1 Corinthians 16, Who Do You Know?

1 Corinthians 16 and the People Worth Knowing

1st Corinthians chapter 16 beginning of verse 1 here the Word of the Lord. Now concerning the collection for the Saints as I directed the churches of Galatia. So you also are to do on the first day of the week.

Each of you is to put something aside and store it up as he may prosper. So that there will be no collecting when I come and when I arrive I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem if it seems advisable that I should go also.

They will accompany me. I will visit you after passing through Macedonia for I intend to pass through Macedonia and perhaps I will stay with you or Even spend the winter there so that you may help me on my journey wherever I go.

For I do not want to see you now just in passing. I hope to spend some time with you if the Lord permits. But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost for a wide door for effective work has opened to me and there are many adversaries.

When Timothy comes see that you put him at ease among you. For he is doing the work of the Lord as I am. So let no one despise him help him on his way in peace that he may return to me for I am expecting him with the brothers.

Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to visit you with the other brothers. But it was not at all his will to come now. He will come when he has opportunity. Be watchful stand firm in the faith act like men be strong.

Let all that you do be done in love. Now I urge you brothers. You know that the household is Stephanus were the first converts in Achaia and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the Saints be subject to such as these and to every fellow worker in labor.

I rejoice at the coming of Stephanus and Fortunatus and Achaicus because they have made up for your absence for they refresh my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such men. The churches of Asia send you greetings.

Aquila and Prisca together with the church in their house send you hearty greetings in the Lord. All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with the holy kiss. I Paul write this greeting with my own hand if anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed our Lord come.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with all all in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

And the Lord had his blessings to the reading of his holy word. Well. Who do you think it's worth knowing? I? Mean the world has criteria. You know accomplishments and athletics or in academics or business that mark those They say are worth knowing who are important people dignitaries.

Celebrities.

You know anybody really important, you know twice in my life. I've. So I've been associated with important people. First had a coach who had coached at the US track and field Olympic team. Once driving back from a meet with that coach as the coach was driving I I sat up front in the passenger seat with the intention of of asking him questions.

Trying to pry from him everything I could about athletes at that level, you know the highest level, you know, what what are they like? What are people worth knowing like, you know, like what what's different about them?

Well my coach coach McClure, you know. He wasn't a talkative man. He didn't say a whole lot. So I had to ask him. I asked him You know, what are those Olympic athletes like? He said they're just like normal people.

That's all.

Okay, what do I do now I didn't know what else to say. The second time I knew somebody regarded as important was when I Got to be the teaching assistant for a professor at the University of Chicago had won the Nobel Prize in economics.

Now my coach had been a big shot in the world of athletics. My professor was a big shot in the world of academics. He was such a big shot. It was someone whom people would want to know. That when the University of Chicago opened an extension in Singapore after I had just I just recently graduated with my own PhD and it was back in Singapore.

They sent my professor there Professor Fogel there to Singapore to inaugurate it and he's such a big shot the Singapore government recognized the opening by sending the president of Singapore To greet professor Fogel and the other dignitaries to inaugurate this extension of the University of Chicago.

I was invited to the reception because of my association with professor Fogel with their you know I'm this with all these big shots. They're basically a room full of big shots probably CEOs government leaders.

Ultra wealthy people, you know officials of all kinds and then an official spokesman announced with great seriousness Ladies and gentlemen the president of the Republic of Singapore as he walks into the room.

I thought to myself man, if I only knew how to hobnob, you know how to small talk how to Associate with people and come up to somebody you hardly know and greet them and make friends with them. You know how to network they call it if I only knew how to do that I can make some real connections here, man.

I mean, this is a room full of really important people, but I didn't know how what I do. What what do you come? What do you just say to the president of Singapore? You know, how's your job? How you like on it?

Well, you know what's going on or some corporate head or some billionaire? You know, what do you say? How's life? Like the weather. Oh crazy rich Asians. What do you say to them? I didn't know I so I had my snack my refreshment and I left.

I didn't get to know any dignitaries. Who do you know in this last chapter Paul describes for us people we should know true Dignitaries and he describes three characteristics of people. We should know they are first giving.

Second they're serving and finally they're loving first people worth knowing. Are giving here. Paul is asking them to gather an offering for the Christians in Jerusalem. The mother church the Christians there were poor probably because they were more severely persecuted there.

