Truth Magazine

By Mike Willis

We have noticed the other items of New Testament worship which made Christianity unique and distinguished it from Judaism and paganism. Even as the other items of worship were distinctive to Christianity, so was its worship through the delivery of a sermon. We see that the sermon was a distinctive part of the first century worship even as it is today. The early church continued in the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42). When Paul visited with the brethren from Troas, he preached to them in their first-day-of-the-week assembly; Luke recorded the following: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7). First Corinthians 14 shows that the delivery of a sermon was a prominent part of the worship of the first century church.

The Distinctive Message

The synagogue worship differed from the worship of the early church in one important respect – the message which was delivered. On the Sabbath day, Jews assembled to hear the law of Moses read and expounded. Hence, in some respects the outward forms of worship of the synagogue and the church were similar. Yet, one important difference existed between the two groups. The message which was preached in the synagogue was the law of Moses; the message which was preached in the church was the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Hence, the early church continued in the “apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). This phrase shows that the message of the early church was unique. The apostles had no authority in Jewish circles; their authority was in the church. Hence, the early church taught and disseminated the doctrine taught to them by the apostles. The words which they taught were the inspired words of God (2 Thess. 2:15); they were taught and passed down from generation to generation (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 3:6). The apostles had been commissioned by Christ to reveal His will to mankind (Matt. 28:18-20; Jn. 14:26; 16:13).

This was a distinctive break with Judaism. The apostles revealed that men no longer were obligated to obey the law of Moses. That law had been abrogated and nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14-17; Eph. 2:14-16; Heb. 8:7, 13). The Old Law was not able to make a man just in the sight of God (Gal. 3:21). Furthermore, the apostles revealed that the man who reverted to the Mosaical law for justification or authority for any religious practice was obligated to obey all of the Old Law, was severed from Christ, and fallen from grace (Gal. 5:1-4).

In contrast to the exposition of the law of Moses, the early church preached the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Their early sermons featured the message that Jesus Christ had come into this world, died on the cross for our, sins, and was raised from the dead on the third day. The good news was that whoever believed in Him could have everlasting life. Certainly this message was unique to the Lord’s church.

The Sole Authority of the New Revelation

This new revelation through the apostles occupied in the minds of first century Christianity exactly the same place that the Old Testament revelation had occupied in the minds of the Jews. The revelation of God through the apostles was as binding as was anything that Moses had ever written. What the apostles revealed was the word of God. Paul wrote, “If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that 1 write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (I Cor. 14:37). The words which they preached were considered the words of God, not the mere words of men (I Thess. 2:13).

The revelation which God gave through the apostles was the gospel. Through it, one could learn and receive righteousness. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16, 17). These New Testament scriptures were capable of furnishing a man unto every good work (2 Tim. 3:16, 17); they contained all truth (Jn. 16:13); they furnished men with all things that pertained to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3, 4). They were the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

Consequently, anything which was not authorized in the pages of this new revelation was without the authority of God and, therefore, condemned. To teach for doctrine the commandments of men rendered worship vain (Matt. 15:9). The man who stepped outside the revelation of God was without God (2 Jn. 9-11). He had perverted the gospel of Christ and was under the anathema of God (Gal. 1:8-9). Departures from the revelation of Jesus Christ through the apostles were considered to be departures from Christ (Matt. 10:40). The elevation of the writings of the apostles as Scripture (2 Pet. 3:15-16) was a unique characteristic of the early church. Their revelation of the message of God was authoritative for the first century church; no one who refused to accept that authority could be considered to be a Christian.

Attitude Toward False Teaching

Coupled with this new respect for the revelation of God through Christ as done through the apostles was the rejection of any doctrine which did not have this apostolic authority behind it. The apostles were taught to beware of the leaven (i.e., the doctrine of) of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt. 16:7-12). They warned Christians to watch out for false prophets. Paul wrote as follows: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

The man who did not abide in the “traditions” received from the apostles could not abide in the fellowship of the local church (2 Thess. 3:6, 14). Those who caused divisions contrary to the doctrine which had been received from the apostles were to be marked and shunned (Rom. 16:17-18). The man who went ahead and extended the right hand of fellowship to any individual who did not abide in the doctrine of Christ was guilty of participating in the false teaching with the false teacher (2 Jn. 9-11).

