Biblical Giving in the New Testament Explored Blog Your name Your bio This is an example of what your blog post would look like on a blog. This is the navigation for your readers to go through your content. This shows where you stand in comparison to what it was before. Statistics on why readers should subscribe to your RSS feeds Keep up with future posts by subscribing to this feed with Google Reader, Yahoo! Newsgator, Netvibes, My Yahoo!, Firefox, and more…ON How the New Testament Talks About Giving,
Some people might think, why do we need to know about giving in the New Testament? There are plenty of websites that list the scriptural text on giving (not many people read the Bible from front to back, so it’s a great way to give a broader overview of the passage).
Giving In The New Testament
How the New Testament Talks About Giving
The word “give” appears in the New Testament, but it’s not always used in the same way. In one passage, Jesus tells his followers to “give to everyone who asks of you,” which is a suggestion that we should give money freely to those who ask for it when we have some to spare. However, this has nothing to do with giving money directly away from our own bank accounts; rather, it’s about offering money when someone asks us for it or needs help getting by—even if this means taking out loans or working extra hours so we can contribute more than usual toward our household expenses.
In another instance in Matthew 6:21-23 (read aloud here), Jesus makes clear that he does not want his followers giving everything away indiscriminately: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” Giving should be done wisely because there are things worth giving up and saving your resources for something higher than earthly possessions. This verse implies that being charitable without restraint could actually get in the way of reaching God’s kingdom and enjoying eternal life with him!
Lastly, Paul calls tithing an obligation—”the law requires all men everywhere”—and says it is required by God himself rather than just some sort of tradition passed down by man over time (Titus 3:1). We know what Jesus thought about these kinds
of traditions––so why would he ask us to follow them?
Giving Generously in Luke 6:38
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says that we should be generous in our giving. He reminds us to give to those who ask from us, and even those who don’t ask but are still in need.
But he doesn’t stop there; he also tells us to give of our time and attention (2 Corinthians 8:8).
To this end, I’d like to challenge you with an idea that might be uncomfortable for some people: giving generously doesn’t just mean giving money! When we think about generosity, we usually think about what we can do for others with things like food or money or material goods. But maybe it’s time for a new perspective on generosity. What if the best way we can show “generosity” is by being devoted friends? What if being generous means stopping what you’re doing and meeting someone halfway across town just because they texted you asking if they could come over?
Give According to Your Faith in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15
- Giving according to your faith
- Giving according to your income
- Giving according to your ability
- Giving according to your heart
- Giving according to the needs of the church (1 Corinthians 16:1-2) and the poor (James 1:27)
Give Cheerfully in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7
Give cheerfully, as you have made up your mind to do; not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may have an abundance for every good deed; as it is written, “He has distributed freely and given to the poor; His Righteousness endures forever.”
Give, and it will be given to you: good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over will be put into your lap. For with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you.
Give Sacrificially in Philippians 4:10-19
Give sacrificially. Paul encourages the Philippians to give “as you have opportunity” (v.14) and “according as God has prospered you” (v.17). This means that when the church gives, it should be mindful of what God has given to us in terms of time, money and ability so that we can give back in a similar way. We are not meant to be stingy or selfish with our gifts; they should be given cheerfully out of love for God and others (2 Corinthians 9:7-8).
Give joyfully. Giving is an act of worship that brings us into a deeper relationship with Christ because we are putting His needs first above our own—and even if it hurts at first (James 1:25), there will always come a day when we realize how much lighter those bags feel when we carry them around! When I gave my last $10 towards the church budget last week, I was feeling pretty down about how little I had left over after paying all my bills and buying groceries for two weeks straight—but later on that night when I found myself excitedly planning dinner options for myself as well as thinking ahead about where else in my home could get some paint touch ups done while still giving money away? Well…my faith was renewed!
Conclusion
These verses show us that the New Testament encourages believers to give generously, cheerfully and sacrificially to other people. Giving is an essential part of living a life of faith, and we are all called to be good stewards of what God has given us. If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, check out our article on “10 Principles for Biblical Financial Stewardship.”