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Buying and Selling

A Biblical Study of Buying and Selling As it Relates to Appropriate Use of A Church Building

The issue divides nicely into three segments for me. First, what is or is not appropriate on the Lord's Day (ie. Sunday). Second, what is or is not appropriate in our building, dedicated, as it is, to the worship of God, the evangelism of the lost and the building up of Christians. Third, how are funds to be raised for the Lord's work? I will treat them individually.

I. The Lord's Day

A. If the question is asked, "Does the Bible prohibit the buying or selling of merchandise on the Lord's Day (Sunday)?", the answer must clearly be 'no.'

Jews were not allowed to do such on the Sabbath (Saturday). In fact they were allowed no work (Exodus 35:2ff.), prohibited from working their animals (Exodus 20), or caring a load (Numbers 15:32ff., Jeremiah 17:21ff.), and even from lighting a fire (Exodus 35:2ff.). If we equate the Lord's Day with the Sabbath, then we must deal with these prohibitions as well as the penalty for breaking the Sabbath, namely death (Exodus 35).

B. No, Christians are not obligated to keep the Sabbath with its legal restrictions.

Exodus 31:16 says the Sabbath was an institution for "the Israelites...to observe" forever (cf. Leviticus 16:31). Paul acknowledges this difference between some Jewish Christians and other, perhaps Gentile, Christians when he says, "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind...Therefore let us stop passing judgement on one another...So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God" (Romans 14:5, 13, 22). Further, "Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink or with regard to...a Sabbath day" (Colossians 2:16). The New Testament rule on this issue is freedom (Galatians 5:1).

C. Clearly, for the New Testament Church, there was a transition from the Sabbath to the Lord's Day.

The following happened on Sundays:

  1. Triumphal Entry - Matthew 21
  2. Resurrection - Matthew 28
  3. 1st appearance of the Risen Christ - John 20:19
  4. 2nd appearance of the Risen Christ - John 20:26
  5. Pentecost - Acts 2:1
  6. John's vision of the Revelation - Revelation 1:10

D. History, along with a couple of other biblical references, gives us a picture of a typical Lord's Day (Sunday).

If you were a Jewish Christian, you may have attended the synagogue on Friday evening or Saturday. Jews and Gentiles alike considered Sunday a work day and, no doubt, the vast majority of early Christians worked on Sunday. However, Acts 20:7 tells us that sometime during the day (probably early in the day to commemorate the resurrection or in the evening as the disciples had been together that first evening after the resurrection [John 20]), the believers in various localities would meet together and "break bread." No doubt there were words of exhortation and prayers as well. This practice continued and included the gathering of an offering for the needy (I Corinthians 16:2). So a practice of gathering on the first day was soon a regular discipline for believers.

E. The Jewish restrictions upon the Sabbath were not, however, carried over to the Lord's Day.

The 1st day was a day of resurrection and freedom, not restriction. Like the Sabbath, so the first day "was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27). There is no record of early church placing restrictions on the Lord's Day. These were added by the established Catholic Church in the later centuries.

F. So the answer to the question, "Does the Bible prohibit the buying and selling of merchandise on the Lord's Day (Sunday)?" is a clear 'no.'

This, however, does not do full justice to the issue. We must also consider the following

  1. The blessing of the 7th day, predates the law and could be therefore said to apply at least in principle to all Adam's descendants, not just Israel (Genesis 2:2,3)
  2. It should be noted, however, that the reason God stopped working was not because it was the Sabbath, but rather because "God had finished the work" (verse 2), and nowhere in these first chapters of Genesis does it tell man to honor the Sabbath. Still the seminal idea of one day of rest in seven is present.
  3. The inclusion of keeping the Sabbath day holy as one of the Ten Commandments is more problematic, since few would debate the absolute applicability of the remaining nine to Christians as well as Jews. It would seem a grave inconsistency to simply disregard the fourth commandment. I draw from this, together with the Genesis 2 text that while the fourth commandment has been reinterpreted in the New Testament, it still contains a principle of setting one day aside as holy to the Lord. The auspices we have to hold the first day instead of the seventh day as holy are the teachings of Jesus (Mark 2:27ff.) and of Paul (Romans 14; Colossians 2) and the practice of the New Testament Church (Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:2)
  4. While the teaching of the New Testament is clear that legalism and ceremonial restrictions have no place in the church (Galatians 2:4,5; 5:1; I Peter 2:16), Paul does not condemn or criticize men who chose to consider "one day more sacred than another." But neither should these condemn those who "consider every day alike" (Romans 14:5). Paul says it is an individual matter "each one should be fully convinced in his own mind...whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God...everything that does not come from faith is sin"(Romans 14:5, 22, 23).

G. I draw from this that while a principle seems clear (one day of rest, holy to the Lord), it was not in the early church, and should not now be, given status of law and is a private matter between individual believers and God.

