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.
“… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1).
Although these scriptures might seem to conflict at first sight, we should understand that they record two things said by Jesus on the same occasion – in the Sermon on the Mount. So it is unlikely that they really contradict each other. As is so often the case, we simply need to look at the context of each scripture.
In Matthew 5:16 Jesus’ words were part of an analogy he made of the disciple reflecting God’s light in a darkened world:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
In this analogy we see that it is the “light” of God’s way that shines in our lives if we are walking according to his will. Notice that people seeing this “light” would glorify not us, but God (vs. 16).
Matthew 6:1, however, records words spoken in a totally different context:
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:1-4).
In this case, Jesus was talking about the manner in which we give to others – that we should give discreetly and not for show or personal credit. So the two scriptures have totally different contexts. Matthew 5:16 is talking about the importance of good works in our lives, and Matthew 6:1 stresses that we must have a right motivation for our good works. This means that while we are called to be a light to the world, clearly showing God’s way in our lives, our good works must always be done from a motivation of love and concern for others – not through any selfish motivation such as “looking good” or to appear “religious” or “spiritual.” While Matthew 5:16 talks about how we appear to others, Matthew 6:1 deals with how we appear to God.
*For more information on the topic of Christian giving, download our free e-book The Way of Givinghere.
The holiday season and the end of the year are traditionally times for giving to help those less fortunate than ourselves, and even many people who do not normally give to charitable causes throughout the year give at this time. But whenever we choose to give, we can increase the power of our gifts – large or small – by using tactics that function as force multipliers to increase the effectiveness of what we can give. There are a number of tactics we can use in this way, but in this post we will look at just three. First, and most importantly, we can ensure that we are giving wisely There are so many causes clamoring for our money that it can be confusing trying to select a worthwhile one, but it is vital that we do. Unfortunately, there are many registered charities that spend massive amounts of the money they receive on overheads and administrative expenses so that in some cases only a small fraction of what is given actually gets to those for whom the help was intended. In other cases, overheads may be relatively low but large amounts of funding go to peripheral causes that are not the activities we want to support.
That is why the use of a good charity ranking organization such as CharityNavigator.org is imperative if we want to make what we can give have maximum effect and not be wasted or diverted. There are several charity ranking organizations, but the Charity Navigator site clearly and simply details how charities spend the money they get and shows what percentage of those funds actually go to the programs they claim to support. The site grades each charity with a score that is simple to compare with the scores of other charities. Charity Navigator also provides carefully prepared lists of different types of charities – including a great list of charities that they have ranked with 100% scores. Assessing this information does not take long and can transform our giving in terms of what it actually accomplishes.
For example, Charity Navigator gives a perfect 100% score to the organization Lifesong for Orphans that provides adoption and financial assistance for homeless children around the world – so if you gave to them, you would know your gift was helping in that particular area about as much as is humanly possible
Beyond giving carefully with intelligent checking of the organizations we want to support, we can also often make our gifts go further by giving boldly. Giving boldly does not have to mean giving more – though if we are able to do so that is good, of course. Giving boldly often simply means giving to charities that are doing truly innovative and unusual work – perhaps helping take the Gospel to unreached people groups – what we might call “Giving boldly where no one has gone before.”
That sometimes means being on the lookout for newer and likely smaller charitable organizations that may not even be rated yet, but in many cases we can still find out enough about the organization to warrant our support. A great example is the Children in Christ ministry that is carrying the Word of God to whole people groups that have not heard it by means of children’s clubs and other innovative ways. Although this smaller charity is not numerically rated by Charity Navigator yet, it is possible to find plenty of information showing how effectively and cost effectively it functions (the CEO even works on a volunteer basis), so you know that contributions are truly accomplishing something.
Finally, we can often give more than we think we can because giving doesn’t just have to be about money. Perhaps we can increase the power of our gifts by sharing products we produce or by giving items we no longer need – or don’t need as many as we have. Most people are aware of the opportunities to give in these ways through the food banks, Salvation Army or other helping agencies in our own communities, but we may not be aware of some of the excellent charities that send products and lightly used items to distant places around the world where the needs may be far greater than those of our own communities.
An example of this kind of charity is Matthew 25: Ministries (another Charity Navigator 100% rated charity) which aims to help “a needy world with the things we throw away.” This innovative charity collects and passes along used items that can truly help those in need nationally and internationally – including things we may not often think of such as empty prescription pill bottles which are sent to areas where what medicines are available are often literally wrapped in leaves or paper and subsequently are spoiled through moisture and in other ways. Yet another organization, Christian Resources International, specifically focuses on sending used Bibles and religious books to areas where they are not generally available.
