1 Corinthians 16:2, commentary and pictures

Upon the first day of the week each believer was to set aside money at home as a private reserve, not as a public collection or religious gathering, and the mention of that day does not make it sacred or establish it as the Sabbath, while having no gatherings when Paul came meant the funds were to be ready beforehand through steady habit so no last-minute collection was needed. That day is the most fitting time to review the prosperity received, after considering God's goodness and His work in creation as evidence of His power in redemption and before the week's toil begins, in order to decide beforehand with gratitude and reverence how much to render back to Him. Giving is to be regular and systematic every week as a personal plan and habit, not left to impulse or waiting for special appeals, with the measure being as each has been prospered upon examination of income received as blessing from God so the burden is shared fairly. God's portion is to be set apart first and not spent first with only a remnant brought to Him, with the tenth kept as a separate fund sacred to the Lord devoted solely to supporting gospel ministry, and gifts and offerings then apportioned by the same proportional measure. Every one who believes is addressed, including every family member from oldest to youngest and the poor as well as the wealthy, with even a small weekly sum willingly given from love wholly acceptable since value is measured not by amount but by love, self-denial, motive, and faithfulness. All property is entrusted capital from God who has made men stewards, and laying by a portion every week acknowledges dependence on Him and returns His bounty with gratitude, which is His ordained remedy for selfishness and covetousness by keeping the heart open through continual exercise of benevolence.

Words and Original Setting

Laying by him in store means setting aside money at home and keeping funds in reserve as a private business transaction, with each believer doing so regularly, not making a public collection or holding a religious gathering. The mention of the first day of the week does not make that day sacred and does not establish it as the Sabbath.

The first day of the week is the most fitting and proper time to review Providence and the prosperity received and to decide beforehand, with gratitude and reverence and fear of God, how much to render back to Him. It comes after thinking upon God's goodness on the Sabbath and beholding His work in creation as evidence of His power in redemption, with the heart filled with thankfulness for His great love, and before the toil of a week begins. At that stated time each week every person lays by something for the advancement of His work according to a personal plan devised beforehand, acknowledging dependence upon God by returning to Him a portion of His bounty, since all that is possessed is lent by God to be used in His service.

The command that there be no gatherings when Paul comes means funds are to be ready beforehand through steady and habitual giving, so no last-minute collection or urgent pressing for means is needed when ministers arrive, and giving does not depend on special appeals or waiting for special calls. In its original setting the weekly offerings in proportion to how God had prospered were to support poor Christians in Jerusalem and in Judea. They expressed the love and sympathy of Gentile converts for Jewish believers and could ease hostility and strengthen unity between them, and the Philippians, though poor themselves, willingly gave to help churches in greater need.

Regular Proportionate Giving Plan

Giving is governed by definite instruction to be regular and systematic, a habit and personal plan carried out every week and also month by month. It is not left to impulse, passing feeling, the emotion of a meeting, or waiting for special calls. It is to be steady and habitual, with each one deciding beforehand what to give, so that the work is sustained without urgent pressing for means.

The measure is as God has prospered each person, requiring regular examination of income received as blessing from God. The burden is thus shared fairly and equitably, in a plan of simplicity and utility that needs no depth of learning to understand and carry out, with no one eased while others carry the load. What seems small to a generous heart may feel large to a selfish heart, yet the proportion makes the claim equal upon all.

God's portion is to be set apart first, not spent first with only a remnant brought to Him. Under a distinct arrangement man is to return the tenth, with the tithe kept as a separate fund sacred to the Lord, devoted solely to supporting gospel ministry and never to any other use. After the tithe is set apart, gifts and offerings are then apportioned by the same proportional measure, whether a person has little or much, and faithful use of what is entrusted may be met with providential blessing while failure to use even a small gift brings loss.

Gifts and pledges once consecrated to the Lord are sacred and are not to be taken for personal needs or secular business even temporarily. They are not to pressure people beyond their circumstances, so believers should not pledge what would leave families without necessities. Ministers are to consider ability and uphold the duty by example, not accepting large pledges from the poor.

This is the apostolic rule and God's divine plan of systematic benevolence and the tithing system, appointed in His word for carrying His work forward. It is beautiful in simplicity, equality, and divine origin, combining simplicity and utility so that all may take hold of it in faith and courage. Regular organized giving on this plan is to be enjoined in the same manner in every country, even where donations and talents are small, with everyone feeling a part to act to sustain the work according to ability.

