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On Christian Stewardship: 3. The Danger of Small Gifts

II. The Danger of Small Gifts 

The small gifts have their great glory. The smallest gifts will be honored to the Last Day wherever there is still a Holy Bible. For the Bible tells us that the “mite” of the widow, who cast a farthing into the treasury, was a greater gift than all the gifts of the rich: “For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on” (Mark 12:41–44).

Under certain circumstances, then, the smallest gift has the highest value. But woe if the “mite” is abused by such as are not poor widows, but are rich in this world’s goods, to strive after the smallest gifts possible and then to quiet their conscience with the “widow’s mite.” Through the devil’s trickery, the widow’s mite is, in many cases, used for a cloak of avarice. Let us note the dangers that in so many instances are connected with the small gifts.

[They Are] Against the Will of God.
Seeking after small and few gifts is contrary to the will of God. The Holy Scriptures warn against giving sparingly and admonish to liberal giving, when we read: “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). And the apostle praises the congregations in Macedonia: “Their extreme poverty [has] overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” (2 Corinthians 8:2).

[They] Spoil the Quality of the Gifts.
Small gifts in many cases spoil the quality of the gifts; that is, the small gifts are evidence of the fact that one does not give to the Savior and that the giving is not done willingly. Of course, there are unimportant things in which small gifts are entirely in place. However, when the great things of the kingdom of God are directly concerned—the preaching of the Gospel, missions, institutions of the Church, etc., those very things for the performance of which the Christians are still in this world (Matthew 24:14)—if, in these instances, we strive after the smallest gifts possible, then the danger is very near that we do not think of our Savior at all in this connection, that we do not sacrifice to Him, but merely give mechanically in order to keep the appearance of giving.

If we think of the Savior who has given Himself wholly for us and now desires that we out of gratitude should place ourselves into the service of the preaching of the Gospel—if we think of this, it cannot be otherwise but that we will strive not to give as little as possible, but as much as we possibly can. Seeking after small gifts in this case does not show a willingness to serve Christ in the beauty of holiness, but rather the very opposite, unwillingness and miserliness. And so the small gifts become worthless before God.

Even among Christians, self-delusion very easily insinuates itself because of the miserly flesh that still clings to us. It happens that a Christians feels he could and should do more for the Gospel than he actually does. He feels that the amount of his gifts is not at all in proportion to his means and the importance of the cause. But he nevertheless clings to small gifts and inwardly torments himself, trying to substitute the lack of quantity with quality, persuading himself that he is giving his little gift “right heartily.” To say “Little, but from the heart” is fully justified under certain circumstances, as when a person really has only a little. It is then that we come near to the glory of the widow’s “mite.” But if conscience reminds us that, considering our means and the importance of the cause, we could and should give more, then the “little, but right heartily” may easily hide a self-delusion. All inward stressing of quality will be futile and will not make amends for any lack in quantity. Here one had rather think of another proverb: “Quality goes with quantity.” May we then watch carefully the amount of our gifts! The Lord will gift us judgment in all things.

[They] Are Dangerous in View of the Reward.
Seeking after small gifts has its grave danger if we consider the reward. God has set up a reward for all gifts presented to Him, a glorious reward, a reward of grace. And in this we see so plainly the great grace and goodness of our God. Gratis, without any merit of works on our part, solely for the sake of Christ’s perfect merit, God gives us heaven and bliss. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9). God is truly gracious and kind beyond measure. If we serve Him without pay, that is, purely out of thankfulness for the grace shown us in Christ, then our service shall, nevertheless, not be “gratis,” inasmuch as He desires to crown all works done for Him with a glorious, eternal reward of grace.

In this light, the good works of the Christians become enormously valuable. Luther says they are worth more than the whole world. The world and everything in it will burn up on the Last Day; but the good works of the Christians will not burn up, but will follow them (Revelation 14:13). Therefore we should not seek after small but rather large gifts for Christ and His Gospel. The Holy Spirit reminds us of this when He says: “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). We, then, are wise stewards of the earthly goods given us by God only when we give back to God again with full hands. There are many fools in the world. The entire unbelieving world is foolish. But the biggest fools are the Christians if they, having means, seek after the smallest and fewest gifts possible.

[They Are a] Constant Offense to the Christian Himself.
With his seeking after small gifts, the Christian gives constant offense to himself. For he thereby brings himself to doubt his own state of grace and the truth of the Christian religion. According to Scripture, good works should be performed also for this purpose, that we may have in them an outward testimony of our faith. We have the Holy Spirit’s inward testimony of our adoption as sons of God through our faith in the Gospel, which the Holy Spirit creates and preserves in us.

