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Matthew 5:16-Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Sometime in the last couple hundred years, a doctrine arose among some in churches of Christ that is known as “saints only.” It is said that it is acceptable before God for Christians individually to help a non-Christian who is in need, but that it is a sin for the local congregation (collectively) to do so. Stated another way, those who hold to this view claim that a congregation has apostatized from the Word of God if they take money out of their collective church treasury to help a non-Christian in need.
Over the years, I have worked with some Christians who hold to this idea. It raises the question: what does the Bible teach about the matter? After all, as Christians our first priority is to speak as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11), to strive not to go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6), and to abide within the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9-11).
Let’s think about it.
The biggest problem, in my personal opinion, with the “saints only”’doctrine is that it overlooks the fact that benevolence (doing good to others) is actually a form of evangelism (winning souls). Jesus makes that clear in Matthew 5:16, when He points out that people who see our good works will hopefully “glorify” our Father in Heaven. In the Bible, the phrase “glorifying God” usually means to convert and follow the Lord.
Peter writes:
1 Peter 2:11-12-Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Writing of the phrase glorify God in the day of visitation,” one scholarly work points out:
“δοξάσωσιν τὸν θεὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς. Elsewhere in 1 Peter, “glorifying God” is an act of worship performed specifically by Christian believers (cf. 4: 14b, 16), and the use of the term here evidently signals repentance or religious conversion at or before the last day (cf. Rev 11: 13; 14: 7; 16: 9). Peter’s hope for those who now despised and slandered the Christian community was that they would change their minds and join the chorus of praise to God that distinguished Christians (and Jews?—Peter does not say) from the rest of the world. The scenario was not that Christians would proclaim to them the gospel of Christ. like those who first brought the Christian message to the provinces of Asia (cf. 1: 12, 25), but that simply by observing the “good conduct” or “good works” of those who believed in Christ, the accusers would see that their charges were false. Acknowledging the faith of the Christians as true and the God of the Christians as worthy of their worship, they would “glorify God on the day of visitation” (cf. the scenario played out between a believing wife and an unbelieving husband according to 3: 1–2).” (J. Ramsey Michaels, 1 Peter, Volume 49 (Word Biblical Commentary), 118 (Kindle Edition): Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan)
So, if the local church is authorized to perform evangelism (it is-Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15-16), and if one form of evangelism is benevolence (and it is-Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:11-12), then the local church is authorized to perform benevolence.
That makes sense to me.
But we should also point out that there are several Scriptures which show examples of the local church taking money and supplies from their collective church treasury and using them to help non-Christians. We will consider one from Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians.
At that time, there was a terrible famine affecting Judea, and Paul had ordered the churches to collect funds and supplies to help the saints (Romans 15:26; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2). These were to be stored up in the collective church treasury wherever they assembled together.
“A more literal translation of each one of you put aside and save would be “each one of you by himself lay up, or store up.” The noun form of thēsaurizō (from which we get thesaurus, a collection, or treasury, of words), rendered here as put aside and save, represents a storehouse, treasury, chest, or the like where valuables are stored. It also sometimes was used metaphorically of the treasure itself (Matt. 2: 11; 19: 21; Mark 10: 21; Luke 6: 45). In both the pagan and Jewish cultures of New Testament times, treasuries were associated with religious temples….The church had a treasury, a place for safekeeping and dispensing the offerings. If Paul were here referring to Christians’ storing their offerings privately at home, what he says at the end of the verse, that no collections be made when I come, would not make sense. If the gifts were stored at home, the first thing to be done when Paul arrived would have been to have a collection in order to bring the funds together. Along with teaching regular giving, Paul’s purpose in giving the instruction was to have the offering ready to be taken to Jerusalem with as little delay as possible.” (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 1 Corinthians, 9776-9792 (Kindle Edition); Chicago; Moody Press)
Those collected gifts-along with help from the Macedonian saints-had been used to help those who were suffering. Now with that in mind, Paul says that the Christians in those areas of Judaea were giving praise to God because of the help that the Corinthians had given.
Paul writes:
2 Corinthians 9:12-13-For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men,
Do you see it?
The Corinthians had used their collective funds and supplies (from the treasury-1 Corinthians 16:1-2) to help “them” and “all men.” The antecedent of “them” is “saints” or Christians (2 Corinthians 9:12). Just trace the word “them” back through verse twelve, and it is clearly “the saints” who are praising God for the Corinthians generous gifts to “them.”
But they didn’t just use those collected funds for “the saints” did they? No, they also used those gifts for “all men.”
So who are the “all men?”’
The “all men”’are set in addition to “the saints.”
The “all men” is a reference to “non-saints” or “non-Christians.”
So the Apostle approved of the church at Corinth using their collective funds and goods to help “non-Christians.”
And that, my friends, is another reason why I don’t believe in the “saints only” doctrine.
Now, what to take away from all of this?
First, let’s not make rules where God hasn’t made them. The church is often divided enough without adding manmade laws to the mix that often do nothing but disrupt unity. Let’s not become like these people that Jesus was not pleased with:
Matthew 23:24-Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
Second, remember that each local church is autonomous (or self-governing). See Acts 14:23; 1 Peter 5:1-5. If the elders or leaders of one congregation decide to help people in one way or another, leave that to them and their wisdom. They know their situation where they are at better then those outside looking in. Worry about watering the grass on your side of the fence where you are.
Galatians 5:15-But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
Third, as you are able, help those in need! Whether individually or collectively, do what you can to tell others about Jesus and to SHOW Him (by your actions) to those in need.
Lord, thank You for coming to our world and showing us such abundant goodness. Help us to share Your love with others as we are able. Bless us to better understand and apply Your Word in our own lives, with our fellow Christians, and with those outside of Christ. May they see our good works and give glory to You. In Jesus Name, Amen.