The Bible Standard of Giving.
[NONE will probably read the following article except such as desire to know their duty in relation to the important subject of honoring God with their substance; and such will find in it suggestions and instruction which will well repay the perusal. There is nothing in it that will please the covetous; for it is little that they like to think or hear about the duty of giving; and there is nothing in it to please those who are interested in only the light and trashy literature of the day, which is calculated to please the imagination, or arouse the passions. It is designed for those who think more of knowing their plain unvarnished duty, and how they may lay up treasure in heaven, than they do of any present gratification. Such will read, ponder, and put in practice.—U. S.] In supporting the Gospel, what is the Bible standard of giving? From time immemorial the principle, the duty of giving for God's service, seems to have been recognized; and Jacob appears simply to have given expression to a common custom, when, in concluding his vow, he said, "And of all that thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Gen. xxviii, 22. *(See Gen. xiv, 20.) The establishment of tithes in the law, Lev. xxvii, 30, 32, fixed this principle, placing the limit, also, below which none, in their gifts, might fall. But though none might come short of the tithe, all might go beyond, as circumstances or inclination dictated; Lev. i, 2, 3; ii, 1; xxii, 18, 21; Ex. iii, 5. In fact, all vows, voluntary gifts and peace-offerings; all sin, trespass and meat-offerings; the first-born, first fruits and firstlings, were distinct from, and additional to these tithes, amounting in value oftentimes to more than the stated tenth. Thus there is found in the support of God's service, under the earlier dispensation, the element of permanency represented by the tithes, first-born, etc., which no circumstance, condition or event could change or invalidate; and the element of voluntariness represented by vows, free-will gifts, etc., which looks to and rests upon the character and circumstances of the worshiper. The unceasing demands for temple service, for the daily needs of priest and Levite, developed the former; while the varying circumstances of life, and the special exigencies of God's service, brought out and gave scope to the latter. The tithes, binding only on recognized members of the theocracy, rating ever according to possessions, although permanent, yet fully harmonized with the voluntary element, and helped to develop right views and right action in the support of divine service. Here, then, at the foundation of God's plan, as devised by himself, for the support of his service, are found the elements of permanency and voluntariness. The obligation to God for this end was permanent, ever-binding, limited in extent only by ability and the wants of that service; yet the willing heart, the ready mind, could alone discharge the obligation. Here, as ever, acceptable service to God is abiding, free, heart service. That this plan was efficient, meeting the end designed, is witnessed by the singular regularity of the Jewish temple worship, and by the many and valuable gifts to the sacred treasury, 1 Chron. xxix, 6-9; xviii, 11; 2 Chron. xxxv, 7, 8; Ex. ii, 68, 69; 2 Sam. viii, 11. In view of these facts and principles, how appropriate the language of David, 1 Chron. xxix, 14; "For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee!" How expressive are they of the truth upon which rests God's plan for supporting his cause, thus early and fully recognized, that all which the people of God have and are comes from and belongs to him; committed, for the time, to his servants, to be used freely and fully, when and as the needs of his cause demand. To the later dispensation was committed the trust of more completely developing and perfecting the plan, whose foundation principles and elements were embodied in the earlier. The Gospel is the perfection of the law, the emphasis of its claims, the explanation and application of its principles. "Not to destroy, but to fulfill," links the two inseparably. "Sell what thou hast, and give to the poor," Matt. xix, 21, brought the spirit of the law to the door of the Gospel. But he who, through the law, sought the gift of the Gospel, eternal life, found that the lack of the former barred the approach to the latter. Thus the inner harmony of the law and the Gospel is revealed, and the requirements of the one are satisfied in the other. With this principle agrees the condition, "He that forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my disciple." Luke xiv, 33. The conditions of the Gospel are such, that no power or possession is reserved from the Master's control. 1 Cor. vi, 20. All, all, the noblest powers, the greatest wealth, is held in trust for God's service. This is the plain unequivocal teaching of both Old and New Testaments. "As God hath prospered, etc.," 1 Cor. xvi, 2, is the general rule for giving to support the Gospel, applying to each and every department alike. That is, as is a person's ability, so is his obligation to contribute for the Gospel. As God has given so he requires, Luke xii, 48. This is the general measure, applying to high and low, rich and poor. Liberally and freely of God's bounty, not only as stewards, but as children, should Christians give for the cause of Christ; and a Christian can no more evade a liberal and practical observance of this rule without sinning, than could a Jew neglect giving tithes and be guiltless. "To their power, yea, and beyond their power, they were willing," etc., 2 Cor. viii, 3, is a special rule, which Paul commends to the Corinthian church as worthy of their attention and observance; citing it as proof of the "grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia," 2 Cor. viii, 1. Here was an exigency to be met, the supply of the "poor saints at Jerusalem," Rom. xv, 26; but there were differences in the condition of the churches at this time. Through Achaia there was quiet, in Macedonia a "great trial of affliction;" in Achaia