FINANCIAL PARTNERSHIP: PART 1
Many critics have risen up to condemn the American televangelists who encourage their viewers to support their ministries financially on a regular basis. I was one of those voices that opposed their methods until I learnt the truth. This kind of regular support towards the preaching of the gospel is referred to as Partnership. The very first time we see this idea mentioned in the Bible is when King David came back to the city of Ziklag where he had left the wives and children of his soldiers before they went out to battle. David’s rebel army had come back from a military campaign to find that their wives and children had been captured by the Amalekites. With the help of an Egyptian servant who was left behind by the Amalekites they were able to know the location of the Amalekites and pursued them. They marched till they reached a brook or river called Besor in 1 Samuel 30:9-10. Out of the total army strength of 600 soldiers, 200 soldiers did not cross the brook because they were too tired. They had been marching for many hours and they remained with the rest of the goods. Finally David defeated the Amalekites and rescued the wives and children of all the soldiers and all their goods including extra spoil from the enemy. After this defeat some of the 400 soldiers who had participated in the battle said that those who remained behind should only be given their wives and children but should not receive any part of the spoils of war. David made a very powerful statement in response to them, “For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: THEY SHALL PART ALIKE” (1 Samuel 30:24). This pronouncement became a binding statute or law for Israel. This shows us that the person who supports the army going out to battle shall receive a joint share of the riches captured during the battle. David distributed the spoils of war equally among those who fought and those who remained behind guarding the supplies. This shows us that when someone stands in partnership with a ministry they will receive the same reward as the person whom they are partnering with. The souls won to Christ during the crusades will be considered to have been won jointly with the Apostle or minister who preached.
When we come to the New Testament we see that Apostle Paul makes it clear that those who receive spiritual food have a duty to support those who feed them and their ministries financially, “It hath pleased them verily; and their DEBTORS they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their DUTY is also to minister unto them in carnal (material) things” (Romans 15:27). The Gentiles who received spiritual food from Jerusalem had a debt to pay and a duty to fulfill towards those who fed them spiritually. This does not seem like something that was just a suggestion, it was and still is a command. Whoever receives spiritual teaching has a duty to support the teacher financially, “Let him that is taught in the worde, make him that hath taught him, PARTAKER OF ALL HIS GOODS” (Galatians 6:6 Geneva Bible). The King James Version states that, “Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things” (Galatians 6:6). The word translated as “communicate” is the Greek word “koinoneo” and in the Thayer’s Greek Definitions it means to enter into fellowship, join one’s self to an associate or make one’s self a sharer or partner. So we see that God intends for all those who receive spiritual nourishment from a ministry to financially partner with that ministry.
One of the churches that actively partnered financially with the ministry of Apostle Paul was the Philippian church. It was one of the most stable of all the churches that Apostle Paul planted and I believe that it was because they were faithful to partner with him financially. At the very beginning of the epistle to the Philippians Apostle Paul writes that he always gives thanks to God, “For your FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL from the first day until now” (Philippians 1:5). The Greek word translated “fellowship” is “koinonia” which has the same root as the word “communicate” that we studied in Galatians 6:6. This word means a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship. So we see that the Philippians were financial partners with Apostle Paul’s ministry. From this very epistle we get to see the 2 most important benefits of partnership. The first benefit is a spiritual benefit of receiving an anointing from the ministry with which one partners. Apostle Paul wrote shortly after this that, “ye all are partakers of my grace” (Philippians 1:7). The grace or “charis” upon the life of Apostle Paul was imparted to the Philippians because they partnered financially with his ministry. The same anointing that opened jail cells, healed the cripples and raised the dead in the Apostle’s ministry was now available for the Philippians because they were his financial partners. The word “charis”is the root of the word “charismata”which refers to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This shows us that spiritual gifts were also stirred up in the ministry at Philippi because of their partnership. This is a spiritual principle that works on the law of seedtime and harvest. Here we see that the anointing for breakthrough was imparted to the Philippian church in every area of their lives including their homes and workplaces. That is why we see many Christians who neglect financial partnership suffering in their marriages and in their workplaces. They are not partaking of the grace or anointing that can sustain them in that area of their lives.
The second benefit of financial partnership is receiving a financial harvest. One of the verses that I used to quote so frequently in my prayer life was Philippians 4:19 which states that “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” I knew that God answers prayer according to His word. However at that time I did not understand why Apostle Paul wrote this scripture because I had not received a revelation about the context in which it was written. When you study the context of Philippians 4:14-18, you will discover that God’s financial supply system rests on the principle of financial partnership. As we study this benefit I will share with you principles of financial partnership as the Lord taught them to me from this portion of scripture.
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