2 Corinthians 9:10

And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness.

Here is further inducement for giving liberally. Paul had already said in 2 Corinthians 9:6 that the man who sowed sparingly should reap sparingly, and that the bountiful sower should also reap bountifully. The whole thrust of this chapter concerns how people should give. A collation of New Testament teaching on how people should give is as follows:

HOW TO GIVE

God is deeply concerned about how people give, for it is not enough that one merely turn a part of his wealth or income to holy uses. It is of primary importance that such be done in a manner approved of God. Note the following on how not to give:

NOT FOR VAIN-GLORY. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned that giving should not be done "to be seen of men" (Matthew 6:1-4).

NOT GRUDGINGLY (2 Corinthians 9:7). It is a positive violation of God's law for any man to permit himself to be high-pressured into giving to the church, or anything else. Giving should mark a Christian's character, because of what he is, not because of a good sales talk. As Paul suggested to Philemon, "Without thy mind, I would do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were, of necessity, but willingly" (Philemon 1:1:14).

NOT DECEITFULLY. Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1ff) are the New Testament examples of this error; but it may well be feared that even now there are many who pretend a liberality they do not have.

NOT WITHOUT LOVE. The gift of all one's earthly goods "without love" profits the giver "nothing" at all (1 Corinthians 13:3). Nothing big, or good, or beautiful can come out of a loveless gift. True giving cannot be practiced without feeling, as for example, when a man might throw food to a stray dog.

NOT WHILE ESTRANGED FROM A BROTHER. "First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Matthew 5:23,24) - that is Christ's command; and it may not be violated with impunity.

What then are the guidelines for proper giving?

IT SHOULD BE DONE WITH SIMPLICITY. See Romans 12:8. Simplicity oils the rough usages of charity in such a manner that the recipient is not wounded. On the contrary, an ostentatious giver is an offense: (1) to the observer because of his vulgarity, (2) to the recipient of alms because of his pride and lovelessness, and (3) to the heavenly Father because of his vanity and conceit.

IN THE NAME OF CHRIST. "For whosoever shall give you a cup of cold water in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, He shall in no wise lose his reward" (Mark 9:41). All that a Christian does should be done in the name of the Lord (Colossians 3:17). In a practical sense, this generally means doing it through the church, which is the spiritual body of Christ.

SYSTEMATICALLY. "Upon the first day of the week" (1 Corinthians 16:2). The meaning of the New Testament is that giving should be done regularly on the first day of every week. Systematic and continual giving is far better than great gifts poured out after long neglect of this duty. Systematic giving creates and sustains the habit of giving, keeping the springs of the Christian heart open.

LIBERALLY. Liberal giving means just that. Christ described it in this command: "Give, and it shall be given you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, etc." (Luke 6:38).

SACRIFICIALLY. A Christian's body is "a living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1). It is not enough that people give merely crumbs that fall from the table where self is feasted. The writer of Hebrews, in speaking of giving, said, "For with such sacrifices, God is well pleased" (Hebrews 13:16). This means that people should give enough to God that it requires sacrifice to do it.

CHEERFULLY. This noble chapter requires this quality (2 Corinthians 9:7). A man said he could give a dollar much more cheerfully than he could give a hundred dollars; but that is not what Paul meant. The cheerful giver is the one who derives joy from obeying the Lord and imitating the Giver of all things by his own obedience. Under every divine commandment is the great principle of benefit to the one who obeys it. Only the givers are happy people. The miser is so-called because he is miserable.

PURPOSEFULLY. This is another quality stressed in this chapter (2 Corinthians 9:7). This shows that giving should be in accordance with the inward purpose and intention of the giver; and it does no justice to this principle when a man merely thrusts a hand into his pocket and casts whatever might be handy into the collection.

SECRETLY. "That thine alms may be in secret" (Matthew 6:3,4). This principle applies especially to person-to-person giving, a grace in which every Christian must share; but it does not mean that every man's giving is his business alone. On the contrary, Paul commanded the church to withdraw from the covetous man (1 Corinthians 5:11); and thus the elders of the church surely have the right to know of one's giving, yes, the amount of it, and to discipline the covetous.

UPON A BASIS OF EQUALITY. Again, from this chapter (2 Corinthians 8:13,14), there is apostolic instruction on how to give. It was never God's plan that 20 percent of the church should give 90 percent of the church budget, allowing all of the religious hitch-hikers to take a free ride. God's way is a way of equality. This cannot mean equal amounts, for that would be manifestly unfair. If the total amount needed is divided by the membership total, and each man "gives his part," it would be only a trifle for some and utterly impossible for others. The only method of finding an equality is for all to give a certain percentage of their income; and the ancient principle of giving a tithe to God (which Isaiah 10 percent) is a good place to start. The tithe was recognized as the duty of all people to Almighty God, long before there was any such thing as Judaism upon this earth. Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Hebrews 7:7), a priest of God Most High, at a time when the Jewish dispensation was merely an unfulfilled prophecy. For full discussion of this see my Commentary on Hebrews, pp. 143-146.

ONESELF TO BE GIVEN FIRST (2 Corinthians 8:5). When one gives his heart to the Lord, in his conversion to Christ, the problem of giving is already solved. For the person who finds difficulty in becoming a liberal giver, it would be well for him to ask himself, "Have I really given myself to the Lord?"