ordinary prosperity, in Macedonia "deep poverty;" therefore to the church at Corinth, as part of Achaia, the general rule, "as God has prospered," first applied; but the Macedonian churches, by their afflictions and persecutions brought into nearer sympathy with the "poor saints," cheerfully adopted the special rule, "to their power, yea, and beyond," etc. From their "deep poverty" the "riches of their liberality" abounded to their afflicted brethren at Jerusalem. Not that they gave more, absolutely, but under greater difficulties, hence relatively more, Mark xii, 43, etc. This was in advance of the general requirement; for not only so, but beyond their ability, for the time being, they gave to the necessities of their brethren suffering perchance even more than themselves. Instead of an excuse for neglect and indifference, their calamities and afflictions, leading them to a higher experience of Christian life, were made an incentive, a spur to nobler effort to do good. And Paul urges the Corinthian brethren, 2 Cor. viii, and ix, to come up to this high standard of Christian effort, this clearer proof of sympathy with the Christian spirit, the spirit of Christ. "As many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices, and laid them at the apostles' feet," Acts iv, 34, 35. In this further special rule provision is made for extraordinary emergencies and pressing necessities. It gives practical expression to the idea of God's absolute lordship over and right to all things, and the consequent idea of Christian stewardship. It is not a rule for an abiding community of goods, but for a voluntary contribution, under extraordinary circumstances, of all possessed at the time, as, under ordinary circumstances, part would be given. This is at once the test and proof of the all-pervading power of Christian faith and Christian love to subdue the man and enlist his all in God's service. These passages of Scripture are valuable, not only as giving rules for the regulation of Christian life and effort in this department, but also as showing the legitimate, progressive development of Christian principles under the various exigencies of every day life; and as showing that the support of the "poor" was a recognized duty, binding upon all the brethren; and also as bringing out the oneness66of interest and sympathy of all parts of the Gospel field, of all Christians. Rom. xii, 5; 1 Cor. xii, 26. These rules, applied in their true scope and spirit, form a comprehensive standard of Christian duty in this branch of active, divine life; embracing within their proper range all the varied and varying exigencies of Gospel effort and Gospel need, and bringing to the support of the Gospel the whole combined wealth of the professed disciples of Christ. Under the workings of this standard, in fulfilling its requirements, there would be a fuller consecration of the wealth of individual Christians, resulting in increased activity in evangelizing agencies, and consequent higher attainments in Christian character and divine life. By this standard the possessions of each and every Christian are held as a deposit from God, subject to his draft, as his cause demands, even to the full amount; and this is according to the truth. He gives all, and will certainly demand no more than necessity requires. It can scarcely fail to be noticed how fully in harmony with the "Bible system" of supporting the Gospel ministry, is this "Bible standard" of giving to the support of the Gospel, and also how fully each and both are pervaded by the self-sacrificing, self-consecrating spirit of the Master. That this standard is fully in accordance with Scripture will be seen by a candid and careful comparison of its principles with Bible teaching in both the Old and New Testaments. That obedience to its requirements is voluntary, is evident from the rules themselves, and also from this, "While it remained, was it not thine own? and when it was sold, was it not in thine own power?" Acts v, 4. The performance of duty in this respect rests upon the same principles and obligations as other Christian duties, viz.: love to God in Christ, to his cause and his children. But it may be objected that such a standard would deprive Christians of all personal possessions. Such a result does not necessarily follow. The general rule, "as God hath prospered," etc., would meet all ordinary demands in the common course of events. The special rules would apply in exigencies and extraordinary circumstances; and obedience to them, as in early times, would be the spontaneous expression of the life reigning within. That there would, by this standard, be no miserly hoarding of wealth by Christians, is admitted, and there should be none. That it calls for full consecration, a readiness for sacrifice, is cheerfully granted, and these are Christ-like. That it would be oppressive or injurious in its operations is emphatically denied. Resting, as does this standard, upon the principles and teachings of the Bible upon such principles as controlled the mission of the Master, upon such teachings as he uttered, there can be no question that its observance would highly conduce to the advancement of christianity, and tend greatly to develop a higher type of Christian character. With comparatively little wealth and little power, the early churches performed a very great amount of evangelical labor, despite the opposition of Jewish and Pagan powers, simply because both ministers and people obeyed the divine plan, the Scripture teaching, and received the consequent divine blessing. If ministers are ambassadors for Christ, 2 Cor. v, 20, then their reward should be specially subject to his control, should be regulated by Bible teaching; and if believers "are Christ's," 1 Cor. iii, 23, if they are Christians, then they and theirs should likewise be at the disposal of God, to be given up as necessity requires. If Christ be "all and in all" to Christians, if God be supreme in the affections of his people, then let his word, his rule, be their standard of action in this and in every department of effort, of life.—Am. Baptist.