Interesting Perspective

[1Timothy115]

The Greek Lexicon from the Blue Letter Bible provides the word...
προαιρέω

It's part of speech is a verb

Outline of Biblical Usage...

I.  to bring forward, bring forth from one's stores
II.  to bring forth for one's self, to choose for one's self before another, to prefer
III.  to purpose

It comes from  πρό (meaning before) and αἱρέω meaning (to take for oneself, to prefer, choose)

All of the above points toward choosing to give from what you have stored as a prefernence.

SFIC's interpretation fits a narrow view, a view that is not at all like the perponderance of scripture or the gospel of Jesus Christ and the New Testament in teaching the grace of giving. That is the author's self-choice.
 

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart … - The main idea in this verse is, that the act of giving should be voluntary and cheerful. It should not seem to be extorted by the importunity of others 2 Corinthians 9:6; nor should it be given from urgent necessity, but it should be given as an offering of the heart. On this part of the verse we may remark:

(1) That the heart is usually more concerned in the business of giving than the head. If liberality is evinced, it will be the heart which prompts to it; if it is not evinced, it will be because the heart has some bad passions to gratify, and is under the influence of avarice, or selfishness, or some other improper attachment. Very often a man is convinced he ought to give liberally, but a narrow heart and a parsimonious spirit prevents it.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible (bold and underline added for emphasis)

However, I will accept and teach the perponderance of scripture and the innitial definition from the Greek. I appear to be in agreement with Barnes and will remain so. I will bring forward from my stores, of my own volition, for another's need, and purpose to fulfill a need and grow in the grace of giving, as directed by scripture and evidenced through the life of my Savior.

Edited April 24, 2015 by 1Timothy115

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Barnes was just as judgmental as many others.  The only one who can know why or why not one gives or doesn't give is God.  Man looks at the appearance, but God looks at the heart.

 

as I said, man might not be giving to an organization doing business as a church for many valid reasons.  

 

[Salyan]

Okay, SFIC, that's enough. You need to stop hijacking all the money/tithe/giving threads. You are interfering with the ability of other members of the forum to hold a reasonable conversation without being forced yet again into a discussion on your pet topic. Consider this a warning to stop repeating yourself ad infinitum.

 

Edited April 24, 2015 by Salyan

[1Timothy115]

Okay, SFIC, that's enough. You need to stop hijacking all the money/tithe/giving threads. You are interfering with the ability of other members of the forum to hold a reasonable conversation without being forced yet again into a discussion on your pet topic. Consider this a warning to stop repeating yourself ad infinitum.

 

​I would enjoy hearing others opinions or questions about giving. If anyone besides SFIC has a comment or question about what I've said, I would enjoy attempting to answer them. I won't answer questions about ammounts.

[Miss Daisy]

what was the original question anyway?

[1Timothy115]

what was the original question anyway?

​Does the Bible speak about cheerful non-givers?

[Rebecca]

We often quote, 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

Does the Bible speak about cheerful non-givers?

​​Yes. Numerous times. They are the people who received something from the cheerful givers. The examples are too numerous to list out, but just think of the reactions they had after a prophet, Jesus, disciple, or apostle raised a loved one from the dead, healed the blind, healed the lame, etc. Giving isn't always about money. It can be giving your time, your talents, yourself. 

Now, I'm not sure if there is a specific person in the Bible who was cheerful all the time but never gave anything to others, whether money or something else. There were some kings who were pretty cheerful after winning a battle and gathering spoils from the defeated, but the cheer didn't last long, especially if it was an enemy going against God's people.

There is an example of a church so sold out for God that the members were selling land and giving the money to the church and then Ananias and Sapphira decided they wanted fame, glory, and honor, but didn't want to part with the all the money they had gained from selling the property.... we know how that turned out. They were cheerful partial givers up until God dealt with them. The problem wasn't the money, they had a heart problem and God didn't want it infecting the church. Acts 5:1-11 

In my own opinion, God wants someone who is willing to give themselves to Him...not out of fear or grudging or duty, but out of love. When we give ourselves completely over to God, we will cheerfully give, whether money, or time, or talents, or whatever else. 

[Alan]

Li Bai Jia,

Amen and amen!

[Martyr_4_FutureJoy]

On 4/21/2015 at 8:08 PM, DaveW said:

The matter one who is unable to give but has a heart that would give if it were possible, is a different and separate matter.

A few years ago,  whether 3 or 15 years I'm not remembering,  I read of a 'Christian' man visiting a Chinese martyr in China - an elderly gentleman with white/grey hair, appropriate wrinkles of age, with wisdom as God Grants,  ...

The (so-called) 'Christian' man (from the rich USA) looked up on this , as he saw him,  poor Chinese martyr,  who owned only the clothes he was wearing and his sandals,  and asked the martyr what could he,  the 'rich' so-called 'Christian' from the USA,  pray to God for on behalf of the Chinese martyr in China, perhaps for his family or 'congregation' also - what was most needful he asked him ?  (with all typical sincerity and self-righteousness of USA so-called 'Christians') .

The old Chinese martyr said  quote: "nothing".     Properly so, btw.