Understanding that the message delivered by the apostles was the final divine revelation of God (it was the “faith once for all delivered unto the saints” – Jude 3), we can perceive that message delivered by such people as Muhammed, Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, and Ellen G. White are nothing but the uninspired writings of men. As such, they are not appropriate for preaching in the pulpits. The person who turns to these new “revelations” has departed from the faith. They can never be accepted as part of New Testament Christianity. They are the works of false prophets -apostates from the faith!

The New Message Had To Be Taught

Having shown the uniqueness of the new revelation given to mankind through the apostles of Jesus Christ, we must perceive the necessity of spreading that message. Hence, the Great Commission charged the disciples with taking this new message of Jesus Christ to the entire world (Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16). This shows us another feature of the Christian religion: Christianity is a taught religion. No one can become a disciple of Jesus Christ without being taught about Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me” (Jn. 6:44-45). The Manner in which Jesus draws men to Him is through teaching. We take the message of Jesus Christ into the world to draw men to Christ. As men are told how He who existed in the form of God became like a man, sacrificed His life on the cross for the sins of the world, and was raised from the dead, they are drawn to Jesus Christ.

The teaching of the word of God is what produces saving faith. Paul said, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Similarly, the written word is designed to produce faith. John said, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (Jn. 20:30-31). The necessity of gospel preaching as a part of the worship of the New Testament church should be apparent; this is the process through which faith comes and through which men are brought to salvation in Christ.

Any church which has its pulpit filled by someone who gives little emphasis to the word of God is in trouble. When the presentation of the gospel is replaced by the telling of jokes and anecdotes, inspiration stories, etc., the worship of the New Testament church has been perverted. The method through which faith is established and strengthened is perverted; lack of faith, weak faith, and no faith will be the eventual results from following this course. A good singing group, coffee and donuts, jokes, inspiration stories, etc. cannot produce faith! As a people, we must learn to look upon the preaching in the pulpit as a part of worship which can be perverted as easily as can any other part of our worship. When prayer is perverted by someone praying in the name of Mary, we become alarmed; when the Lord’s Supper is perverted by failing to observe it upon the first day of every week, we charge those with sin who fail to properly observe the Lord’s Supper; when the singing is perverted by the addition of mechanical instruments of music, we demand that it cease before we began to sing. Similarly, we must realize that when the pulpit is perverted in order to use it to entertain, expound political ideas, or press private opinions not revealed in God’s word, our worship has been perverted. For the sake of the purity of New Testament worship, we must call a halt to such practices and re-establish the preaching of the word of God.

Conclusion

As New Testament Christians, let us develop a high appreciation for the presentation of God’s word as a part of revealed worship. God has ordained that this be used as a means of convicting sinners of sin (1 Cor. 14:24) and edifying the saints (1 Cor. 14:26). Hence, we need to develop an attitude which considers this part of the worship of the New Testament church as a means of edifying us to maturity and of reaching the lost with the gospel. In our next lesson, we shall examine our obligations as the gospel is being preached even as we have considered the preacher’s obligations to preach that gospel in this lesson.

Questions – Lesson XII

1. What important difference existed between what was preached in the synagogue and what is preached in the church?
2. What is meant by “apostles’ doctrine”?
3. What place did the apostles’ teaching hold in the early church?
4. Is the New Testament all-sufficient for our spiritual needs? Prove your answer.
5. Does the church need later day revelations?
6. Cite some scriptures that show that the law was nail ed to the cross.
7. What did the apostles reveal about the man who reverted to the Mosaical law for justification of any religious practice?
8. What was the’message featured in the sermons of the early church?
9. What did Paul say about the gospel in Romans 1:16, 17?
10. Explain why it is necessary to spread the gospel to the whole world.
11. Name some things that are being used to entertain people in place of preaching the word of God.
12. What attitude should Christians have toward false teachers?
13. Why would people prefer a twenty minute sermon packed full of anecdotes to a 40-50 minute sermon which examines a Bible passage or doctrine?

Truth Magazine XXIII: 45, pp. 724-726
November 15, 1979

By Mike Willis

In our last lesson, we noted that there is Bible authority for giving upon the first day of the week to establish a treasury for the general operation of the church and the carrying on of its business. Now, we want to notice how the Christian is to give in order to be pleasing to God.

