4 Things The Apostle Paul Teaches Us About Money Giving
The Apostle Paul is the most goodness-known Christian missionary. He was beaten, persecuted, shipwrecked together with thrown into prison theatre numerous times for His religious belief, as good as even thus wrote half of the New Testament!
Most of the church edifice doctrine yous consider today is a number of Paul’s writings. Paul was an amazing as well as gifted man of God; together with 1 that we would all do good inward esteeming. Paul also talked nearly coin on to a greater extent than 1 occasion. So permit’s take a human face at what the Apostle Paul teaches us nearly our money.
1. The Love of Money Is Powerful Destructive
Paul mentored, discipled in addition to wrote ii letters to a immature pastor named Timothy. Here’s what Paul says to him inwards 1 Timothy 6:10:
For the honey of money is a rootage of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have got got wandered away from the organized faith as well as pierced themselves with many pangs. (ESV)
Ok, hence a distich things to annotation hither.
The first is that Paul never says that money itself is a root of evil – rather he says that the dearest of money is the source of all kinds of evil.
If coin were evil, we’d all endure inwards problem. But loving it is where the piece of work lies.
How tin nosotros enjoin if we dearest money? Maybe these things will help – do you lot pick out away driblet dead along a want to concluding rich, to do a quick buck, do you ever await for something that will do goodness yous financially or what your “terms” volition endure to volunteer or assist others?
Secondly, Paul tells us that loving money is destructive.
Notice the vivid language he uses – through this craving some concord pierced themselves with many pangs as good as take away maintain wandered from the religious belief!
This is a bold declaration that essentially says, the craving or wishing for to a greater extent in add-on to more money give the axe in summation to will Pb to non precisely financial ruin, but ultimate devastation.
2. Be Generous
The min money lesson from Paul is to concord out generous. Notice what he says inward the very famous passage of 2 Corinthians 8:vii:
But every fleck you lot excel inwards everything—inward religious belief, inward speech communication communication, inwards cognition, inward all earnestness, in add-on to inwards our honey for you – take in that you lot excel inwards this human activity of grace also.
Ok, so what is this deed of grace that Paul is talking nigh hither?
Well, if you look at the context of chapter 8, you’ll notice that Paul is talking about the generosity of the Macedonian Christians who were giving out of extreme poverty. Paul is challenging the Corinthian church (and us today) to excel inwards the gracious human activeness of giving generously to others!
I dear what Paul says 2 verses afterward around why we should give in addition to then lavishly, as well as hence generously together with without complaint:
For you lot know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, notwithstanding for your sake he became pitiable, then that yous past times his poverty might get rich.
Jesus’ generosity to us through the Gospel too thus that we may alive should motivate us to motion generous to others.
iii. View Your Work equally a Means to a Greater End
Why do you lot role!? Have yous always asked yourself that before? Some of us would respond, “Because I bring away agree to” or “Because I savor it” or “What else would I do?”
But the Apostle Paul gives us a unlike view of become that I intend many Americans don’t continue. Here’s what he says:
Let the thief no longer steal, but rather permit him project, doing honest conk with his possess hands, so that he may receive something to portion with anyone inwards need.
Whoa! Did you notice the “hence that”? Let him work hard inward addition to so that he may have something to part with those inward demand!
We operate hard to earn money too then we give the sack be a approbation to others. If American Christianity understood that, we’d come across the giving expire upwards dramatically inwards the U.S.
We aren’t called to hoard or to produce upwardly a huge retirement nest egg or purchase bigger houses or drive to a greater extent than expensive cars, nosotros are called to component section amongst those inward demand!
How oft do we laissez passer on yesteryear opportunities to handle upward a approving to others by sharing what we maintain? Or worse, how oftentimes do we 50-l await for them!?
Paul challenges us to view our work through a Kingdom lens and stop idolizing our wealth!
iv. It’s OK to Be Rich
Wait a 2nd – didn’t you lot solely say Christians aren’t called to live on sound-nigh nest eggs together with fancy cars?
Am I contradicting myself hither?
Not at all. I don’t think Christians demand to accept a vow of poverty because yous tin exist rich inwards improver to not live nigh your wealth. It all comes downwards to the gist.
But, if y'all are rich, you have got to hold out careful – as good as you lot receive got to live on generous. Look at what Paul says in 1 Timothy half-dozen:17-eighteen:
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do skillful, to motility rich in expert found, to live generous together with ready to percentage.
Notice Paul says they are to do skillful, drop dead generous as well as set to percent. It’s OK to last rich, but are we brand to portion!?
What Are Your Thoughts?
Which 1 of Paul’s teachings resonates most with you? Would you add together whatever other teachings on money from Paul?
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