But the Holy Spirit, dwelling in our hearts by faith, now also spurs us on to good works: “You are a child of God, for you love the brothers; you love God’s Word; His Church on earth is most important to you,” etc. As surely as the works of the Christians flow not out of the flesh, but out of the Spirit, so we have in our works the outward testimony of the Spirit to our state of grace. In this sense, Scripture speaks of sanctification and good works: “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10).

What do we do, then, if we are generally lax in sanctification and good works, and show a miserly spirit in giving for the Gospel? Through our seeking after small gifts, we are continually giving ourselves the testimony “Your Christianity is in a bad way.” Doubts regarding our state of grace are, in many cases, the result also of our miserliness in giving for the kingdom of God.

– Continued from On Christian Stewardship: The Gifts of the Christians 
By Francis Pieper
Translated by W. G. Polack

On Christian Stewardship: 2. The Size of the Gifts

I. The Size of the Gifts 

The question has been raised: Why is it that the amount of their gifts is not prescribed for the Christians of the New Testament? Some members of our congregations would like to have the amount set. When they see the results obtained by the Papists, Mormons, and Seventh-Day Adventists by means of their laws on giving, they are inclined to try legalistic methods too. It is not right, however, to use wrongful methods for the purpose of doing good; and we do wrong every time we make demands that exceed the bounds set by the Word of God. In the Old Testament, the tithe was commanded by God; it had to be given. In the New Testament, however, the amount of their gifts is a matter of freedom. The reason why the amount of their gifts is left to the New Testament Christians, and the legalistic ordinance of the tithe has been abolished, is given [in] Galatians 4:1[—3]: “The heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.”

Since Christ is fully revealed, the New Testament Christians are no longer children, but persons who are spiritually of age; therefore, the Christians of the New Testament, moved by the willing spirit of adoption, do the will of God in financial matters far beyond all that done by the people of the Old Testament by force of outward statutes. It is a part of our Christian liberty that we may set the amount of our gifts ourselves.

It is a terrible abuse of Christian liberty, however, if the Christians use their freedom from the tithe in such a manner that as little as possible or nothing at all is given Christ for His kingdom. They then use their liberty as a cloak of the maliciousness of their flesh. They are then doing that against which the apostle warns with the words “As … free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil,” 1 Peter 2:16.

God has removed from the New Testament Christians the yoke of bondage, of force, of the tithe, for the purpose and with the expectation that they serve Him not less, but more; that they bring their offerings, willingly, in the beauty of holiness; that they place all they possess at His disposal, and actually hand over to Him at all times whatever He may be in need of. And, behold, they disappoint God, so to speak.

The Lord had His troubles with the Jews, who cheated Him in the tithe and tried to curtail either the quantity or the quality of it. Read, for example, Malachi 1:8; 3:8ff. The [latter] passage reads, “Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In your tithes and contributions.”

In the same way, God has His troubles with the Christians today. He freed them from the tithe with the intention that they might serve Him more diligently in this freedom. But they abuse the liberty. Instead of giving God eleven percent of their own free will, they use their liberty to satisfy God with one percent or less.

Someone has said, and not incorrectly, that the weakest Christians should begin there where the Jew stopped, namely with ten percent, in order, according to his Christian liberty, to strive continually for a higher goal. There are those among us who do this. But we must also complain with Luther: Very many Christians use their liberty for a cloak of maliciousness.

This abuse of Christian liberty is found, of course, also in the apostolic Church, and Paul labeled it an insult to God, with the words “Be not deceived, God is not mocked!” [Galatians 6:7]. The context plainly shows that the apostle is here speaking of Christian giving. The flesh of the Christians in the apostolic Church was just as malicious as is the flesh of the Christians in our own time. For that reason the apostle uses such strong, terrible words: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked.”

The abuse of Christian liberty with respect to giving for the Gospel, which we have in so rich a measure, is found also among us. We would have to close our eyes to the evident facts if we would not admit this; and we must, with the grace of God, seek to abolish it. We owe this to our Savior, to our Church, to ourselves, as we shall see.

– Continued from On Christian Stewardship: The Gifts of the Christians 
By Francis Pieper
Translated by W. G. Polack

On Christian Stewardship: 1. Does the Christian Tithe?

