The Proclaimer

A Common Treasury

From time to time I have had people ask me to give the passage that authorizes the local congregation to have a “common treasury” into which members are to contribute each Sunday.  They sometimes point out that the instruction of 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2 is “concerning the collection for the saints” in Jerusalem, and that this was a collection for a specific work that Paul was telling these brethren “to lay by in store . . . that no collections be made when I come.”  They claim that this passage does not give authority for a general treasury.

Let’s look at exactly what Paul says: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I gave order to the churches of Galatia, so also do ye.  Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come” (1 Cor. 16:1, 2). There are several things this passage clearly teaches.  First it shows how the work of the church (any authorized work) is to be funded – through the contributions of those that are members of that congregation.  The church cannot fund its work through business enterprise or through investments or church bazaars or any means other than contributions received from members.  Secondly, brethren are to “lay by in store” on the “first day of the week.”  That is, contributions from the members of that local church are to be collected on that day so that the work to be done is funded. 

Paul wrote to the Philippians, “And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving but ye only; for even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my need” (Phil. 4:15, 16).  In this passage Christians are not considered distributively, but collectively as a local church.  This necessarily infers that the church at Philippi had a source, a fund common to them as a unit into which members contributed so that support could be sent to Paul. 

While preaching in Corinth, Paul refused to take support from the church there because of their inappropriate attitude towards supporting him.  Evidently there were some who had actually accused Paul of being a “hireling” and preaching only for the money.  Concerning his support in Corinth Paul said, “Or did I commit a sin in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I preached to you the gospel for nought?  I robbed other churches, taking wages of them that I might minister unto you” (2 Cor. 11:8).  Once again we see evidence that these churches that sent support had a fund into which members contributed so that wages could be sent to Paul in Corinth.

If there is no “general treasury” there would of necessity have to be a separate treasury for every separate work which the local church performs.  A separate contribution would have to be collected for every preacher supported, every needy saint to be helped, every utility bill to be paid, every piece of paper purchased, etc.  Surely a more expedient way to operate is to have one general treasury into which members of the local church can contribute and from which funds can be dispersed to do all of the work that local congregation has determined to do.  The treasury of the local church is simply an expedient to do God’s work in God’s way.     

                                                                                      -- Clark Dugger

The Proclaimer