Bible Principles For Giving

The New Testament legislates some principles for giving which we need to observe. We need to learn those principles and follow them obediently that our giving might please God. Consider the following principles which govern biblical giving:

(1) As you have been prospered. Paul said, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him . . .” (1 Cor. 16:1-2). The amount which we give should vary in proportion to how much we have been prospered. Notice that this passage does not use the word “prosperity” in the sense of “wealthy;” giving is not something which is done only by the rich. Rather, Bible giving is based upon our earned income. As a man makes more money, he should be giving more.

(2) Bountifully. Bible giving requires bountiful giving. Paul wrote, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6). The attitude of the Christian should be to see just how much he can give, not how little he can give. The attitude of giving as little as possible is going to send some people to Hell.

(3) As he purposeth in his heart. Paul continued, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give” (2 Cor. 9:7). Bible giving is planned giving. To purpose in one’s heart is to plan one’s giving. The Christian should sit down with his paycheck, consider how much God has given to him, and plan how much he is going to return to the Lord. The disposition of waiting until the collection, plate is passed. and hurriedly getting out one’s billfold to put in the two smallest bills in the wallet is not.. scriptural giving. Bible giving is planned giving.

(4) Cheerful giving. Again, Paul wrote, “. . . so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (I Cor. 9:7). The man who gives with the disposition that tic wishes that he did not have to give this to God would do better to keep it in his pocket. God is not made better by anything which man can give to him.

Hence, if a man begrudges what he has to give to God, he might as well put it back into his pocket, spend it selfishly on himself, and get whatever temporal pleasures he can get from it before burning in Hell for his attitude. The man should not give out of necessity. The man who gives because “we will lose the building, if I do not give” is not giving scripturally. Scriptural giving is cheerful giving. It is the natural response of a heart which feels indebted to God for the good gifts which God has given to him.

Try to imagine a man with ingratitude toward his fellow man in the same sense as many feel toward God. Suppose that there was a generous man who gave his neighbor $20,000 one year. Then, when that man’s birthday arrived, the man did nothing to show his appreciation for the gift which the man had given to him and even begrudged the $5.00 tie which his wife bought for the rich man. Such ingratitude would be Beverly condemned by men today and properly so. However, consider the good things which God has done for us. He has given us the ability to earn our wages (Deut. 8:18); He provides the natural things which make life on this earth possible (Acts 14:17); He provides us with salvation in heaven through Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-10; 1:3-4). Yet, man is so hardened in his heart toward God that he begrudges the pittance of what he must return to God! Such ingratitude will cause the borders of Hell to be full!

(5) Sacrificially. Most of us give of our abundance; the Bible exalts sacrificial giving. Notice the lesson which Jesus taught:

And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: for all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had (Lk. 21:1-4).

Most of us give more like the rich men than like the widow. Yet, this Bible example exalts sacrificial giving. Compare these other cases of sacrificial giving: Acts 2:45; 4:32, 36-37; 2 Cor. 8:1-5. We need to deprive ourselves of some of the things that money can buy for us in order to give sacrificially to the Lord.

One of the most abhorrent abuses of Scripture is committed when some well-to-do Christian tries to justify his niggardly giving by appealing to Lk. 21:1-4 to reach the conclusion that it does not matter hove much a person gives. His withholding from God what’ is His due is the very attitude condemned in the passage. To compare himself to the poor widow is ludicrous and obnoxious.

The Bible And Tithing

Some are not content to let these biblical principles be their guidelines for determining how much they should give. Consequently, they seek to revert to the Mosaical law for binding the tithe upon men. The tithe was, indeed, a legislated proportion of what one earned to be given to God (Lev. 27:30-34). The man who refused to give the full tithe was guilty of robbing God (Mal. 3:8). Yet, that law is no longer binding upon Christians.

The old law was nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14-17; Eph. 2:14-16). The man who returns to the old law for authority for one religious practice is obligated to accept the entire old law (Gal. 5:1-4). Such a man is severed from Christ and fallen from grace. Hence, we reach the conclusion that tithing is not binding upon the Christian today.

How Much Should I Give?