By the authorities in Jerusalem, it would cost a lot to be a Christian in Jerusalem. There and also there have been a famine in that area in Israel. And so that had deprived everyone and so Paul wants the Corinthians to contribute to them.

But by doing that He's also making an important spiritual point important for them in their day. And important for us. The Corinthian Church would be mostly made up of the people. He's writing to here.

We just read mostly made up of Gentile believers or Greeks. They would speak Greek. They have their culture and their heritage from Greek history and with Socrates and Plato and Aristotle and all that Greek mythology.

They would have believed that they were Civilization. While the church in Jerusalem that he's saying that he's telling them, you know give money to them. They were almost entirely made up of Jewish believers they've been raised on the Old Testament.

They were sure they were God's chosen people that the only way to become one of God's people Was to become one of them come Jew and so there was there was a vast cultural and ethnic divide. Between them what Paul calls a wall of hostility in Ephesians chapter 2.

Otherwise they were both kind of they both think we're the best and those other are just dogs. Those are attitude toward each other. But here Paul is saying that the people worth knowing give to break down that wall.

By spearheading this offering taking the Greek Corinthian Church and taking from them asking them to give of course. Voluntarily take and giving it to the Jewish Jerusalem Church. Paul is teaching them an object lesson.

And the theme of which the theme of this object lesson that he's been it's the same thing He's been trying to teach them with words throughout this letter that there's one true church. You should all be united.

It's and your faith is not all about you remember they were the group of people some of them showed up to the Lord's Supper and they would just Indulge themselves and not care if some came later and didn't have anything.

And here he's taking that not only in that true in your local church. It's not just about you individually being a member of these other people. It's true about People in other churches around the world.

It's not just about you and this offering is an object lesson to teach that you have to fork across some money. Yeah, it teaches your mind. Life is not just about me. That's his theme. The the offering is to unite them across ethnic lines Across cultures to teach them that they are to care for more than just, you know our kind of people that all believers of whatever race our nation are.

Our kind of people and don't let that just be some, you know high-flown rhetoric lofty sounding phrases sweet poetry about you know about love and Unity sing kumbaya around the fire. Let it be real. Let's meet their needs don't be like zombie.

Oh, I really feel bad that you're deprived. You don't have enough money and then you walk away and do nothing about it. Don't be like that. Make make it real meet their needs if you have the ability to and that's what this offering is about.

It's practical love so for us we say we are Interracial about the church we see here two aspects about being quote either interracial first. It's not really an option for a church. It's not like something you can well, they'll be interracial.

But what's will be a will be a white church or will be a whatever kind of church. No, if it's the Lord's Church. It's got to be interracial. But it's not an option that you be that somehow you can be a particular ethnic group kind of church.

The church was from the beginning meant to be A made up of all kinds of people the all those whom the Lord calls second. We must be intentional about it. Paul has devised this offering intentionally. To teach the Corinthians and some of the other Gentile churches.

He mentions the church at Ephesus, right? Galatia that is doing the same thing there with it with the Gentiles there in Galatia. To teach to be involved with your Jewish brothers and sisters cross that ethnic divide.

It's not just left up to their feeling. No, you know, we don't mind if people from another race come in here. But we do nothing to make it happen. No, he's being intentional about it. He's devised an offering that made them think about their connection to believers in Jerusalem.

Think about their needs that's about my needs like what's in it for me think about them believers of another and believers in another ethnic group and then actually have Have to travel. It's taking some of them a few that he said select a few men and travel to deliver this money To Jerusalem, so you'd personally hand it over you put you in you know.

Few representatives you get to know these people we cannot cross barriers by just following our natural inclination kind of passively. Well, everyone's welcome here, but we do nothing About it. We need we have to be intentional to be Interracial to cross ethnic lines.

The Discipline of Giving as Worship

People you should know are giving and They're giving in a discipline way. First he says in verse 2 that they meet on the first day of the week. That's the Lord the day the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and so it's called the Lord's Day.

Second notice that giving is in it is a discipline in verse 2. That's the discipline way. He talks about it. It requires you to plan. Requires you to prioritize practice self-control be systematic that is you have a system that ensures that that you give.

That it comes before paying for your luxuries like your cable TV and your your excess eating out. Notice that he clearly describing a system a regimen.