No early church seems to have passed regulations restricting its members as to Sunday activity. Still, Sunday evolved into the universal day of worship for virtually all Christians and with the Christianizing of the Roman Empire under Constantine in the fourth century, Sunday moved from being just the day of worship to also becoming day of rest as secular business was forced by governmental action to shut down for this one day in seven. So also evolved the idea of Sunday being the new "Sabbath" and with it, restrictions increased. But from the beginning it clearly was not so

H. Does this mean God frowns on regulations intended to keep the day holy?

No, I believe not, if they are personally (vs. corporated) applied (Romans 14:5) and if they can be held without threatening our liberty in Christ (Galatians 5:1).

II. The Lord's House

A. The primary text of concern is Mark 11:15-17 (cf. Matthew 21:12-16; Luke 19:45-47; John 2:13-16). Several points should be noted

  1. The temple involved in this incident (or incidents if John 2 is a separate encounter) is "Herod's Temple" (the same Herod who was an infidel to the Jewish faith, slew scores of Israel's wise men and religious leaders, exterminated his enemies, was paranoid of his close friends and family, always on guard of any who might usurp his position, hence the slaughter of the Bethlehem babies). Nevertheless, Jesus refers to this place as "My Father's house" (John 2:16) and "a house of prayer for all nations" (Mark 11:17; cf. Isaiah 56:7).
  2. The business in question was business necessary to the functioning of the temple activities (sacrifices) and so Jesus' objection would not have been with this business per se. Therefore his objection must have been the location of the merchandising, the "manner of the merchandising," or both.
  3. The location of the merchandising is clearly not in the "inner sanctum" (either the Holy of Holies or The Holy Place). According to the synoptic gospels it is where Jesus entered "the temple area" and John specifies it as "the temple courts". The Herodian temple had courts for Jewish men, women, and a third, much larger court, for Gentile worshippers. It is most likely that the merchandising occurred in this court of the Gentiles. This was, nevertheless, the designated area of worship for many people, and is consistent with Jesus' Old Testament quotes of Isaiah 6:7, "for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations."
  4. The manner of merchandising clearly involved cheating (cf. reference to 'robbers') and Jesus makes a blanket accusation of the whole lot of them. While there likely was a spread of severity in this robbery and there may have been some who would argue far less guilt for themselves than for others, they were all caught up in a monopolized system of financial pillaging of the worshippers which angered Jesus greatly.

B. What strikes me from the passages in question is this. Jesus saw merchandising, which always is vulnerable to man's greed, and even such as is directly related to temple ministry as inconsistent with the nature of "a house of prayer," and therefore inappropriate activity.

C. While our church is not a temple, it is a house of prayer and worship.

Therefore, I believe that Jesus would still see such a place as inappropriate for buying and selling. Worship buildings have, however, changed. From meeting in the temple and then in homes and eventually constructing buildings, the churches' facilities have undergone tremendous changes over nearly 2000 years. Initially only one room was of concern - the sanctuary, where worship took place. Later years brought the steady development of the churches' educational ministries. Gymnasiums followed and then the phenomenon of multi-purpose buildings/rooms where churchgoers worship on Sunday, their children do crafts in on Wednesday, and men play basketball in on Friday. Clearly, we do not have an equivalent situation to compare ourselves with in the temple, the synagogue, the home church, or even early church buildings

D. Therefore, one could reason that "house of prayer," the area which Jesus saw as off limits to buying and selling, pertains to:

  1. All facilities owned and operated by a given church, including parsonages, Youth Centers, garages, etc.; or
  2. All facilities attached to and including the area designated for worship, as these areas by being adjacent to the worship area may influence the atmosphere of worship; or
  3. All the areas designated for and devoted to worship.
  4. I believe (3) most closely parallels the temple situation which Jesus encountered. All the temple area, including the court of the Gentiles was dedicated to worship. Our educational, kitchen, storage, dining, lavatory, and other areas, though in close proximity to our worship area, are not devoted to worship and if compared with the New Testament Temple situation, would extend beyond "the temple area."
  5. I also believe that (3) best reflects the liberty consistent with Paul's teaching (cf. Galatians 5:1) and the view which best reflects the history of the church

III. New Testament Precedents and Principles of "Fund Raising"

A. Precedents

  1. Tithing. There is no mention of New Testament Christians tithing although it can be assumed that practicing Jews tithed of their income to the temple ministries.
  2. Free Will Offerings. In Judaism, the free will offering was above and beyond the required tithe. Paul elevates this offering to the place of primacy in the raising of funds for the Lord's work. "On the first day of the week, everyone of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income..." I Corinthians 16:2 This was to avoid last minute "collections" when Paul arrived. II Corinthians 9:6 "Whoever sows generously will also reap generously...each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
  3. Paul does not hesitate to share the needs with the Lord's people and to ask, even expect their support for the Lord's work (Romans 15:24; II Corinthians 9:1ff). There is no precedent, however, for these being anything other than free will contributions and offerings.