However, the idea that I should give less then a tenth is not the necessary implication from saying that tithing is not binding today. If those who depended upon animal. sacrifices for their worship before God were expected to give a tenth, we who stand before God on the basis of the shed blood of Jesus Christ should want to exceed that amount in our giving.

In order to arrive at how much we should give, let us consider some of the Bible examples given to us with reference to giving. Consider the following examples of giving:

(1) God gave His Son (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8-10).

(2) Christ gave His life (2 Cor. 8:9; Jn. 10:17-18).

(3) The poor widow gave all that she had (Lk. 21:1-4).

(4) The early church sold possessions in order to give (Acts 2:44, 45; 4:34-37; 5:1-10).

(5) The Macedonians gave beyond their ability to give (2 Cor. 8:1-5).

(6) Stephen gave his life (Acts 7:54-60) as also did James (Acts 12:2).

Having these great examples of sacrificial giving before us, we should be able to determine how much we should give. We should want to sacrifice for Christ in the same fashion as these people did. The man who deprives himself of the things which money can buy in order to promote the cause of Christ has grasped the meaning of sacrificial giving.

Each of us needs to sit down and consider what it will take for our giving to be pleasing to God. We live in a very prosperous country and have many luxuries of life of which other people are deprived. We drive nice cars (many of us own two or three of them), we live in nice homes, we have beautiful furnishings, we wear expensive clothes, and we eat the best of food. Is there any justification for a people so richly blessed not giving to God more than a tenth of their income? Can we really say, “I can’t afford to give any more than I am presently giving?”

Learning To Live With Prosperity

To the church at Philippi, Paul wrote, “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound” (Phil. 4:12).1 am not so sure that we have learned the lessons which Paul learned. The manner in which most of us handle our prosperity reflects a serious problem in not knowing how to abound with the right attitudes. We more nearly resemble the rich farmer whose lands brought forth plentifully. Consider his attitude:

The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And 1 will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God (Lk. 12:16-21).

In our prosperity, we think like this rich man. We think of building greater houses and going on vacation and buying nicer cars and wearing better clothes. We are sometimes rich toward this world instead of toward God.

In prosperity, man tends to trust in his riches. He acts as if his wealth can deliver him. Instead of trusting in God, we depend upon our life, health, and accident insurance or our workmen’s compensation. We need to be alert to the dangers which face us as wealthy people (1 Tim. 6:17).

Furthermore, we need to be busy using our wealth in laying up treasures in heaven (1 Tim. 6:19). The things for which we use our money in service to the Lord will be the only things which endure. Those who have treasures in heaven have treasures which no thief can steal, no fire can destroy, no natural disaster can ruin, etc.; he has an eternal treasure (Mt. 6:20). As we meditate upon the scriptural instructions about giving, let us take into consideration our special blessings of living in a country abundantly blessed with material wealth. As a people blessed with physical prosperity, we have added responsibilities to use that money sacrificially in the service of the Lord.

Conclusion

Even as we give attention to having correct doctrine preached in the pulpit, using the right elements on the Lord’s table, offering to God only singing instead of introducing instrumental music, and offering scriptural prayers to God, we should also give attention to this item of our worship. Let us individually consider whether or not the manner in which we are giving to God as well as the quantity which we are giving to God is acceptable to Him. Men can lose their souls because of the manner in which they handle their material prosperity. Let us use ours in such a way as to lay up treasures in heaven.

Questions – Lesson XI

1. What are five principles which govern biblical giving?
2. What does it mean “to Purpose” in one’s heart?
3. What will happen if a man begrudges what he has to give to the Lord?
4. What does it mean to give sacrificially to the Lord?
5. Does Lk. 21:1-4 prove that how much one gives is unimportant to God?
6. What are some examples of giving that we should consider in reference to our giving?
7. Is tithing binding on Christians today?
8. What was the attitude of the rich man in Luke 12:16-21?
9. Where should our treasures be?

Truth Magazine XXIII: 45, pp. 722-723
November 15, 1979

By Mike Willis

Another item of New Testament worship is that of giving back to God a portion of the many good things which He has given to us. Many of our denominational friends have a misconception about the manner in which the funds which the church spends are to be raised. Hence, we need to study the New Testament pattern of worship which we refer to as “giving.”

