Thank you for joining us for today’s program. The Bible is such a practical book, and I love how the wisdom in its pages can be applied to every situation we face.
This lesson will deal with some specifics of group giving. If you remember, the last two lessons were about other aspects of giving. The first one was about the heart behind our giving—what is your motivation? The second lesson gave us three ways we can give generously. Both lessons were personal, and we hope you have found them helpful. If you missed them or want to listen to them again, please go to our website, heraldsofhope.org; you can find all our recent teaching on the listen tab.
Today’s lesson won’t seem as personal because J Mark will teach “Guidelines for Group Giving.” It is personal because we want each of you to think about it and hopefully apply it to your church. But it is something you will have to work out with other believers; it is not something you can do all by yourself.
Our passage is the last part of II Corinthians 8. Turn there if you can. We will pay attention to J Mark as he teaches us the directives for group giving.
The Bible, a treasure trove of profound wisdom, is a practical guide for leading a fulfilling life. Its teachings, covering a wide range of subjects, offer principles that can be universally applied to life’s myriad situations, enlightening and guiding us.
While the Bible may not explicitly forbid playing the lottery, its wisdom is evident. Proverbs 13:11 cautions, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” First Timothy 6:9 warns, “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.” These verses, in essence, guide us on the issue of playing the lottery.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring the topic of giving. Paul’s second letter to Corinthians 8:16-24 details a gift being collected by the Believers in Asia Minor for the impoverished and persecuted saints in Jerusalem.
These verses also provide practical guidelines on managing a gift of this type. They offer important insights as we strive to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us. I believe these final verses apply primarily to the recipients of financial gifts, such as churches, evangelistic ministries, missionaries, Christian schools, and other Christian organizations.
I’ve titled our study “Guidelines for Group Giving,” Second Corinthians 8:16 to 24.
16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.
17 For he not only accepted the exhortation but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord.
18 And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches,
19 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind,
20 avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—
21 providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men.
22 And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you.
23 If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.
24 Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and our boasting on your behalf.
This text gives several necessary DIRECTIVES to help us use best practices in group giving.
The First DIRECTIVE is,
Engage Trusted Stewards
When Titus heard from Paul about the church’s needs in Jerusalem, he immediately set out to visit the Corinthians and remind them of that need. The last chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians informed them of the need, but they hadn’t done anything yet. Because of his zeal, Titus decided to go to Corinth to collect their gift.
Titus was accompanied by another brother who was well-known among the churches. We don’t know who that person was, perhaps Luke. In verse 22, we discover that another faithful brother has been added to this team. Here is a crucial principle: administration of a gift like this needs to engage trusted stewards. Having multiple people responsible for the gift is a safety mechanism that protects everyone involved.
Look at the words used to describe the men on this team: earnest, willing, approved by the churches, gifted administrators, diligent, cooperative, and Christ-glorifying. Those seem like men who could quickly gain my confidence. The character does matter. I would call them trusted stewards. Let’s also think about some words that aren’t used to describe them: thrifty, polished, business-minded, or focused on the bottom line. Do you see the difference? These don’t necessarily need to be mutually exclusive but often tend to be so.
Except for Titus, these men weren’t chosen by Paul. The churches selected them, which had a vested interest in this process. They chose men who had proven their integrity and could be trusted to handle a gift of this size. I’m amazed at people’s confidence in those they don’t know. They forget that money has a corrupting influence.
Paul has no reservations about the character of these messengers. The churches sent these men and were responsible for properly accounting for the funds involved in this project. They were committed to doing it for the glory of God (verse 23). What an excellent example for us to follow!
The Next DIRECTIVE (that will help us use best practices in group giving) is,
Avoid the Appearance of Impropriety
This is so important in our day. Paul had requested the gift for the Jerusalem church, but he had nothing to do with the administration of it. No one could accuse him of favoritism, mismanagement, or lining his pockets. This is a good pattern for us to follow. Pastors shouldn’t have anything to do with managing finances in their congregations! That’s the work of deacons or elders. When I see a pastor who handles the church finances, immediately, red flags come to my mind.
One reason for having multiple people involved in a giving project like this is to avoid the appearance of impropriety. This isn’t a matter of not trusting people but of protecting them from accusations of unfaithfulness. If you are given responsibility for a project like this, you should immediately insist that others be appointed to help you. They may catch some innocent mistakes you make and spare you from accusations of mismanagement or even the loss of your reputation.
I know of a situation where a church treasurer had almost exclusive control of the church finances. When some questions were raised about the status of funds and the suggestion was made to have an audit of the finances, he became distraught and defensive. He accused the questioners of not trusting him. His defensiveness only aroused greater suspicion, and the situation ended poorly. Oversight of finances is never threatening someone’s honesty.
In giving, you and I need to avoid the appearance of impropriety at all costs.
The Final DIRECTIVE (that will help us use best practices in group giving) is,
Encourage Generosity
The men authorized to carry this gift to Jerusalem were also charged with soliciting in the churches along the way. According to verse 24, they were to be welcomed by the local congregations and allowed to share their needs. I know from experience that some churches can be very jealous of their finances. Paul was encouraging the churches of Asia Minor to share generously with their needy brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.
In the group of churches I’m part of, we have a procedure for helping individual congregations with financial needs that are bigger than their ability to handle. It involves several steps of vetting and accountability. When those requirements are met, the need is sent out to all the pastors and deacons who are part of this larger group of churches. Some give out of the church benevolence fund or take a unique offering for the need. Others choose not to participate. But our people are encouraged to be generous. Finally, a report of how the need was met is to be submitted by the local church where the need originates.
Many of us know what it’s like to have significant medical bills, the losses caused by a fire, or some other financial burden. What a blessing it is to have the church, the body of Christ, come alongside and help to lift that burden! After you experience something like this, you know what it feels like, and it makes you more willing to share in the needs of others. As Paul stated in the earlier verses of this chapter, the circumstances could easily be reversed someday, and the ones in need now will be the givers.
In the last verse of this chapter, Paul writes, “Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.” The word picture Paul creates is of a great host watching how the Corinthians will receive and respond to these trusted stewards chosen by the churches to oversee the collection and distribution of this gift. Generosity begets generosity. Paul is using positive peer pressure to motivate generous participation.
As I said at the beginning, the directives in this text apply beyond the church, especially to Christian non-profits. But please be aware that the definition of Christian varies widely.
Do you know how the charities you support are using their finances? You should. That information should be readily available whenever you request it. A healthy organization will be eager to answer your questions and provide additional information immediately.
Has the organization been a trusted steward of the money donated by others? Do they have a track record of trustworthiness? Do they avoid the appearance of impropriety? What’s the lifestyle of the administration and staff? What does their headquarters look like? Those are all valid questions and concerns.
Be generous once you have satisfactorily answered these questions and believe in the organization’s mission. Remember, generosity begets generosity. May God bless you as you understand and apply these directives to your group giving.
Thanks, J Mark, for giving us these three directives to consider in our group giving, and we thank you for joining us for this lesson. This was the third lesson on giving. Next week is the fourth lesson, and our final lesson is titled The Graces of Giving.
If you have questions about today’s teaching or want to hear it again. Please feel free to contact us. The best way is via email, and our email is [email protected]. Or you can write to us. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. As I mentioned before, our website is heraldsofhope.org. There, you can also reach out to us via the connect tab. We would love to hear from you, so please get in touch with us however it is easiest for you.
Thanks again for joining us, and we encourage you to join us again next week for the last lesson in this series on giving. Until then, may we be faithful and cheerful givers!
*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.
