“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income.” – 1 Corinthians 16:2
Whoa! Where did that sudden shift in gears come from?
The Apostle Paul ends 1 Corinthians 15 with a beautiful climax: “Death has been swallowed up in victory…. Therefore, my dear brothers…. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (vs. 54-58).
Then, on the heels of this uplifting teaching about the resurrection, Paul begins chapter 16: “Now about the collection for God’s people” (v.1). What?
Well, Paul did move from subject to subject rather abruptly at times. But I think Paul’s teaching at the end of chapter 15 drives what he says in the first few verses of chapter 16. Because our “labor in the Lord is not in vain,” we must give generously to Christians in need.
In the first few verses of 1 Corinthians 16, we can find 4 biblical principles for Christian giving:
Principle #1: Offerings should be given on the Lord’s Day as an act of worship (v .2). In this verse, Paul tells the Corinthians to “set aside” a certain amount of money on the first day of the week (Sunday). Across the world, Christians gather on the Lord’s Day to take communion, pray, sing songs of praise and study God’s Word. But it’s not true worship if you’re just receiving. So, giving an offering is one of the beautiful ways that Christians worship God on The Lord’s Day.
Principle #2: “Each” Christian should give an offering (v. 2 & 2 Cor. 9:7). Notice these four little words that Paul uses in verse 2: “each one of you.” When Paul wrote these words, he wasn’t just talking to the Christians with full-time jobs and 401K plans. He was talking to EVERY Christian. Never forget: All that you have in your possession has been given to you by God. And He has given you the privilege of giving some of what you have to Christians who have even less than you do. It’s not just rich Christians who have the privilege of giving; broke Christians can give too!
Principle #3: The amount of your offering should be in proportion to your income (v. 2). Nowhere in the New Testament do Jesus or His apostles REQUIRE every Christian to give a certain dollar amount, or even a certain percentage, to the church. You won’t find a “Thou shalt tithe 10%” command. Do I think tithing 10% is a good practice for all Christians? Yes, I do. But the fact remains: In the New Testament, God doesn’t tell Christians to give 10%. Instead, He calls you to give on the Lord’s Day as part of your worship – and He wants you to give in proportion to your income, from the heart, as the Holy Spirit leads you to give.
Principle #4: It is good and proper to support needy Christians in other congregations (vs. 1 and 3). Because our labor in the Lord is not in vain, Paul tells the Corinthian church to take up an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem, where poverty and unemployment were rampant. To this day, one of the best things the Church does is to bless Christians on the other side of the world. We are most like Jesus when we are making sacrifices and giving to “the least of these,” knowing that they’ll never be able to pay us back.
The Apostle Paul ends 1 Corinthians 15 with a beautiful climax: “Death has been swallowed up in victory…. Therefore, my dear brothers…. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (vs. 54-58).
Then, on the heels of this uplifting teaching about the resurrection, Paul begins chapter 16: “Now about the collection for God’s people” (v.1). What?
Well, Paul did move from subject to subject rather abruptly at times. But I think Paul’s teaching at the end of chapter 15 drives what he says in the first few verses of chapter 16. Because our “labor in the Lord is not in vain,” we must give generously to Christians in need.
In the first few verses of 1 Corinthians 16, we can find 4 biblical principles for Christian giving:
Principle #1: Offerings should be given on the Lord’s Day as an act of worship (v .2). In this verse, Paul tells the Corinthians to “set aside” a certain amount of money on the first day of the week (Sunday). Across the world, Christians gather on the Lord’s Day to take communion, pray, sing songs of praise and study God’s Word. But it’s not true worship if you’re just receiving. So, giving an offering is one of the beautiful ways that Christians worship God on The Lord’s Day.
Principle #2: “Each” Christian should give an offering (v. 2 & 2 Cor. 9:7). Notice these four little words that Paul uses in verse 2: “each one of you.” When Paul wrote these words, he wasn’t just talking to the Christians with full-time jobs and 401K plans. He was talking to EVERY Christian. Never forget: All that you have in your possession has been given to you by God. And He has given you the privilege of giving some of what you have to Christians who have even less than you do. It’s not just rich Christians who have the privilege of giving; broke Christians can give too!
Principle #3: The amount of your offering should be in proportion to your income (v. 2). Nowhere in the New Testament do Jesus or His apostles REQUIRE every Christian to give a certain dollar amount, or even a certain percentage, to the church. You won’t find a “Thou shalt tithe 10%” command. Do I think tithing 10% is a good practice for all Christians? Yes, I do. But the fact remains: In the New Testament, God doesn’t tell Christians to give 10%. Instead, He calls you to give on the Lord’s Day as part of your worship – and He wants you to give in proportion to your income, from the heart, as the Holy Spirit leads you to give.
Principle #4: It is good and proper to support needy Christians in other congregations (vs. 1 and 3). Because our labor in the Lord is not in vain, Paul tells the Corinthian church to take up an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem, where poverty and unemployment were rampant. To this day, one of the best things the Church does is to bless Christians on the other side of the world. We are most like Jesus when we are making sacrifices and giving to “the least of these,” knowing that they’ll never be able to pay us back.
Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in
Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services at 9am: at 17746 George
Blvd. in Victorville, or at 9 a.m. on Facebook Live or YouTube. For more
information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.
