At this time of year, many people involve themselves in exchanging gifts with family and friends, but when it comes to wider giving they may only go as far as giving small change to store charities, or making one-time “end-of-year” tax deductible charitable gifts. But the Bible and the history of the Christian Church show that real giving is much broader and deeper than these surface level aspects of generosity.
Sadly, many people take the attitude that if they gave recently, they are “off the hook” – an “I gave at the office” attitude of only giving occasionally and when necessary. Some have even misused Jesus’ statement that “the poor you will have always with you” (Matthew 26:11) as if it means we need not give to them; but Jesus was simply quoting the scripture that says “There will always be poor people in the land” (Deuteronomy 15:10–11), and the emphasis of these verses is that there will always be a need to give. As a result, if our giving is truly generous it will be continual. History provides an inspiring example of such true Christian giving.
During a great persecution of Christians enacted during the latter part of the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian (AD 284 to 305), Imperial troops were sent to seize the possessions of a church in the city of Cirta (present day Constantine in Algeria) in North Africa. The soldiers were doubtless delighted to find some items of gold, silver, and bronze – the chalices, urns, lamps, candlesticks and other small items used in the church’s worship services. The exact value of these metal objects is not known, but it is clear that they did not represent substantially more than what was in use by the church in its day-to-day functioning.
However, the soldiers were suspicious that there were so few books in the church, so they searched the homes of the church leaders and found a total of 37 manuscripts, which the Christians had hidden. Clearly, the manuscripts regarding the faith were of much greater value in the eyes of these Christians than the gold and silver furnishings that had been left in plain sight in the church.
But in an inner storeroom within the church building the soldiers also found goods of a different kind. An Imperial document dated May 19, AD 303, lists these hidden-away treasures: 82 women’s tunics, 38 capes, 16 men’s tunics, 13 pairs of men’s shoes, 47 pairs of women’s shoes, and 19 peasants’ wraps (Journal of Early Christian Studies, 16:3, 2008, 341–369, p. 350). These carefully amassed items of clothing were being collected to help the poor, the widows, and the destitute of the city. Certainly the church had a few valuable vessels for use in its worship, but the value of the items was appropriate for their intended use (2 Timothy 2:20). What is clear is that the treasures of this church were its documents of faith, and what was being amassed was being gathered for others.
Surely, this has often been the case. For every church infected with the spirit of mammon there have been others – and frequently many others – infused with the heart of Christian giving. Although Acts 5 itself gives prominent mention to the cautionary record of Ananias and Sapphira, we should remember that their story follows directly on the heels of the statement that:
God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need (Acts 4:33-35).
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves of these facts of history when we are dismayed by the failings of some in our own age who use Christianity for personal gain (1 Timothy 6:5).
The story of how the Christians of Cirta collected great quantities of goods – clearly in an organized and ongoing way – for continuing distribution to the poor also carries an important lesson. The gathering for others by those Christians was not moved by some urgent but momentary event, but was evidently based on giving in a continuing manner to help with the ongoing needs of many. Ongoing giving of this type is one of the clearest aspects of generosity in the Bible. It is the kind of giving God instituted in the Old Testament tithing system, including the so-called third tithe which was given by Israelites every third year to help the less fortunate and those in need (Deuteronomy 14:28–29). In the New Testament, this kind of ongoing giving is implied in Jesus’ words:
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth … But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven … For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21).
In these words, the expression “store up” does not mean to simply put aside in one single action; it means to put aside, hoard, or build up in a continuing manner. That is a central part of true generosity – that we never allow ourselves to feel that we have helped at some point so need not do more. Generous giving is continually giving as we are able and as long as there is a need (2 Corinthians 9:11).
Another reminder we can take from the story of Cirta is that it is good to remember physical things are never our most valuable possessions. The most important treasures of the earliest believers, of the Christians of Cirta in AD 303, and of many churches throughout history were really their faith and their love for God and for their neighbors. These too were treasures the Christians of Cirta shared with others continually. We should pray that our true treasures are the same – and that we will not forget to continue to share them, also.
