Why does the church of Christ not ever have bake sales,
car washes, and rummage sales?
“Speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible
is silent.” This is what we believe and practice. It is not
some nice cliché. It is grounded in the Word of God. Peter
penned, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; .
. .” (I Pet. 4:11). The term “oracles” simply means “words.”
The meaning is crystal clear: Wherever there is the Word of
God, man has the authority to speak. The implication of this
passage is also true: Wherever there is no Word of God, man
must not speak. This simply reflects what Rev. 22:18-19
teaches about adding to and taking from God’s Word.
The silence of the Scriptures does not give us the
authority to act. There is no authority in silence – hence, “be
silent where the Bible is silent.” What does this have to do
with the question at hand? Everything – for the scriptures
are silent with reference to having bake sales, fundraisers,
car washes, etc., to raise money to carry out the work of the
church. What we find, though, authorized in the NT are “free-
will offerings.” The Bible sets forth the pattern for NT giving in I
Cor. 16:1-2 – “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I
have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. (2)
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in
story, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings
when I come.” The NT pattern and authority is that each one
give of us own free will, as he has been prospered. The NT
nowhere authorizes sales and the like to raise money to
carry out the work of the church. In fact, these things will be
absolutely unnecessary when each member of the church
gives liberally and cheerfully, as the Bible teaches (2 Cor. 8:1-
5, 12; 2 Cor. 9:6-7). It is a slap in the face of God to raise
money in any other way for the church other than free-will
offerings, for it essentially says that God didn’t plan well
enough.