B. Principles of Giving to and Doing the Lord's Work

  1. Giving.
    1. While there is no precedent of New Testament tithing, nevertheless it is reasonable to assume that in the case of free will offerings to the Lord's work, the tithe was mentioned, if not encouraged, as a good "rule of thumb." The tithe is mentioned before the Mosaic Law (Genesis 14) and therefore it could be argued, albeit weakly, that it was intended for all Adam's descendents, not just Jacob's. The tithe has been taught in many local bodies throughout the history of the church.
    2. Generosity (II Corinthians 9:6ff.)
    3. Rewards of generosity including provision (II Corinthians 9:6ff; cf. Philippians 4:17)
    4. Personal choice/Free will (II Corinthians 9:6ff;)
    5. Cheerfulness in giving (II Corinthians 9:6ff.)
  2. Doing the Ministry
    1. By faith. The Lord's work is a work of faith and must be supported and carried out by faith (Romans 14:23; Hebrews 11:6). The Lord provides for what is His will (Philippians 4:19) and it might be extrapolated from this that He does not provide for ventures outside of His will.
    2. We need not look far for evidence of skilled marketing providing for apparent needs which even the "markerers" themselves say would not have been raised were it not for their marketing. This raises the critical question of whether or not the particular need was in the Lord's will or merely in a man's will. How easily we can be mistaken!
    3. With knowledge. As was stated earlier, there is clear New Testament precedent, and beneath that a principle, of spiritual leaders informing God's people of the needs of God's work and letting them respond freely, "as each man has decided in his heart to give." (Romans 15:24; II Corinthians 9:1ff.) Spiritual leaders do not need to shrink back from presenting the needs as they see them. God will confirm the need as within His will for this time, by moving in the hearts of God's people to give freely and generously. So the provisions for the Tabernacle were raised as people were informed and the Spirit of God moved them to give. In fact, Moses had to restrain the people from giving more because all that was needed was received. What modern day marketer would tell the people "Enough!"? However, a man of faith did. That is a piece of financial integrity rarely seen today.

IV. A Conclusion

A. As you may well be aware, I began this study without strong feelings or convictions.

I simply considered it an issue of minor importance when compared with saving souls, sending out missionaries, and so forth. Nevertheless, with the flurry of fund-raisers this winter and spring, even I was not comfortable and when others raised objections, I assured them I would do a thorough search of the Scriptures on the issue and present the fruits of that study to the Ministry Board for their prayerful consideration and action.

B. Perhaps I should let you (ie. The Ministry Board) reach your own conclusions before I inform you of mine.

I often wrestle with my role as both a leader and brother among you. Nevertheless, my conclusions follow:

  1. First, perhaps it is obvious, however, I believe it best that there ought to be no buying and/or selling anywhere on our premises which is not directly related to the Lord's work. Possible exceptions could be considered by the elders
  2. I believe that our designated area of worship, ie. the sanctuary, should be off limits to any buying/selling regardless of the ministry nature of the business. It is not appropriate for our "house of prayer."
  3. In other areas of the facility, I believe we have liberty. For the congregation to allow and/or limit buying and selling to certain areas outside of the worship area is within the basic liberty of Christ and His body; however, it would seem contrary to Scripture to place restraints on the congregation as pertains to our Lord's Day (Sunday).
  4. I am uncomfortable with the trend toward increased designation of gifts instead of giving toward our general budget. The risks are clear:
    1. A deficit in the general fund due to special projects siphoning off monies.
    2. Direction being set by individual designations rather than prayerful consideration by boards and/or the congregation.
    3. A mind set of giving to a project instead of "to the Lord."
    4. Also, in our economically competitive society, I am concerned about secular businesses finding marketplaces for their goods within our official church organization and ministry.
  5. I am concerned that marketing skills, personalities, enthusiasm, or anything else can replace faith and prayer. I am further concerned for believers, myself included, who will not give to certain needs unless we get something in return (a book, pizza, or a shirt). But I am even more greatly concerned that we (some group or individual among us) may, by slick marketing, raise the funds we/they want to do something which God does not want. We must not, however, become legalistic, applying the force of principle to specific applications of the principle.

C. It is, therefore, my conclusion:

  1. That we encourage free will offerings as the preferred means for raising funds for all financial needs, budgeted and unbudgeted;
  2. That buying and/or selling of merchandise be discouraged as a means of raising funds;
  3. That any individual or organization within the church body who desires additional funds, beyond a budgeted allotment, present the need before an appropriate board (Ministry, Trustee, Missions, C.E., or General) for approval and guidance in appropriate means of seeking funds;
  4. That any exception to the stated guidelines receive unanimous consensus from the General Council.
  5. This would not apply to other "buying and selling" which does not have a goal of raising money (ie. selling tickets for an FCA Twins game, musicians offering their tapes/records for sale after a concert, Christian literature for a personal or group study; tickets for an adult social). See conclusions 1 and 2 for these.
  6. I continue to be open to reasoning and sound biblical evidence; however, my study has moved me from "casual" to "convicted" on each of these conclusions. I beg your input and your appropriate action.

© Copyright 2003, Donald Reigstad