Faith Baptist Church
4258 Botetourt Road
Fincastle, Virginia 24090
(540) 473-2325
II Corinthians 9:6-7
1. Biblical stewardship entails our work ethic, our time, our spending and our giving. Everything we do is to be done to the glory of God. A steward is a household guardian, oikonomos. We are doctrinal stewards and we are stewards of the plan of God.
Col.3:22-24; I Tim.6:1-2; Titus 2:9; Eph.6:5-9; I Cor.4:1-2.
2. Biblical stewardship includes our attitudes toward the Lord and his word.
I Thess.5:18 We are to be thankful to God in everything.
3. Stewardship also involves planned giving to the Lord’s work. It is not random offerings based on present conveniences.
4. Stewardship giving is based on your earned income, not expendable, or spare income in your wallet on Sunday.
Paul in speaking to the Corinthians encouraged them to give accordingly as they purposed in their hearts.
II Cor.9:6-7 “But this I say, He who soweth sparingly [present middle participle] which means having left over finances to spare, shall reap also sparingly; and he who soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” The present tense refers to regular giving, not sporadic giving. Our church electric bill and fuel cost and pastor’s needs and missionary needs and insurance needs and upkeep needs are not sporadic needs, they are continuous needs.
Every man according as he purposes [perfect middle indicative of proaireomai, to choose beforehand.
This choosing beforehand to give to the Lord’s work, which finds its authority in the local church, given the first day of the week, is not based on a whim of emotion, nor pity, or guilt. It is to predetermine to give bountifully as the Lord has blessed. We do not preach a prosperity hocus-pocus doctrine here, that is, if you give big God will give bigger back to you. This is false motivation.
We preach that if we do not allow the goods that God gives to us to have a regular designated outflow of a portion of those goods to God’s work, that God will not be inclined to increase his giving to us.
Many folks say the Lord has blessed them so they can buy a bigger house, newer car, or so they can contribute more to their retirement plan, or they splurge on some new thing; none of which is wrong, but many believers do not look at their new found prosperity as an opportunity for the Lord to use it to bless his work
One of the reasons the Lord blesses folks financially is so He can use a determined portion of those finances for his work, and in the age of grace, just as before the Law, that portion is at least 10%. The more you determine to sow above the tithe the more bountiful you will reap. The less you determine to sow into the Lord’s work, the less you will reap. This is why Paul says in II Cor.9:6 we should purpose to give bountifully so we may reap bountifully.
When the Lord is given the go ahead to bless you abundantly, as you bountifully give your tithes and free will offerings, the Lord in turn blesses you both in time and in eternity. This is not a gimmick, it is New Testament theology. Never think that your giving isn’t considered a good work which will one day merit eternal rewards. This biblical model by no means says you will get rich in this life.
And unfortunately some preachers use the formula that they and others will get rich in this life if they give big. Some preachers know that most folks will not be generous if they do not get something back in return now.
The discussion comes up then as to what portion of those finances should a believer give. In the Old Testament the Temple was the storehouse, Mal.3:7-10. This was not a church setting, it was the national treasury. And when they gave as the Lord ordered in that dispensation he said he would pour out fantastic blessings to them. The Lord said the people had robbed him. They thought they had been faithful and they questioned the Lord’s rebuke by saying, “In what way have we robbed you?” The Lord said they had robbed him of his tithes and offerings, all of which were used for his work. Now granted some tithes were a tax received from both the lost and the saved, to be used for different needs.
1. A tithe was used for the upkeep of the Temple and those who administered the duties about the Temple, i.e. the Levites and the priests. Num.18, 21, 24
2. A tithe was taken for national feasts and sacrifices, Deut.14, 22, 24.
3. Every three years a tithe was taken from every household and business to give aid to the helpless and aged, Deut.14, 28, 29.
There were three tithes. The definition of tithing means 10%.
Tithing came before the Law of Moses as noted in Gen.14:17-20; Heb.7:1-10.
So the Law, though fulfilled by our Lord, is still not the final biblical revelation as to if a tithe is not an appropriate offering to the Lord. The tithe was the Lord’s before the Law of Moses was written. A set portion has always been required of God’s people, before, during and after the Law of Moses.
II Cor.9:6-7
But now that we are in the church age we know God does not require us to give according to the law of Moses, but according to grace. So we must go back to the first mention principle found in the Bible regarding the tithe which was 10%, not an additional 10% tax for the government and a 10% triennial tithe for the aged and helpless in society as found in the Law. The Lord wants us to purpose [determine] in our hearts to give as he prospers us. The Lord wants us to be cheerful givers, not guilt givers or law givers. He wants us to give out of grace. He wants us to realize that he is Lord of all we have, including our finances. Again remember, the tithe is not ours, it is the Lords. It has always been the Lord’s.