Local churches are authorized to provide for needy Christians.

• Public charities have a charter that dictates how the money is to be spent. Jesus has provided the charter for his church.

Scriptures about providing for needy Christians

Acts 2:44-45

• This is referring to sharing of funds. The phrase “all things” here must be taken in context. This is not authorizing sharing of sexual partners or some sort of communism. This was voluntary sharing.
• This was a unique situation with many new Christians being far from home longer than anticipated.

Acts 4:32-35

• Compare Acts 5:2; 23:3 - “Laid at the apostles’ feet” is an idion meaning “putting something under the apostles’ control.”

Acts 6:1-3

• This was for the widows among the disciples. There were surely more needy widows in the city at large.

Acts 11:27-30

• Some use this passage in support of the “sponsoring church arrangement,” arguing that the church in Jerusalem must have been a sponsoring church because many churches in the area were helped, but we only read of Barnabas and Paul visiting the church in Jerusalem. But we can’t draw this conclusion directly. Barnabas and Paul may have visited more churches that are not mentioned individually.

Romans 15:25-27

• Paul was delivering money from Macedonia and Achaia to the needy saints in Jerusalem.

I Corinthians 16:1-3

II Corinthians 8:3-4, 14

I Timothy 5:16, 5

Observations

• Churches are authoring to provide for needy Christians; individuals are authorized to provide for anyone.
• God did not set up the local church as a general charity.
• How generous!
• Use wise judgment.