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Article printed on 4-9-2010 |
Reflections on Christian sharing
"The following draft document has been compiled by a team appointed by church council. If any member of the church wishes to comment on it or propose alterations or additrions, they are invited to address them to Mr Gottfried Oltmann."
Reflections on Christian sharing
Giving and receiving are part of life and hence also of Christian Sharing. Christians would like to base their judgment and their lives on the biblical witness.
Biblical Background (i)
The aim of this document is to show that there are at least some rudimentary but very profound economic guidelines in the Bible, which are able to show us the direction. We could start with the Old Testament. There are principles of economic justice in the torah, pronouncements with economic implications in the prophets and proverbs on dealing with possessions in the wisdom literature. In the New Testament we could have a look at the Gospels, particularly at the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, both written by the “Evangelist of the poor”. James too contributes valuable insights. But the writings of the Apostle Paul are the most profound and the most prolific in this regard.
According to Paul the basis of Christian giving and receiving is the self-giving love of Christ. He derives his exhortation to the Corinthians to give freely, from the very centre of his gospel: Christ did not give this or that; he gave himself. He, the infinitely rich, became poor to enrich us (2 Cor 8:9-10; cf Phil 2:5ff).
Similarly the followers of Christ will not give this or that; they will give themselves. To give ourselves (concretely: our time, our energy, our money, our opportunities, our privileges) presupposes that we entrust ourselves to God, fully confident that he can give us abundantly more than we could ever lose in his service (Mk 10:29ff). Through faith, and in the power of the Spirit, we can live in the freedom of Christ as mature sons and daughters of God (Gl 3:23 – 4:7). So the new life of Christ in which we are privileged to participate is marked by two overriding characteristics: freedom and love.
In sum, Paul believes in total freedom, yet this total freedom is given substance and direction by total dedication to the redemptive and constructive love of Christ (1 Cor 10:23f). And Paul’s own dedication to the cause of Christ is the living example (2 Cor 5:20,6:4ff), which convinced the converts from the gentiles in Macedonia to give freely towards the collection for the congregation in Jerusalem (2 Cor 8:1-5).
Church Aspects (ii)
The ELCSA(N-T) has developed a two-page document in which its PURPOSE is defined as follows: “to proclaim, witness and share the Good News of God’s grace in Jesus Christ”. Ten OBJECTIVES and five GOALS are spelt out through which it intends to contribute towards the PURPOSE. According to OBJECTIVE I: the priesthood of all believers will be promoted in its congregations, and as a consequence GOAL 1.3 states: “Laity will be assisted to develop its call to live out the priesthood of all believers. They will be helped to discover and use their gifts for Christian witness and in the service of love within their congregations, their church and their society…”
The ELCSA(N-T) receives the major part of its funding from Voluntary Giving by its congregations and ultimately its individual members. This Voluntary Giving is in the form of Regular Contributions, Sunday Service Collections, ad hoc donations and bequests.
At church synod level a two-yearly budgeting and report-back system provides transparent information over the actual and projected incomes and expenses and the assets and liabilities of ELCSA(N-T). These are coordinated with the above PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES, GOALS & STRATEGIES at the synod meeting, which determines the Regular Contributions required from each congregation and also specifies the purposes of 27 of the Sunday Service Collections for the ensuing two-year period.
At the congregational level, the purposes of the remaining Sunday Service Collections are specified to fulfil local diaconical and social ministries. Together with the Regular Contributions, as determined by synod, they form the basis of the congregation’s annual budget and report-back at its AGM.
Individual Aspects
Each member of ELCSA(N-T) has individual gifts and a personal history and is invited to consider the above information in order to arrive at a decision about his/her next step on the road of following Christ. What we do with our gifts, our time, our energy, our opportunities, our privileges and our money is a very personal matter. We are invited to see our private lives in the context of God’s mission in the world as a whole, including the economy.
Some helpful practical guidelines for personal decisions are given in chapters 3 to 6 of the booklet: “MAKING ENDS MEET: Personal money management in a Christian perspective” (please refer to footnote (i) below). The reading list given in appendix 1 gives information about the approach of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa to this subject.
