GIFT OF GIVING

DEFINITION

Greek         give                      metadidomi          to share with, to impart

Acts 4:36-37 (Larger Passage Acts 4:32-5:11) “And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a  Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

Romans 12:8 “He that giveth (metadidomi = to give a share, impart), let him do it with simplicity.” (haploties = sincerity, without folds, generosity, liberality, without preference, honesty)

Romans 12:13 “Distributing (koinoneo = to make common, to share with others, communicate, distribute, be partaker) to the necessity (chreia = occasion, demand, requirement, destitution, lack, need, want) of the saints”

II Corinthians 8:4-5 (Larger Passage II Corinthians 8:2-5) “Praying with much entreaty that we would receive the gift (charis = grace, favor, free gift), and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.  And this they did, not as we hoped (elpizo = to expect, confide, anticipate with pleasure, confidence), but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.”

 II Corinthians 9:7 “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful (hilarious = hilarious) giver (dotes = giver).”

Ephesians 4:28 “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give (metadidomi = to give a share, impart) to him that needeth.”

Philippians 4:15 “Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated  (koinoneo = to make or use as common, to share with others, distribute, be partaker) with me as concerning giving (dosis = a giving, a gift) and receiving (lepsis the act of receipt, receiving), but ye only.”

I Timothy 6:17-18 “Charge (paraggello = to transmit a message, to enjoin, charge, command, declare) them that are rich (plousios = wealthy, abounding with, rich) in this world (nun = present time, now, this time; aion = an age, world, Jewish Messianic period), that they be not high minded (hupselophroneo = to be lofty in mind, arrogant, high minded), nor trust (me = not, negative answer; mede = but not, not even, continued negation, nor; elpizo = to expect or confide, hope, trust) in uncertain (adelotes = uncertainty of, hidden, appear not) riches (ploutos = wealth, fullness, money, possessions, abundance), but in the living God (zao = to live, life; theos = diety, the supreme Divinity, God ), who giveth (parecho = to hold near, that is present, afford, exhibit, furnish occasion, bring, minister, offer) us richly (plousios = abundantly, richly) all things (pas = all, any, every, thoroughly, the whole) to enjoy (apolausis = full enjoyment, enjoy); That they do good (agathoergeo = to work good, do good), that they be rich (plouteo = to be or become wealthy, be increased with goods, be made rich) in good (kalos = properly beautiful, good, valuable or virtuous, honest, worthy) works (ergon  to work, toil, occupation, deed, labor, doing, work), ready to distribute (eumetadotos = good at imparting, liberal, ready to distribute), willing to communicate (koinonikos = liberal, willing to communicate);”

CHARACTERISTICS

Ability to make money to share with others.

Ability to make wise purchases and investments.

Desire to give quietly, to avoid publicity.

Give to motivate others to give also.

Alertness to valid need.

Enjoy meeting needs without pressure of appeal.

Joy when gift met need, not known.

Desire to feel part of work of person to whom they give.

You don’t have to “take” the offering.

CAUTIONS AND ABUSES

Pride and boasting in giving.

Giving to gain control with strings.

Measure spiritual by material assets.

Overlooks long range goals in meeting individual needs.

Remember to confirm amount of gift with spouse.

Don’t have to be wealthy to give.

Because you don’t have gift is no excuse for not giving.

MISUNDERSTANDING

Focus on money may appear to be giving too much attention to temporal.

Desire to help may appear to attempt to control ministry, work or person.

Attempt to encourage others to give may appear to be lack of generosity.

Personal frugality may appear as selfishness in not meeting their “wants”, not needs.