An Amount

 

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

AN AMOUNT

1 Cor 16:1-4

16:1 Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.

NIV

Certainly, we have maintained the principle of the tithe, which was an Old Testament command from God. The last mention of the tithe is in Malachi that command to bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so there will be meat in the Lord’s house, also contains a promise. God promised that he would open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that we would not have room enough for it. In addition, God promised that he would prevent pests from devouring our crops. It seems the church has made a lot more out of bringing the whole tithe into the church, then anything at all about God pouring our blessings so much that we would not have room enough to contain. However, in this letter to the Corinthians, there seems to be a slight difference between the tithe and his collection. It appears the tithe was for God, and this collection is for God’s people. Of course, the tithe was not about money but about a tenth of their harvest and their herds. Still, it was for the people as well. There are commands about giving the tithe to the Levites, widows, and orphans so they may eat. Today, we do not set aside a sum of money in keeping with our income, except that we have determined the amount should be a tenth. It does not appear Paul was limiting the people as to the amount to set aside to a tenth, but simply an amount in keeping with their income. Additionally, he was not setting a tenth as the minimum. This giving from our income should be a personal issue between us and the Lord. What the amount is used for still seems to be about the people. It is established the Levites should be cared for from the tithe, however, they were to tithe from their portion of the people’s tithe. It has been established that Pastors should receive and income from our giving in accordance with our income. Those serving the Lord in the church should be paid for their labor, they should not have to go outside the church for their income. There has been much made of using voluntary labor in the church, and surely that has to be, for we have established so many programs, it would be impossible to paid people to run them all. This was not the case in the early church. Yes, they cared for the widows in the distribution of food, as Stephen and others were chosen to do, but that is the only mentioned program. We have taken programs beyond anything mentioned in scripture. However, living a life of love may encompass many types of service not specifically mentioned. Nevertheless, it still remains incumbent upon us to bring an amount in keeping with our income into the storehouse. But it may not be up to us as to how it is dispensed. That might just be up to God.