The appendices 2 to 6 represent alternative biblical concepts, which are used in our current context and which may also assist in the individual quest for answers to determine what and how much to give towards the above PURPOSE, OBJECTIVES & GOALS and to the STRATEGIES of the local congregation.
Commission members: Mr Ron Küsel (convener), Pastor Kornelia Schauf, Pastor Gilbert Filter, Messrs Erwin Dedekind & Gottfried Oltmann.
(i) Excerpt of “The Economics of Paul – a biblical reflection” from pp 63 to 76 of the booklet “Making ends meet: Personal money management in a Christian perspective” by Professor K. Nürnberger, ISBN 0-620-19017-5 (76pp).
(ii) Quotations from the church’s web site: Purpose, Objectives, Goals and Strategies of the ELCSA(N-T)
Appendices
1: Reading list:
a) “The Gift of Giving” with the subtitle “A Biblical Approach to Money, Finance and Stewardship” by George W. Trimble, published by The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (88pp) together with a study guide of 36pp.
b) “Stewardship” with the subtitle “Managing God’s Resources” by George W. Trimble published by The Methodist Church of Southern Africa (88pp)
2: The concept of stewardship:
A steward is a manager of someone else’s possessions. Such a manager needs to be trustworthy, reliable and truthful. According to Genesis 2, God gave to human beings the task to look after and care for the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2v15). Psalm 24v1 and other passages also emphasize the idea of God as the owner of everything, and we humans as those, that are entrusted to look after God’s possessions (Ps 50v10, 11; Haggai 2v8). As stewards we are to sustain the God-given gifts and embrace and employ them to honour God and further the work of his kingdom. For more details please refer to the church’s website.
3: The concept of first fruits:
In the Old Testament, offerings of the first fruits of the harvest to God were an acknowledgment that everything comes from God. Israel understood to have received its land from God. Thus they offered the first fruits of the land to God. No amounts are specified but it was an act of thankfulness and dedication to the Lord. In Deuteronomy 26, 3.8-10 the offering of the first fruits is linked to the confession of faith to the God that liberated Israel from the bondage in Egypt.
4: The concept of tithing:
In the Old Testament the institution of the tithe was part of the taxation system. Together with other laws such as the Release Year (every 7 years) (Deut.15v1-11) and the Jubilee Year (every 50 years) (Lev25v8-22) tithing organized the economic system which was aimed at sustainability: land and humans were protected from exploitation. Tithing constituted a contribution to the king (Genesis 14v20; 1 Samuel 8v15.17), a fee to maintain the temple and fill the storehouse (Malachi 3v6-10), and for the priests and Levites (Num. 18v21) and also as a tradition to contribute to a fund for the poor, the widows and strangers (Deut.14v29).
In the New Testament there are three references “in passing” to tithing (Matthew 23:23-24, Luke 11:42, Luke 18:9-14). It is however significant that Paul never refers to tithing in all his letters concerning the collection for the congregation in Jerusalem.
5: The concepts of offerings and sacrifices:
In the Old Testament, giving has also the aspect of sacrifice. After Israel had been liberated they received the law to organise their lives. The list of the most important sacrifices consists of: burnt offerings (Lev 1), cereal offerings (Lev 2), sacrifice of peace offerings (Lev 3), sin offerings (Lev 4) and guilt offerings (Lev 5v14ff).
In the Jewish worship service the sin offering has first priority (1 Sam 3v14; Jeremia 17v26, 46v10) to atone for unwitting transgressions (Lev 4v2). With the burnt offering the idea of atonement recedes in favour of the concept of giving to God what is due to him. The sacrifice of peace offering usually formed part of a great festival as an expression of gratitude towards God. It simultaneously served as a meal of atonement.
In the New Testament, Paul gives a new meaning to the concepts of offering and sacrifice in Romans 12v1ff: our whole life should be a service to God, not only this or that offering.
Appendix 6: Malachi 3v6-10: The injunction in Mal 3:6-10 cannot be understood apart from its historical context. The Jews had returned from the Babylonian captivity. The beginning was very difficult and the prophet addresses the people who, due to their own miserable condition, were unwilling to pay the tithes needed for the upkeep of the temple. Malachi tells them, fulfill your obligations, get right with God, and God will bless you again with abundant harvests. For more details please refer to the church’s website.
