• II John 9
  • I Corinthians 14:23
  • Because we don’t have Bible authority for it.
    • II John 9 – We don’t want to go outside the teaching of Christ.
    • Galatians 1:8; Colossians 3:17
    • What local churches did in the New Testament
      • Churches provided for the teaching and preaching of the gospel.
        • Philippians 4:14-18
      • Churches provided for worship and spiritual edification.
        • I Corinthians 16:1-2; 14:26; 11:17-22, 33-34
      • Churches provided for needy Christians.
        • Acts 4:32-35; 6:1-4
        • See a pattern? Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35; 6:1-3; 11:27-30; Romans 15:25-26; I Corinthians 16:1-3; II Corinthians 8, 9; I Timothy 5:16, 5
        • Were there no other needy people in Jerusalem – just Christians? There were, but that was outside the scope of the work of the church.
      • Because we have something better to offer!
        • Philippians 1:27 – This is what a church should be doing!
        • I Thessalonians 1:8
        • I Timothy 5:3-5, 16 – Churches are not to be distracted with lesser works. Families are obligated to help their own first.
        • Acts 6:2, 4
        • Individual Christians can and should be engaged in all kinds of good deeds! Luke 10:33-37; James 1:27
        • Jesus Himself helped so many people in both physical and spiritual ways, so why didn’t He authorize churches to help the world in physical ways? John 6:10-14, 24-35, 48-51. Jesus came to serve a greater purpose than feeding people.