Where should Christians give their money and resources? Does God have a giving agenda? While the Bible does not spell everything out in as much detail as we might like, it does provide us with some important emphases and examples which ought to guide God’s people’s giving. Indeed, because there are several emphases that are repeated throughout the Bible, we should probably recognize that these special priorities reflect the heart of our Father who calls us to know his concerns and imitate his love.
To Support Needy Family Members
Although often taken for granted, God’s word makes clear our responsibility to support the needs of both our immediate and extended families. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Eph. 5:25). Children are to honor their father and mother (Ex. 20:12), which—according to both Jesus and Paul—includes an important financial component (Matt. 15:4-6; 1 Tim. 5:4; cf. Mark 7:9-13). Church leaders are even warned against supporting widows with community resources when there are relatives who are able to help (1 Tim. 5:4, 16). While we should be careful not to provide for our families in extravagant ways that deprive our larger Christian family (1 Tim. 6:6-8), God’s word is clear that “if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
To Support Needy Christians
The overwhelming majority of what the Bible says on the question of where we should give emphasizes the responsibility of God’s people to relieve the material poverty and affliction of fellow believers. This should be done—both locally and globally—through the working and networking of Christ’s body, the church. Simply put, there are to be no poor among us (Deuteronomy 15:4).
This particular priority emerges repeatedly in passages like Galatians 6:10 where Paul says to “do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (italics added) and in Romans 12:13 where Christians are commanded to “Contribute to the needs of the saints”. Jesus says that whatever we do to the least of his disciples is duty done unto him (Matt. 10:40-42). The apostle Peter instructs believers to “Love the brotherhood” (1 Peter 2:17). And the apostle John warns us that it is impossible for God’s love to abide in anyone who has material possessions but fails to care for the needs of his brother (1 John 3:17). The example of the early church’s special concern for one another through financial fellowship also demonstrates the priority of caring for fellow believers in local congregations (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-37). However, the early church’s example of taking up collections for poor Christians who were far removed from their local congregations illustrates the importance of non-local, church-centered giving (Acts 11:27-30; Rom. 15:25-30; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; 2 Cor. 8-9; Gal. 2:10). What is more, God has specifically instituted deacons in his church to administer Christian offerings wisely on his behalf (Acts 6:1-6; 1Tim. 3:7; cf. 5:3-16). Similarly, Paul and his largely Gentile congregations paid very close attention to the financial administration of the church’s non-local relief funds (2 Corinthians 8:16-24) through which Christians were commanded to give.
To Support Pastors and Missionaries
A great deal of emphasis is also placed on the importance of supporting local pastors, foreign missionaries and others who work to promote the proclamation of the gospel and the making of disciples. In the Old Testament God provided an elaborate system of tithes and offerings to provide for the priests, Levites and religious workers of the day (e.g., Numbers 18:21). In the New Testament Paul tells us that “the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” (1 Cor. 9:14). Thus, in God’s economy, ministers and those who spend their time performing kingdom work are to be fully supported in their labors. There should be no mistake: gospel ministry is real “work” in the sight of God and, therefore, ought to be compensated accordingly (1 Timothy 5:18). Nevertheless, it is worth pointing out that even though Paul went to pains to stress his own right to fair compensation, he himself was willing to relinquish his rights when it served to advance the work of the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:7-14). This attitude should be shared by all pastors and missionaries. But churches and congregations must never presume to enforce Paul’s sacrificial example on their own pastors or other ministry workers, for Scripture tells us that they have the right to be paid in full (1 Corinthians 9:12). As Paul says in Galatians 6:6, “One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.” (See also Matt. 10:9-10; Luke 8:3; 10:7-8; Rom. 15:24; 16:1-4; Phil. 4:15-19; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; Titus 3:12-13; 3 John 7-8).
To Support Civil Authority
We are clearly commanded to support civil authorities, even if we believe we are being taxed unfairly. God has ordained human governments—imperfect though they may be—to oversee his work, and we are to financially empower them to do their jobs (Rom. 13:6-7; cf. Matt. 22:21).
To Love for Our Enemies
We are called to give to our enemies. This is a special mark of biblical faith which appears in both the Old and the New Testament. Proverbs 25:21 says, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink”. Jesus even told his disciples to be generous to those who steal from us (Luke 6:29-30)! Because God in Christ gave to us when we were his enemies, he calls us to be like him by giving to those who hate us. This is the point of Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) and of the apostle Paul’s instruction in Romans 12:20.
To Promote Human Flourishing
We are called to promote human flourishing and the common good in more general ways. When the prophet Jeremiah wrote to God’s people just after they had been taken away into exile in Babylon, he told them to “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. (Jeremiah 29:7 NIV). By seeking the peace and material well-being of a foreign and hostile society, they were advancing the kingdom of God in the heart of Babylon (Matthew 5:14-16; cf. Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 51:4). Likewise, as Christians, whom the New Testament calls exiles and “strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11), we are to seek first God’s kingdom, not by seeking personal peace and prosperity for ourselves but by seeking the welfare, peace or “shalom” of the communities in which we live (1 Peter 2:12). “So” Paul says, “as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone” (Gal. 6:10). Biblically, this has always included a special obligation to support and speak out on behalf of the most vulnerable members of our society, even if they do not belong to the Christian community.
How do our own contemporary giving strategies compare with these basic priorities? While the above categories do not exhaust all the different things to which Christians are called to give, my hope is that highlighting these different emphases will spark imagination and conversation about how Christians might give with greater focus and faithfulness to God’s giving agenda.