Proper Use of the Church Treasury
It is proper and perfectly Scriptural for Christians in a community to put money in a common fund. There has never been a great deal of disagreement among brethren over this matter. Christians generally agree that it is right to contribute to a general fund to take care of mutual obligations and opportunities.
The problems arise over what this congregational money, once it has been contributed, can or cannot be used for. What can money in the ’Church Treasury’ be spent for? It is safe to say that few questions have ever been the occasion for more conversation, controversy and division than this one.
Like all things which pertain to the Church, I believe that we can avoid a lot of controversy and disagreements if we are willing to conform our conduct to the commands and the examples provided in the inspired Word of the New Testament.
It is my intent, at this time, to examine how the early Church used the money in the common fund or, as we call it today, the ’Church Treasury’.
I.Money Collected was from the Saints for the Saints.
The first point that we need to note is that the money collected was from the saints for the saints. There is no command nor example to be found in Scripture of a congregation’s resources or treasury being used or distributed to non-Christians.
In every instance, where the church treasury is dispensed, it is always an instance where the saints are the recipients of the funds. This is not surprising when we consider that the Apostle Paul refers to it, in 1 Corinthians 16:1 as "the collection FOR the saints".
A.) We have examples of a local congregation’s funds being given to those within that local congregation. Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-37; 6:1; 1 Timothy 5:9-18.
B.) We have examples of congregations giving funds directly to other needy congregations. Acts 11:27-30; Romans 15:25-26.
C.) We have congregations giving funding-support to preachers of the Gospel. 2 Corinthians 11:8.
The New Testament provides the clear pattern of the Church’s treasury funds being used exclusively for the needs of members of the Church, whether they be near or far.
We do not have Scriptural sanction for distributing funds to meet the needs of non-Christians. Non-Christians are to be assisted out of the Christian’s personal finances.
2.Worthy Recipients of Church Funds.
We now want to turn our attention to answering the question: What Christians are worthy to receive funds from the Church? In studying the Scriptures, I find three classes of believers who deserve funds from the Church. They are: the destitute, congregational bishops or elders, and preachers of the Gospel.
A.) The destitute.
The most common examples found in Scripture of the dispersal of congregational funds was assistance to Christians who were in poverty; that is, without the basic necessities of life.
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, as every man had need."
Acts 4:34-35, "Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid [them] down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need."
The word translated "need" in these two passages is the Greek ’chreia’. The more precise meaning of this word, according to Vine and Thayer, is: "destitution; the condition of one deprived of those things which he is scarcely able to do without; in want of one’s necessities."
We see that the congregation was providing for the basic necessities of life. The brethren who received assistance were absolutely destitute.
Several years later, in the midst of a famine in Judea, the entire congregation in Jerusalem found itself in this condition. Romans 15:26, "For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem."
The Greek word translated "poor" is ptochos. Again, according to Vine and Thayer, this word means "poverty-stricken; to be in the straits of a beggar."
Paul, in 2 Corinthians 9:12, states that that particular contribution was to meet the "the want of the saints" there in Jerusalem. The word translated "want" is the Greek husterema which means ’destitution, poverty’.
The examples we have are church funds being used to meet the absolute basic needs of destitute Christians. This is important to understand because, I’m afraid, we carelessly disperse the Lord’s money to people who are no where close to being in need of basic necessities.
We get some other good principles about church giving in 1 Timothy 5, when Paul addresses the issue of assisting destitute widows.
1 Timothy 5:3-5, "Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate...."
Here, Paul is laying down the principle that if a widow has family that can and will help, then they should support her rather than have the Church do so. This is re-stated in Verse 16, "If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed."
A congregation has the obligation of finding out if a person has other means of receiving assistance before stepping-in to fill the gap. If a person has family that can and will help, then the Church ought not to assist. This is not being cold-hearted or stingy, it is a way of ensuring that the church will have the means to help someone, down the road, who does not have other means of support.
Let us also observe that, according to verse 10, the deserving widow had to have shown Christian character in word and deed. From this we can get some wisdom in giving. I have seen, at various places, individuals become members of the Church solely so as to receive financial assistance. They made no effort to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We should expect to see some fruits of spiritual sincerity in the individual before we are so willing to grant the person the Lord’s money.
Lastly, looking at 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12, we are told that every person who has the ability to work must be compelled to work. "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."
If the Church assists a person who has the ability to work, then that congregation is assisting and participating in that individual’s sin of slothfulness. A person who can and will not labor - even part time - is to be withdrawn from rather than assisted from the treasury.
Paul assured the Corinthian congregation that the Jerusalem Christians were not simply lazy and expecting support for their slothfulness in 2 Corinthians 8:13, "For [I mean] not that other men be eased, and ye burdened."
B.) Congregational Bishops or Elders
When a congregation has matured to the extent that it has two or more men who meet the qualifications for the office of bishops or elders, the congregation may have the obligation to support such men in their ministry to that congregation.
We find this in 1 Timothy 5:17-18, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer [is] worthy of his reward."
We won’t study the work of the eldership at this time, but suffice it to say that in larger congregations it would not be strange for the work of the elders to be a full-time job, especially if they are the congregation’s primary teachers as well. Such would be worthy of twice the support.
C.) Gospel Preachers.
The third group of believers that are worthy of funds from a congregation’s treasury are preachers of the Gospel. Men who devote themselves to part or full time evangelizing and/or strengthening young congregations should be supported by the Church.
1 Corinthians 9:1-14, "Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord. Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and [as] the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he [it] altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, [this] is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, [is it] a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 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. 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? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."
The man who devotes himself to evangelizing and building-up struggling congregations is worthy of support. He does not deserve a Mercedes, a luxury home, and ritzy clothing. However, he does deserve enough support for he and his family to tend to the basics without sweating it out. You don’t want a preacher to be worrying about whether or not he and his family will be able to eat or have electricity the next day while trying to tell others about salvation and the Church.
As we close this brief study, I want to touch on one last point. It is extremely important for every congregation to engage in this study of how the Lord’s money should be spent. It is important that members of the congregation reach agreement on this matter.
As you read the New Testament, you will find that every time the early Christians were called upon to give money they knew in advance where the money was going. In New Testament times, there was no such practice as giving into an unspecified , unallocated fund. This does not necessarily mean that they always knew the precise person who would get the precise coin: but it certainly does mean that they knew at the time of their giving the purpose that was to be accomplished by their gift. So it should be today!
All of the members of your congregation may not know which dollar will go where, they do know rather definitely what items will be taken care of with the collected money. As long as this is the case, few serious problems arise. Problems begin to crop-up when someone decides, after money is contributed, to spend it for purposes not understood by the contributor at the time of their donation. This is not right.
Paul speaks of purposeful giving. This is impossible unless the contributors know the purpose of their giving. If all Christians knew ahead of time the purposes of their giving, and if all money thus collected was always used for those purposes only, it would go a long way in ending the conflicts over collection plate money.
