In part one, we looked into the heart of the matter when it comes to giving. Now, I wish to look at the scripture where much of the ‘prosperity’ gospel is coming from and how it is being used to mislead people. The text of II Corinthians 9:6-8 is used to say that if you don’t sow your seed you won’t reap any harvest. Yet, the context of that verse implies the basic truth of farming; yes, if you sow sparingly you will also reap sparingly.
The word ‘seed’ is mentioned 280x in the Bible. All except one seem to refer to a biological line or a literal seed to plant with. The word ‘sow’ is mentioned 37x in the Bible. All of those mentioned refer to a literal sowing of seed or a spiritual sowing of things, i.e. Galatians 6:7,8. Thus, we can assume that a good Bible student will look at these verses and come to a conclusion that the sowing of money to a particular ministry to be blessed or have abundance is out of context. Many are interpreting the Bible to say what they want it to say and not what it says.
In vs. 10 of II Corinthians, God did not promise wealth for our own consumption. Again, taken out of context you can make it whatever you want it to be. It does say that it will “increase fruits of your righteousness,” not your bottom-line. In other words, God will give you opportunities and resources to make further investments into the kingdom. By the way, you don’t have to ‘give’ it all away but be ready to use it when God burdens your heart to do so.
Preachers of “prosperity theology” have used these verses to support their contention that God will inevitably give you more material goods if you give what you presently have to Him. Now, this usually means that you give to them so they can ‘use’ it for the ministry. There is no promise that we will inevitably get more wealth if we give away our wealth. God may grant Christians more wealth so they can pass on to others in need. However, this context is primarily dealing with righteousness that comes back to the person who sows righteous acts, not Rolls Royces and Rolex watches. I would like one of these prosperity preachers to read the biographies of George Muller or Amy Carmichael. See how they served God and it was not with wealth. The guilt that is put upon people to give is unbiblical. These missionaries and the missionaries around the world now who forsake all the material wealth to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ are remarkable. To have someone say that being without is a sin is so out of context they should step down from the pulpit.
The other text that’s most often used for the guilt trip is Malachi 3:7-10. Even the non-prosperity preachers use this text to make sure the offerings are given at the local church. But what is the context of this? By the way, I am not attempting to get out of giving but I want to be correct in what the Bible teaches. Let us not take this out of context to fit what we want it to say. This time was not under grace and the priesthood was still in effect. The Lord urges Israel to return because they had strayed from Him.
The Lord proceeded to give some examples of repentance that the Israelites needed to apply. How absurd it is for human beings to rob God. To rob Him one would have to be stronger and smarter than He. Yet that is what the Israelites were doing because God was allowing it. They were thieves of the worst kind: robbers of God. They brazenly asked how they had robbed Him. They had withheld the tithes (Lev. 27:30, 32; Deut. 12:518; 14:22-29) and offerings (Num. 18:21-32) that the Law commanded them to bring to God. Since God owned the land and its produce in the first place (cf. 1:12-14; Lev. 25:23), withholding tithes when He commanded the Israelites to give them amounted to robbing Him. Earlier the Lord criticized the priests for offering inferior quality sacrifices (1:714), and now He criticized the people for offering an insufficient quantity of sacrifices (cf. v. 10). Failure to adequately support the priests and Levites resulted in the breakdown of priestly service (cf. Neh. 10:32-39; 13:10).
The Lord had promised to bless the Israelites for obedience, so their obedience in bringing the full amount of tithes that the Law required would test (i.e., prove, demonstrate) His faithfulness to His promise. He promised to reward their full obedience with rain and harvests abundant enough to satisfy their needs. His “storehouse” of blessings for them was full. This verse has often been used to urge Christians to tithe. However, the New Covenant under which we live never specified the amount or percentage that we should give back to God of what He has given to us. Rather it teaches that we should give regularly, sacrificially, as the Lord has prospered us, and joyfully (cf. 1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8—9; Phil. 4). In harmony with the principle of grace that marks the present dispensation, the Lord leaves the amount we give back to Him unspecified and up to us. Remember it is a heart issue (2 Cor. 9:7).
This verse has also been used to teach “storehouse giving.” Those who do so view the church building, or the church congregation, as the storehouse into which Christians should bring their gifts to the Lord. Some go so far as to say that it is wrong for Christians to give to the Lord in ways that bypass the local church, for example, giving directly to a missionary. This viewpoint fails to appreciate the difference between Israel’s temple and Christian churches. Israel’s temple was a depository for the gifts that the Israelites brought to sustain the servants and work of the Lord throughout their nation. The Christian church, however, is different in that we have no central sanctuary, as Israel did, nor does the church have a national homeland. Christians live and serve throughout the world in contrast to the Israelites who were to fulfill their mission by serving God within their land.
Some Christians believe that each local church is a microcosm of Israel, so we should regard our church as Israel regarded its temple. Most Christians believe the church is not limited to a collection of local churches but includes the whole universal body of Christ (Eph. 1; 4). The whole is greater than any of its parts and even all its parts.
I would say in conclusion that as a believer we give with our heart what God burdens us with. When men say God is going to punish you for not giving and use Malachi for their text, they are in fact, out of context. We should give cheerfully to the work of our Lord. As TV ministries cry out for you to sow your seed so that you won’t stay poor, the seed is always to them. Why not go out and find a family that is struggling and buy them food, pay one of their bills, or send money to a missionary preaching the gospel. I have yet to hear one of the “seed sowers” mention that because the money wouldn’t pass through their hands.