*The material in this blog post was condensed from one of the chapters in our free e-book, The Way of Giving. You can download a copy without charge here.
The Ten Commandments are fascinating from many perspectives, some of which we may not be aware of, no matter how familiar we may be with these laws. A good example of this is the fact that each commandment is not only instructive in its obvious meaning and application, but many of the commandments have a “second side” – a different aspect of the principle they teach that is equally valid yet often overlooked.
Take the tenth commandment – “You shall not covet…” (Exodus 20:17), which we usually understand as wrongful desire of something that is not ours. This is the sense of the principle that Jesus combined with the commandment against adultery – saying “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” Matthew 5:28). Understood this way, coveting applies to our desire for things that we do not have – someone else’s, house, mate, or whatever.
But there is another aspect to coveting that is almost the exact opposite of wanting something belonging to someone else: being unwilling to let go of something that is ours. An Old Testament example of this is found in the story of Nabal, the rich but unthankful and ungiving man who refused to give David and his men food after they had helped him (1 Samuel 25). Although he is described as being “very rich,” Nabal would not part with any of his property and is said to have suffered a heart attack when he found out that his wife had given away some of his ample food supplies.
In the New Testament we have a similar story of the rich you man who said he would follow Christ, but who turned away when Jesus suggested he give what was his to those in need. Another famous New Testament example, of course, is that of Ananias and Sapphira, in Acts 5:1-11, which tells of a couple who, after selling a piece of property they said they were giving to the church, lied about the amount they gave because they wanted to keep some back.
In all these stories, and many more in the Bible, we find examples of individuals who had more than they needed, yet who could not bring themselves to give away even part of what was theirs. This is simply the “reverse side” of coveting – of wrongfully wanting what is ours to the point that we will not or cannot give it even to those in need. That is why Proverbs 11:24 tells us: “One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” What the proverb calls “withholding unduly” is the inability to give that is simply another form of coveting.
That is why Jesus warned his disciples “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed [or “covetousness” as many versions translate this word]; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Notice that in saying this, Jesus warned against “all kinds of greed” and was speaking not only about things that people did not have and coveted, but also things that they had.
Paul, too, warns us that we should not give “reluctantly or under compulsion” (2 Corinthians 9:7). If we are reluctant to give, or even if we give, but our hearts are not in it, we can be guilty of coveting. Certainly, that is an attitude that does not please God – as Paul also tells us in the same verse, “God loves a cheerful giver.”
So the principle of not coveting is far wider than we often presume. Just as much as it forbids our wanting something that is not rightfully ours, the tenth commandment implies that we are equally responsible not to covet by being unwilling to help others by giving of what we have.
One of the most important ideas emphasized in the New Testament is the concept of the “spirit of the law” – the idea that we must keep the deeper meaning or intent of a law, not just its literal “letter of the law” application. The example that comes immediately to mind, of course, is that of Christ’s words regarding the commandment forbidding adultery: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27–28).
We all know this example, and recognize its importance, but we may not have taken the time to work through the other nine commandments and to systematically think out in each case what the spirit of the law – what some call its extended application – might involve in our Christian lives. In this article we look briefly at each commandment in terms of how we are to keep its spirit and intent.
1. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Jesus showed us the intent of this law when he said “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment” (Matthew 22:37–38). This shows us that this law is not just about worship, but also about whom we love above all – do we love ourselves, others, or God first?
2. “You shall not make idols.” Where the first commandment tells us to worship the right God, the second commandment tells us to worship God the right way. In its intent, this law tells us that anything – even an aspect of our religion – can become an idol if we let it come between us and God.
