Articles

Error Has Consequences

Written by Frank Jamerson.

While studying for a lesson on the church treasury, I read Guy N. Woods’ answer to the question: “Does the Lord approve of any fund raising for the local church other than the offerings of Christians?” His answer: “No. All examples and precepts to this end, in the New Testament, show clearly that the Lord’s way of meeting financial needs of the church is by the contributions of its members. (1 Corinthians 16:1,2; 2 Corinthians 8 and 9.) Activities involving family life and responsibility may be met in any legitimate fashion. These are not church activities” (Questions and Answers,  Vol. 2, p. 41).  

The same writer, when defending church contributions to benevolent organizations said: “This idea of trying to distinguish between Christian activity of the disciples and the church is an absurdity anyway.” It seems that when the activity is something that brethren want the church to do, there is no distinction between individual and congregational action, but when it is something they do not want churches to do there is a distinction. Back in 1998, a magazine published by Faulkner University reported that the Cloverdale congregation in Montgomery had decided to disband, sell their property and donate $2,467,906 to Faulkner University. Not many years ago, this would have caused a great uproar among brethren in that area, but now many have accepted the theory that there is no distinction between individual and congregational action, no protest was heard about such use of the money.

The Bible plainly teaches that God has placed some responsibilities on the church and some on individuals. Paul taught that the individual is to “labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him has need” (Eph. 4:28). In contrast, the church is to raise money by individuals giving on the first day of the week (1 Cor. 16:1,2). The distinction is also seen in Paul’s instructions about relieving widows. “If any believing man or woman has widows, let themthem relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows (or widows in deed)” (1 Tim. 5:16). When the individual relieved his widow, the church was not burdened, because it had not acted.

     Some say, “It’s just a matter of which pocket you take the money out of,” but Ananias and Sapphira were killed for not making this distinction! Peter said, “While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control?...” (Acts 5:4). They tried to leave the impression that the church had received what they kept in their pocket, and God was not pleased.

The treasuries of the individual and of the church are different in how they are raised, how they are controlled and how they are used. God did not authorize churches to operate businesses to make money, nor to support organizations because they do good works. Benevolent institutions, hospitals, schools, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, etc. are good organizations and do good works but God did not authorize churches to  support such works.

Individuals are authorized to provide entertainment, recreation and socials, but such are not works of the church. The church does not need a gymnasium, nor a kitchen, for the same reason it does not need a grocery store, restaurant or movie theater.

Brethren who do not know the difference between individual and congregational action involve churches in all kinds of activities that God never authorized.

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