The Collection

 DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

THE COLLECTION

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

This instruction about the collection for God’s people is not to either be confused with or taken as an example of the tithe and offering that we are more accustomed to collecting each Sunday. This collection was taken for the express purpose of sending it to the poor saints, or believers that were in Jerusalem living under the persecution of Christians by the Jews. There was such an uproar in Jerusalem from most of the leadership of the Jews when Jesus was there. So much so, they had him killed by the Romans through the cruelest method of death, being nailed to a cross. Therefore, the Christians were poor, which means some may have lost their opportunity for income because of the hatred of them by the Jews, although they were still their fellow countrymen, with the same inheritance from the oath God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the promised land. But the bias of the Jews for the tradition of the law, and the refusal to see Jesus as the Messiah who fulfilled the whole of the law, so he would be the perfect sacrifice, as the Lamb of God. So this collection was strictly to be stored until someone could journey to Jerusalem so the money could be distributed to the poor believers living in Jerusalem. We cannot and should not confuse this in any way with what we do in this post-modern church. This is not to say that we do not dedicate some portion of our tithe and offer to those poorer than us. This is not to say that we should not bring our tithes and offerings into the storehouse, or the church, so there will be "food in my house". Of course, this is from the prophet Malachi, which also includes this wonderful promise from God about opening the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much of a blessing that we will not have room enough to contain. Can we say this was just a promise to the Jews if they were to tithe properly, as we do not find this same word in the entire New Testament? The one mention about supporting those elders who handle the affairs of the church should receive double honor, especially those who preach and teach. This is what Paul instructed Timothy concerning setting up the church which included the quote from Deuteronomy about not muzzling the ox while milling grain and a worker deserves his reward, which we take to mean his wages, as the Greek word misthos meaning directly, pay for services, although throughout the New Testament, it is translated as a reward. Nevertheless, this is how we now govern the rules of bringing a portion of our income, as we can, to the church for the support of those who preach and teach, but now it means that we also support anyone who is considered staff in the church, as well as storing up for the upkeep and improvements of the building. Yet, we do in some sense have made some provisions for giving to the poor, but we are not operating the same as the first New Testament churches. However, we still should consider there are those in need and look after them.