To structure your giving.

First day of the week. He says set aside. Store it up. It's in proportion. All that it's very intentional. Very thought-out and he tells him to set aside something every week. That is of course, that's why we take up an offering.

So I mean on the first day of the week. This is the command or at least the precedent that we are obeying when we take up of that offering and it should be done. Is a structured a disciplined part of your Christian life.

It's it's part of being a disciple. Right, you should know though the word disciple comes from discipline. First resolve how much you will give. That should be based as he says here on how you have been prospered.

How the Lord has prospered you. In other words, it's on a proportional basis. So the more income The more you give. It wasn't like the temple tax that all Jewish men were supposed to pay. It was a flat Flat fee for everyone.

Everyone paid the same instead. It is a percentage. So many Christians make it a tithe 10 That's what Abraham practiced with Melchizedek. That's what God told Israel to practice in the law. Even the Lord Jesus told the Pharisees to that they were right.

To strictly give 10 they just forgot mercy kindness and justice. You can argue that the proportion doesn't have to be 10 Maybe but I rather doubt that the Lord is leaving you to give less than that.

But his principle here is to give a proportion a percentage so that as you are prospered. You're giving goes up and it could go down like if you retire or become unemployed. And so even then you give in a discipline way.

It's not just for the rich to give they have excess income. Remember then the first few chapters of 1st Corinthians. He said that the these these people had the Corinthian Church. He said not many of them were rich.

They were not a wealthy church. Most of them were poor. But every one of them is told to practice the discipline of giving. Notice that in the middle of verse 2 each one of you Not many of you are rich but each one of you Needs to give.

Even the poor have to give. All of us are to be givers. We give on a we give a proportion we set our money aside. In our case, you know offering basket and then we then in the bank account so it doesn't just Disappear make giving a priority not an impulse.

Give not just when we have excess and we feel the urge when there is some extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, or I happen to we happen to pour on the appeal and Play on your emotions. No you give.

It's part of your life. Notice that in verse 2 Paul wants all the offering to be collected before he comes and In a systematic disciplined way kind of separates himself from the from the offering from the money.

He says that he does not want to take with the offering when he arrives now if he were like many today. He could think that he'd put on the hard sell. When he comes he manipulate emotions, you know, he could describe, you know arrive there.

Everyone bring you all your money to church. He arrived there and described the the pathetic condition of the the poor Suffering Christians in Jerusalem. I mean, how can you just sit there and allow them to suffer like they are?

He could be he would be weeping as he told stories of fateful Apostles who couldn't be bailed out of jail because they didn't have the money and and their families are left without support their their children are hungry.

The children of the believers are huddling in fear and shivering and cold and unable to afford even a even a crumb and and You you're spending all your money on the theater and cable TV. Oh, won't someone think of the children?

He could pour it out like that. I'm not good at that. I don't know. Maybe not. Mary doesn't think I do a good job at that. I will but as Priscilla. He's softly playing the organ in the background. You send the ushers out.

Take up the collection. Telling one heart-rending story after another. You know playing on their emotions and then he then he's say, you know. If you give ten ten may make it a hundred shekels give a hundred shekels now we'll send you as our gift back to you a copy of my newest letter to the Ephesians or.

For only a thousand shekels you can get an autographed copy of my letter to the Romans. Something like that, right? The the the gimmicks people play today to get people to give to pry money get them to give on an impulse.

No, he doesn't do anything like that. Giving for the Christian is a discipline not an impulse. The grocery stores you know, which they push book candy, but ever notice they put candy bars and and tabloid magazines and.

Just by the checkout because they want you to act on impulse. You know you're standing there. You're waiting for the cashier to be finished with a person ahead of you. Looking around and you kind of look like the looks of that Snickers bar or the headline catches your eye.

Did you know they found an alien Bible? Apparently at a crash UFO and the aliens worship Oprah. You know that it says so in the world the weekly world news. Don't you want to buy that to read about? Really reliable story.

I'm sure they want you to handle your money on impulse. You know buy that Snickers bar or that tabloid that you don't really need. Some people manipulate others to give even to give to ministries. Using the same tactics appeal to impulse.

