Two kinds of benevolence are discussed in Scripture. Benevolence given from the pocket of an individual saint expresses our love for all mankind, reflecting our common humanity. When material aid is extended from the treasury of the local church, it has a deeper meaning. It is an expression of our spiritual unity and fellowship with God and each other in Christ. Let’s begin our study and distinguish these two kinds of benevolence, and give special attention to aid dis-tributed from the church treasury.

Distinguishing Two Kinds of Benevolence:

Benevolence may be extended from the hand of any individual Christian utilizing his own re-sources. The benevolence extended to anyone in need is an expression of our general love for all of our fellow creatures, saints and sinners. Passages such as Galatians 6: 10 instruct Christians regarding this kind of benevolence:

Galatians 6:10, " So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith." ASV

Benevolence may be extended from the treasury of the church to faithful Christians. The New Testament speaks of this kind of benevolence as "fellowship" because it represents our spiritual relationship to God and to each other as His saints. The first reference to the church treasury is found in Acts 2: 43-44 which states that the early saints maintained a "common" fund from which distribution was made as each suffered need. The Greek work koinos referred to anything shared or held in common, such as "the common salvation" (Jude 3) (Thayer, Greek-English Lex-icon of the New Testament, 351). The church had a common fund because, at a deeper level, they shared a common bond in Christ.

The churches of Macedonia sent financial aid to suffering saints in Jerusalem. This financial gift is "the fellowship of the ministering to the saints" (2 Cor. 8:4).

This word "fellowship" is from the Greek term koinonia, obviously related to koinos. When used of benevolence, koinonia refers to "a benefaction jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship" (Thayer, 352). The church had a common fund representing its deeper fellowship, and expressed this fellowship to the suffering saints in Jerusalem who shared that common bond.

The Apostle John wrote, "that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship [koinonia]is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ:" 1 John 1:3. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon says koinonia here means "the intimate bond of fellowship which unites Christians" (Thayer, 352). In other words, this New Testament word "fellowship" refers to the spiritual relationship and mutual service shared by faithful Christians. Our friends who are still in their sins and false religions do not share this unique spiritual bond and relationship with us.

One expression of our worship and fellowship with God is the collection taken every Lord’s Day (1 Cor. 16: 2). When Ananias and his wife gave some amount by laying it "at the apostles’ feet," they were giving into the treasury of the church which was held by the apostles because the church was still very young (Acts 5:1-11). Their mistake was to tell the lie that this donation was the full price for a certain property they sold, but it was only part of the price. They lied because they wanted to receive much admiration and praise from their brethren.

Peter explained in Acts 5: 4 that, after the property was sold, the money remained in "thine own power," meaning it was Ananias’ personal possession to use in any rightful way he wished. The point is that when the money passed from his hands into the church treasury "at the apostles’ feet)," it was no longer under his power as his personal possession, but it was restricted to the proper use of the church treasury which belongs to God in a special way. Therefore, Ananias lied to God who is the actual owner of the church treasury.

The point here is to understand that the treasury of the church exists because of our fellowship with God. The treasury is an expression of that fellowship between God and His people. We are restricted to use the church treasury only according to God’s instruction in the New Testa-ment, and the treasury is not the equivalent of a saint’s personal possession. Personal funds and the church treasury are separate and distinct.

The New Testament is very clear in teaching that benevolence from the church treasury is to be extended to faithful saints. All passages on church benevolence form a consistent pattern, de-monstrating that in all cases the funds were given to saints:

"all that believed" Acts 2: 44-45
"them that believed" Acts 4: 32-37
"the disciples" Acts 6: 1-7
"the brethren" Acts 11: 27-30
"the saints" 1 Cor. 16: 1-2; 2 Cor. 8: 4; 2 Cor. 9: 1
"the poor saints" Romans 15:26
"widows indeed" (defined as faithful saints in the context; 1 Timothy 5: 16,see vv. 5, 9-10

As in Acts 5, 1 Timothy 5: 16 clearly distinguishes funds utilized by individuals and funds uti-lized by local churches. The use of funds for benevolence from an individual’s personal pocket and from the treasury of a local church are separate and distinct. "If any believing man or wom-an has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows." (1 Timothy 5:16) NKJV There are things individuals may do which the church is not authorized to do: "let not the church be charged." The church must fo-cus on its duties as defined by the New Testament: "that it may relieve them that are widows indeed." 

