Giving is NOT an Act of Worship
Scholars deny that laying by is store is at the
church assembly
http://www.pineycom.com/De.Corona.Tertullian.Apology.html#P425_201743
We assemble to read our sacred writings, if any peculiarity of the times makes either forewarning or reminiscence needful.
However it be in that respect, with the sacred words we nourish our faith, we animate our hope, we make our confidence more stedfast; and no less by inculcations of God's precepts we confirm good habits.
In the same place also exhortations are made, rebukes and sacred censures are administered.
For with a great gravity is the work of judging carried on among us, as befits those who feel assured that they are in the sight of God;
and you have the most notable example of judgment to come when any one has sinned so grievously as to require his severance from us in prayer, in the congregation and in all sacred intercourse.
The tried men of our elders preside over us, obtaining that honour not by PURCHASE, but by established character.
There is no buying and selling of any sort in the things of God.
Though we have our treasure-chest, it is not made up of purchase-money, as of a religion that has its price.
- On the MONTHLY day, if he likes, each puts in a small donation;
- but only if it be his pleasure,
- and only if he be able:
- for there is no compulsion;
- all is voluntary.
[On ordinary Sundays, "they laid by in store," apparently: once a month they offered]??
2Cor. 8:8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
2Cor. 9:5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren,
that they would go before unto you,
and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before,
that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty,
and not as of COVETOUSNESS.
BOUNTY: g2129. εὐλογία eulogia, yoo-log-ee´-ah; from the same as 2127; fine speaking, i.e. elegance of language; commendation (“eulogy”), i.e. (reverentially) adoration; religiously, benediction; by implication, consecration; by extension, benefit or largess: — blessing (a matter of) bounty (x -tifully), fair speech.This is just ONCE to make THE collection just once before Paul arrived and might be an extorting influence. Paul might have to remain in Corinth all winter because of the weather. Each person stored up a part of the First day's work. This money was never in the hands of the Corinthian church.
COVETOUSNESS g4124. πλεονεξία pleonexia, pleh-on-ex-ee´-ah; from 4123; avarice, i.e. (by implication) fraudulency, extortion: — covetous(-ness) practices, greediness.
Even civil society formed local groups and those who prospered gave to those in need. Synagogue were houses for meeting.
Lay by HIM in store! JOHN LAYS BY JOHN'S PIGGY BANK: 1 Corinthians 16:2 tells the Corinthians to lay by HIM in Store and not lay by at church. Ephesians 4 does not mention a treasurer.
THE DOUBLE CROSS
Deut. 15:7 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, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:
Deut. 15:8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth
H5670 abat aw-bat' A primitive root; to pawn; causatively to lend (on security); figuratively to entangle: borrow, break [ranks], fetch [a pledge], lend, X surely.
"Concerning budgets--it is now a mark of the identity of a
scriptural church to have or not to have certain
benevolent programs and missionary projects in the budget;
but the time was when churches had no
such problems, for there were no budgets.
The apportionment of the contributions into a pre-arranged
budget is comparatively new,
and it met with
opposition for the early writers
of both the Gospel
Advocate and the Firm Foundation,
perhaps for the
foreseen reason of what is happening now--
an an issue develops on what may or may not be
scripturally included in the budget,
and the budget becomes a sacramental thing, the depository
for the 'Lord's Money.'"
(Foy
E. Wallace, Jr., The
Gospel for Today, p 552)
Romans 15 defines the ekklesia or synagogue as Paul defines gatherings or assemblies. SELF-pleasure is outlawed and this removes any need for a LAW of giving because it removes and repudiates those institutes of people who insist that you support them.
Rom. 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak,Those strong enough to assume leadership serve and are not served. Their task is to take care of them as Jesus example. They provide an environment conducive to edification which is edudation in "that which is written." It requires little of the widow's living to do that
and not to please ourselves.
Rom. 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
770. astheneo, as-then-eh´-o; from 772; to be feeble (in any sense): be diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak.
772. asthenes, as-then-ace´; from 1 (as a negative particle) and the base of 4599; strengthless (in various applications, literal, figurative and moral): — more feeble, impotent, sick, without strength, weak(-er, -ness, thing) .
Outlawing self pleasure outlaws private diversities (Rom 14). Paul's command was to speak "that which was written" and the civil ekklesia did not have the authority to vote on what they thought might be "scriptural." It also outlaws the dogmas of philosophers.
IV IV. areskei is used impers. to express the opinion or resolution of a public body, tauta êrese sphi poieein Hdt.8.19 ; ên d' areskêi taut' Athênaiois Ar.Eq.1311 ; areskei . . einai Delphôn it is resolved that . . , SIG827D10; also of prevailing opinions; ta areskonta the dogmas of philosophers
-Placeo I.part. fut. pass.: “dos placenda,” Plaut. Trin. 5, 2, 35; v. I. A. fin.) [cf. placo], to please, to be pleasing or agreeable, to be welcome, acceptable, to satisfy (class.). 1. In scenic lang., of players or pieces presented, to please, find favor, give satisfaction: “primo actu placeo, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 31: cui scenico placenti,” Suet. Ner. 42; id. Galb. 12; id. Vit. 11: “populo ut placerent quas fecisset fabulas,” Ter. And. prol. 3; “id. Hec. prol. alt. 12: ubi (fabulae) sunt cognitae, Placitae sunt,”
philosophiae placita, Babyloniorum,” Plin. 2, 79, 81, § 191; Col. 9, 2, 1.
Scaenĭcus I.of or belonging to the stage, scenic, dramatic, theatrical, I.Lit.:poëtae, dramatic poets, Varr. L. L. 9, § 17 Müll.:artifices, players, actors,
Orgănum , i, n., = organon, Of musical instruments, a pipe, Quint. 11, 3, 20; 9, 4, 10; Juv. 6, 3, 80; Vulg. Gen. 4, 21; id. 2 Par. 34, 12Organon , to, ( [ergon, erdô] )Gen. 4:21 And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
2 Chronicles 34:[12] The men did the work faithfully: and the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites, of the sons of Merari; and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to set it forward; and [others of] the Levites, all who were skillful with instruments of music.A. instrument, implement, tool, for making or doing a thing, for making war, for doing hard work. 3.musical instrument, Simon.31, f.l. in A.Fr.57.1 ; ho mendi' organône kêlei anthrôpous, of Marsyas, Pl.Smp.215c ; aneu organôn psilois logois ibid., cf. Plt.268b ; o. poluchordaId.R.399c , al.; met' ôidês kai tinôno rganôn Phld.Mus.p.98K. ; of the pipe, Melanipp.2, Telest.1.2.
Mŏdŭlātĭo marching to time, thythmical measure, modulation; hence, singing and playing, melody in poetry and music. 2. Placere sibi, to be pleased or satisfied with one's self, to flatter one's self, to pride or plume one's self:
II. Transf.: placet mihi (tibi, etc.), or simply placet, it pleases me, it seems good, right, or proper to me; it is my opinion, I am of opinion, I hold, believe, intend, purpose; and in perf., placuit, or placitum est, it is decided, resolved, determined (mihi, nobis, etc., or absol.).
A. pleasing, mostly in bad sense, obsequious, cringing,
II. areskos, ho, the staff borne by pornoboskoi [brothel keeper] on the stage,
Similar situations can never CHANGE 1 Corinthians 16:2 into a command for a legalistic ACT OF WORSHIP called "lay by him in store" which must be performed or you are cursed. Let's look at that passage again as most scholars have understood it:
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. 1 Corinthians 16:2
