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Church Finances: Issues and Question Acts 5.1-11 Introduction:
It should not be surprising that one area of disagreement among brethren has
been in the area of church finances. One
of the first sins among the brethren was when Ananias and Sapphira lied about
the money they gave into the common treasury in Acts 5. In the past I
have heard of lawsuits concerning the money in a churches treasury, church land,
etc. Let us understand some things
about church finances and authority. I)
Authority A)
There is specific and generic authority. 1.
Specific authority is when something is specified such as the Lord’s Supper
being observed on the first day of the week, Acts
20.7. We can not change the day
of the week. 2.
Also the collection for the saints on the first day of the week, 1 Corinthians 16.1-2 is dealing with a specific day they were to
give to the common treasury. B)
Much of what we do is in the area of generic authority. 1.
While we come together on the first day of the week, the time of day is not
specified. 2.
The Lord’s Supper can be in the beginning of services or end of services. C)
Generic authority exist when we are told to do something but not how or when to
do it. D)
This allows for areas of judgment and discernment. 1.
What is the “best time of the day” or, “how many trays should we have?” 2.
How will these decisions be made? E)
This calls for us to have the right attitude when and if we disagree. II)
The Congregational Treasury A)
We find authority for having a “common treasury” 1.
In 2.
Other congregations had a treasury, 2
Corinthians 11.8. 3.
The church at B)
The treasury is for a specific purpose – to do the work of the church 1.
The purpose is one of the key elements 2.
The church may do some things similar to what a business does 3.
A business – purchases land, advertizes, pay utility bills, takes out a loan,
has a bank account, etc. 4.
A congregation – purchases land, advertizes, pay utility bills, takes out a
loan, has a bank account, etc. 5.
A congregation may incorporate but is not a “business” C)
The purpose of a congregation 1.
Evangelism, edification, and benevolence to needy saints. 2.
Evangelism: paying the preacher, advertizing, radio, television, purchasing
literature, Gospel Meetings, building a building, Bibles, pews, etc. a.
These are all aids in doing the work of evangelism b.
Generic in the sense we have been told to preach the Gospel but not specifically
how to do so. 3.
Edification: paying the preacher, Gospel Meetings, purchasing or printing
literature, Bibles, Gospel Meetings, pews, song books, etc. a.
There are all aids in edifying the members of the congregation. b.
Again generic in the sense we are told to do so but not specifically told how. 4.
Benevolence: paying grocery bills, medical bills, give money directly to the
needy member, over see all the paying of bills, etc. a.
Generic authority to do whatever it takes to help the needy saint. b.
We have some room for judgment how on best to do so. D)
The congregation works through its treasury in fulfilling its purpose (work),
Philippians 1.5; 4.15 1.
How we do so is often a matter of expediency, aids in doing its work and
therefore is generic in its authority. 2.
Generic authority would include: checking account, taking out loans, etc. 3.
In the aggregate we are all taking out the loan, putting money in the bank,
paying the bills, etc. E)
The treasury 1.
Made up of the collection from the saints, 1
Corinthians 16.1-2 2.
Money put in the treasury from the
sale of goods from its members, Acts
4.34-35. Keep in mind the
congregation was not conducting the sale, but its members were giving from the
sale of their land. 3.
The money in the treasury is different from our individual money, it is
“the Lord’s money” Acts 5.4. a.
We can not say all the money in a treasury comes from Christians nor members of
that congregation. b.
We do not police the collection plate nor should we, we give as we
prosper and purpose in our heart, 2 Corinthians 9.6-7 4.
There is the element of stewardship, 1
Corinthians 4.1-2 a.
Through the treasury the church (its members) are working b.
Each of us has an interest in how the money is used and spent 5.
There is authority to “ear mark” funds, 1
Corinthians 16.1-2 III)
Issues and Questions A)
Can the treasury be used for business purposes? 1.
No, it is not the business of the local congregation to be a business. 2.
A lot of the time it is the purpose that makes the distinction in purchasing
land, building a building, etc. B)
Can the treasury be put into an interest bearing account? 1.
We do not put money in a bank in order to invest or make loans. 2.
Generic authority allows putting money into a checking account.
It gives us the ability to pay for things without having to use cash. 3.
Wrong logic can be used even if the practice is right; the wrong logic will
allow wrong decisions to be made in the future concerning other areas (false
principles). a.
Matthew 25.31-46 used to justify church orphanages, hospitals, clothing
stores, kitchens. The problems is
this passages applies to the individual and not the congregation. b.
The same goes for the parable of the talents in Luke
19.11-27. If we use it to
justify the local congregation putting money into an interest bearing account we
can use it to justify other business ventures. 4.
Not all the money in the treasury comes from the collection of the saints on the
1st day of the week. a.
Selling of property at a profit due to the appreciation of the property. Have we
violated the purpose of the church by selling the land at a profit? b.
We are simply recognizing and receiving the time value of the money put into the
property. c.
Interest is by definition the time value of money.
i. Wrong to receive interest if the purpose is just to make money.
ii. Interest on a checking
account can be incidental to the purpose
of the money in the account.
iii. Problem with stocks and
bonds is that the church is either investing
in a company or is acting as a lending institution.
iv. CD’s have some of the same problems. Conclusion:
Some brethren view it simply as a matter of stewardship and believe receiving
interest on a checking account is simply good stewardship.
Others see it as a matter or operating as a business and therefore
unauthorized. See 1
Corinthians 8.11-13 and Romans 14.23.
All things should be for the good of the body and whatever causes strife should
be put aside. |