GIVING ｜ 奉献

ENGIVING (Offering) to the Lord's Work and His Poor: Principles, Motives, and Measure. Principles of acceptable offering—Made to God, supremely for His sake: Ex. 25:1; 35:4. Take for Me an offering; bring the Lord's offering. Willingly and cheerfully: Ezra 3:5. Willingly offered a free-will offering unto the Lord. 2 Cor. 9:7. God loveth a cheerful giver. Liberally: Isa. 32:8. The liberal deviseth liberal things. 2 Cor. 9:6. He that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. With simplicity (without fear, favor, or ostentation): Rom. 12:8. At some cost or sacrifice: 2 Sam. 24:24. Neither will I offer unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing. Heb. 13:16. With such sacrifices God is well pleased. One element of true consecration: 1 Chron. 29:5. Who then offereth willingly, to consecrate himself this day unto the Lord? An appointed part of worship: Deut. 16:16, 17. They shall not appear before Me empty; every man shall give as he is able. Acts 10:4. Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for a memorial before God. The soul-ransom offering: Ex. 30:12-15. Votive offerings under the Law.

BSB2 Corinthians 9:7 Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.

中奉献（献祭）——为主的圣工与主的穷人：论其原则、动机与分量。蒙悦纳奉献的原则——献给神，至高是为他的缘故：出埃及记 25:1；35:4 —— 当为我送礼物来；把耶和华的礼物拿来。甘心乐意：以斯拉记 3:5 —— 甘心献给耶和华的甘心祭。哥林多后书 9:7 —— 捐得乐意的人是神所喜爱的。慷慨：以赛亚书 32:8 —— 高明人（英译：慷慨人）却谋高明事。哥林多后书 9:6 —— 多种的多收。诚实无伪（不惧人、不徇情、不炫耀）：罗马书 12:8。付上代价：撒母耳记下 24:24 —— 我不肯用白得之物作燔祭献给耶和华我的神。希伯来书 13:16 —— 这样的祭是神所喜悦的。真奉献的一个元素：历代志上 29:5 —— 今日有谁乐意将自己献给耶和华呢？敬拜中指定的一环：申命记 16:16-17 —— 不可空手朝见耶和华；各人要按自己的力量……奉献礼物。使徒行传 10:4 —— 你的祷告和你的赒济达到神面前，已蒙记念了。赎命的礼物：出埃及记 30:12-15（人口普查时的赎价银）。律法之下的许愿祭。

ENMotives actuating the true giver—A sense of obligation, from a knowledge of God's sole ownership and of his own trusteeship or stewardship: 1 Chron. 29:14. All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. See the Parables. The natural response of a grateful heart to the grace and goodness of God—Paul finely appeals to this high motive: 2 Cor. 8:9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might become rich. And he recurs to this appeal at the close of the ninth chapter (both 2 Cor. 8 and 9 being filled with this subject), in the exclamation, "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift." Rom. 8:32. 1 Tim. 6:17-19. (Since) God giveth us richly all things to enjoy . . . be ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store a good foundation. God's definite demand, together with His assurance of ample returns: Prov. 3:9, 10. Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: so shall thy barns be filled with plenty. Mal. 3:10. Bring ye the whole tithe into the storehouse, . . . and prove Me now herewith, . . . if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing. Matt. 5:42. Prov. 11:24, 25. There is that scattereth, and increaseth yet more. The liberal soul shall be made fat. Prov. 19:17. He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord, and his good deed will He pay him again. Prov. 28:27. He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack. Ps. 126:5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. Eccles. 11:6. In the morning sow thy seed. Isa. 32:20. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters. Ps. 41:1-3. Acts 20:35. It is more blessed to give than to receive. 1 Chron. 29:9. The people rejoiced, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord. Ps. 37:26.

BSBMalachi 3:10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.

中推动真奉献者的动机——本分感：源于确知神是唯一的所有者，自己不过是受托人、管家：历代志上 29:14 —— 因为万物都从你而来，我们把从你而得的献给你。参诸比喻（按才干受责任、不义的管家）。感恩之心对神恩典良善的自然回应——保罗优美地诉诸这一高尚动机：哥林多后书 8:9 —— 你们知道我们主耶稣基督的恩典：他本来富足，却为你们成了贫穷，叫你们因他的贫穷，可以成为富足。到第九章末尾，他又回到这个诉求（哥林多后书 8、9 两章通篇都在讲这题目），发出那声惊叹：『感谢神，因他有说不尽的恩赐！』罗马书 8:32。提摩太前书 6:17-19 ——（既然）神厚赐百物给我们享受……甘心施舍，乐意供给人（原文作体贴人），为自己积成美好的根基。神明确的索取，连同他丰厚回报的保证：箴言 3:9-10 —— 你要以财物和一切初熟的土产尊荣耶和华，这样，你的仓房必充满有余。玛拉基书 3:10 —— 你们要将当纳的十分之一全然送入仓库……以此试试我，是否为你们敞开天上的窗户，倾福与你们。马太福音 5:42。箴言 11:24-25 —— 有施散的，却更增添。好施舍的，必得丰裕。19:17 —— 怜悯贫穷的，就是借给耶和华，他的善行，耶和华必偿还。28:27 —— 赒济贫穷的，不致缺乏。诗篇 126:5 —— 流泪撒种的，必欢呼收割。传道书 11:6 —— 早晨要撒你的种。以赛亚书 32:20 —— 你们在各水边撒种……的有福啊。诗篇 41:1-3。使徒行传 20:35 —— 施比受更为有福。历代志上 29:9 —— 因这些人诚心乐意献给耶和华，百姓就欢喜。诗篇 37:26。