Proposal for the more detailed parts of the paper for the web site of ELCSA(N-T),
1. Stewardship
A basic definition: ‘a steward is a manager of someone else’s possessions’. Such a manager needs to be trustworthy, reliable and truthful. The scriptures remind us that everything belongs to the Lord (Ps24v1; Psalm 50v10,11; Haggai 2v8) We should remember that all things are good, as in Genesis 1v31 we read: ’God saw everything He had made, and behold, it was very good.’ Paul reiterates the same in 1Timothy 4v4. We are the care-takers of what belongs to God, our Father and Creator. We do this by giving to God what is due to him (Proverbs 3v9; 1 Peter 4v10,11)
God has given us the responsibility to be faithful stewards of his possessions he has entrusted to us. In 1 Corinthians 6v19,20 Paul reminds us that ‘you are not your own, you were bought with a great price.’ Our body is the temple of God and we should give our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12v1). Thus we are to use our lives to the service of God.
God has given us intellect and wisdom to manage what is in the world (Deuteronomy 8v17,18). In 1 Cor.4v2 the apostle Paul writes: “It is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.” (ESV) We must manage our lives, money, work, leisure time, all we have in such a way that it pleases God.
In Luke 16v10 Jesus calls on us to be faithful in little things. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with every little also be dishonest with much.” If we are faithful with small things, God can trust us with greater responsibilities.
The Bible has a vast scope of areas that require our stewardship. These are all areas we face in our daily lives and encounter with God’s creation.
Stewards of the word of God
The word of God is a life-giving word. It has been handed on in written form, the Bible. It is our calling as believers not to only faithfully live according to this word, but to also to faithfully share the good news of salvation with future generations. Members need to be strengthened in the knowledge of the word, so that they can pass it on in word and deed.
Stewards of people
It’s members are the greatest asset of the church. It is the churches commission to make them into disciples, who serve to the glory of God. These stewards need to be equipped so that they can equip others.
Stewards of the world in which we live
God is our Creator. He has given us what we are, have and know. Everything belongs to him (Psalm 24v1). We have been created in the image of God (Genesis 1v27) and are called to take care of God’s creation. Thus we are accountable to God on how we take care of his creation. Together with the public domain we need to work at strategies on how to take care of the environment and how to sustain it the earth’s limited resources.
Stewards of time and work
The Bible states that there is a time for everything (Eccl.3). We are called on to use our time wisely. Work is part of the way of our existence in this world. Thus we need to use our time and work in a constructive and responsible way. (Psalm 65, Psalm 104v19-23, Psalm 127). In 2 Thessalonians 3v10 the consequence of idleness is clearly stated. In Ephesians 4v28 we are reminded that ‘Let the thief no longer steal but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need.’ Our faithful stewardship of time and work ethic is a witness to the one who created us.
Stewardship of spiritual gifts and natural talents
The Bible gives an extensive list of spiritual gifts. Def: ‘Spiritual gifts are special abilities distributed by the Holy Spirit to every believer according to God’s design and grace for the common good of the body of Christ.’ In 1 Corinthians 12v1 Paul writes: “Now about spiritual gifts I do not want you to be ignorant.“ (see also 1 Corinthians 12-14) Do you know your spiritual gifts? He further reminds us that we are all members of one body, and thus each member is essential for the body to function. Each member has something to offer so that the body can function (1 Peter 4v10)
It is important to remember that these gifts are not given merely for our own benefit, but to grow the body of Christ. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we assist in growing the body of Christ and make a difference in it.
We also have received natural talents. All people, also non-believers have natural talents. These talents make us unique and special. We often say: ”He/she is ‘gifted’ in this or that area.” If we use these natural talents to build up the kingdom of God, they have spiritual significance.
Stewardship of money and possessions
The prophet Haggai 2v8 remind us that the money we have belongs to God, as God says: “The silver is mine and gold is mine.” And in Deuteronomy 8v18 we read: ‘Remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth.’ The money entrusted to us is something we need to manage for God. Money can be good in our lives when we use it wisely to God’s glory, and money can be ‘god’ if it rules our lives. These include possessions such as household goods, car, property, savings, investments and shares. All our money and possessions should be used to glorify God. It all belongs to him! We are called to give and live from it in a God-honouring and responsible way. Possessions and money are though often used in a wrong way and thus bring punishment on those whom abuse these gifts (James 5v1-6) and in Hebrews 13v16: ‘Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.’ (see also 1 Timothy 6v18; Matthew 25v34-40)
Gilbert Filter (19 July 2007)
Bibliography
Bible references
NIV
ESV
James L. Knutson: In his service – a study in Christian stewardship
George W. Trimble: The gift of giving.
