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10 Biblical Principles On Generosity – Topical Bible Study

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They Had Everything in Common

Acts 2:44-47 — “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

The believers were like a large and very sharing family. Going as far as selling their personal possessions, they then shared the proceeds with the group so that everyone had what they needed. We should note that there is no record of a command from the apostles for them to do this. Neither are we commanded to do this. It is descriptive rather than prescriptive. While it is true that we are not commanded to do that, we can also learn from their generosity. It is a very good thing to be hospitable, to love, and to share.

Application — Consider the needs of others around you. How can you share what you have with them? Would the people around you describe you as generous? Evaluate your spending and giving habits.

They were not rich. But they were happy and content. It is better to receive little with a grateful heart than consume an entire feast with bitterness or jealousy. The unity they had with each other in Christ brought them great joy.

Reflect — If new people come to your church, will they be attracted by the attitudes and relationships seen there? Are you known as a generous person?

— From our Bible study on Acts 2:37-47

Barnabas Sold His Field

Acts 4:36-37 — “Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

As the people were filled with the Spirit and zealous for the Gospel, God gave them unity. Peace, harmony, love, and generosity filled their hearts. They were family. One manifestation of their unity was their willingness to give of their own possessions for the common good. God had not specifically required them to share everything they had with each other. This is something that they wanted to do. They loved one another more than they loved themselves.

In today’s world where personal rights, possessions, and the pursuit of personal happiness tend to dominate, it is hard to find such examples of generosity. Some people do live selflessly for others, but it is not common.

Reflect — Can you share an example of someone who has selflessly practiced the gift of generosity?

Application — Spend some time prayerfully evaluating your attitude toward your material possessions and money. Are you giving to God? Are you giving with joy or under compulsion? Does your giving plan need to be adjusted moving forward?

— From our Bible study on Acts 4:23-37

Contagious Generosity

Exodus 35:3-7 — “And the people continued to bring freewill offerings morning after morning. So all the skilled workers who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing and said to Moses, ‘The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the Lord commanded to be done.’ Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: ‘No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.’ And so the people were restrained from bringing more, because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work.”

Passion is contagious. The generosity of the Macedonians could encourage the Corinthians. And likewise, the Corinthians’ zeal for a giving project inspired others to take part and give. Setting an example of generosity can both inspire others and show them how to be a wise steward of the resources one has been entrusted with. One example of positive influence is the freewill offerings for the tabernacle. The people were motivated to give. So much was brought that Moses finally had to command them to stop. There was a zeal, and the zeal was increased through positive examples. As the people saw their neighbors bring gifts, they too wanted to take part.

Application — If someone asked your friend what you are zealous for, what do you think they would say? Sports? Shopping? Investment? Let us ask God to give us a heart of zeal for Him. Let us live our lives in such a way that people around us know we are zealous to serve the Lord.

That it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction. Paul was not requiring or demanding this. It was not a tax. It was not forced. It was to be a willing gift like the freewill offerings of the Old Testament. These gifts from the heart are the most precious.

— From our Bible study on 2 Corinthians 9:1-7

God Is Able to Make All Grace Abound

2 Corinthians 9:8 — “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

The grace mentioned here is not referring to salvation or forgiveness of sins. In this context, grace refers to material provisions, money. A person might question, “If I give to God, will I have enough to take care of myself and my family?” And the clear answer is, “yes.” God is more than able to take care of all of your needs and your family’s needs. Every single thing in the universe belongs to Him.

2 Corinthians 9:10 — “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.”

In this passage, the seed refers to money (and materials). Firstly, it teaches us that He supplies the seed. There is no such thing as a “self-made man.” Every resource is from God. Secondly, we see our role. We are called the “sower.” Similarly, God places resources in our hands to be used. He gives us seed that He expects to be sowed! Thirdly, we see that when we perform our role to sow the seed, God brings about increase.

You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way. This is true in every way, not just in finances. When you learn from God’s Word, you should pass that knowledge on to others. When you have a testimony of God’s goodness, you should share it. If you have a home, you should use it hospitably. There are many areas in which we can be generous!

Reflect — Who is the most thankful person you know? How do their words of gratitude affect others?

2 Corinthians 9:15 — “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!”

Paul ends his discourse on giving with this statement. The best gift in history was Jesus Christ. God gave His only Son for us. That fact should be the primary motivator for us to give generously. Jesus voluntarily laid down His life. He did it joyfully and sacrificially.

Application — Share some different ways people have been generous to you. What are creative ways you can be generous to others?

— From our Bible study on 2 Corinthians 9:8-15

Giving in Secret

Matthew 6:2-4 — “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Our motivation should be to help those who need it, not to draw a spotlight on ourselves. I remember after the Sichuan earthquake seeing pictures of people in the newspaper with fans of money in their hands showing just how great they were to donate so much money to the needy. In some churches, there is a listing in the bulletin or on a PowerPoint of weekly and monthly donations and the amounts given by members. How can this practice be justified in light of this Scripture? It can’t.

Application — Here are some examples of how we can apply this passage:

• When you give at church, do so secretly if possible. If your church uses an offering plate, try to be inconspicuous.
• When possible, give to others anonymously. This practice will help us guard our own motivations and make sure we are not doing it to get credit from others. Recently someone bought my parents and siblings tickets to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum in Tennessee. They don’t know who did it. Someone knew they were going and just chose to bless them.
• Limit talking to others about what, who, and how much you give to.

God rewards. God knows your heart. If you do good deeds for Him with the right motivation, He will reward you. If you do it to get attention from others, He won’t.

— From our Bible study on Matthew 6:1-15

It Is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive

Acts 20:35 — “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.'”