But here Paul says giving should be a discipline. That's why we don't hear we don't hype up our giving. We don't have a you know, special procession of the ushers, which would be like two of you. It's gonna look funny but and make out a show out of a long lengthy prayer about giving and maybe what the music plays and we then we put the big Offering on top of the table as though it's a ram big sacrifice or something like that.

No, that's we don't hype it up like that. You're not to act on impulse, but that doesn't mean that it's not an act of worship. Yeah, it is. It's one of the disciplines of your Christian life. It is one of those Paul here wants the offering to be completely taken up after after weeks of being set aside.

Before he gets there and then he wants to take a few of them. Representatives of by the church they're recognized as reliable by them certainly givers themselves because they're giving a lot of time and Exertion to travel to Jerusalem on that day.

It's particularly it's not getting on a plane and being there in a couple hours. It's traveling by foot. Maybe but ship to deliver the offering. Accredited by letter from them and go with them to take the offering to Jerusalem and then hand it over personally.

Get to see these people you're giving to to be someone worth knowing. You need to be a giver. Who do you think it's it's worth knowing. Here those who serve are worth knowing. Paul wants them what Paul wants to help them serve.

So he'll offer himself as someone that they can serve. As odd as it may sound sometimes we help others. By giving them an opportunity to serve. Even if it's serving us Paul is once again trying to teach them with an object lesson.

They thought they were kings, you know, they thought they were royalty. Perhaps if they have to host him for a while. Help him on his journey feed him breakfast clean up after him. Give him clean towels that kind of stuff.

Perhaps if they have to do that for a while for him, they'll learn to have a servant's heart. By actually serving him and so we serve you sometimes by giving you opportunities to serve. You just struggle with pride.

Do you inwardly feel, you know your royalty you you should be a king or a queen ruling over this earth? Well, then come that's a struggle of yours and come on here on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday evening and pick up pieces of crumbs of cookies dropped on the floor.

Or ride in the bus or the van and keep the kids in order. Maybe pick up the trash after they leave. You'll do us a favor and it will be good for your soul, too. Paul tells the Corinthians to help Timothy to do yourself some good.

By serving him now. He is in verse 10 doing the work of the Lord and the Corinthians can participate in that they can be doing the work of The Lord too by putting Timothy at ease by not despising him by being a good host to him.

Serving him by helping him on his way. What you do to help someone else serve the Lord is itself serving the Lord. It wasn't as though the Corinthian church was completely lacking such people they had some of them.

Beginning in verse 15. He mentioned several people from Corinth who who helped and served and so were people worth knowing. He's holding them up. Corinthians you want to know who are the people worth respecting here?

They are writing your miss Stephanus take him for example. Stephanus and his household devoted themselves to the service of the Lord because of that the fact that they were dedicated service. They weren't thinking they're Kings now.

They're gonna serve that they deserve to have others wait on them. Hand and foot. Paul said to verse 16 be subject to such as these. To those who serve then in the next verse he points out two more men besides Stephanus.

Stephanus means crown. First. Then there's Fortinatus his name is lucky serve lucky. And Achaicus his name just means he's from Achaia. They to serve Paul and infest him because of that they deserve special recognition to be people that we should know.

In other words. Look for people with that characteristic people who serve maybe not the kind who are flashy and bubbling over with personality and charm. Not the stunning good looks or the confident swagger like John Wayne, but the kind that serves.

Let those be the characteristics that catch your attention and your admiration today. And while we're eating and drinking and chatting. Notice those who help. Those who get stuff, you know make it possible.

So you have the forks and the napkins and stuff who provide the food and the drinks? Who get things put in place and then after it so we can have the kids later this afternoon notice notice them. It's right it says right here in verse 16 be subject to such as these.

Be subject. To those who serve. Give recognition to such men in verse 18. Now, you don't have to feel guilty for eating and chatting. But appreciate those who serve so the rest of us can eat and chat.

Let me tell you There are people worth knowing. I Remember realizing when someone who was serving Was worth knowing. There's my second year of seminary in California was st. Patrick's Day in 1989 an Irish student there who I knew was having a st. Patrick's Day party.

I guess that's what Irish people do and so I went. The food was not particularly good. I remember talking with this one young lady at this party and she was talking about her experiences. She said with God she seemed genuine and enthusiastic enough.

But she just talked on and on and it became clear that she was very interested in.

Herself and.