Crown Financial Ministries: Crown Pastors Package
2. Tithing in the Old Testament
In the Old Testament a whole system of laws gave directives concerning INCOME and POSSESSIONS and the taking of INTEREST; these form the context in which tithing was practiced:
The concept of tithing – one tenth of income or gain – evolved with time as reflected in Numbers and Deuteronomy. The first reference in the Bible is in Genesis 14,20, when Abram paid Melchizedek (“he was King of Salem and priest of God Most High” v18) one tenth of the gains he had acquired during the war against Ched-or-laomer. Further on in Genesis 28,20-22 Jacob vowed “…..and of all that thou givest me I will give the tenth to thee”.
1: Some of the laws concerning INCOME and hence TITHING are:
1.1: “Tithe for God” – According to Leviticus 27,30-32 “All the tithe of the land ….is the Lord’s….and all the tithe of herds and flocks every tenth animal….shall be holy to the Lord.”
1.2: “Tithe for the Levites” In Numbers 18,21-32 we read “To the Levites I have given every tithe in Israel for an inheritance ….and among the people of Israel they shall have no (land) inheritance. For the tithe of the people of Israel…..I have given to the Levites for an inheritance.”
See also Numbers 18,23-26, Deuteronomy 10,9.
1.3: “Tithe for the poor” In Deuteronomy 14,28-29 we read that the tithe of every third year “is to be laid up in the towns; and the Levite….and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled;….”
See also Deuteronomy 26,12.
2: Some of the laws concerning POSSESSIONS are:
2.1: Jubilee Year In Leviticus 25,8-22 it is specified that in every 50th year i.e. every Jubilee Year every Israelite should be given back his (land) inheritance.
In Leviticus 25,23 we read “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me.”
2.2: Release Year In Deuteronomy 15,1 we read: ”At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release. And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbour; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, his brother, ..”.
In Deuteronomy 15,12 we read: “If your brother….is sold to you, he shall serve you six years and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you…..”
3: A law concerning the taking of INTEREST is given in Leviticus 25,37 where we read “You shall not lend him (your brother) your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.”
This list of references concerning tithing in the Old Testament was compiled by Gottfried Oltmann.
3. The Prophet Malachi
The injunction in Mal 3:6-10 cannot be understood apart from its historical context.
The Jews had returned from the Babylonian captivity. But the long-awaited home-coming had not been as marvelous as the Second Isaiah had predicted (see Is 40-55). The land had been devastated and there still had not been much rebuilding since the destruction of Jerusalem about 70 years ago. The beginning was very difficult. Although there were those who benefited from the new situation (see Nehemiah 5), the majority were struggling, especially to meet the heavy tax-burden laid upon them by the Persian governor. With failed harvests and devastation caused by locusts they complained bitterly: “It is vain to serve God. What do we profit by keeping this command?” (Mal 3:13)
The Book of Malachi deals with this and similar issues: There are six sections: 1:2-5; 1:6 – 2:9; 2:10-16; 2:17 – 3:5; 3:6-12; 3:13-21. They all follow the same pattern. The prophet quotes an opinion of his opponents and then refutes it. His basic contention is: “Don’t blame God, look first at yourselves.”
He first of all addresses the priests. By using inferior animals for their religious offerings (1:6 – 2:9), leading immoral lives by separating from their rightful wives (2:16), they have broken the covenant God had made with the house of Levi (2:8).
The priests have also collaborated with the upper-class rich families to exploit the wage earners, the widows and orphans through manipulating the justice system.(3:5) Cheating the poorer citizens of their rights means cheating God as well.
But Malachi does not only address the priests and demands their repentance he also addresses the people who, due to their own miserable condition were unwilling to pay the tithes needed for the upkeep of the temple. Malachi tells them, fulfill your obligations, get right with God, and God will bless you again with abundant harvests.
G. Wittenberg. ( 2007)
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