Many years ago I read Alvin Toffler’s best-selling book, “Future Shock,” in which he described how people were becoming overwhelmed by the rate of change going on in the world. In the 45 years since he wrote that book, the world has undergone enormous change, especially in the realm of technology. When the book came out in 1970, cassette tapes had not yet displaced 8-tracks, and the first personal computers were still a decade away.

Churches have not escaped this dizzying flood of change, and believers have found it necessary to evaluate the biblical appropriateness of scores of newfangled gadgets, ideas, styles, trends and methods before embracing them for kingdom use. One of the latest new trends to knock at the church’s door is online giving, also known as e-giving. Churches now have the capability of receiving offerings via the Internet instead of only through the offering plate. Companies, including LifeWay, offer electronic services to churches that enable members and guests to give to churches using their computers and smartphones. Does this option pass muster in light of Scripture? If you had asked me that question two years ago, I would have said no. As a matter of fact, I did say no, in at least one Sunday sermon!

I objected to online giving on the basis of my long-held conviction that giving to God is an act of worship. Since then, I must admit that I have had second thoughts about my initial misgivings. I realized that I had rejected the idea out of hand, rather than putting it through the battery of questions I have often used to determine the biblical rightness or wrongness of anything I need to evaluate. Here are the questions I asked and the conclusions I reached:

• Does the Bible specifically address this issue? Obviously, with respect to modern electronic giving, the answer is no. So, I moved to the next level of inquiry.

• Does this violate any specific command in Scripture? Here is where my initial objection popped up. I recalled Scriptures that seemed to clearly identify giving to God as a component of corporate worship, such as 1 Chronicles 16:29, which says, “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness” (similarly, Psalm 96:8). While the “offering” called for could have meant a temple sacrifice, such as a meat or grain offering, as well as a monetary tithe or gift, the point seems clearly to associate giving with corporate worship.

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul instructs believers in the church: “On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come, no collections will have to be made” (1 Corinthians 16:2). This command specifically links believers’ giving with Sunday, the day on which the early church held its worship gatherings. To me, there seemed no way that online giving could avoid a head-on collision with these commands.

However, it later occurred to me to wonder: Is the message of 1 Chronicles 16:29 and Psalm 96:8 that our worship is acceptable only when it is accompanied by an offering? If that be the case, would it not then mandate that churches receive an offering at every worship gathering, or else the attendees can’t worship? That interpretation seemed a bit strained to me. Could it mean simply that authentic worshippers are givers? And, are these Scriptures strictly concerned with how we give, or that we give with a right heart attitude?

I wondered: If a person gives regularly to his church with all the right motives, but does so online or by mail, is he violating these commands concerning giving? I doubt it. Many younger people today do not use paper checks and carry little cash, but instead handle all their financial transactions electronically. Should churches insist that these forms be used exclusively for offerings and that they be given only via the offering plate on Sunday? Again, I think not. And, as for Paul’s emphasis on Sunday giving in the church, Paul’s instruction is not to give the offering on Sunday, but to save it up on that day. John MacArthur comments that “the point is that giving must occur regularly, not just when one feels generous, particularly led to do so, or instructed to do so for some special purpose.” Furthermore, it seems noteworthy that Paul mentions no theological basis for mentioning Sunday in his instruction, leaving open the possibility that he was simply calling for offerings to be given when they could be given in that era, which was when the church met together.

• Does this go against any principle given in Scripture? I made a list of every general principle on giving I could find in the Bible. My list included the following: 1) Giving should be sacrificial (1 Chronicles 21:24); 2) giving should be generous (2 Corinthians 9:6); 3) Christians should give willingly rather than in response to pressure or obligation (2 Corinthians 9:7); 4) giving should be done anonymously, rather than for show or to impress others (Matthew 6:3); and giving should be done for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). I saw no way that online giving necessarily violates any of these principles. Beyond that, online giving might arguably comply with principle number four better than “offering plate” giving does, because it is done privately rather than in a public worship gathering.

After mulling over these questions, I concluded that my initial rejection of online giving needed to be tempered. I still strongly affirm that the Bible promotes giving as an expression of worship, and that giving is a mark of a worship-ready heart. But the mode of our giving seems less of a biblical issue than the motive for our giving. Therefore, I would offer the following advice for believers who are struggling with whether or not to approve of online giving, and whether they should use online giving in their own stewardship:

1. However you give, make it an act of worship. Whether you place your offering in the plate on Sunday, mail it in an envelope, or send it to the church electronically, make sure your motive is to honor God. Use the offertory time in the worship service to bow your head and say, “God, I give my offerings to You because all I have is Yours, and my heart’s desire is to exalt You through my gift.”

2. Never violate your conscience. When the Apostle Paul addressed Sabbath observance and eating meat that had been offered to idols — two divisive issues for believers in the early church — rather than laying down a hard-and-fast rule, he simply told each believer to follow his own conscience. He said, “Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). That would seem to be good counsel for believers who have misgivings about online giving. If you feel uncomfortable about using a particular mode of giving, then don’t use it.

3. Do not break fellowship with other believers over their mode of choice for giving. Paul reminded the Roman Christians: “Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls” (Romans 14:4). I would feel greater concern over a supposed believer who never gives than over one who uses a different method of giving than I do.

Churches should not seek to exploit people financially, either by promoting online giving or by any other means. Online giving can simply be offered as one of several optional means for God’s people to present their offerings to Him through His church. Indeed, churches must consider online giving if they are to encourage members of younger, tech-oriented generations to give. Biblical stewardship principles should be taught to all age groups in the church.

Banking methods, currency, and financial technology will continue to evolve and change, so it would seem wise for us not to permit ourselves to become sidetracked by disputes over which methods of giving meet God’s approval. Besides, by the time we come to agreement on one method, a new one may have taken its place! What never changes is the biblical truth that authentic worshippers are generous givers. As long as we determine to give to God with right motives, we will honor God, whatever means of giving we choose to use.

— David Coleman is senior pastor of Crowfield Baptist Church in Goose Creek, S.C.