As she talked on and on I also began to realize that that was not an interest that we had in common. And so I noticed one of the other young ladies who's at the party. This one was serving. She wasn't talking on and on about herself.

She's just quietly going around doing the things to keep the refreshments stocked up help keeping it orderly and so on and so as she kind of passed by Here and met introduced her to the this talkative lady was talking on and on about herself.

I was trying to teach her an object lesson the talkative girl. That the people worth recognizing aren't the ones who are so impressed with themselves. I Don't know if the talkative girl got the message.

Sometimes people miss object lessons. I don't even remember her name. But I do remember the girl going around serving. I was so impressed with her almost 29 years ago I married her. So, who do you know?

Paul wanted the Corinthians and he wants us to recognize even submit to those who serve. He wants them and he wants us to become people like that. So he's going. He's going to go there. It's going to Corinth and give them an opportunity to serve him.

But first he wants to stay in Ephesus because he says a wide door for effective work has opened to him. We know something about this from Acts chapter 19 where we'll be next week as we get back to acts next week.

Ephesus. From Ephesus he was able to get the gospel out to the whole region. Ephesus was a big city important region and he went right there. Ephesus were kind of crossroads. And so there were a lot of people going through.

It's what where we now call Asia Minor or Western Turkey or what they call Asia then and this the door he says was wide-open. So many people heard and many of them were converted and eventually so many of them were converted that it affected the idol-making industry.

Business for the idol makers was beginning to dry up because so many people were being Become coming converted burn in. The new Christians weren't buying any idols. And so the leading I'll make your Demetrius a silversmith and we'll hear more about next week.

Stirred up a riot against Paul and the Christians. I'm basically threatening them violently. So that Was the wide door that Paul stepped through? Right into trouble. Notice at the end of verse 9 there are many adversaries, you know like Demetrius.

But think how strange that ninth verse is to us. Why door is open for effective ministry? Paul says he wants to stay there because there is what that wide door for effective work and He didn't say but wide door for effective work, but you know, this is downside no and There are many adversaries like Demetrius we often think about of a door being open.

When there are no adversaries. Everything's going great. We often think of being opposed as a sign that we're doing something wrong. If only we were more charming, you know more more more skilled and winning friends and influencing people then we wouldn't be opposed.

Demetrius would be won over. Everybody would be won over everyone would love us. Success we think is a lack of opposition. Ah, but the Bible teaches the opposite the Lord Jesus said beware. When all men speak well of you here that there are many adversaries is but a sign that he was doing effective work.

Yeah, that's the sign that it's effective. There's adversaries. There's people like Demetrius if you're doing nothing, you're not going to be opposed by this world. If you're ineffective, no one's going to care about you.

The religious and the economic establishment is not going to be bothered. If you're not doing the work of the Lord. In our first year as a new church had a very strange conversation with a local pastor.

Pastor of another church around here told me first that his church was doing absolutely nothing. To reach out and second that if we reach out in his territory that he was he will oppose us. I Let's understand there is a religious establishment here which doesn't really like much of what we stand for.

You know our message that salvation is by the sheer grace of God. Undercuts their pride in our own morality our preaching that those who are truly saved then are their lives are changed. They're they're converted.

They're made alive in the spirit. They're new creatures and that shows in the fruit they bear like we had in the church covenant that undercuts the easy Believism that's so common today that you could just say you believe some doctrines and then live any way you want.

And that's supposed to be not it means to be a Christian. Our insistence that the church should be run according to God's Word. Exposes their old-time religion is just another religious tradition. Our conviction that as we heard about earlier that The church must be interracial lays bare the shame that often want to hide now.

They're all too frequent racism. Our challenge that all members be active. Challenges their assumptions that the church is just basically a weekly show you know a few people are doing the acting and everyone else is it's just Spectators is for the religious entertainment or maybe there's a respectable religious establishment cultural establishment around us this follows the world and Believing that if we say what the Bible says about some sins like homosexuality.

Then that shows we're hateful and we're bigots that kind of thing. There's that establishment to there there is a religious establishment that will oppose us the more effective our work. The more we will be opposed so don't be flabbergasted by it.

Rejoice for that's what the religious staff establishment always does. Now unlike that pastor Paul was not at all afraid of the ministry of others. You notice that here. He's not in competition with other Christians for the for the religious marketplace.

