Category
64 Bible Verses about Bad Offering
When you choose to live without God, it's easy to lose that awareness of Him and start making choices that aren't aligned with His ways. Maybe you haven't truly encountered Him yet. Our hearts can be so deceitful, always looking for ways to satisfy our own twisted desires, driven by that inner restlessness.
The only way to live a righteous life is to keep God's word close to your heart and follow His will. That's how genuine goodness grows from deep within.
God isn't pleased when offerings are misused. They should be used to grow His work and spread the Gospel to everyone, fulfilling the command He gave us. Prayer is key to making sure your offerings are used the right way and that you're following God's leading.
And [you say], whoever takes an oath ‘by the Altar,’ it does not [really] mean anything, but whoever takes an oath ‘by the gift on the Altar,’ he is obligated to [fulfill] the oath.You blind people! Which is more important, the gift or the Altar that makes the gift sacred?
Then Jesus told this parable to certain ones who were relying on their own goodness and putting everyone else down:“Two men went up to the Temple [in Jerusalem] to pray. One of them was a Pharisee and the other one was a tax collector.The Pharisee stood up [conspicuously] and prayed about himself this way [i.e., bragging to God about how good he was], ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, sexually unfaithful to their mates, or even like that tax collector [over there].I fast [i.e., going without food and/or drink for religious reasons] twice a week and I give [to God’s work] a tenth of everything I get.’But the tax collector stood at a distance [i.e., inconspicuously] and would not even look up to heaven, but struck his chest [i.e., in remorse], saying, ‘God, [please] have mercy on a sinner like me [i.e., “cover over” or forgive my sins].’I tell you, this man went back home right with God instead of the other man. For every person who exalts himself [as important] will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted [as important].”
Each person should give what he has decided to in his heart, not grudgingly, nor out of a feeling that he has to, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Therefore, if you are offering your [sacrificial] gift on the Altar and [just then] you remember that your brother has a grievance against you,[stop right there]; leave your gift at the Altar and [immediately] go to that brother and settle the matter first, before returning to offer your gift.
For all of them threw in from their abundance, but she threw in from her poverty all she had to live on.”
Then Jesus looked up [i.e., from his seated position at the entrance to the Temple], and saw people throwing their gifts [of money] into the treasury [Note: This was a large openmouthed container used for receiving offerings for meeting expenses of Temple upkeep].And He saw a certain poor widow throwing two small copper coins into it [Note: These two coins amounted to about ten minutes of a farm laborer’s pay, or about $1.50 in 2005].So, He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has thrown in more than all the rest [i.e., referring to the many rich people who were also throwing in money].For all of them threw in from their abundance, but she threw in from her poverty all she had to live on.”
‘These people [claim to] honor me with their lips [i.e., by what they say], but their heart is far from [honoring] me.They are worshiping me for nothing [because they are] teaching principles that are [merely] the requirements of men.’”
But do not forget to do good deeds and share [with others], for God is very pleased with such “sacrifices.”
“Be careful that you do not do your good deeds in front of people for the purpose of being seen by them, for [if you do] you will not have a reward from your Father in heaven.“Therefore, when you give money to help poor people, do not blow a trumpet in front of you [i.e., to call attention to it] as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets. They do this in order to win praise from people. It is true when I say to you; they have [already] received their reward.But when you give money to help poor people, do not allow your left hand to know what your right hand is doing [i.e., do it inconspicuously]so that your giving to poor people may be done secretly. Then your Father, who sees what is done secretly, will pay you back.
'It is too bad for you hypocritical experts in the Law of Moses and [you] Pharisees! For you give a tenth of your mint, dill and cumin [i.e., small garden herbs used for seasoning or fragrance], and [yet] neglect the heavier responsibilities required by the law, [such as] justice, mercy and faith. You should have done these [“lighter”] things and not neglected to do the other [“heavier”] things [as well].
