Article XXIV - Of Christian Men's Goods
The riches and goods of Christians are not common as touching
the right, title, and possession of the same, as some do falsely boast.
Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such things as he possesseth, liberally to
give alms to the poor, according to his ability.
In the early days of the Christian
movement in Jerusalem, believers “had all things in common, sold their
possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.” (Acts
2: 44, 45)
By the end of Acts 4, donating 100% had
become the norm in church culture. Lay
people did it. Even up and coming
preachers like Barnabas liquidated their assets and handed the money over to
the apostles (Acts 4: 34-37). Once giving
at that level became the tradition, it stopped being about God to some some church-folks. Giving became about how holy they LOOKED to everybody
else.
In Acts 5, a Christian couple, Ananias
and his wife Sapphira, sold some land, and contribute part of the proceeds to
the church. Only, Ananias and Saphhira
lied. They said that they were
contributing all of the money---- just like Barnabas ‘n’em*.
*’n’em
also ‘nem = unauthorized contraction
for “and them”
Long story short, God was pissed. He struck husband and wife dead. D-E-A-D.
But not because they gave less than 100%. God was angry abot the lie, not the amount of
the gift. Peter said, “While it
remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own
control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to
men but to God.” (Acts 5:4)
“While it remained, was it not your
own?”
Yes it was.
“And after it was sold, was it not in
your own control?”
Also, yes.
Barnabas. Ananaias. Sapphira. And let’s not forget Lydia.
In Acts 16, a successful businesswoman
named Lydia became a Christian convert.
She gave moral and material support to Paul’s missionary work, but she didn’t
sell her business or sign the profits over to the church.
The moral of the stories is: A congregation
can pool its financial resources up to and including every dime each person
makes, but they don’t have to. God’s
fine with any one in any congregation who opts out of direct deposit. You don’t forfeit your salvation by
declining to forfeit your check.
(That said, I can’t think of one
example since Acts 4 of religious collective economics that’s worked long-term. It usually ends with an investigation, or
gunfire.)
The church doesn’t own your money.
But then again, if you’re a Chrisitian,
neither do you.
Stewardship
The key word for Christians and money
is STEWARDSHIP. Stewards exercise authority over their Master’s
goods for purposes defined by their Master.
For followers of Jesus, money is a gift that God gives us to use for godly
purposes.
Based on Jesus’ parables on
stewardship, John Wesley preached a sermon called “The
Use of Money.” The message presented “three plain rules” for godly
stewardship of money. The three rules are
inseparable. They’re effective only when
considered as one comprehensive rule: Gain all you can; save all you can; give all
you can.
Gain all you can gain but not at the expense
of life, health, mind, or the good of our neighbors.
Save all you can by avoiding expense
that feed gluttony, vanity, pride, the desire to impress others, and sensuality
(indulgence of any senses: taste, smell, sight, etc.).
Giving begins with the tithe. Begins.
Wesley himself lived off close to 10% of his every increasing income and
gave away the rest. Giving begins with the church. Begins.
Wesley didn’t give exclusively to his church. He probably gave more to the
needy individuals who crossed his path than he formally contributed to
Methodist or Anglican activities.
Now go back to Acts 2.
Now all who believed were together,
and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided
them among all, as anyone had need. (verses
44, 45)
The first church’s budget was something
like 100% charity and benevolence.
The Biblical background of Article 24
calls on the church to minimize its overhead while maximizing our generosity.
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do
good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith”
(Gal. 6:10). After the Christian has provided for the family, the creditors,
and the business, the next obligation is to use any money that is left to meet
the needs of others. (Charles White, “What
Wesley Practiced and Preached About Money” )
Wesley preached that every Christian
should:
First, provide things
needful for yourself; food to eat, raiment to put on, whatever nature
moderately requires for preserving the body in health and strength.
Secondly, provide these for your wife, your children, your
servants, or any others who pertain to your household.
If when this is done there be an overplus left, then ‘do good to
them that are of the household of faith.’
If there be an overplus still, ‘as you have opportunity, do good
unto all men.’ In so doing, you give all you can; nay, in a sound sense, all
you have.
All we have.
All I have.
All you have.
Let us pray.
---Anderson T.
Graves II is a writer,
community organizer and consultant for education, ministry, and rural
leadership development.
Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor
of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama; executive director of the
Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO); and director of rural leadership development for
the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
Subscribe to my personal
blog www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .
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