Is the ministry and gift referenced in 2 Corinthians 9 referring to money?  If so, was this money collected by the churches in Achaia to be given to needy non-Christians (9:13)?  I've heard some conflicting views on this, and I'm looking for a good, Biblical answer.

Sincerely,
Gift Giver

Dear Gift Giver,

2 Cor 9 is dealing with a gift of money.  Paul is telling the Corinthians how happy he is with their readiness and zeal to give (2 Cor 9:2).  The whole chapter is dealing with a collection to care for the needs of impoverished christians in Jerusalem.  Paul told the Corinthian church to begin taking up a collection for that need in 1 Cor 16:1-3 and that he would pick up the money and deliver it to Jerusalem when he passed through Macedonia (1 Cor 16:5-6).

In the Second Corinthian letter, Paul is telling them once again to make that gift ready because he is coming soon, and he wanted them to be prepared (2 Cor 9:3-5).  That money was collected by the church in Corinth to care for the needs of christians (2 Cor 9:1).  When Paul talks about their liberality “unto them and unto all” (2 Cor 9:13) – the ‘them’ in that context is the brethren in Judea, and the ‘all’ is all the brethren that the Corinthian church had been kind to and cared for.

The Bible only authorizes a local church to give money to care for needy christians.  The church has more restrictive financial guidelines than individuals do.  As individuals, we can – and should – care for both christians and non-christians (Gal 6:10).

Does the Bible say anything about a ministry tithing to a mission field out of their general fund?

Sincerely,
Fund Flummoxed

Dear Fund Flummoxed,

In the religious world, the word ‘ministry’ means a lot of different things, but we are going to assume that what you mean by that term is ‘congregation’.  A congregation has the authority to collect funds from its membership every Sunday (1 Cor 16:1-2).  That money can be used for anything that the church is supposed to be doing.

We see examples in the Bible of local congregations supporting individual preachers (like Philippi did with Paul – Php 4:15-18), sending money to needy brethren (Acts 11:29), and caring for christian widows (1 Tim 5:16).  All of these are specific examples that go beyond the normal day-to-day expenditures that congregations have to keep preaching the Gospel in their own local community, teaching the christians there, continuing the worship services, and caring for their own needy christians.

Using these examples as guides, it would be appropriate for a congregation to send money to an individual preacher who is working abroad.

I attend a church that doesn't teach on the Day of Atonement.  I have in the past given my Atonement offering just the same.  Should I give my Atonement offering to a ministry that would pray over my offering in that regard, or is it okay to continue to give it to my church with the notation "Atonement Offering"?  Does it make a difference?

Sincerely,
Check Please

Dear Check Please,

The Day of Atonement was an Old Testament Jewish festival in which Jews gave offerings by fire – i.e. animal sacrifices – to God (Lev 23:27).  Christians do not celebrate the Jewish feasts.  In fact, Paul specifically told christians not to let anyone bind them to the Old Testament feasts which were just a shadow of the New Law found in Christ (Col 2:17).  The Old Law was a tutor to lead people to Christ, but now that Christ is here – we are no longer under that tutor (Gal 3:24-25).

Christians don’t make “atonement offerings”; we are commanded to take up a collection every Sunday (1 Cor 16:1-2).  We recommend reading “What Must I Do To Be Saved” and “Finding The Church” for more details on what New Testament Christianity is and how to find a faithful congregation to be a part of.

I was going to give an offering to an online ministry.  I have said to myself that if this isn't what God wanted me to do, He would let me know. Well, I have checked on my balance from my account, and I just found out that my offering didn't go through.  Is this a sign that God doesn't want me to give even though I gave it two weeks ago?  I don't have much money left, and I don't know what to do.

Sincerely,
Give Or Live

Dear Give Or Live,

We here at AYP think in general people should give more, not less – but in this circumstance, we lend toward saying, “Don’t give.”  We cannot be adamant either way, but here are the Scriptures that come to mind in your circumstance:

1. You prayed about it, and it hasn’t worked out.  God says that if we pray for wisdom, He will provide (Jas 1:5).  Ultimately, the only exact knowledge we will ever get is from God’s Word (Rom 10:17, Rom 1:16).  However, it would be foolish to say that God doesn’t answer prayers and affect our lives providentially.  The fact that your gift didn’t go through isn’t definitive proof, but it would give us pause as well.
2. Online ministries are rarely Biblical.  I’m sure we will receive a flood of e-mails telling us how wrong we are on this point, but realistically, televangelists, online ministries, and the sort are made up of people who want to itch ears and tell people what they want to hear, so that they can get to their purse strings (2 Tim 4:3-4).  Beware of false teachers who come to you in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15).  There are many other, more specific ways that you can help others without getting mixed up with charlatans.
3. You mentioned that you don’t have much money left.  God expects us to give liberally, but He also doesn’t hold us accountable to give something we don’t have to give (2 Cor 8:12).  If you have to decide whether you will have enough money to eat or whether you will give – it is probably time to take care of the needs at home first.  On the other hand, be careful that you don’t define ‘wants’ as ‘needs’ and only give what you have left over.  All giving should be a sacrifice (Lk 21:1-4).

Ultimately, you must decide for yourself what you ought to do in this circumstance… but those are some Scriptures to consider as you make your decision.

How do contributions work if I miss a Sunday?  Say I am visiting another congregation, so I am unable to contribute at my home congregation.  Should I contribute at the congregation I am visiting or should I just double up on my contributions the next week at my home congregation?

Sincerely, Collecting My Thoughts

Dear Collecting My Thoughts,

It is left entirely to your discretion.  The command to take up a collection on the first day of the week is a congregational command (1 Cor 16:1).  The congregation has the responsibility to take up the collection each week from its members.  That is their responsibility.

Your responsibility as an individual is to give cheerfully, purposefully, and voluntarily (2 Cor 9:7).  The intent of 1 Cor 16:2 seems to be that the individual would be preparing to give their contribution to their own ‘home’ congregation, but we would hesitate to be too dogmatic on that point.  It isn’t a sin for an individual to ‘double-up’ a contribution the next week after visiting elsewhere, nor is it a sin to contribute to the work of another faithful congregation.  In matters of freedom, pray for wisdom (Jas 1:5) and do what seems best.  There is no wrong answer.