Scripture and History

Old Testament

Let us first consider a historical perspective out of the Old Testament. What does Jewish culture teach us about a person's involvement with their fellow man?  In the teachings of the Talmud, if a person saves a single life, it is the same as if that person saved the whole world.  Now consider the reverse.  What if that person didn’t save a life but instead took a life?

The pursuit of a just society is a main tenant of Judaism.  The following verses will help make this point regarding justice:

• (Pro 21:3 KJVR) To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
• (Psa 82:3 KJVR) Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. (Psa 82:4 KJVR) Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

There is also tremendous stress on the giving of charity within Judaism.  Interestingly, the Hebrew word for charity (tzedakah) actually means justice.

The giving of charity was never in a condescending manner to someone in need, because all are equal before God.  Charity was not a way to increase what was in your own pockets.  As far as the Torah is concerned, the act of sharing is also an act of justice (Love thy neighbor as thyself, Lev 19:18).

In Judaism, failure to share with someone in need is likened unto idolatry.  Even today, you would be hard pressed to find a Jewish community that does not have a charity fund in its midst.

Consider the following scriptures:

• (Lev 25:35 KJVR) And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.  (Lev 25:36 KJVR) Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. (Lev 25:37 KJVR) Thou shalt not give him the money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
• (Deu 14:28 KJVR) At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of tine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up with thy gates: (Deu 14:29 KJVR) And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee), and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest. 
• (Deu 15:7 KJVR) If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, though shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: (Deu 15:8 KJVR) But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

New Testament

Now we are going to focus on New Testament times. This type of giving, although for the same purpose, took on an updated meaning.  Let's first review the Scripture; the impetus for this work we have begun:

(1Co 16:1 KJVR) Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. (1Co 16:2 KJVR) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. (1Co 16:3 KJVR) And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem. (1Co 16:4 KJVR) And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.

With the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, Jews who converted to Christianity created a new level of persecution.  Not only were Jews persecuted by Rome, they were now persecuted by the unwashed Jewish population.

Paul, with his new mission from God, recognized that the Christians living outside of Jerusalem would have to help the persecuted and needy in Jerusalem.  Paul's upbringing was instrumental in this thinking.  Growing up in a very religious family, Paul was quite aware of the normal giving practices of his parents and that of the Hebrew religion.

Adam Clarke, in his Bible commentary, wrote this about 1 Cor 16:2:

Upon the first day of the week - The apostle prescribes the most convenient and proper method of making this contribution.

1. Every man was to feel it his duty to succor (comfort, assist) his brethren in distress.

2. He was to do this according to the ability from which God gave him.

3. He was to do this at the conclusion of the week, when he had cast up his weekly earnings, and had seen how much God had prospered his labor.

4. He was then to bring it on the first day of the week, as is most likely, to the church or assembly, that it might be put in the common treasury.

5. We learn from this that the weekly contribution could not be always the same, as each man was to lay by as God had prospered him: now, some weeks he would gain more; others, less.

6. It appears from the whole that the first day of the week, which is the Christian Sabbath, was the day on which their principal religious meetings were held in Corinth and the Churches of Galatia; and, consequently, in all other places where Christianity had prevailed. This is a strong argument for the keeping of the Christian Sabbath.

7. We may observe that the apostle follows here the rule of the synagogue; it was a regular custom among the Jews to make their collections for the poor on the Sabbath day, so that they might not be without the necessaries of life, and not prevented from coming to the synagogue.

8. For this purpose to make provision, they had a purse called, Arneki shel tsedakah, "The purse of the alms," or what we would term, the poor's box.  This is what the apostle seems to mean when he says, Let him lay by him in store - let him put it in the alms' purse, or in the poor's box.

9. It was a maxim also with them that if they found any money they were not to put it in their private purse, but in that which belonged to the poor.

10. The pious Jews believed that as salt seasoned food, so alms did for riches; and he who did not give alms of what he had, his riches would disperse. The moth would corrupt the bags, and canker would corrode the money, unless there was sanctification by giving a part to the poor.

In Jamieson, Fausset and Brown's commentary, Paul's message here is even more simplified: 

every one of you - even those in limited circumstances.

lay by him - though there be not a weekly public collection, each is privately to set apart a definite proportion of his weekly income for the Lord's cause and charity.

in store - abundantly: the earnest of the better store laid up for the giver.

as God hath prospered him - literally, "whatsoever he may be prospered in" or "may by prosperity have acquired" [Alford].

that there be no gatherings when I come - that they may not then have to be made, when your and my time ought to be employed more directly in spiritual things.  When men give once for all, not so much is given.  But when each lays by something every Lord's day, more is collected than one would have given at once [Bengel].

This last statement gives much strength to the position that this is not just a one time "gift", as many Christians seem to believe.  Carefully studying scripture we hope will bring to life in you this need to address the love that our Father has for those in need.

We have tried to share with you enough background from both the Old and New Testaments to prick in your heart a desire to know more.  Now it is time for you to begin your own study of scripture to find what God would have you do for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters.

Let us start you off by giving you some guidance on where to begin your journey:

• First, study the 8th and 9th chapters of II Corinthians where Paul expounds on what he began in I Corinthians 16.
• Second, here are some scripture references to help you begin your study through the entire Bible:
  • References about directly helping the poor -
    • Deut 15:7,11; 24:12  Ps 41:1; 82:3  Prov 19:17; 21:13; 28:27  Jer 22:16  Matt 19:21  Gal 2:10  James 2:6
  • References for Widows and Fatherless -
    • Deut 14:29; 26:12  Isa 1:17  James 1:27  I Tim 5:3
  • References on Benevolence -
    • Isa 58:7  Luke 3:11; 11:41; 12:33  Acts 20:35  Rom 12:13  Gal 6:10  Heb 13:16  I Tim 6:18

These verses will get you started on your path of discovery.  We here at Answer the Need pray you will receive the same blessing and drive the Holy Spirit has given us; that your eyes will be opened to all the adults and children who are persecuted simply because they want to worship the only true God and Savior of this world.

If you haven't already, check out the rest of this website and make sure to watch the movie We are Christians Just the Same.