5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

How often do we give offerings and tithes in the church?  Is it how you are moved by the message or what?  Please explain according to Scripture.

Sincerely,
In The Money

Dear In The Money,

‘Tithe’ is an Old Testament term which means ‘one tenth’.  In the New Testament, we are never told to tithe.  One tenth is certainly a good rule of thumb, but not a New Testament command.

We should never give based off of how we feel in the moment.  Our contribution to the Lord’s work should be planned ahead, not made spur of the moment.  God tells christians to “lay by in store” (1 Cor 16:2) and give as we have “purposed in our hearts” (2 Cor 9:7).  On the first day of the week, Sunday, the local church is supposed to take up a collection from its membership.  This is supposed to be done every Sunday (1 Cor 16:1-2).  The members should give in a purposeful, cheerful, and deliberate manner.  You should already know how much you are going to give before you come to the assembly.  Purpose in your heart ahead of time, and give with good cheer and conviction.

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom

What is the purpose of elders in the church today?

Sincerely,
Office Assessor

Dear Office Assessor,

Elders are the overseers of the church; they have the oversight of the local congregation (1 Tim 3:1 – ‘bishop’ means ‘one that oversees’).  Elders also go by the name ‘pastor’ or ‘shepherd’ because they take care of the flock of God (1 Pet 5:2).  Every church has its own elders (Acts 14:23), and every congregation must have more than one elder.  Any church that only has one pastor isn’t following the pattern found in the New Testament.  Pastors never govern alone.

Elders keep watch over the souls of those in the church, watching out for those who are wavering, strengthening the weak, etc.  They will give account to God for how they watched over the local church (Heb 13:17).  Not just anyone can be an elder.  1 Tim 3:1-7 and Tit 1:5-9 give the qualifications for elders.  Elders are older men who have proven themselves qualified to guide the church in a faithful manner.

The eldership of a church protects it from division, false teachers, and other various trials.  They are in charge of the church’s finances, class programs, preaching, and anything else that pertains to the local church.  Their job is to make sure that the church is faithfully adhering to the Bible and nothing else.

5 minutes a day 5 days a week - a year of Bible Wisdom