Overview
A collection and a partnership are two different ways to give: a collection is a time-limited effort by concerned believers to pool freely offered resources for the need of an identified individual or group, while a partnership is an ongoing commitment to the church’s collective efforts so the Word can reach as wide an audience as possible. In this teaching Rev. Tom Knupp defines the terms of Christian giving, need, supply, the needy, spontaneous giving, planned giving, the collection and the partnership, then works through Acts 2, Acts 6, Acts 11 and Paul’s epistles to show the believer’s giving privilege toward God, toward his fellow man and toward the church, and what the giver may expect from the open hand of God.
Transcript
Where to Start with Christian Giving
Many Christians seek to give, but don’t know where or how to start. The Bible gives clear answers on questions we have about giving. To understand more, let’s begin by defining our terms.
Man’s Need and God’s Supply
Before we can practice giving, we need to know what the giving is for. Some fundamental concepts to understand are man’s need and God’s supply. What is a need? A need is the lack of a necessity that God, through the sufficiency of His grace, stands ready to fill.
God is the provider that meets every need of His people. Psalms 23:1: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. A need is a state that exists at a point in time and requires supply or relief. Once a given need is met, we no longer have that need.
What is a supply? A supply is a provision that meets a need. God is the ultimate source of supply. Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Providing a supply in the material realm can take numerous forms. Goods, services, funds, food, clothing, or shelter.
Who Are the Needy in the Bible?
Who are the needy? In current colloquial usage, a needy person is someone who needs constant affirmation and lacks self-confidence. That’s not the biblical usage of the word needy. In the Bible, the needy are simply those who are in need, generally for a period of time.
Deuteronomy 15, verse 11: For the poor shall never cease out of the land. Therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land. And 2 Corinthians 9:9: As it is written, Psalms 112:9, He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth forever.
The Bible gives no indication that the same people will always be the ones in need. But it does indicate that there will always be such needs among God’s people. As a believer, in one circumstance I might be full and abound, in another I might be hungry and suffer need.
Philippians 4:12: I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Having a need at some point is not necessarily an indicator of a lack of believing on my part. A brother can always help.
The Early Church Pooled Resources to Meet Needs (Acts 2 and Acts 6)
There are numerous instances in the early church where the believers pooled resources to meet an outstanding need being experienced by certain individuals or groups. Acts 2:44-45: And all that believed were together, and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Following Pentecost, in order to stay where the fire of the word was burning brightly, numerous converts remained in Jerusalem rather than immediately returning home. These believers needed food, clothing, and shelter, and the believing residents of Jerusalem stepped up to the plate to meet the need.
Another such instance is related in Acts 6:1-2: And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration or distribution. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
As the church grew, the need arose to care for particular individuals who were not in a position to fully take care of their own needs. Here in Acts 6, the distribution to the widows was one of food. They must have had a need for it. All were to share equally in the benefit distributed.
Spontaneous and Planned Giving
Now I’d like to have a conversation with you about spontaneous and planned giving. There are many opportunities to give in this life. Some are anticipated, others are not. To better appreciate how this impacts our charitable giving, it is useful to make a distinction between spontaneous and planned giving.
What Is Spontaneous Giving? The Good Samaritan
What is spontaneous giving? Spontaneous giving is an individual’s decision to give in a particular and possibly unanticipated circumstance. Typically, it involves a limited number of parties, such as you and the recipient. There is no middleman. You are in complete charge of the situation.
Luke 10, verses 33-37: But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
What Is Planned Giving?
What is planned giving? Planned giving is an individual’s decision to participate in a collective effort to pool resources with other believers for a common charitable purpose. Planned giving is based on a trust relationship between the donor and the believers who are organizing the giving opportunity.
Individual Needs and Collective Needs
Think now about individual and collective needs. One avenue of giving is to assist the individuals who are in need among us, which can be done at either an individual or a collective level, and another is to support the collective efforts of the church in making the word available to as wide an audience as possible. Each has its place. The believers of the first century church helped to meet individual needs through collections and collective needs through partnerships.
Giving to Meet Individual Needs: What Is a Collection?
What is a collection? A collection is an effort organized by a group of concerned believers to pool freely offered resources to supply the need of an identified individual or group of individuals.
Acts 11:28-30: And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea, which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
In this particular instance, the need was very clear. The believers in Jerusalem lacked sustenance. The required relief was for food.
1 Corinthians 16:1,3: Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.
A collection need not be financial. It may also be a good or service, or even be in the category of such basic necessities as food, clothing, and shelter. Think of hospitality as an example. A special collection should have a specified time frame. Once the needs are met, the collection can cease, and any remaining assets can be dedicated to another charitable purpose.
Giving to Meet Collective Needs: What Is a Partnership?
What is a partnership? A partnership is the decision of one or more believers to commit to ongoing contributions to the church’s collective efforts, so as to facilitate the wider dissemination of the Word. The length of the commitment is determined by the desire of the individual contributors involved and the duration of the need at hand.
Our first and most important partnership is with God as we fellowship with Him. We can also have joint fellowshipping and partnering with other believers as we labor together in the Lord’s harvest.
Philippians 4:15: And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the Gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.
You can contribute in a collection to support the needs of individuals. You can contribute to a partnership to support the need to get the Word out to as many people as can be reached collectively.
Recap: Need, Supply, Collection and Partnership
Now let’s do a recap on the terms we’ve learned so far. A need is the lack of a necessity that God stands ready to fill. A supply is a provision that meets a need. The needy are those who are in need, generally, for a period of time. Spontaneous giving is an individual’s decision to give in a particular and possibly unanticipated circumstance. Planned giving is an individual’s decision to participate in a collective effort to pool resources with other believers for a common charitable purpose. A collection is an effort organized by a group of concerned believers to pool freely offered resources to supply the need of an identified individual or group of individuals. And a partnership is the decision of one or more believers to commit to ongoing contributions to the church’s collective efforts so as to facilitate the wider dissemination of the Word.