Then Jesus sat down over near the [Temple] treasury and watched how the crowd was throwing money into the treasury [Note: This “treasury” was a large open-mouthed container used for receiving offerings for meeting expenses of Temple upkeep]. Many rich people were throwing in lots of money.A poor widow came and threw in two small copper coins [Note: These two coins each amounted to about ten minutes’ worth of a farm laborer’s pay, or about $1.50 in 2005]. The total she gave was equivalent to a larger coin [i.e., worth twice as much].Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has thrown in more than all the rest who are throwing [money] into the treasury.For all of them threw in from their abundance, but being very poor, she threw in everything she had, even all she had to live on.”
For that [doubting] person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord [through prayer],
And you yourselves are also like living stones, being constructed into a spiritual house. For you are like holy priests who offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
And if I donate all my possessions to feed poor people, and if I surrender my body to be burned [Note: This probably refers to becoming a martyr, but some manuscripts read, “that I may be able to boast”], but do not have love [for people], it is no benefit to me.
So, I urge you, brothers, because God is so merciful [to us], to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, [fully] dedicated and very pleasing to God. For this is a reasonable [or spiritual] way for you to worship [or serve] Him.
Do not be deceived; God will not be fooled. Whatever a person does with his life, he will reap [the results of it].If he engages in things to satisfy his own sinful desires, he will be [spiritually] destroyed for such conduct, but the one who engages in things to please the Holy Spirit will receive never ending life through the [same] Spirit [as a result].
[When] you do ask, you do not receive it, because you ask from wrong motives, [just] so you can satisfy your own pleasures.
For, loving money is a source of all kinds of evil, [and] some people who crave it have been led astray from the faith, and have stabbed themselves [in the heart] with many sorrows.
For what your body wants is in conflict with what the Holy Spirit wants [for you], and what the Holy Spirit wants conflicts with what your body wants, for these [two desires] are contrary to one another, so that you do not [always] do what you [really] want to.
Or, if our gift is encouraging others, we should devote ourselves to encouraging. Or, if our gift is sharing with others, we should do so generously. Or, if our gift is leading others, we should do so diligently. Or, if our gift is showing caring concern for others, we should do it cheerfully.
For if the eagerness is there, [then] whatever a person has [to give] is acceptable, and not what he does not have.I am not saying this to make it easy for others [to give] and difficult for you people,but that there will be equality [i.e., in everyone’s giving]. Your abundance can now supply their need, so that their abundance can [later] supply your need. [That way] there can be equality,as it is written [Ex. 16:18], “The person who gathered much [i.e., manna] did not have any left over, and the one who gathered [only] a little [still] had plenty.”
Now a certain married couple named Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of propertyand brought [only] a part of the selling price and gave it to the apostles; but the man and his wife had kept this a secret.But Peter said to Ananias, “Why has Satan filled your heart [causing you] to deceive the Holy Spirit by keeping back part of the selling price of the land [while representing it as the full price]?While you owned it, was it not yours? Then after you sold it, did you not [still] have control over [what you did with] the money? Why did you decide in your heart to do such a thing? You [really] have not lied to men, but to God [about this matter].”
“Not every person who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but [only] that person who does what my Father in heaven requires.
And [then] He said to them, “Be careful and guard yourselves against [practicing] all forms of greed, for a person’s life does not consist of having a lot of possessions.”
By [having] faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. [And] because of his faith he was commended by God for being righteous, when God expressed approval of his offerings. By means of his faith, Abel still speaks [to us], even though he is dead.
On every first day of the week [i.e., at the regular Sunday assembly] each one of you should set aside and store up [money] in proportion to your income, so that no collections will have to be taken when I come.
For all who seek to be right with God by trying to meet all the requirements of the Law of Moses are under a curse [from God], because it is written [Deut. 27:26], “Every person is cursed [i.e., cut off from God] who does not continue to obey all of the requirements written in the Law of Moses.”
Jesus replied, “If you want to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give [the money] to poor people; then become my follower and you will have treasure in heaven.”
[Solemnly] urge those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant, nor to place their hope in the uncertainty of [their] wealth, but in God, who generously supplies us with everything to enjoy.[Urge them] to do what is good, to be rich in [the practice of] good deeds, to be generous and willing to share [with others].[In that way] they will store up for themselves a treasure [of never ending rewards] for providing a solid foundation for the future, so that they can take hold of the true life [i.e., in heaven].