1 Timothy 6:10 KJV For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows…
That’s so true. We have seen so many good ministries shipwreck themselves chasing money.
People often ask ask how we handle money so here are a few practices the we have adopted and they seem to work well in our cynical, western culture.
Most people in our group work, or are self-funded retirees. Some folks are on welfare payments for different reasons. Oasis takes NO money from anyone in the group. We don’t even ask. We don’t see that its right to take money from precious family members in the way that traditional churches do it. It’s like me asking my kids to give me money for being their Dad, it’s obscene to me.
The Oasis group is probably the most generous group of people I have ever met. Nobody in the group lacks anything. If anyone desperately needed anything the whole group would rally and contribute to that need.
If we needed to take up large offering for anything we could have easily asked everyone and done so (we never did that) but group would have risen to that challenge.
On occasion, from time to time, people in the group with a generous heart would approach me privately a press me to take money. On some occassions I accepted the money on the mutual agreement that I would donate that money to the Men’s Prison Ministry in Kerobokan Bali. Of course they agreed, and we were both joyful.
We see financial giving as entirely voluntary and NOT in any way an obligation.
We see Tithing as outside the Mosaic Law, and not mandatory. Anything under the Mosaic Law was brought to an end by Jesus, so Tithing can indeed still be thoughtfully taught and applied. However Abraham Tithed BEFORE the law so we need to learn why he did that and understand Tithing through the lens of Hebrew 7 as a lesson, and learn the benefits taught in Malachi 3.
Tithing is powerful, but voluntary. Cher and I have Tithed for over 33 years now and seen then miraculous benefits of it. We coach in Tithing principles but we don’t teach it as an obligation. I hope you can see the difference.
Money has corrupted church leaders and churches….
Money drives budgets, salaries, building programs, debt and even a professional class of Clergy (referred to as Nicolaitanes in Revelation, which God “hates”).
Today, money drives doctrine and behavior of most institutional churches. Sadly most leaders would not lead for free, but only perform for money, as in a job, in a pagan-style corporation. The bible calls them “hirelings” in John 10:12-13.
Nowhere in the NT do pastors or elders get permission or instruction to take money off believers, for themselves. They get no permission whatsoever. It is illegal in the kingdom to do so. Leaders are warned against being greedy or motivated by money in 1 TIM 3:3, 3:8; TITUS 1:7, 1:11 and 1 Peter 5:2.
All manner of scriptures are twisted and taken out of context to extract money from believers. The simple fact is that, paid clergy and centralized acquisition of real estate was not a thing in the early Church till about 300AD, when this distortion really accelerated under Roman Catholicism.
Having said that, when the Jewish temple existed, the leaders took up a temple tax (or tribute) to repay Rome which paid for the temple extension under Herod, to extend the temple to accommodate more pilgrims. If churches own buildings and pay salaries for professionals (which they originally never did) then raising a tax or a tribute has become common, as is teaching that the tithe is mandatory (which is doctrinally false).
Now, Concerning the Tithe….
The tithe no longer exists under the law, because Jesus brought ALL the law to a conclusion. The law is fulfilled and finished by the cross. Tithing cannot be taught as an obligation. It is not an obligation under Jesus.
Romans 10:4 KJV For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
It is true that Abraham tithed to Melchizedek before the law existed so we can say that tithing predates the law and can be taught as a concept or principal… but it cannot be coerced from people. This coercion is control or witchcraft. Jesus blesses us whether we tithe or give, or not.
Tithing can be taught as a biblical principal from Hebrews chapter 7, but is not an Apostolic Doctrine. Again we coach in it, but we don’t teach it as an obligation.
We model off Paul….
Paul the Apostle was a tentmaker and derived his own income from his own hands. He boasts about never making a “gain” or taking advantage of his role to take money. Paul did teach generosity and collections were taken up to support other groups, like for the Macedonians, but Paul supported himself financially. 2 COR 11. There is NO record of the early Church “Tithing” or that “Tithing” was even taught in the early Church. It is just not there.
Paul taught generosity as well as “sowing and reaping”. The bottom-line is that believers are at liberty when it comes to any form of giving.
Leadership qualifications are explicit regarding money…
The qualifications of NT leadership clearly state that all forms of leadership are not to touch money or work for gain. Taking money disqualifies someone from “authentic church” leadership.
1 Timothy 3:3 KJV Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
1 Timothy 3:8 KJV Likewise must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre…
Titus 1:7 KJV For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre…
Titus 1:11 KJV Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake…
1 Peter 5:1-3 KJV The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock…
In Conclusion….
As a consequence we do not take up any money, in fact our church has no bank account so its not even possible for us to take any money.
Our group is mature enough to manage their own finances and give cheerfully and freely to whatever charity or mission they choose.
We are all abundantly blessed and lack nothing. The Lord blesses our “tentmaking” and we have more than enough to bless and share with others.
My wife and I no longer donate to building funds or professionals (Hirelings), but rather to gospel missionaries, orphanages, prisons and other charitable missions.
And that my friends, is what we call “Good Finance”.
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