Everyone Called to Give

The call to lay by in store as prospered is addressed to every one who believes the truth, not only the rich but the poor, with every member of the family from the oldest down to the youngest cheerfully taking part in proportion to means received. Every man, woman, and youth is to act a part in carrying forward the work of salvation, each becoming a treasurer for the Lord and an agent to meet the demands upon the treasury by regularly setting aside a portion in proportion to prosperity. The tithing system and gifts rest on the same principle, beautiful in simplicity and equality and divine in origin, combining simplicity and utility so that no depth of learning is needed to understand and execute it. When one and all accept and carry it out, great objects are accomplished, with no want of means to sound the last warning message and the treasury kept full by a steady stream from overflowing benevolence, while every investment weds the giver more to present truth and lays a good foundation for eternal life.

Children and students are included and must be diligently trained early to save pennies, deny self, and keep a missions contribution box for regular offerings. Parents are to teach children to save and give, and schools and Sabbath schools are to train them in liberality through short, interesting instruction that arouses desire to give, so the habit begins early and grows with growth and strengthens with strength. Even those unable to give much should set aside something each week for the Lord, since self-denial and sacrifice make it possible and the offerings of little children and small weekly sums are wholly acceptable and pleasing to God. In this way children become the helping hand of the Lord by adding their gifts to the treasury, encouraged and helped to prepare for active service while dedicated to God in youth, and ready with something in hand when calls for help come.

The poor are not excluded from the privilege of giving but act a part in the work as well as the wealthy, and systematic benevolence touches them lightly and is no cause for complaint. Even a small willing gift given from a heart of love is wholly acceptable to God, for value is measured not merely by amount but by love, self-denial, motive, faithfulness, and the spirit prompting the gift. In the balances of the sanctuary the gifts of the poor made from love are estimated according to the love prompting the sacrifice, so their sacrifice is just as great and even greater than that of wealthier givers. The poor man makes a felt sacrifice, denying himself things he needs for his own comfort, while the wealthy man gives of his abundance and feels no want and denies himself nothing he really needs, so there is a special sacredness in the poor man's offering not found in the rich man's gift. By setting aside small amounts as they can spare them they deny self, cultivate liberality, educate themselves to good works as effectually as the rich who give of abundance, and as co-workers with Christ share equally in blessing.

The duty belongs to all who are not specially called to devote time to preaching and teaching, who are to work with their hands and contribute from means in proportion to prosperity after provision for family. Those with different talents serve in other ways, such as by writing and by personal labor leading others to truth, while those with property are to be faithful stewards distributing to God's work each acting his part. Time, health, strength, and property are entrusted by God and must be used faithfully, and idleness is no excuse for giving nothing, since diligent effort can produce something to devote to God's cause.

Those with large possessions should give according to how God has prospered them, sharing the church's burdens fairly rather than leaving some eased while others carry the load. Giving is an ongoing living test of the heart that develops character and reveals it, with each person's free choice whether much or little faithfully recorded, and young people who have health and strength and earn wages are also accountable to offer their means. Poverty does not excuse neglecting the duty, yet hoarding wealth and giving only grudgingly or trivially fails one's part, and abundance held tightly while the poor divide and divide again rebukes the deceitfulness of riches. Each member rich or poor is to give in proportion to what God has provided, taught throughout the churches so the treasury can meet honest debts to workers and support missionary work, with spiritual prosperity depending on such fidelity in tithes and offerings.

Stewardship and Sacred Duty

God is the possessor of all property and has made men stewards, so all that is possessed is lent by Him to be used in His service and to His glory, and all money is His entrusted capital to build up His cause and advance His kingdom in the world, with time, health, strength, and property to be used faithfully. Weekly laying by in store as prospered acknowledges dependence upon God by returning to Him a portion of the bounty He has bestowed, with an offering to testify gratitude. Faithful remembering of this uproots the selfishness that exists in many hearts, and every acknowledgment of obligation to God strengthens the sense of obligation, while expressed gratitude deepens and brings joy that is life to soul and body.

