Treasures New and Old

Christian Convictions: Finances – Giving Principles

-Author unknown

Money! Money! Money!

Why, isn’t money the root of all evil? An unfortunate and devious misquote. The actual verse is:

1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

But the words “the root” is actually one Greek word, and it is noun nominative singular feminine and can also be translated “a root” (Gilbrant, Complete Biblical Library Interlinear Bible).

So the verse could just as easily be read:

1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is [a] root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

Now let’s take the entire passage so that we don’t pull the one verse out of context:

1 Timothy 6:6-12:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this  world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that well be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrow. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

The lessons are as follows:

• Godliness and contentment go together.
• Food and clothing are sufficient for contentment (and not the accumulation of clothing either!).
• Wealth accumulation can’t be carried into eternity.
• The rich are particularly vulnerable to the snares of wealth – get more and more and more . . .
• Money is not a root of evil, the love of money is a root of evil (and pride, lust, etc.).
• The love of money pulls one from godliness and faithfulness. It changes your focus from God (the giver of every good gift) to man and material things.
• Concentrate on fighting the good fight of faith.
• Follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.
• We are to flee this serious temptation. Note – not resist, but flee as one should flee youthful lusts. Why? Because they are uncontrollable and will devour you.
• Focus on and don’t take your eyes off the work and benefits of eternal life where you are called.

Money is simply an easy mode of exchange between parties (people, groups, governments, etc.). Getting money and using money with the proper godly attitude is okay, and we need to remember to be good stewards of the money God allows us to have. Easier than trading cows and chickens for grain, or a plow, etc.

What Does the Bible Say about Giving?

God allows us to “get” money through our work, investments, sale of things, etc. But what do we do with that money? Besides food, clothing, and shelter all else is above and beyond what should make us content. Yet I see most people have a lot of extras in life: cars, phones, electronics, entertainment goods, and a lot more. I also note that so many have great debt because where, say, a small house would be sufficient, a much bigger, nicer house was sought. Not a VW but a Lexus was “needed”, and so on.

But a large part of what God desires to see in us whom God has blessed with an abundance of wealth (and don’t think that means only millionaires qualify – anyone, even the widow with two mites (all she had – Luke 21:2-4)) can give back to the Lord what He has actually given us.

Examine a few more verses about giving:

Exodus 22:22: “Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.”

Exodus 22:25: “If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.”

Deuteronomy 23:19: “Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury.”

Deuteronomy 24:20: “When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.”

Proverbs 22:1: “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.”

Psalm 49:10-12: “For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue forever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. Nevertheless man being in honor abideth not: he is like the beast that perish.”

Malachi 3:5: “And I will come near to you to judgement; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Matthew 19:21: “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.”

Luke 3:14: “And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.”

Luke 12:33: “Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens, that faileth not, where not thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.”

Acts 4:34: “Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands of houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,”

Acts 6:1: “And in those days, when the number of the disciples were multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.”

Acts 20:35: “I have showed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, an to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

1 Timothy 5:3: “Honor widows that are widows indeed.”

1 Timothy 6:17-19: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded; nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

James 1:27: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

1 John 2:15-17: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

What about Tithing?

So many say that we under the age of grace do not have the tithe, that tithing was so Old Testament and part of the law. We are not under the law but under grace and, therefore, if we give, we do so freely and not under compulsion. That is true. There were three tithes in the OT: one for the temple, one for the priests, and one for the government. (Of course Greek, Roman, Babylonian rule forced taxes even higher). With the exception of the one verse in Malachi, the following verses are all from the New Testament. They are about giving and the importance and benefits of abundant giving – read that – beyond the tithe. These are but a few of the many verses in the New Testament regarding giving . . .

Malachi 3:10: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Matthew 6:1-4: “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right had doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”

Matthew 5:42: “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him would borrow of thee turn not thou away.”

Matthew 10:42: “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

Matthew 23:23: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”

Matthew 25:31-36:

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Mark 12:41-44: “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.”

Luke 3:11: “He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.”

Luke 6:30: “Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.”

Luke 6:38: “Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Luke 14:12-14: “Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.”

Luke 21:1-4: “And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.”

Acts 2:44-45: “And all that believed were together, and had all things common, And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”

Romans 12:8, 13: “Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Distributing to the necessity of saint; given to hospitality.”

1 Corinthians 16:1-2: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

2 Corinthians 8:14-15: “But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance 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.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-7: “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;  and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:12-13: “For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saint, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; While by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men,”

Galatians 6:6-10: “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Hebrews 13:16: “But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”

James 2:15-16: “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”

1 John 3:17: “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

• Tithing is not required in the New Testament -the covenant of grace, but abundant giving is.
• Great benefits accrue to those who give freely and abundantly.
• You can’t out give God.
• Money is not evil, but the love of money is.

Maranatha!

May God bless you all!

Bro. Joe

Gilbrant, T. The Complete Biblical Library Interlinear Bible. World Library Press. (2020). Wordsearch Bible. [computer software]. Nashville, TN: LifeWay Christian Resources. (Original work published 1990)

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