Reflections on God and Money: Giving & Funding (23)

Do we not have the right to eat and drink? … Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain’. Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the ploughman should plough in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all…

1 Corinthians 9:4-19

When Paul first wrote to the church at Corinth, he had to deal with a range of sexual and financial issues. Some of them were easy to resolve: for example, it was immoral for a man to have married his father’s wife and it was wrong for the businessmen to defraud each other and to then air their disputes in the civil courts! Other issues were not so easily resolved, such as whether Christians married to people who do not believe in Christ should seek a divorce. But in the absence of a clear moral imperative, the ‘right’ thing to do was not whatever God permitted but what was best for the other people involved.

That is why in the passage at the start of this Reflection, Paul explains his right to financial support – not to claim it but to waive it! He had a right to expect the people he taught to support him because Christian ministry was to be funded in the same way as the Temple ministry. But Paul did not wish to exercise the right! His hope of divine favour and a heavenly reward was not teaching about Christ, because he had no choice (‘Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel’), but in doing it without charge, giving freely – working to support his own ministry, rather than rely on payment and gifts, as he was entitled to do.

This principle of working for the benefit of others was very important to Paul. He wrote this in his letter to the church at Ephesus: ‘Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labour, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need’ (Ephesians 4:28).

To pick up on G Campbell Morgan’s observation in yesterday’s Reflection, to what extent are we so preoccupied with fundraising that we overlook our own obligation to work, not only to meet our own needs and fulfil our desires, but in order to be able to give to help others?

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If you are in or near Richmond in South London on 8 May, 12 June or 10 July you are welcome to come to a short personal finance course called 'Sharper Living' at Duke Street Church: there's a map and travel directions at the Church website www.dukestreetchurch.com . Arrive from 7:45pm for an 8:00pm start; finish at approx. 9:00pm.

The course is an introduction to basic personal finance skills, covering essential tools and tips to help you maximise your money, like budgeting, banking and borrowing. The course, course notes and light refreshments are free; there will not be any literature or merchandise on sale.

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Handling money and dealing with debt can be complicated and neither the author nor anyone else involved in the production of these Reflections is responsible for any action you take, or fail to take, based on what is written here. You are invited to put a link on your website to these Reflections. You are welcome to copy these Reflections for personal study or for circulation to family and friends on a non-profit basis. For any other purpose, whether or not for profit, you will require written permission in advance from the author before copying, reproducing or transmitting extracts in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or using any information storage and retrieval system.

Saturday, 11 May 2013

Giving & Funding (23)