Giving as prospered is to be purposed in the heart through candid consideration of God's prescribed plan and in consideration of His great goodness, esteemed a freewill privilege and given cheerfully and willingly, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. The amount is measured by means received, so what seems small to a generous heart may feel large to a selfish heart, and value depends on motive and faithfulness rather than size. Systematic benevolence is God's ordained remedy for the cankering sins of selfishness and covetousness, checking selfishness and greed, with means appropriated for benevolent objects every week and a portion laid by for the Lord from wages every day and from the profits of every investment. Continual giving starves covetousness to death by tearing away treasures as fast as they are gained and consecrating to the Lord what belongs to Him, keeping the heart open like a flowing stream and preventing riches from making men selfish and hoarding from feeding covetousness. By frequent exercise benevolence is enlarged and strengthened until it becomes a reigning principle in the soul hedging against ruin, since to allow selfishness and covetousness any room is highly dangerous to spirituality.

Free proportional giving closes the door to the peculiar snares laid for borrower and lender, keeps those with property from high-mindedness, self-trust, self-confidence, and self-exaltation, and keeps them from embezzling the Lord's money to serve self. It keeps the work from dependence on loans that become heavy burdens bringing financial pressure and anxiety, while those bearing responsibility may draw upon rich men for the Lord's own money with assurance that the Holy Spirit will make them willing to invest what they can well afford. Each week the demand of God is brought to mind and each person faces the doings of the past week, what income economy might have kept and what indulgence has lost, with conscience commending or accusing before God. This weekly plan guards every family against temptation to spend money on needless things and especially keeps the rich from extravagance. Denying some superfluity to put means into the treasury impresses lessons of self-denial for the glory of God, teaching that eating, drinking, and dressing are to be to His glory, cultivating liberality of heart and educating rich and poor alike effectually in good works.

Ministers and Church Responsibility

The duty to set aside on the first day of the week belongs to each believer himself, and pressing individuals to give was never meant to be the ministers' burden, yet ministers are to teach the plan until every member carries it out steadily without waiting for special calls. They are to educate, train, and discipline rich and poor alike, in public and in private, until each one gives in proportion to prosperity and the arrangement is fully established. This work calls for devotion and a burden for the cause beyond preaching alone, and those who teach it are to uphold it by their own example.

Every new company raised up is to be brought to practice this personal duty before the one who gathered them leaves for another field. The disagreeable task of pressing duty upon individuals is not to be avoided or left for the next laborer, and churches are to be urged to walk up to all that is required until faithfulness puts them on right ground with other faithful churches. To leave converts ungrounded in benevolence, in laying aside idols, in the gifts, and in continued investigation is to do only half the work, leaving them short of what is required and in danger of shipwreck, which will not meet approval.

Where ministers faithfully teach proportional giving in all the churches, the treasury remains full, honest debts owed to the workers are paid, and missionary work in every border greatly advances with seen fruit and blessing. Where this instruction is neglected, churches continue robbing God in tithes and offerings, workers are defrauded of just remuneration, and souls are imperiled by selfishness and worldliness. That neglect leaves the watchmen guilty and gives cause for exulting on the part of evil.

Regular united giving by every member is the secret of prosperity when there are few wealthy supporters and no large gifts or legacies. Such united effort under Christ spreads the truth, multiplies institutions, builds up schools and health institutions free from false philosophy, and proves organization a grand success. The same organized giving is to be enjoined in every country, because human nature is the same everywhere and each one is to act a part according to ability even where donations and talents are small. Believers are to organize for work such as tract societies and act expecting blessing upon conscientious effort, saving carefully in expenditure, giving donations, showing hospitality, and helping support a substitute when they cannot go themselves. When work is begun in a new country, support is to be sent from Christians in the home field rather than at once asking the few new believers to sustain the work in their own field.

Fruit and Daily Practice

The plan keeps the channel of the heart open and places believers in connection with God so He can use them as channels for His gifts to flow to others. The poor are not passed by but are favored to act a part as co-workers with Christ and share equally in the blessing with the wealthy. Every investment in it weds the giver more to present truth, nourishes love to God and fellow men, extends usefulness, shows the blessing of co-working with Christ, and lays a good foundation for laying hold on eternal life. Weekly giving guards every family against spending for needless things and extravagance, brings each week the demand of God to mind with conscience commending or accusing over the past week's income, economy, and indulgence, and educates rich and poor alike in self-denial, liberality, and good works to God's glory in eating, drinking, and dressing.

