Basic principles of stewardship and giving.
Paul laid out general principles of stewardship and giving in 1 Corinthians 16 and 2 Corinthians 8-9.
From 1 Corinthians 16
- Each believer responsible to give—”each of you” 16:2
- Planned and given regularly 16:2
- Proportional giving 16:2
- This process would prevent the need for an ineffective collection or for a “pressured” appeal to the givers. 16:4
From 2 Corinthians 8-9
8:1-5
- Sacrificial giving
- Proportional—”according to their ability”
- Sacrificial—”beyond their ability”
- Joyful giving
- Their poverty no more impeded their generosity than their tribulation diminished their joy.
- Key—not the size of the gift but the attitude of the giver
- Summary
- Generous beyond their means
- Acted on their own initiative
- Gave not only financially but gave themselves
8:9-12
- Willingness to give should be evidenced by actual giving
- Paul had challenged them to give in 1 Corinthians, they had stopped because of a conflict, now that the conflict was solved, it was time for them to finish what they started.
- When the giver is willing—heart attitude—than the proportional gift is acceptable.
9:5-15
- Give Generously 9:5-6
- Give freely (without compulsion) 9:7
- Give cheerfully 9:7
- Giving is an act of faith 9:8
- God provides for the giver. So give liberally, and live on what is left by God’s supply.
- Giving results in praise and thanksgiving to God 9:11-15
- Their gift would supply the needs of the needy 9:12
- Their gift would cause the recipient and others to praise God 9:11b, 12b, 13, 15
- Notice that praise is offered less for the gift itself than for the spiritual virtues of the donors expressed in the gift.
- Giving is an acknowledgment that what we have is God 9:15
Key Point: The focus of New Testament giving is not on a percentage but proportional to income.
Summary
From Andy Stanley “Fields of Gold”
- Priority giving – Giving to God before anything else
- Percentage giving – 10% is a good start
- Progressive giving – Keep growing as a giver
- Prompted giving – Additional spontaneous giving as God leads
- Purposeful giving – Giving to where it can make a difference
