I have been reading your web page and find it interesting. I came to the one on contribution and have some problems with it. Maybe you can correct my understanding. “Lay by in store so that there is no gathering when I come.” This is a command or request by Paul for the churches to gather money for the church in Jerusalem. This is not a command to all churches for all time to assemble and gather money until he (Paul) comes. Paul is dead.<\/p>\n
This is an example (not a command) for us to continue collecting money for church needs. Having this example churches are justified (as common sense dictates) in the collection on the Lord’s Day.<\/p>\n\t
“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come<\/em>” (I Corinthians 16:1-2).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It is true that the purpose of this particular collection of funds was for Christians in Judea who were suffering from famine (Acts 11:27-30). It was a command (notice the word “orders” and “must do”) that was given to churches in Galatia as well as to the Corinthians.<\/p>\n
While the famine ended, it remains that Paul left an example of how funds were to be collected for the work of the church. The church had other works to support, such as financing the work of preachers (I Corinthians 9:14; Philippians 4:15), caring for widows (Acts 6; I Timothy 5), and other times of disasters as happened in Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
Since we are commanded to follow the examples, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ<\/em>” (I Corinthians 11:1), and no other command or example indicates any other time frame for collecting funds, the first day of the week then become the only allowable time for collecting funds for the church.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: I have been reading your web page and find it interesting. I came to the one on contribution and have some problems with it. Maybe you can correct my understanding. “Lay by in store so that there is no gathering when I come.” This is a command or request by Paul for the churches…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[78,679,157,1570,159,728],"class_list":["post-16680","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-authority","tag-collections","tag-contributions","tag-examples","tag-giving","tag-i-corinthians"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9553,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/would-it-be-wrong-to-accept-a-donation-from-a-non-member\/","url_meta":{"origin":16680,"position":0},"title":"Would it be wrong to accept a donation from a non-member?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 24, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I do need some advice concerning donations. We are working with our community by giving away clothes, books, etc.. that are in fairly good condition to those who are in need. We do not require any money from them to purchase it, but I was wondering if they are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3821,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-there-liberty-in-how-we-give\/","url_meta":{"origin":16680,"position":1},"title":"Is there liberty in how we give?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question concerning worship. Is there liberty when it comes to some parts of worship? For example when it comes to giving, does one have to give during worship service or can someone give any time just long as it\u2019s on a Sunday. Can a congregation decide\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20842,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/questions-about-the-use-of-funds-given-to-the-church\/","url_meta":{"origin":16680,"position":2},"title":"Questions about the use of funds given to the church","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 14, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Having read your articles and also\u00a0was a member of the conservative church for 24 years I have some questions. The conservatives say it is ok to use the Lord's money for a $20,000 yard but wrong to give a sinner some food from the treasury. Really? It is ok\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9894,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-i-corinthians-161-4-apply-to-general-collections\/","url_meta":{"origin":16680,"position":3},"title":"Does I Corinthians 16:1-4 apply to general collections?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 23, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day to you all. A question has come up here, one that always does, and has to do with I Corinthians 16:1-4. The questioner appears to be denying that the text is an authority for the weekly giving we practice here on the first day of the week.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":23049,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-restoration-of-giving\/","url_meta":{"origin":16680,"position":4},"title":"The Restoration of Giving","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 31, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Harold V. Comer via Gospel Power, Vol. 14, No. 48, Dec. 2, 2007. This is a day of religious fundraising and money promotions. With all of the emphasis on pressure and gimmicks, there is a great need to restore the New Testament pattern of giving. The first-century practice would\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/05\/collection.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20504,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-the-bible-say-the-church-worshiped-on-sunday\/","url_meta":{"origin":16680,"position":5},"title":"Does the Bible say the church worshiped on Sunday?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a few questions and comments concerning the texts given as proof of Sunday worship outlined in the article: \"Is sex on the Sabbath a sin?\" The verses are Acts 20:7 and I Corinthians 16:1-2. Acts 20:7 speaks of an act that is done on any day, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16680","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16680"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16680\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16680"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16680"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16680"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}