Page 36 - The Church and Education PDF Pro

In contrast to facts from the previous lesson, here is a list of Scriptures of what the early New
Testament church spent their income on:

Acts 2:44-45 – common needs, common things of life, material needs of members
Acts 4:32-35 – distributed to those as they had need
Acts 6:1 – a daily distribution of food to the widows
Acts 11:29-30 – provide help for those living in Judea (famine)
Acts 13:1-2 – to send off (provide financial means to travel)
Acts 15:2 – appointed to go up to Jerusalem (provided financial means to travel)
Acts 15:22-23 – sent them with the letter (provided financial means to travel)
Romans 15:24 – assist me on my journey
1 Cor. 9:4-12, 14 – do I not have the right to food and drink?
1 Cor. 16:1-4 – to send to Jerusalem (likely for famine)
2 Cor. 8:19-20 – appointed to accompany us
2 Cor. 9:12 – supplying the needs of God’s people
Phil 1:4-5 - Your partnership in the gospel
Phil. 4:14-18 – Assisting ministry needs
1 Tim. 5:9-10, 16 – Widows on the list (for distribution of food and goods)
1 Tim. 5:17-18 – the one who works for the church

The four main categories from above are:

1. Financial Need – helping people. When there were those who were poor and hungry the church
provided, as they were able, financial assistance.

2. Missionary Travel – providing the cost of transport of those who go to do ministry in a different place.
Also included in this would be travel for church business (meetings, and to pass important messages to
other churches).

3. Church worker who gives himself to God. This can include both an elder or a minister who is a leader
in the church who spends their time working for the church.

4. Ongoing funds for church activities – 1 Cor 7:10, 1 Cor 7:12

How do you think the spending in most churches compares to this list? Do you think we are spending
money in the ways that the early churches did? Seems like today’s church may have misplaced
priorities?

Funding the church

Churches are supported by the sacrificial giving of the membership. Many preachers today
teach their congregations that they need to tithe to God out of obedience to God’s Word.
They tell their people that 10% of everything they make is called the first fruits, and belongs
to God. They are informed that the way to give to God is to give money in the offering at church. They
sight many “proof-texts” from the Bible that this is God’s plan for the church. Of course, most of the
texts are all from the Old Testament and have nothing to do with the church.

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