Voice Of The Valley Volume 2 Issue 1 January 1996

Benevolence: Individual and Cooperative by Shannon Shaffer

As Christians, our responsibility to be benevolent to our fellow man has led members of the church to polar opposites. On one hand, some Christians have turned the church into a benevolent society which feeds, clothes, and houses saints and sinners alike. This approach enlarges the organization of the church as found in the n.T. and infringes on local autonomy. The reaction to such indiscriminate and unauthorized use of the Lord's money leads other Christians to little or no benevolent efforts. The problem, of course, is that both positions evade Christians personal responsibility and clouds the responsibility of the church in appropriate cases. Herein we will briefly look at what God's word says about Benevolenceand individual and cooperative. Look at what God's word says about benevolence: individually and cooperative. Individual Responsibility The Bible describes benevolence as primarily an individual responsibility! Jesus taught of the man we call the "Good Samaritan" whom we should emulate in our everyday life. James instructs Christians in "pure and undefiled religion" which involves "visiting orphans and widows in their trouble." (James 1:27). Paul proclaimed that Christians who are "rich" in this worlds goods must be”rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share" (I Tim. 6:18). Such a benevolent heart is “storing up for themselves a good foundation...that they may lay hold on eternal life" (I Tim. 6:19; cf. Matthew 6:21). Benevolence should come from the heart. The needs of fellow men should touch the individual Christians heart, evoking love, sympathy, and genuine care so that as opportunities arise offering to help is a natural response (I John 3:17-18; Gal. 6:6-10). Living in our society, we are some of the "richest" individual as a whole perhaps this world has seen. what is our attitude toward helping others? Is our heart prepared to help when opportunities arise or is it full of covetousness disguised as frugalness? Has suspicion overtaken our desire to help others or are we truly seeking to fulfill our individual responsibility? Pattern For Cooperative Benevolence In order to understand what we are authorized to do in a cooperative sense, in the local church we must look to the first century church as directed by the apostles. Note, first of all, that whenever possible, the local church provided for it's own members in need (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35). The church today must do the same! There are two clear N.T. patterns. The fist involved one local church sending relief to brethren who were victims of a famine in Judea (Acts 11:27-30). The Christians in Jerusalem sent benevolent aid "according to his ability" (v.29). Barnabas and Saul were chosen as messengers as the money was sent "to the elders" (v.30). Those elders were in local churches among "the brethren dwelling in Judea" (v.29). Since there was more than one congregation in Judea (Gal. 1:22; I Thess. 2:14), the funds were sent to the elders of each local church to determine which saints were in need. The second pattern we note was where several local churches sent aid to one local church for the relief of needy saints. The Jerusalem church was responsible for it's own but after severe persecution, their own liberality (Acts 2,4), and the aforementioned famine, the saints were destitute. The apostle Paul called on the churched in Macedonia, Achaia and the church in Corinth to "supply their lack" (2 Cor. 8:1-15). The money was to supply "the needs of the saints" (2 Cor. 9:12; Rom. 15:26-27). Hence, the money was sent directly to the needy saints by the hands of chosen messengers (I Cor. 16:1-3). Cooperative Benevolence: Limited In Scope The authorized patterns for congregational benevolence are limited for several reasons. First and foremost, the N.T. only speaks of local churches aiding needy "saints" out of it's treasury! Galatians 6 and James 1 speak to individuals about aiding non-Christians. To go beyond the pattern infringes on the authority of God's word. As well, the church cannot meet all of humanity's needs. Jesus said, "you have the poor with your always" (Matthew 26:11). To place the church's primary responsibility as benevolence, detracts from evangelism and edification. The apostle Paul points out that the church is not to be burdened if possible (I Tim. 5:16). A primary message of Jesus is that the spiritual is more important than the physical. Therefore, in spite of what some do in the name of religion, benevolence is not a means for evangelism. Jesus himself condemned the multitudes for such discipleship (John 6:26-27). Benevolence is a serious subject to which every individual Christian must give consideration. If individuals would do their part , there would not bee as much of a desire to involve the church in unauthorized use of the Lord's money be setting up agencies to feed, clothe and house sinners. Let us follow the pattern found in Gods word for both individual and cooperative benevolence.