The Believer’s Giving Privilege Toward God and Man
Armed with this new knowledge, what is our giving privilege before God, our fellow man, and the church? The Believer’s Giving Privilege Toward God. Your first and most needful gift is yourself, to God, and in service. 2 Corinthians 8:5.
The Only Debt We Owe Our Fellow Man Is to Love
The only debt we owe our fellow man is to love. Romans 13:8: Owe no man anything but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
Our giving privilege to do good extends not only to the believers, but to all. Galatians 6:10. We are to do good, share what we have, be generous, and be ready to share.
In the ESV, we’ll read Hebrews 13:16: Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Also in the ESV, 1 Timothy 6:18: They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, and ready to share.
The Believer’s Giving Privilege Toward the Church
Finally, we have the Believer’s Giving Privilege Toward the Church. The work of the ministry will not advance powerfully without committed individuals to lead the effort. We owe love and respect to those who freely offer their services to meet the need for spiritual leadership in the Church.
1 Thessalonians 5:12,13: And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
We are to share all good things with those who teach. In the ESV, Galatians 6:6: Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. When they have a need, we are to send help for their needs. Philippians 4:16: For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
The Giver’s Expectation and Reward: Sowing and Reaping
Finally, let’s look at the Giver’s Expectation and Reward. Giving is the sower’s seed-sowing time. God is the one who assures the harvest. 2 Corinthians 9:6: But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. And he which soweth bountifully, the Greek says, with blessing, shall reap also bountifully, or with blessing.
Well, why would one sow sparingly? A sower might be reluctant to sow too much seed because he prefers to set more aside so he can roast it or mill it later and make bread to satisfy his appetite. 2 Corinthians 9:10. In the ESV, He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
Man does need both to sow and to eat. If a man were to selfishly eat all his seed to fill his hunger, he would end up really going hungry for want of future crops. It is up to the man to decide how much seed to set aside for food and how much seed to set aside for sowing. [The] more seed he sets aside for crops, the freer he can be in his sowing.
God’s Open Hand and the Giver’s Open Heart
As the source of all provision, God is the open hand who provides for every living creature. Psalms 145:16: Thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
We come to God’s open hand with open hand to receive. We don’t bring something in our hand expecting God to give us back something for having given something. He who believes sows with blessing, scattering the seed abundantly far and wide, resulting in bounty despite any obstacles that might threaten the crop. He sows with open hand, carefree, with abandon.
We acknowledge that if ever we are to have anything to give, it must come first and foremost from the hand of God who supplies. He fills us up, up and up and up, until we overflow. That’s the giving part. Our hearts rejoice with thanksgiving.
2 Corinthians 9:12,15: For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Thank God indeed, we have open hands and open hearts to give.
Key Takeaways
- A need is the lack of a necessity that God, through the sufficiency of His grace, stands ready to fill, and a supply is a provision that meets a need.
- In the Bible the needy are simply those who are in need, generally for a period of time; having a need at some point is not necessarily an indicator of a lack of believing on my part.
- Spontaneous giving is a decision to give in a particular and possibly unanticipated circumstance, with no middleman, as the Samaritan of Luke 10 cared for the wounded man himself.
- A collection meets an identified individual need, should have a specified time frame, and can cease once the needs are met, with any remaining assets dedicated to another charitable purpose.
- A partnership meets a collective need: an ongoing commitment to the church’s efforts so the Word spreads more widely, as the Philippians alone entered into partnership with Paul in giving and receiving.
- The believer’s first and most needful gift is himself, to God and in service, and he who soweth bountifully, which the Greek says is with blessing, shall reap also bountifully.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a collection and a partnership?
A collection is an effort organized by a group of concerned believers to pool freely offered resources to supply the need of an identified individual or group of individuals; it should have a specified time frame and can cease once the needs are met. A partnership is the decision of one or more believers to commit to ongoing contributions to the church’s collective efforts, so as to facilitate the wider dissemination of the Word, for as long as the contributors desire and the need at hand lasts.
What is the difference between spontaneous giving and planned giving?
Spontaneous giving is an individual’s decision to give in a particular and possibly unanticipated circumstance. It typically involves a limited number of parties, such as you and the recipient, with no middleman, as when the Samaritan in Luke 10 took care of the wounded man himself. Planned giving is an individual’s decision to participate in a collective effort to pool resources with other believers for a common charitable purpose, based on a trust relationship between the donor and the believers organizing the opportunity.
Who are the needy in the Bible?
In current colloquial usage a needy person is someone who needs constant affirmation and lacks self-confidence, but that is not the biblical usage of the word. In the Bible the needy are simply those who are in need, generally for a period of time. Deuteronomy 15:11 shows there will always be such needs among God’s people, and in Philippians 4:12 Paul knew both how to be abased and how to abound. Having a need is not necessarily an indicator of a lack of believing.
Scripture References
Psalms 23:1; Philippians 4:19; Deuteronomy 15:11; 2 Corinthians 9:9; Psalms 112:9; Philippians 4:12; Acts 2:44-45; Acts 6:1-2; Luke 10:33-37; Acts 11:28-30; 1 Corinthians 16:1,3; Philippians 4:15; 2 Corinthians 8:5; Romans 13:8; Galatians 6:10; Hebrews 13:16; 1 Timothy 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:16; 2 Corinthians 9:6; 2 Corinthians 9:10; Psalms 145:16; 2 Corinthians 9:12,15
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