All these tactics require thought and perhaps a little time on our part – but they are simple things that can make a very real difference. So if you choose to give this season, think about the advantages of giving wisely, boldly, and in more ways than just cash. The effectiveness of our giving can be doubled if we do. * You can find interviews with the CEO’s of some of the charities mentioned in this post in the “Works of Faith” section of our sister site, LivingWithFaith.org.
“Give without remembering and receive without forgetting.”
The old saying that we should give without remembering and receive without forgetting contains a world of wisdom in its few short words. While it is not actually a biblical proverb, the principles represented in this old maxim are certainly found in the Scriptures.
We may not be able to find a specific biblical verse saying “forget your acts of giving,” but the apostle Paul covered the principle when he wrote: “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13). What Paul says here can be applied in many ways – such as forgetting our past sins and failures – but it applies equally to forgetting or not dwelling on any good we may have done and concentrating on what good we may still do.
The Scriptures are even more explicit about the need for us to remember the things we ourselves receive. Paul shows exactly this continuing thankfulness when he wrote to the Church at Ephesus: “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:16). Paul clearly remembered to give ongoing thanks not only for things he himself received, but also for others, too.
So we can certainly find a worthwhile reminder of biblical principles in the old saying regarding forgetting what we give and remembering what we have been given. The way to which we are called is one of gratefully remembering the gifts we receive and actively looking not at things we have given, but looking for new ways to give.
“… Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor…” (Genesis 4:2-5).
Many people believe that in this prelude to the story of the first homicide, God did not accept Cain’s offering because it was not a true sacrifice involving the slaying of an animal as we find in the later Mosaic sacrifices. According to this view, God had instructed the first man and woman in how to sacrifice when he made clothing for them from the skins of animals (Genesis 3:21). But however logical this view might seem, it is, of course, speculative in that the Bible does not say this or even mention sacrificial offerings at all before this point. The sacrifices of Cain and Abel described in Genesis 4 are not depicted in any way as being made to cover sin or to seek atonement. In fact, we should note that the Hebrew word used for the offerings of both individuals is not one of the specific words for animal sacrifices found later in the Old Testament; it is minhah – which is usually translated a “gift” or “offering” of any type.
But although this scripture does not clearly indicate that the difference between the two offerings was one of blood sacrifice and non-blood sacrifice, it does give us important clues to what the problem was with Cain’s offering and the lesson we can learn from it. First, we should notice that the text tells us that Cain brought “some” of the fruits of the soil as his gift (vs. 3). There is nothing in the Hebrew to suggest anything special about this offering – the word “some” could connote randomly selected items, or even items selected that were of no particular distinction.
This is contrasted with what we are told of Abel’s offering – that it was an offering of “fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock” (vs. 4). In Abel’s case we see that the same word “some” is qualified with “of the firstborn of the flock.” Giving of the firstborn was a principle that was later incorporated into the Mosaic sacrifices because even apart from any symbolic aspect, to give the firstborn was a greater sacrifice in the sense that it meant those giving the offering had to wait to obtain the next cycle of animals for themselves.
Additionally, we are told that Abel gave from the “fat portions” of some of these firstborn animals. The meaning is clear – Abel was highly selective – he offered the choicest parts of selected firstborn animals as his gift to God – a description which is very different from the fruits Cain offered which were merely “some” of those available to him. Clearly, Abel’s gift was a generous and appreciatively chosen one, while Cain’s gift was not at all special and possibly even an inferior one.
But we must notice that God’s reaction to Cain and Abel was not primarily toward the gift – which would have been the case if Cain’s offering had been of the wrong type – but toward the givers: “…The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor…” (Genesis 4:4-5). The Hebrew stresses it was primarily with Cain that God was displeased and this is made clear in the following verses:
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:6-7).
Genesis 4 paints a picture then, not of improper sacrificial ritual, but of the very different attitudes exhibited by Cain and Abel – between the generous and sacrificial spirit of Abel and the less generous and unsacrificing attitude of Cain.
The lesson for all of us, as we read this story, goes far beyond any point of sacrificial form to one of sacrificial intent. As always, God looks more closely at the heart of the giver than at the gift.
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