’s good enough. My second point on the passage in II Thessalonians 3 is that those whom Paul was speaking to were clearly believers. He mentions it a few times in the passage: “keep away from every brother”; “some among you are living an undisciplined life”; “do not treat them as an enemy but admonish them as a brother”. Why does he emphasize this so much? Because he makes a clear distinction between disciplining or judging those of the world and those of the church. Let’s look at I Corinthians 5.
Rosette: Well, we shouldn’t judge anyone. Jesus said, “Judge not lest you be judged.”
Francis: Yes, Jesus did say that, but he also said that those in the church needed to be disciplined in sin. And this is the context that Paul is speaking about. Starting at verse 9, Paul says, “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous…” and here he goes through a list of sins. So he makes it clear here that judging—or discipline— should not be done against someone who is outside the church. And what does he say is the kind of judging or discipline we should be giving to believers who have a sinful lifestyle? We should “not even to eat with such a one.” This is pretty much what he said in I Thessalonians 3. If a person won’t work, if they are living a lifestyle of idleness, then they won’t eat—with who? With the church, which is where they are getting their food. That’s the discipline the Lord gives him. Then Paul continues, “ For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” Again, Paul makes a distinction between the believer who will not receive benevolence from the church—literally food—because they are living an unrighteous lifestyle, and an unbeliever who might gain some food from believers, even if he is unrighteous. I think Paul makes that distinction because Jesus makes that distinction.
James: What if someone has been irresponsible and so gotten into poverty that way?
Francis: To be honest, James, most people who are poor are that way. At least they might be unwise. Or they might be mentally ill in some way. That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t help them. Jesus’ command is still firm. We need to give to those in need. If a follower of Jesus was irresponsible and they got in a bad situation that way, then you can help them if they are repentant. If they are not, then the believer needs to be confronted on their sin. But if an unbeliever was irresponsible in their actions and so ended up in a bad situation, you might want to talk to them about their responsibility, but you can’t expect them to change without Christ. I always speak to people about their sins that cause their problems and I speak about the solution, Jesus. And I help them, if I can. I still follow my priorities—believers who are faithful to Jesus come first, but I help unbelievers if I can.
No Middle Way
"Either therefore you must so far renounce your Christianity as to say that you need never perform any of these good works of Charity, or you must own that you are to perform them all your life in as high a degree as possible. There is no middle way to be taken..."
-William Law, A Serious Call To A Devout and Holy Life
-William Law, A Serious Call To A Devout and Holy Life
Love of Money
"If a man does not refrain from love of money, he will be contaminated by idolatry and will be judged as though he were one of the Gentiles who know not the judgment of the Lord."
-Polycarp to the Phillipians 11:2
-Polycarp to the Phillipians 11:2
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