The Early Church Practiced Giving

There are some among us who have doubts in their minds regarding whether giving was a part of New Testament worship or not. We can demonstrate that the early church practiced giving. Notice the following evidences:

(1) The early church had resources to spend. The fact that the early church had resources to spend shows that money was raised in some way. We see them spending resources in the support of gospel preachers (2 Cor. 11:8; Phil. 4:15-17; 1 Cor. 9:1-14) and in benevolence (Acts 11:27-30; 2:45; 6:1-6; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8-9). The fact that the early church had resources to spend shows that they had some kind of plan for raising those resources. We need to study the manner in which they raised money to understanding scriptural giving.

(2) A specific example of first-day-of-the-week giving. Paul gave the following instructions to the church at Corinth: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come” (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Some of the newer translations and some of the writings of brethren circulated among us deny that this passage refers to a weekly collection. Hence, let us carefully consider what 1 Cor. 16:1-4 teaches.

First of all, notice that the word collection (logeia) was “used chiefly of religious collections for a god, a temple, etc., just as St. Paul uses it of his collection of money for the `saints’ at Jerusalem” (Adolf Diessmann, Light From The Ancient East, p. 105; cf. T.D.M.T., Vol. IV, pp. 282-283). Hence, the word itself refers to a religious collection.

Secondly, notice that the orders given to the church at well. local situation but to the church in general. The church had uniformity in a first-day-of-the-week giving. Corinth were given to the churches of Galatia as well. Hence, Paul’s commandment did not pertain to a local situation but to a church in general. The church had uniformity in a first-day-of-the-week giving.

Thirdly, the giving was done upon the first day of every week (cf. NASB). Kata is used distributively in 1 Cor. 16:1-2. MacKnight said, “And as kata polin signifies every city; and kata mena, every month; and, Acts xiv:23, kat’ ekklesian, in every church: So kata mian sabbaton signifies the first day of every week” (James MacKnight, Apostolical Epistles, Vol. 1, p. 290).

Fourthly, some have misunderstood “by him” (par’ heauto) to refer to “lay by himself at home” and have interpreted this passage to refer to something done at home each Lord’s day. “Every one was to lay by himself, i.e., most modern commentators say, at home par’ heauto. Compare pros heauton, in Lk. 24:12; see also John 20:10. The direction then is that every one should, on the first day of the week, lay aside at home whatever he was able to give, thus treasuring up his contribution. To this interpretation it may be objected that the whole expression is thus obscure and awkward. `Let every one at home place, treasuring up what he has to give.’ The words do not mean to lay by at home, but to lay by himself, i.e., let him take to himself what he means to give” (Charles Hodge, An Exposition of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, pp. 363-364).

Fifthly, this passage commands that a weekly collection be taken to avoid a gathering when Paul came. If the interpretation which suggests that each individual save up his own money at home be accepted, the very kind of gathering which Paul wanted to avoid would be necessary. The very kind of collection (v. 1 – logeia) which Paul commanded on the first day of the week was what Paul intended to avoid when he came (v. 2 logeia, there translated “gathering”).

Consequently, we draw the necessary conclusion from this example that the early church regularly gave of their means upon the first day of the week.

(3) Other examples of New Testament giving. The other examples of giving in the New Testament church demonstrate that the early church gave, although those examples do not tell us when they gave (only 1 Cor. 16:1-2 does that). Here are some other examples of giving in the early church: Acts 2:45; 11:27-30. These show that the early church practiced giving. No one can honestly examine these evidences without reaching the conclusion that the early church practiced giving as a part of their first day of the week worship.

Unscriptural Methods of Raising Funds

As we compare the giving of the New Testament to learn how the early church raised its funds, we are startled by some of the things which we do not read therein. Many of the practices which are found in twentieth century denominationalism as means of raising church funds are not even remotely hinted at as means of raising church funds today. Here are some things not mentioned in the Bible as means of raising church funds but which are practiced by many churches of today:

(1) Bingo games. Some churches actually resort to using Bingo games – a form of gambling (which is sinful in and of itself) – as a means of raising church funds.

(2) Business enterprises. Some churches are involved in operating businesses for profit as a means of raising church funds. They operate such things as garment and cloth factories, wineries, lingerie factories, shopping centers, etc. Some of these businesses are sinful businesses (such as the making and selling of alcoholic beverages).