3. “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.” We usually think of this law as applying to what we say – as in using God’s name inappropriately (Leviticus 24:16; etc.), but the word vain (as it is rendered in the KJV, ESV, etc.) can also mean “worthless,” or “to make of no value.” Thus, the Old Testament tells us that people “profaned God’s name” who touched the holy things (Leviticus 22:2), offered sub-standard offerings to God (Malachi 1:10–14), or even sacrificed their children to Molech (Leviticus 18:21). The spirit of this law covers anything we might do that devalues God.
4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” The spirit of this commandment is that we must honor God with our time. Jesus went out of his way to heal on the Sabbath Day (Mark 3:1–6; etc.), showing the rest God calls us to is not just about what we don’t do, but also about what we do.
5. “Honor your father and your mother.” The spirit of this commandment does not involve anything substantially different from its basic meaning – rather the difference is one of extent. It is easy to think of the command applying to children, but the Bible shows that its ongoing application should be something we do throughout our lives – as long as our parents live and even beyond – continuing to respect their memory.
6. “You shall not murder.” Jesus showed us the spiritual application of this commandment by emphasizing that we must not break it by letting anger control us: “You have heard that it was said … ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:21).
7. “You shall not commit adultery.” We already mentioned the spiritual application of this law in Jesus’ saying that “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Clearly, the spirit of this law applies to pornography and anything that is lust-inciting.
8. “You shall not steal.” The indirect or spiritual extent of this law involves not just taking something that is not ours, but also not paying what we should – whether that is not paying taxes we should pay or withholding any form of payment that is due to others. “Indeed the wages of the laborers … which you kept back by fraud, cry out” (James 5:4).
9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Anything that willfully or carelessly deceives others is breaking the spirit of this commandment. So the spirit of this law forbids not only exaggeration and lying, but also slander (Matthew 15:19; etc.), gossip (Psalm 15:3; etc.), and even flattery (Romans 16:18; etc.).
10. “You shall not covet.” This final commandment may seem as though it is already stated at the spiritual level and that is true to an extent. But there is also an indirect aspect to the law – we can covet not only by wanting something that is not right for us to want, but also by not wanting to give up what we ourselves have. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life, Jesus listed all the commandments pertaining to love of our neighbor – except coveting. Then when the man said he had kept these laws, Jesus replied “go, sell all that you have and give to the poor” (Mark 10:21). Jesus recognized that the individual still coveted in being unwilling to give up what he had.
Ultimately, when Jesus said that love of God and others is the fulfilling of the law (Matthew 22:36–40) he was summarizing the spirit of the law. But thinking a little on how we apply love to God and others by keeping the spirit of the individual laws can help us fulfill their broader goal. And this is far from just a theological exercise. While we tend to judge ourselves by the letter of the law, the Bible makes it clear (Matthew 5:21; etc.) that God judges us not just by the letter, but also by the perfect spirit of the law.
Not all prayer is asking for something, but a great deal of it obviously is. When we do ask, do we pray mainly for our own physical and spiritual needs and concerns? There is no doubt that it is acceptable to pray for these things – we have Christ’s encouragement to do so – but that is only part of the picture we find in the words of Jesus and in the New Testament as a whole.
Jesus certainly commanded us to pray about our own needs. “Give us this day our daily bread” lies at the heart of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:11), but we should never forget that all the petitions in that guide to prayer are for the needs of others – “us” – as well as our own.
Asking in Acts
If we continue in the New Testament and look at the Book of Acts, we find something very interesting. Acts continually speaks of prayer in the Church, but if we set aside the scriptures that simply tell us that the early church members prayed and we look only at verses telling us what the early believers were praying, in most translations we find only two verses in that book showing people praying for their own situations and twelve verses showing believers praying for the needs and welfare of others. This means that of the recorded prayers in Acts, some 83% are prayers on behalf of others rather than prayers for the individual who was offering the prayer.
If we have not thought about this topic before, the statistic may seem unexpected. Perhaps we would expect the ratio to be about 50/50 – prayer for others just as much as for ourselves. But the 83% prayer for others we find in Acts is a powerful statement of another way of looking at prayer – and the Book of Acts is not alone in taking this view.