Some teachers in churches of Christ insist that funds from the local church treasury can be dis-tributed to needy people in the world. Moved by humanitarian intentions, they approach God’s Word with a liberal attitude on this matter, not observing the strict limits of the New Testament pattern. They try to find any pretext to give benevolence from the church treasury to visi-tors and neighbors who are not baptized into Christ, therefore not yet added to the true body or church of Christ (Acts 2:41, 47; Galatians 3: 25-27).

People outside the true church of Christ are living in sin and some of them are following false religions and false doctrines such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, denominational-ism (Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptists, etc.), various ecumenical groups, and other assorted reli-gions. Did Christ authorize the distribution of financial aid from the treasuries of local churches to people living in sin and false religions? The New Testament is wholly silent about such a practice. The original doctrine of Christ does not authorize the distribution of material aid from the church treasury to sinners in the world. Not one verse authorizes it. If we distribute benevo-lence from the church treasury to people who are not faithful Christians, we go beyond the lim-its of God’s Word and we are separated from God by this sin (2 John 9-11).

Liberal-minded false teachers in the church of Christ claim 2 Cor. 9: 13 allows them to distribute funds from the church treasury to needy people who are not New Testament Christians. The verse speaks of the aid the church at Corinth sent to the saints of Jerusalem, "While by the expe-riment of the ministration they glory God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Chr-ist, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men." We are told "all men" is a direct reference to people outside the body of Christ.

Let us notice more carefully the prepositional phrase "unto all." Does it mean people still living in sin and false religions? NO. This becomes clear when we pay special attention to the word "dis-tribution." Benevolence "distribution" was extended to a certain "them" and to an additional "all." When we clarify the meaning of "distribution," the meaning of the "all" who can receive benevo-lence will be clarified as well.

The Greek word for "distribution" has the literal meaning of "fellowship," which yields the meaning literally "your liberal fellowship unto them, and unto all men." It is the word koinonia again: "a benefaction jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship" (Thayer, 352). Our giving into the church treasury and our distribution from that treasury represent the spiritual fellowship we share as the saints of God. The reci-pients must be within that divine and holy fellowship in order to receive benevolence.

This is further confirmed by the context because Paul said the recipients are saints who "glorify God" for the gospel and who pray for the brethren (vv. 13-14). Do the people living in sin and following false religions glorify God for the true gospel? Do they submit to the gospel of Christ, including the great commission which teaches men must be baptized to be saved? Do they pray for our success as we labor to spread this true gospel! They insist we can be saved by choosing any religion we prefer, and many of them insist we can be saved in Christ before and without submitting to Christ in water baptism. Therefore, they do not fit Paul’s description of saints who glorify God for the gospel and who pray for the brethren (vv. 13-14). It is clear they are not included in the "all" who may receive this benevolence from the church treasury.

Here is the simple true meaning of 2 Corinthians 9: 13. Paul is thankful for the church at Corinth because they are willing to provide benevolence to the faithful saints in Jerusalem. This is the "distribution" or fellowship "unto them." Furthermore, Paul is thankful the church at Corinth is equally willing to provide benevolence to faithful saints in any other place where it may be needed. This is the "distribution" or fellowship "unto all." "Unto all" means saints in other plac-es besides Jerusalem.

The people of God are set apart from all other people in the world. We love them, we consider them our friends, and we treat them with kindness and courtesy at all times. We are ready to help them in many ways, especially to help them obey the true gospel of Christ. Because they follow their sin and false religions, in God’s eyes we cannot have "fellowship" with them. Ra-ther, we learn to separate ourselves from their sinful conduct and false religious activities. That is the clear meaning of 2 Corinthians 6: 14-18:

"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a be-liever with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:"I will dwell in them, And walk among them, I will be their God, And they shall be My people." Therefore, "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." 'I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,Says the Lord Almighty." NKJV

We should pity people who do not yet know they are living in darkness and that they are lost while following their sins and false doctrines. Our concern for them motivates us to do our best to teach them about the one true and original gospel of Christ which will save their souls. We cannot extend "fellowship" to them because there is no true spiritual fellowship between righ-teousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness. Before we can speak of having spiritual fel-lowship with them, we must convict them of their sins and convince them to repent, confess Christ as God’s only begotten Son, and be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16: 15-16; Acts 2: 38). Until they submit to Christ in this way, we have no fellowship with them. They are not New Testament Christians.

Let us, as Christians, be ready to help all men at all times as we have the ability and opportunity. When we function as God’s people in the local church, we must recognize our separation from the world and our unique fellowship with God and His saints. When fellow Christians suffer tragedies and emergency needs, we express our fellowship with them in Christ by providing as-sistance from the treasury of the local church.

Ron Halbrook

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