Christian Offerings – 1 Corinthians 16:1-4

Acquiring money is a powerful motivator for stealing, and churches that don’t take great care to make stealing less easy have paid the price:

A church treasurer embezzled $850,000 by distributing funds to himself through a credit line. He had access to four officers’ digital signatures. His crime led to eight years in prison and the requirement to pay the money back.
A 55-year-old female church bookkeeper embezzled a modest $3,000 dollars but was sentenced to eight years in prison.
A church usher collected offerings in the sanctuary balcony and then pocketed loose bills on his way down. Over a number of years, he stole several thousand dollars.
A church bookkeeper embezzled thousands by issuing checks to a fictitious company. [From https://www.agfinancial.org/resources/article/stealing-gods-money-church-fraud-exposed]

Paul took great pains to insure that the money he was collecting for the believers in Jerusalem was protected.

Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me. (1 Corinthians 16:1-4 ESV)

The final issue raised by the Corinthians in their letter to Paul, delivered by the believers from Chloe’s house (see chapter 1) is the issue of the offering Paul had asked them to voluntarily undertake for the support of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Paul had been asking all the mostly Gentile churches he had founded to give a love offering to the saints in Israel because of a difficult time of famine and because of a desire to recognize their unity with and dependence upon this original congregation for their receiving the gospel. Their question seems to revolve around how to take up this offering. Do they just wait until Paul shows up and then take the offering?

Paul urges them to collect some offering every week, every Sunday when they meet, rather than waiting until the last minute. He also mentions that whomever they trust to carry the gift with him he will accept, or they can send them independently of Paul. Paul wants no questions about how this money is handled, no opportunity for Satan to tempt anyone and no opening to accuse anyone.

Paul’s wisdom is still in play today. We give much more effectively if we give on a regular basis. There are some who can give one lump sum, say at the end of the year for tax purposes. But most of us give more if we give weekly or monthly. And being extra careful with accountability for money given is a necessity. We have heard of too many churches where money was embezzled, or of personalities who received gifts and spent them on themselves rather than ministry.

About the Author Randall Johnson

A full-time pastor since 1979, Randall originally graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) in 1979 and from Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin) in 1998. He is married with four grown children and a pile of epic grandchildren.

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