On Christian Stewardship: The Gifts of the Christians
By Francis Pieper
Translated by W. G. Polack
Published in At Home in the House of My Fathers by Matthew C. Harrison

This piece is a timeless treasure. I have rescued it from obscurity precisely at a moment when the Synod faces great financial challenges. The cost of health care has increased so much that many congregations are finding it difficult to sustain their ministries, particularly schools. This is somewhat ironic, in that we are wealthier than ever. Money was a challenge in the Church from the very beginning (2 Corinthians 8–9). The fathers of the Early Church spilled a great deal of ink on the matter, but so confused and confounded Law and Gospel that much of what they wrote is completely useless and violates the article of justification. 1

Pieper’s treatise, by contrast, is a masterpiece of biblical fidelity, rightly dividing Law and Gospel. When I was a student, someone asked Professor Kurt Marquart if pastors should preach about money. He responded, “The Bible has a great deal to say about money, so the pastor should too.” Pieper agrees.

This translation was first published as The Gifts of the Christians (Fort Wayne, Ind.: Franklin Press, 1935). The first line of the title above is my addition. —M. H.

“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we His servants will arise and build.” Nehemiah 2:20 For the people had a mind to work. Nehemiah 4:6

IT IS REPORTED that two religious denominations of the United States never have financial difficulties. These are the Mormons and the Seventh-Day Adventists. The reason for this is said to be that these denominations have introduced the tithe. Other denominations, too, have members who have recommended the introduction of the tithe.

How do we stand on this question? We do not, to be sure, make the tithe a matter of duty and conscience for the Christians of the New Testament. To do so would be unscriptural. The tithe was God’s ordinance in the Old Testament, but it is not the divine ordinance of the New Testament. The New Testament frequently speaks of giving for Christ’s kingdom, but nowhere does it command the Christians to give the tithe. And what Christ has not commanded, the Church and the individual dare not command to others. We intend to maintain this position firmly over and against popery and the sects. We shall not permit ourselves to be deprived of the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.

On the other hand, it is also of the highest importance to be reminded not to use the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free for a cloak of sin. For although the tithe is not prescribed for us, it is and remains divine ordinance that the Christians of the New Testament give themselves to Christ with all their earthly goods, and at all times, willingly place at the disposal of His Church whatever he requires.

This is the teaching of Scripture. By faith in the Gospel, the Christians depart from the kingdom of darkness and enter into the kingdom of Christ, the Christian Church. With their entry they bring along everything that possess: body and soul with all their faculties, also their earthly goods. In the 60th chapter of his prophecy, Isaiah describes, as in a large picture, the entry of the nations into the Christian Church: “Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall fear and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you. … A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah” ([Isaiah 60:]4–6).

Surely a magnificent picture! But the Holy Spirit has painted into this magnificent, heart-stirring picture also the “financial activity.” The people who go into the Church with song and praise bring along all their earthly goods, their silver and gold. For the prophet adds: “All those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold frankincense, and they shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD” [Isaiah 60:6]; also: “For the coastlands shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from far, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because He has made you beautiful” [Isaiah 60:9].

At synods, I have mentioned in passing, and also written in our periodicals, that as a Church, we are also not poor in earthly possessions, because the Church possesses just as much earthly goods as the combined wealth of all its members. Many have, therefore, called me an optimist, that is, one who sees everything from the bright side. But this optimistic view that the Church possesses as much as all its members taken together is entirely scriptural and is plainly shown in the above-mentioned quotations from Isaiah’s prophecy.

The situation is this: The Christians, as such, are willing to place themselves and all their wealth into the service of the Church, and at all times to give to the Savior whatever He wants. We can say with Luther: In our days, too, many are more than willing to serve their Savior with their earthly possessions. We know of instances in which not only a tenth of the income is given, but twenty-five percent. We have among us such as tithe of their own free will, also such as give eleven percent—in order to distinguish themselves from the Jews—as well as such as have said: “Everything that I make in my business shall be placed into the service of my Savior.”

Many weaknesses cling to the Christians, but as far as they are Christians or new creatures, they give themselves without reserve, with all they possess—also their earthly goods—to their Savior. A St. Louis businessman who died a few years ago said, “I conduct my business for my Savior.” And he not only said this, but he acted accordingly.

Of course, the Christians are not wholly spiritual, but still have their evil flesh. And according to the flesh, they are miserly and always seek to withhold from Christ what He needs for His kingdom. When the Lord lets them know that in connection with His entry into the world, He has need of their colt, they perhaps permit their flesh to have the first word and inform Him that they have need of their colt themselves. And in many instances, the flesh keeps the last word in the matter. The Lord, who shed His blood for His own, cannot obtain from such the requested colt. The flesh of the Christians, too, is just that evil and mean. For this reason, the Spirit must needs be strengthened continually through the Gospel in order to destroy the works of the flesh. And the old man must needs be bridled outwardly by means of threats and punishment, so that the works of the Spirit may not be hindered overmuch.