Paul and Prayer
When we look at the writings of the apostle Paul, we find the principle corroborated. Paul speaks of prayer some 50 times in his epistles. Apart from non-specific examples, when we look at the nature of the prayers Paul mentions we find only three instances of praying for one’s own needs. Seven times Paul speaks of praying generally; but in some 40 of the 50 instances (80%) where he mentions specific things being prayed about, we find him speaking of praying for others or urging people to do likewise. For example, Paul tells us that he and his fellow workers prayed constantly for the spiritual needs of others:
“Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).
And he urged others to continually do the same:
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6:18-20, etc.).
So the pattern we found in Acts where we are told what people were praying for is repeated in the epistles of Paul where he so frequently tells what we should be praying for. These facts should speak to us. It is not a matter of attempting to establish Christian practice through statistics. It is simply acknowledging that of the prayers recorded and commanded in the New Testament Church, the great majority – somewhere around 80% – are prayers for others.
Applying a Principle
That’s why we can think of this fact as the 80% principle of what we ask for in prayer. It’s an estimated number with no claim to being correct to the third decimal place, but it’s a rounded number with a clear message. The 80% principle does not mean we should not pray for our own needs – and in some circumstances, of course, our own needs may be urgent and take full precedence in our thoughts. But the 80% principle opens a window for us to see how the early Church saw prayer, how Paul encouraged us to pray, and it gives added meaning to Jesus’ words that we pray for “us” in the plural. We certainly don’t need to feel constrained to structure our prayers to a certain percentage in a certain way, but if we are growing more and more like the One to whom we are praying, the chances are that our prayers will become increasingly full of the needs of others and reflect our concern for them. If our prayers are growing in that direction and we begin to see the needs of others as usually greater than our own needs, we can trust that God will be pleased with our prayers – perhaps 100% pleased.
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9).
There are two ways we can respond to the trials that invariably affect all of us as we go through life. We can resent them and remain forever damaged by them, or we can come out from under them and even be renewed by them. The Japanese art of kintsukuroi (“golden repair”) or kintsugi (“golden joinery”) provides a physical illustration of that choice.
According to legend, the art commenced when the Japanese shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa sent a cracked precious Chinese tea bowl back to China to be repaired. Upon its return, the ruler was displeased to find that it had been mended by means of unsightly metal staples. Japanese craftsmen working for the shogun sought to find an alternative and more pleasing method of repair, and the art or craft of kintsukuroi was born.
Kintsukuroi means “golden repair” because the art restores broken pottery with resin mixed with powdered gold or silver so that instead of attempting to camouflage the break lines they are actually accentuated – being enhanced and beautified by the precious repair material. Thus, kintsukuroi celebrates imperfections as a valid and important aspect of damaged objects – something to be understood as part of their history rather than something to be disguised. In this way, objects that have suffered damage become not less, but more beautiful and more imbued with character.
At the spiritual level, we all have the opportunity to look at the damage we accrue, the “hits” we take in life, in the same way. We can look at them only in terms of the spiritual scars and damage done, or we can look at the trials we go through as part of a process of re-creation in which the end result is better than the original state. That is why the apostle Peter wrote: “you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6–7). Peter’s reference speaks of something far above the kintsukuroi application of gold to purely physical things, and while the process of remaking may be similar, the formative trials we endure lead to something of far greater value.
That is why the apostle James similarly wrote: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2–4). In fact, the word “complete” that James uses in this passage is the Greek holoklēros which means complete in all its parts and without damage or defect – like a perfectly repaired vessel that is improved by the process of repair.
In the same way, although God allows us to undergo trials in this life that may seem destructive in the short term, in the long term the master potter who formed us (Isaiah 64:8) is also the master of the golden repair. That is why we can rejoice – not in the trials that come on us, but on their outcome if we choose to let God work with and in us. And that is why, if we choose to do so, we can always say with the apostle Paul “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8–9).
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