ENMeasure or proportion of giving: Deut. 16:10. Thou shalt give according as the Lord thy God blesseth thee. Deut. 14:28, 29. Prov. 3:9. The first-fruits of all thine increase. 2 Cor. 8:11, 12. It is acceptable according as a man hath, not according as he hath not. The special rule for systematic, proportionate giving: 1 Cor. 16:2. Upon the first day of the week let each one of you lay by him in store, as he may prosper. Using, or giving, the condition of having—a law of increase for bodily, mental, and spiritual powers: Matt. 25:29. (Unto every one that hath shall be given.) Illustrations: Neh. 8:10. Send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared. Mark 12:44. She of her want did cast in all that she had. Acts 9:36-39. Dorcas.

BSB1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of every week, each of you should set aside a portion of his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will be needed.

中奉献的分量或比例：申命记 16:10 —— 照耶和华你神所赐你的福，献……祭。14:28-29（三年一次的十分之一）。箴言 3:9 —— 一切初熟的土产。哥林多后书 8:11-12 —— 乃是照他所有的，并不是照他所无的，必蒙悦纳。有计划、按比例奉献的专则：哥林多前书 16:2 —— 每逢七日的第一日，各人要照自己的进项抽出来留着。『用』或『给』是『有』的条件——身体、心智、属灵能力共同的增长律：马太福音 25:29 ——（凡有的，还要加给他。）例证：尼希米记 8:10 —— 把甘美的分些给那预备不来的人（英译：分给一无所备的人）。马可福音 12:44 —— 这寡妇是自己不足，把她一切养生的都投上了。使徒行传 9:36-39 —— 多加（广行善事，多施赒济）。

EN["Give as the Lord hath prospered you"—but not the converse, "Lord, I will give if Thou wilt prosper me." The Lord does not work on a commission. There is nothing in giving that is pleasing to Him but the motive that is in it, the spirit which prompts it. That motive must be love, and that spirit self-sacrifice. If one toil to the degree of pain, if one put aside self-indulgence, in order to make testimonials in gifts of love to God and to man, that one is piling riches away in a treasury where neither moth nor rust corrupt, nor do thieves break through and steal—that is, providing that is not the motive. This is not a hard condition; it cannot be otherwise. It is simply the requisite of a good heart, without which it is impossible that one should have heaven, here or hereafter. The Interior.]

BSBMatthew 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

中〔『当照主使你亨通的程度奉献』——却不可倒过来说：『主啊，你若使我亨通，我就奉献。』主并不做抽成的生意。奉献里能讨他喜悦的，唯有其中的动机、催生它的心志，别无他物。那动机必须是爱，那心志必须是舍己。人若劳苦到疼痛的地步，若搁下自我享受，为要以爱的礼物向神向人作证——这人就是在往一个仓库里堆积财宝，那里没有虫子咬，不能锈坏，也没有贼挖窟窿来偷。只是有一条：这本身不可成为动机。这条件并不苛刻；事情本不可能是别样。它不过是善心的必备之项——没有这善心，无论今生来世，人都不可能有天堂。《The Interior》（内地报）〕

EN[Every gift of Providence to us is an opportunity, and therefore a responsibility; and the blessing does not come with the gift until we recognize the responsibility and use the opportunity. . . . False charity pampers self and pauperizes others. True charity educates self by helping others. The so-called Christian who never gives is a false Christian. The Christian who gives carelessly, blindly, indiscriminately, however generously, is a very imperfect Christian. The Christian who gives thoughtfully, seriously, fraternally, bending his best powers to the accomplishment of a real benefaction of his fellow-men, is in the true and only way of following Jesus. H. Van Dyke. — That is the highest kind of kindliness which is spontaneous and self-motived. It is well to be easily moved to beneficence, either by the sight of need or by the appeals of others; but it is best to kindle our own fire, and be our own impulse to kindly thoughts and acts. We may humbly say that human mercy then shows likest God's when, in such imitation as is possible, it springs in us, as His does in Him, from the depths of our own being. He loves and is kind because He is God. He is His own motive and law. So, in our measure, should we aim at being. A. Maclaren.]

中〔天意所赐我们的每一份礼物都是一个机会，因而也是一份责任；在我们认清这责任、用上这机会之前，福分并不随礼物同来。……虚假的慈善娇惯自己，又把别人养成乞丐；真实的慈善借着帮助别人来造就自己。从不施予的所谓基督徒，是假基督徒。施予时漫不经心、盲目滥施的基督徒——无论多么大方——是很不完全的基督徒。施予时用心思量、郑重其事、情同手足，倾其所能去成全对同胞一件实实在在的善举的基督徒，才走在跟随耶稣那唯一的真道上。范戴克（H. Van Dyke）——最高一等的仁慈，是自发的、以自身为动力的仁慈。因目睹困乏或因他人呼吁而易受感动去行善，固然是好；但最好的是自己点起自己的火，自己作自己仁心善行的原动力。我们可以谦卑地说：唯当人的怜悯——在力所能及的效法里——像神的怜悯从神自己深处涌出那样，从我们自己存有的深处涌出时，它才最肖似神的怜悯。神爱、神施恩，只因他是神；他自己就是自己的动机与法则。我们也当在自己的分量里，以此为标的。麦克拉伦（A. Maclaren）〕