(3) Rummage sales. The members are sometimes asked to donate used clothing and other items for sale to raise money.

(4) Carnivals. Some churches have invited carnivals to set up on their lot as a means of raising money.

(5) Begging. A number of churches go around to the businesses in their vicinity or to the houses of members in order to beg for non-Christians to support their Christian works.

(6) Tithing. A number of churches not only teach that the Christian should tithe in obedience to the Old Testament commandments, they actually go to members and assess their tithing in a similar fashion to the manner in which taxes are assessed. One of the members in the church where I attend was converted from Catholicism. Nearly two years after his conversion, a representative from the Catholic: Church came around and requested that he give his tithe. They had not even missed him prior to the time when they noticed that he had not been tithing.

These unscriptural methods of raising church funds stand in direct violation to the revealed commandments of the Lord. The only scriptural authority which Christians have for raising church funds is through giving upon the first day of the week. There is no authority for raising money through involvement in business, begging, carnivals, pie suppers or rummage sales. There is no authority for collections to be taken on any other day than upon the first day of the week (hence, denominational practices of taking up a collection every time they meet is also sinful).

Why Should We Give?

Having noticed that the early church raised its funds through a first day of the week contribution and having contrasted that with the manner in which some churches are raising their funds, we are now prepared to raise a question regarding our motives for giving. Why should we give? We suggest the following reasons for giving:

(1) Because it is commanded. The New Testament example gives Bible authority for the church to take up a collection upon the first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:1-2). Christians are commanded to give as they have been prospered. Paul said, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give . . .” (2 Cor. 9:7). Hence, God has commanded that Christians give of their prosperity. The Christian has a responsibility to be obedient to these commandments (Jn. 14:15; 1 Jn. 5:2-3).

(2j Because of what God has done for us. God loved us enough to give His Son to die for our sins (Jn. 3:16). In addition to that, every good thing which we enjoy comes from His bountiful hand (Jas. 1:17). God is simply allowing us to use His things. Even what we return to God is His. “For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee” (1 Chron. 29:14). We should want to give back to God because of the great things which He has given to us.

(3) Because the giver is blessed. Paul related a saying of Jesus Christ when he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). The Bible teaches that a blessing comes to the giver. First of all, he will be one who is loved by God; Paul wrote, “God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). Secondly, God will bless him (cf. 2 Cor. 9:8-10). Thirdly, giving abounds to the account of the giver (Phil. 4:15-17). Fourthly, one heaps up rewards in heaven (1 Tim. 6:17-19).

(4) Because this is the wisest use of our money. We must learn to look upon the money which we have as a stewardship from God. To spend money upon unneeded luxuries and selfish wants is a mismanagement of our stewardship. We need to be laying treasures up in heaven with the money which we have given to us from God (Matt. 6:19-20). Whatever we spend upon ourselves shall perish with us. What we spend in the service of God will endure forever.

(5) Because the gospel needs to be spread. The church funds of the New Testament were used to support men who carried the gospel into various parts of the world. The same use is being made of our church funds today. The gospel needs to be spread that souls may be saved and churches established. We should give because of our desire to see the gospel taken into other parts of the world (Rom. 1:16; 2 Cor. 11:8; Phil. 4:15-17).

Conclusion

We Christians should look upon our giving as a means of expressing our love to God and of helping to spread the gospel throughout the world. As we grow into a better understanding of the purpose of giving, we should grow in the grace of the Lord through the stage in which we begrudgingly give a pittance of what we should give, until we reach that stage in which we give as God has commanded us. Even in this giving, it should be giving that comes cheerfully from the heart and not mere dutiful giving.

When we come to fully realize the blessings which come to the giver, we should learn to give more acceptably. Too often, we only look at the cash flowing away from our pocketbooks without thinking about the rich spiritual benefits which come to us as a result of our giving as we should. May we grow up to be mature Christians in our giving even as we grow in other graces.

Next week, we shall look at the Scriptures to determine the biblical principles which govern how we are to give.