God does not send means direct from Heaven but puts talents of means into the hands of followers to make the warfare against the powers of darkness self-sustaining. When one and all accept the plan and carry it out to a man, there is no want of means to sound the last message of warning to the world and to carry forward salvation and worldwide mission. Then the treasury stays supplied and full, with income flowing like a steady stream from overflowing springs of benevolence, and every man, woman, and youth becomes a treasurer for the Lord and an agent to meet the demands upon the treasury. The system is beautiful in simplicity and equality and divine in origin, combining simplicity and utility so no depth of learning is needed to understand and execute it in faith and courage.

Givers are not left poorer by faithful carrying out of the plan. Faithful use of what is entrusted, whether little or much, may be met with providential blessing and the promises of Jesus will be realized as surely by the liberal poor man who gives his little freely as by the wealthy man who gives of abundance, while failing to use even a small gift brings loss. The value is not measured by size but by love, for the smallest willing offering from a heart of love is as acceptable as the largest donation, and in the balances of the sanctuary the poor man's felt sacrifice denying needed comfort has a sacredness not found in the rich man's gift from abundance that costs no want. God's providence arranged the entire plan for the benefit of man, His providence never stands still, and as His opening providence is followed all will be active workers.

Reserved means are to be kept ready in hand for working the great cities and arousing the unready people with warning truth, because He that is to come will come and will not tarry. Ever-increasing opportunities for usefulness and providential openings call for offerings of time and intellect and money, gifts large and small as each is prospered, to make a way for truth in dark places, set up righteousness, and advance Christ's kingdom. Heavenly angels wait to unite with the human agent so many souls hear, are impressed by the Holy Spirit, and are converted. Regular weekly setting aside, even what self-denial and sacrifice make possible for those unable to give much, supports gospel ministry, helps bring others to faith, and includes children taught by parents to save and give.

Weekly laying by sustains missionaries sent to other lands to proclaim the truth. It is a pledge made before God to uphold them by prayers and by means, by tithes and offerings, with strict self-denial on every point so as to have more to give, with a contribution box kept before the household for missions offerings, and with children taught to deny self to help sustain the work. This follows the pattern that God in giving His Son gave all heaven, and Christ laid aside kingly crown and royal robe and high command to live in poverty and toil and suffering and to die a shameful death to redeem mankind. Giving in proportion as prospered is the rule for helping those more needy, with hearts of flesh full of charity and unselfish interest toward brethren struggling under poverty and debt and churches needing financial aid. Prosperous churches and institutions are therefore to curtail large plans and reserve part of their means to strengthen struggling institutions bravely working for standing room and to establish health institutions and schools where most benefited, rather than using every dollar to enlarge themselves in jealous superiority and conscious superiority seeking to push others out of existence.

The practice directs money not truly needed to meet the needs of gospel messengers and their families and to carry mercy to those without it as living faith. Believers should notice and inquire about workers' needs rather than wait to be asked, and give freely to advance God's work in hope of sharing the joy of the saved. Doing is to be with an eye single to God's glory, doing good whenever opportunity offers without considering personal benefit but seeking the common good, requiring deeper consecration with all of Jesus and none of self, and walking humbly with God with Christ as friend and helper. In daily life this means laying by every week in a secure place, such as five or ten dollars kept and not used except in sickness and with economy placed at interest so wise management saves something after debts are paid. It means saving carefully in every expenditure, acting as benefactors with means and conveniences, showing hospitality to strangers and pilgrims, helping support a substitute when one cannot leave home, advancing preaching at home and among the heathen abroad, and when work begins in a new country sending support from the home field rather than at once asking the few new believers to support their own field.

Neglect of the practice lets members become selfish, penurious, and backward instead of increasingly self-sacrificing and devoted. Failure calls for plain reproof, including to wealthy converts and new converts, since regular proportionate giving as prospered is required of every believer. Faithfulness puts a church on right ground with other faithful churches, while failure to urge it and holding it lightly leaves a church behind and short of what God requires, for ministers must impress this important truth to be practically carried out. Spiritual prosperity depends on such fidelity, for every believer rich or poor including wage-earning youth should regularly set aside a portion as prospered in tithes and offerings. Faithful practice by all with liberal offerings and a just tithe expresses true piety and provides more facilities for the Lord's work, and liberal giving prompted by Christ's love shows spiritual revival is of first importance.