The Collection for the Saints
A subject of some tabu in modern Christianity and in most churches is that of money. Where does it go? Why do we give? Do those who give more get more? First we should understand the collection for the saints has nothing to do with tithe. Tithe was an offering during the Temple days and only during the Temple days. Tithing was not done with money, it was only done with farm products. It did not apply to all the people, but only the farmers. It only applied to people in the land of Israel and no other place. Yeshua paid once and for all. We are saved by grace through faith that is the gift of God. No one can be our high priest but Yeshua, and no one can get us into heaven but Him.
Yeshua speaks about giving tithe 2 times in the New Testament, both are negative statements. He speaks about giving alms 6 times and it is all positive. Alms is given to people. Tribute and tithe is given to institutions. Yeshua implies that the children of the kingdom do not owe tribute to the kingdom of God in Matthew 17:25 "He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? 26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free." Matthew 22:19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny. 20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? 21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
Since the Lord began His ministry on earth, the Kingdom of God no longer resides in institutions on earth, but in individuals scattered among the nations. Luke 17:20, "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
When the Lord said "sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth", Luke 12:33, He means give your money directly to people who need it. He does not mean us to support large, misdirected organizations. Those large organizations are the ones Peter is speaking of in II Peter Chapter 2, "And through covetousness shall they with feigned (deceptive) words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not."
A First Century document called Teachings of the Apostles has this to say about giving:
1:16 Blessed is he that giveth
according to the commandment;
1:17 for he is guiltless.
1:18 Woe to him that receiveth;
1:19 for, if a man receiveth having need, he is guiltless;
1:20 but he that hath no need shall give satisfaction why and
wherefore he received;
1:21 and being put in confinement he shall be examined concerning
the deeds that he hath done, and {he shall not come out thence
until he hath given back the last farthing.}
1:22 Yea, as touching this also it is said;
1:23 {Let thine alms sweat into thine hands, until thou shalt
have learnt to whom to give.}
Paul tells the church at Galatia they should lay up in store as God had prospered them so the collection would be ready when he arrived. He was going to use the money to help other poor believers, not to gain wealth for himself. Again, he writes giving advice to the Corinthians, telling them if they have good intentions they should follow it with action. He is saying intentions are only good if they are performed, and the object of the collection for the saints is to reach a balance of equality. "But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance also may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack." II Cor. 8: 14-15. Here Paul alludes to an example of this equality by quoting a verse from Exodus 16:18, when Israel was wondering in the desert and God fed them with manna. When the people gathered the manna given by God, every person had what they could use and nothing more. God was very specific about gathering too much, and warned Moses against it. Exodus 16:17, "And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating." Paul is trying to point out when God led the people, they shared what they had. "And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack". In other words, when they measured it with a liter bowl, those who had much gave to those who had little, so there was nothing over and no one lacked.
It is ok to live of the gospel, however, as long as one does not abuse the privilege. Nowadays abuse is rampant and we often see preachers making more money than most people in the congregation. When Paul gives permission in 1 Corinthians 9:12 He is not speaking about storing up money in the bank against God or living in luxury, "If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void." Notice his analogy of the ox treading out the corn. He says it's ok for the ox to eat the corn, he does not say the ox can carry it away in sacks.
The clearest thing about the collection for the saints, besides the obvious name of it, is that Paul intends it to be used to bring equality among the rich and poor saints. Paul knew the Old Testament better than we and he would never have accepted a gift, much less a salary, against the will of God. He told the Corinthians he would be justified in sharing their resources because he was sharing better things with them. Yet, he also said to the Corinthians, 2Cor12:17 "Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 18. I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?" Here Paul defines his intentions to not use the gospel to make gain. Making a gain through God's business is not a new idea. "And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverth the words of the righteous." Ex. 23:8
Micha 3: 9-12, "Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest."
2Chronicles 19:7 "Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts."
Yeshua said, "Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees; hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. "Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees; hypocrites! for ye devour widow's houses, and for a pretense make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Matthew 23: 13-14
Yeshua said to the disciples, "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8
If we take these verses at face value, they are in harmony with all the other scripture concerning God's attitude toward money like;
Yeshua turns the tables MT 21:12
hardly will a rich man enter heaven...Lk18:24
choked with cares and riches...Lk 8:14;
Ye cannot serve God and mammon...Lk 16:13
For the love of money is the root of all evil 1Ti 6:10
The kingdom is not progressed by money, it is progressed by the kind of love Christ displayed on the cross, and Not the thing called love nowadays that's actually a kind of vain wanting or lusting.
Whatever He considered virtue in the Old Testament is the same today. God would rather have obedience than sacrifice. In fact, there is nothing we can give Him now that will replace obedience. Yeshua made the sacrifice for us once and for all. All we can do to please the Lord now, is obey His commandments.
Paid Clergy? Or not.
Paul, speaking about the other disciples said, "In nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles" IICor. 12:11.
Yeshua charged the disciples that none should rule over others as the pagans do. "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise dominion over them, but it shall not be so among you" Mk. 10: 35-43.
Speaking about relationships, again Yeshua describes the idea of equality in his church. "Call ye no man master... for one is your Master, even Christ" and "all ye are brethren" Matt. 23:4-10.
From these verses it is clear Yeshua never intended to have a paid clergy, and during the time of the early church it was not so. God does not change his mind about how he wants us to act. God never intended his business to be reduced to a mere job or profession and it is clearly not to be used to make a profit in money. He hates that.
As for clergy, we cannot pay someone else to do what is our responsibility toward God. We are all personally responsible, in his words, 'To whom much is given, much will be required.' The 'much' refers to understanding - not wealth. It's like G.K Chesterton said in his famous quote:
"Christianity has not been tried and found wanting - it has been found difficult and not tried."
The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Ron Cash