Paul set a sterling example of financial integrity. For much of his ministry, he was self-supported. His humble lifestyle was a stark contrast with that of many false teachers, who are greedy. It is not only the teaching of false teachers that exposes them, but also their lifestyle. While it is not wrong to own something nice or enjoy good gifts God provides, a life of luxury by a church leader is a red flag.

Reflect — Why did Paul support himself? Are you content with what God has given you? Consider what you think about, talk about, and purchase.

Paul lived a frugal life so that he would not be a burden on others and could even help others financially. God calls us not to just focus on our financial situation, but to consider how to bless others.

Application — Consider how you can give more to others instead of how you can get more.

— From our Bible study on Acts 20:17-38

Open Wide Your Hand to the Poor

Deuteronomy 15:9-10 — “Take care lest there be an unworthy thought in your heart and you say, ‘The seventh year, the year of release is near,’ and your eye look grudgingly on your poor brother, and you give him nothing, and he cry to the Lord against you, and you be guilty of sin. You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.”

God commanded the wealthy Jews to take a personal loss to forgive the debts of their poorer counterparts. That is what Jesus did for us. He took on all the debt of sin across the world. He put that debt onto His shoulders and paid it. He perfectly fulfilled every Old Testament command.

God wanted His people to be generous. It started from the heart. He didn’t want them to practice cold-hearted logic and analysis but to give freely and without compulsion.

Reflect — Why would a Jew loan money to another Jew if there was a risk it wouldn’t be repaid? How does this passage apply to us today?

We are not under the law. However, we have every reason to be generous to others. Consider what God has done for you. Jesus gave His own life as a sacrifice on your behalf. You did not deserve it. It was grace. Sometimes we can be harsh in our evaluation of the poor. We might blame them for their situation. We should be thankful that God did not look at us in that light.

Application — Be generous. Perhaps when someone asks for a loan from you, you can consider just giving them some financial help without thought of return. Value people as more important than money.

— From our Bible study on Deuteronomy 15

Give Your Best, Not Your Leftovers

Mark 14:3 — “A woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head.”

This was no small gift! It is interesting to consider this gift in comparison with the widow’s gift in the previous chapter. While one gift was tiny and the other huge in numeric value, both touched Christ’s heart and were deeply valued by Him. She did not hold back. This perfume was probably being saved by her for a very special event. To her, this was the perfect event. Jesus was more important to her than anything else in her life and was worthy of this kingly gift because He is the King of Kings.

We should give our very best to Him without holding back. This means sacrificial giving, giving that costs us. It is not only about the amount. It is about the heart.

Reflect — What is Christ worth to you?

— From our Bible study on Mark 14:1-9

Mark 15:46 — “And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.”

Joseph donated his own grave to Jesus. Tombs like his were not cheap. This grave was hewed out of a stone. That takes a lot of manual labor and manual labor costs money. Joseph could have quickly bought a cheap grave for Jesus. But instead, he gave the one that he had bought for himself. This is what true generosity is. Generosity is not giving our leftovers to others. It is giving the best that we have and doing it with a good attitude.

God providentially blessed Joseph so that he would be able to do this for Jesus. God gives the gift of generosity to some people, and it seems that because those people are so willing to give, He entrusts them with more so that they can give even more.

Application — Do you have a special ability, resource, or possession which you can use to bless others?

— From our Bible study on Mark 15:42-47

Boaz’s Generosity to Ruth

Ruth 2:15-16 — “When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, ‘Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.'”

Boaz is generous. He does not try to hoard his crops or make sure that he makes the most possible profit out of his field. Although he doesn’t know Ruth personally, he is happy to share what he has with her. From Boaz, we can learn an important principle about what God expects out of a Christian businessman. God wants Christian business owners to use the resources He has given them in a wise and generous manner.

Application — Whether you run a business or are working for someone else, know that God has placed resources into your hands. Those should be used generously for building up God’s kingdom.

Note that Boaz not only does the minimum required by the law but commands his workers to purposefully leave extra grain for her to pick, and he is considerate because he does this without telling Ruth. If he told her, she would likely feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. He did not do it for appreciation. He did not do it to impress her. He acted solely for her well-being.

It is not always necessary to tell people what you did or will do for them. Jesus exhorted His disciples to give in such a way that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing. In other words, give anonymously. Serve anonymously.

— From our Bible study on Ruth 2

God’s Own Generosity as Our Model

Ephesians 2:7 — “So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

God is both rich and generous. There is nothing stingy about Him. He willingly shares with us abundant spiritual (and often material) blessings. God has brought us into His kingdom and given us a seat at His table. One day in heaven we will celebrate at the Great Banquet, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Application — God wants us to learn from His model of generosity. As He has graciously shared with us out of His immeasurable riches, so we should generously share with others. What is one resource God has given you that you can generously share? How will you do this?

— From our Bible study on Ephesians 2:1-10

We hope you enjoyed this Bible study on generosity. May God use His Word to speak into your life and give you strength to follow it. Please take some time to reflect on the questions below and consider leaving a comment with your key takeaway or insight.

Reflection Questions

• What principle stands out to you about generosity?
• Would the people around you describe you as generous?
• Can you share an example of someone who has selflessly practiced the gift of generosity?
• Share some different ways people have been generous to you. What are creative ways you can be generous to others?
• What can you do personally to help the poor?
• Since actions come from the heart, how can you develop a more compassionate heart toward those in need?
• What lessons can we learn about how to operate a business?
• Did Boaz tell Ruth what special favor he was giving her? Why not? What does this teach us about giving?
• Should we sell our possessions and share as the early New Testament church did? How far are we from that model?