Questions – Lesson X

1. What are some evidences that the early church practiced giving?
2. Give evidences to show that 1 Car. 16:1-2 refers to a congregational collection.
3. Name some unscriptural means being used to raise church funds.
4. Name as many scriptures as possible which indicate how Christians can raise money for the congregational treasury.
5. As a Christian, how should one feel toward the money he gives to God?
6. Why should we give?
7. Would it be scriptural to take up a collection on Wednesday? Give scripture.

Truth Magazine XXIII: 44, pp. 715-717
November 8, 1979

By Mike Willis

To some the singing service is no more than an opportunity for the late comers to get their seat before the main feature of worship – the preaching – is begun. Without a doubt, most of us tend to give too little emphasis to worship of God through singing. Perhaps this is partially caused by a neglect in teaching the purpose of congregational singing. Too often we emphasize the negative aspects of worship – the apostasies which have resulted when people follow the teachings of men – without taking the time to examine just exactly what God expects us to accomplish through our worship.

For this reason, we must be extremely careful that we not commit the same mistake as the Pharisees committed. They emphasized the religious ceremonies but forgot the real meaning of devotion to God. We must be careful in our worship that we not take pride in offering just exactly the items which the Lord requires to the neglect of putting personal devotion and spiritual commitment to the lord in what we do. Hence, let us examine the type of worship which we should give to God in singing.

What We Should Sing

Both Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16 relate that we are to he engaged in singing psalms, hymns and spiritual song;. Let us understand what is intended by these three divisions of songs.

1. Psalms. “In all probability the psalmoi of Ephesians 19, Col. iii. 16, are the inspired psalms of the Hebrew Canon” (R.C. Trench, Synonyms the New Testament, p. 296). From the time when they were written, the Psalms of the Old Testament have been widely recognized as songs of praise, devotion, and exaltation of God in which tire deepest emotions of the human spirit are poured out unto God. It should not be surprising to us that a part of the divine worship of the New Testament church should be comprised of the singing of these songs. Our sung hooks still contain several of the psalms in them, including the following: “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” (Psa. 148), “The Lord’s My Shepherd” (Psa. 23), “The Law of the Lord” (Psa. 19:7-14), etc. Some of our brethren who have talents in the music field would do well to work toward setting other psalms of the Old Testament to music for the Lord’s people to sing.

2. Hymns. A hymn is a song of praise to God. The main thrust of this type of song is that it is one of praise. Hence, a hymn might be also a psalm (cf. “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah!”) although not all psalms are hymns and not all hymns are psalms. We need only to remark that the hymn primarily is one that offers praise to God. In looking through our song books to notice songs of praise, hymns, which we sing to God, we notice the following: “Hallelujah! What A Savior!,” “Praise Him! Praise Him!,” “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “O Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” “Praise the Lord,” etc. We often lift our voices to praise God in song; when we do, we are singing hymns of praise to Him.

3. Spiritual songs. To best understand what a “spiritual song” is, we might contrast it with “secular songs.” The secular songs are those songs which we hear on the radio SO’ frequently which exalt passion in the name of love, relate some sad story, etc. A spiritual song is a song composed by spiritual men and discusses spiritual matters. Most of the songs in our books fall into this category. They are songs which emphasize some spiritual truth and encourage men to believe that truth and obey it. Hence, we have songs such as “Love One Another,” “Send The Light,” “Let The Beauty of Jesus Be Seen In Me,” “Near to the Heart of God,” “Stand up For Jesus,” and any number of other songs.

Our worship services, then, should be filled with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. These songs express the deepest spiritual emotions of man to God as we exalt God through praise and teach and admonish one another.

How Do We Sing?

The Scriptures not only tell us what to sing, they also tell us how we are to sing to God. Here are some of the requirements for acceptable worship through song: (1) With melody in the heart. Paul commanded that we sing and “make melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph. 5:19) and “with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16). Both of these verses emphasize that our worship must proceed from the heart. The worship that is given from rote memory without any of the strings of the heart being touched thereby is not pleasing to God. I have witnessed worship (and offered it myself) in which the person was obviously not concentrating on what he was saying during the songs which he sang. Without the accompaniment of the heart, the worship is unacceptable. Hence, we should worship with heartfelt devotion to God; we should put ourselves into what we are singing. (2) With understanding. Paul also said, “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also” (1 Cor. 14:15). This demands that we understand what we are saying when we sing the given song. Here is a song for you to study: What do you mean when you sing, “Here I raise my Ebenezer . . .” in singing “O Thou Fount of Every Blessing”? (Check your Bible dictionary or concordance to find out what an Ebenezer is.) I used to sing the “Church’s One Foundation” as if it meant “the church is one foundation.” We need to give attention to the songs that we sing that we be sure that we understand them.