You know for his piece of the pie and neither should we be? That's why I went about two years ago Union Church opened their location in Yanceyville, you know, we prayed for them openly here. I've offered them the use of our gym for their youth if they want to use it here in verse 12 Paul tells them that that he wants Apollos to come to them.

Think about that. Is that strike you as odd? Because it can now think about that in the light of the first few Chapters of this book remember the two major factions in the church in Corinth were those who said I'm a Paul.

And the others were saying I'm of Apollos. Now a Paul were only concerned about his own name. About a rivalry, you know his unquestioned prominence that he be the big shot there in Corinth that everyone be about him.

About his career his own faction by getting some of that offering money from the Corinthians. If that's what is that's what his concern was. He would he would puff up himself. I'm coming. Don't worry about anybody else.

I'm all you need and he would keep Apollos out of there. He even try to talk down Apollos policy. You don't need to come and you would tell them a Corinthians about it, but you know, you hear, you know policy kind of.

You know, he's kind of new. He's kind of he's kind of he doesn't really know a lot. He's kind of he kind of fluff actually ever tell you how Priscilla and Aquila I mean they had a tutor him on the basics and he could talk well, but he didn't really know much.

That's what he would be doing. If it was all about himself. But Paul is only concerned for serving the Corinthians if Apollos will help them serve the Lord then he urged him. He urged Apollos to go visit them.

He's not looking for territory or followers. He's looking for disciples and he doesn't care if they're made through him or through Apollos. Just as long as they're made. Disciples are besides giving and serving.

Disciples are in this, you know, so it's for staccato commands in verse 13 for quick commands and succession. They are watchful as they watch themselves. Though they're not led astray spending their lives.

Chasing money or luxury or pleasure. They're watching themselves. They are they stand firm in the faith. He says that is that they're disciplined not to be lured away. Undermined by whatever subtle arguments that justify whatever it is.

People want to justify that they want to do they act like adults. Because they're mature I'll just let astray by their feelings and their whatever hurt feelings and they go away pouting. No, they're not like that.

They're not just doing whatever they feel like doing. They are he says.

Strong.

And he tells them if Apollos will help make you like that. Watchful firm mature and strong then listen to him. And this is when we know that our service is really of The Lord. It's not just a church organization or career or our own sense of religious accomplishment.

People who just want to grow a church. Just grow a name for themselves a career. Well those kind don't necessarily deserve our recognition. But those who serve to grow God's kingdom.

Do.

Loving the Lord, Cursing Sin, and Coming to Christ

People you should know are giving and serving and he says.

Loving.

Love.

Love is not just one thing you do, you know along with the list of other things you check that box. The Christians are supposed to do we're supposed to write we're supposed to to give and to serve and to love, right?

Okay, I know that already might think well. No, not so fast the Corinthians didn't know what love was. It's one Paul had described it for them in chapter 13. There was it just another gift alongside the many gifts as though you know.

Some have the gift of tongues and some of the gift of prophecy and some of the gift of helping and some have the gift Of love. That's just that's their thing. No, love was the more excellent way the more excellent way you do every gift.

It was the way every gift is supposed to be used. If you don't have it then whatever your gift is no matter how impressive. It looks to people and it's nothing. Love is he says at verse 14 the very atmosphere in which we are to live.

It is possible to give strictly like the Pharisees. Making sure that you tie from every herb you you grow in your garden. So scrupulous that every cent of income is measured so you don't forget. To give your 10 of it, you know, did you make sure you gave 10 of your Halloween candy your trick-or-treat candy 10

You know.

Count out 10 Snickers bars and we get one. Is that did you make sure? Of course when people think that way so strict and they're counting and they're just thinking of keeping the rules They often worse are sure they want to.

They were they want to be.

Scrupulous about not accidentally. Giving too much. That's often what's behind it. And we'll make sure they give the right amount but not one penny too much. The person without love will work hard not to give too much.

We have the same today. We there are people who will give their tithe, but they do it because they've been taught. Well, that's their obligation. It's what they owe. It's their duty. And one way to tell us someone who has been giving without love is to teach them.

Rightly, I think that the tithe which is an Old Testament tax that you're now free. Not to tithe you're not bound by that law anymore. And if all along they've been giving without love they will immediately drop their giving.