There is a lesson here for the church today.

Let’s begin.

I. Paul’s Life

A. Brief intro.

In this article, a private ship in the Roman empire = a private jet in the modern world.

B. He sailed commercial

Paul boarded cargo ships. He sailed commercial. He did not take up offerings to buy a state-of-the-art private ship because he was too good, too important for the masses. He did not hire a captain or pilot and crew, while he went below decks to live in luxury. And he did not own a horse, another luxury item. He traveled on foot.

C. Rejected by the sensible first-century church

If he had taken an offering for those luxury items for himself or anyone else, he would have been laughed out of court and lost his integrity. A teacher living by offerings is biblical (1 Tim. 5:18; Phil 4:18); however, in many instances Paul worked for a living, so he could keep his liberty and not be a burden to his church plants (Acts 18:1-4;  1Thess 2:9; 1 Cor 4:12; 2 Cor 11:27).

D. Help the poor with offerings

Here Paul teaches taking up offerings for the weak, not his personal ship or horse:

³⁵ In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (Acts 20:35)

Paul takes up an offering for the church at Jerusalem, not himself and a private ship or horse to get there:

³ For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, ⁴ they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people. ⁵ And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. (2 Cor. 8:3-4)

E. Other verses

Now let’s look at sample verses about Paul boarding ships or going on foot (emphasis added):

We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. (Acts 20:13)

What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. (Acts 20:38)

We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail. (Acts 21:2)

After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. (Acts 21:3)

After saying goodbye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home. (Acts 21:6)

We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. (Acts 27:18)

Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea (2 Cor. 11:25)

Paul mixed in with average people–the commoners. He ministered to them, particularly during the storm in Acts 27-28.

F. Paul received offerings for himself.

Here are the verses that explain why he may have been able to rent quarters for house arrest (Acts 28:30).

¹⁶ for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. ¹⁷ Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. ¹⁸ I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. ¹⁹ And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:16-19)

In those verses the church at Philippi, where prosperous Lydia the purple-seller attended and led, contributed money. And Paul appreciated the gift. Now Paul prays the God will meet their needs according to their glorious riches. So God’s meets needs, not greed.

However, this passage, appearing before the previous one, Paul learned to be content.

¹⁰ I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Phil. 4:10-13)

It seems to me that the hyper-prosperity teachers today, who twist Scriptures to enrich themselves, have not learned to be content in whichever circumstance finds them. They take offerings from Joe Factoryworker and Jane Shopkeeper based on false promises (“you too will get prosperous if you give me money”). And then the false teachers, making money out of lying promises, brag about their big houses and luxury items. Meanwhile Joe and Jane don’t get as rich as those Scripture twisters.

G. 1 Timothy 6:17-19

Finally, these verses are not about Paul’s personal wealth, but 1 Timothy 6:17-19 is relevant:

 As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works and to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life (1 Tim. 6:17-19, ESV).

So the rich converts to Christianity are called to use their money generously, do good with it, and to be rich in good works, so they can store up for themselves treasures in heaven.

Be faithful with worldly wealth, but don’t serve it. Let it serve God, and you too should serve God. Keep a loose handle on it.

II. Application

A. All the NT writers

As a matter of fact, all of the men who wrote the NT never got rich from their very own verses–which the men themselves actually wrote! They never manipulated their own writings to take offerings in order to buy ships and horses and live in houses as big as ancient Roman villas owned by senators, like this duplicate model:

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B. Contrast with today

Today, in contrast, hyper-prosperity and word-of-faith teacher Jesse Duplantis boasts that he owns the biggest house in Louisiana.

C. Two relevant verses

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (Col. 3:5, NIV)

“greed”: it is the noun pleonexia (pronounced pleh-oh-nex-EE-ah), and it means “greediness, insatiableness, avarice, covetousness.” It combines the word pleon– (“much” or “more”) and echō (pronounced eh-khoh and means “to have”), so it means to “grasp for more.” The lexicon put together by Liddell and Scott says it means, “greediness, grasping, assumption [taking], arrogance.”

Greedy people get entangled with idolatry, even if they do not see it. They are like the ancient Israelites who worshipped the Golden Calf, in the wilderness, right when God had given the law (Exod. 32; Deut. 9:7-21). Or someone can turn money into an idol when they desire it too strongly.

The tenth of the Ten Commandments:

²¹ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Deut. 5:21)

Greed violates this commandment. Greedy preachers today desire the wealth of their donors and order them to give, so they too can be rich. But Joe Factoryworker and Jane Shopkeeper do not get rich, not like the high-flying preachers. They even take the last of widows’ money, based on lying promises that the women too can be rich. Hyper-prosperity teaching is diabolical.

D. Judgment and practical solutions

Judgment is coming. Before it is too late, the hyper-prosperity teachers who manipulate Scriptures to enrich themselves need to repent by downsizing or selling off their luxury items and giving all of the proceeds to the poor. They can give away items too. Then they need to live simple, streamlined lives.

Stop giving these people your money. Make them downsize.