Sometimes when we understand what a song is teaching, we will have to quit singing it. Some of the songs which are printed in our song books contain unscriptural ideas. The influence of premillennial teaching is sometimes apparent when we read the words of the given song in a careful manner. I can see no difference in singing a false doctrine and teaching it in any other manner. Hence, we need to be careful about how and what we sing.

The Purpose of Singing

Even as we consider what we are to sing and how we are to sing, we need to also give attention to the purpose we have in singing. God does not design singing as space-filler in worship. He has some definite purposes in mind in commanding us to sing. Let us notice what they are:

1. To Praise God. Inasmuch as one of the kinds of songs which Christians are to sing are hymns, we surely should conclude that one of the first purposes which God has in singing is to have us to offer worship to His Holy name. Every creature should be engaged in praising God for the many good things which He has done for us (read Psa. 103; Psa. 146-150; Rom. 1:21). The heart that does not offer worship to God for what He has done for us is an ungrateful heart.

2. To teach one another. Paul instructed us to teach each other in song (Col. 3:16). If one will go through the pages of his song book, he will see a number of very powerful lessons taught to us in song. For example, discuss the lessons in each of the following songs: “I Need Thee Every Hour,” “I’m Not Ashamed To Own My Lord,” “You Never Mentioned Him To Me,” “Ready,” etc. These songs drive home important lessons which all of us need to learn and to be constantly reminded of.

3. To admonish one another. Paul also mentioned that singing was designed to admonish each other (Col. 3:16). This word means “to warn, exhort.” Through our singing, we encourage one another to walk in the way that God has commanded us to walk. Notice some of the warnings and lessons in these songs: “Yield Not To Temptation,” “To The Work,” “Work For The Night Is Coming,” etc. You might want to look through your song book to find a special lesson which might be of help to one of your special friends and request that the song leader sing it. Through this manner, we can encourage one another to walk in the way God has commanded us to walk.

As we consider the divine purposes which God has given for men to sing, I think that we can develop a greater appreciation for the worship which we offer in song. God has some definite purposes in mind in commanding that we sing; as we come to understand and appreciate them, we can better fulfill His will in our singing.

As we also consider the deeply spiritual purposes of singing we should develop a deeper appreciation for the content of what we sing than for the melody to which it is sung. I am afraid that we frequently have a greater appreciation for the tune than for the content of the song. When that is the case, we have missed the main purpose of worship. Let us be careful to emphasize the proper part of worship.

Teaching Our Children To Worship In Song

In recent years, I have noticed that a large majority of our teenagers go through the worship services without blending their voices in song or, if they do sing, they sing so softly that no one could hear them. Perhaps we need to give more consideration to teaching our children to worship God in song. I remember while working with a congregation, I performed a wedding. One of the teenagers had been requested to sing several special solo selections for the bride and groom. As I heard her beautiful voice laud the praise of human love, I wondered why I had never heard that same beautiful voice during our worship services. If our teenagers can sing secular songs, they should be able to worship God through spiritual songs. Parents, have you been working with your children to teach them to sing praises to God and teach and admonish each other in song?

Conclusion

As we come to a better understanding of this part of our worship, let us work harder to offer to God the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips (Heb. 13:16), to Him in song. Let us resolve to never again think of singing as an unimportant part of worship. Rather, let us give ourselk es wholeheartedly in worship to God through singing.

Questions – Lesson IX

1. What are the three kinds of songs which Christians are to sing?
2. Discuss the difference between a psalm and a hymn.
3. How did Paul say we are to sing?
4. Are there some songs we cannot sing? Why?
5. What are the purposes of singing?
6. When we have a greater appreciation for the tustthan for the content of the song, what have we missed?
7. How can we train our children to worship God in song?
8. Take several songs from your songbook and discuss each one, noting the type of song which it is, the biblical passages from which it was taken, its primary message, etc.

Truth Magazine XXIII: 44, pp, 713-715
November 8, 1979