COLLECTIONS – OFFERINGS – SACRIFICES

It is fundamental and important to understand that the people of God in the present dispensation of grace are a heavenly (born-again) people. The christian calling is to spiritual things, called out of the world spiritually to engage in spiritual service.

This is in contrast to God’s earthly people of the previous dispensation of law, Israel.

Judaism was a divine system of literal sacrifices and offerings, whereas Christianity is a divine system of spiritual sacrifices and offerings, 1 Pet.2:5, Heb. 13:15.

It follows, therefore, that God’s present (spiritual) people do not offer tangible things to God.

However, notwithstanding the clear distinction between the two dispensations, law (Judaism) and grace (Christianity), the natural and the spiritual, some would refer to the collection on the first day of the week, 1 Cor.16:1, as an offering. This is unscriptural and therefore erroneous. Scripture clearly states it is a collection. The idea of offering money to God in the dispensation of the Spirit is plainly incongruous, contrary to the spiritual nature of the christian calling.

It is the application of the “collection”, the result of spiritual exercise, which may become a sacrifice wellpleasing to God, Phil.4:18, not the physical collection itself. Similarly in Heb.13:16, doing good deeds and sharing among the saints are sacrifices wellpleasing to God.

Some would quote 1 Cor.16:2 in support of the offering idea, viz. God apparently prospering saints in material things, but the authorised rendering is misleading. The correct text reads, “…..let each of you put by at home, laying up in whatever degree he may have prospered …..”.

God did prosper his earthly people in material things and they offered in kind but He prospers His heavenly people in spiritual things and they too offer in kind.

If it were contended and preached that God prospers His present (spiritual) people in material things, then the unregenerate would be queuing at the doors to get ‘saved’!

Another misunderstood scripture in this context is Rom 12:1, where saints at Rome were exhorted by the apostle to yield (offer) their bodies a (one) living sacrifice. Despite it being contrary to the fundamental spiritual principle already outlined, this scripture is often cited as an example of tangible christian offering. However, it is not physical bodies that are in view but, by synecdoche, the complete man (Vine).

Scripture is not contradictory and we should not give credence to interpretations that are contrary to fundamental truths.