"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the
things that are God’s" (Mark 12:17)
"Render to Caesar the
things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s" (Mark
12:17). Certainly in this country and among God’s people the above verse should
not arouse hatred or resentment as it did from our Lord’s Jewish audience. For
them to be under the rule of a Gentile like Caesar and to pay taxes, in
addition, was more than their pride could take. No wonder the tax collecting
publicans, who gathered for Caesar, were ranked with the "sinners."
Had Israel faithfully rendered to God His portion, they would never have felt
the yoke of Gentile suppression. Caesar’s coin in Immanuel’s land but reminded
them of their own failure as well as God’s displeasure with them.
Along with the new year comes
our time of reckoning with our "Caesar" for the year past. Our
government has chosen, during the last fifty years, to tax the income of
private citizens and business enterprises to support its operation. With the
ever increasing costs of government come the corresponding problems of
obtaining revenue. Uncle Sam (as he is affectionately termed) has recently
chosen to be more diligent in collecting taxes already due rather than to raise
the overall tax burden on all the people. This approach has necessitated the
closing of certain loop-holes and tightening restrictions in the existing tax
structure.
Now we do not intend to involve
ourselves with the entire income tax form. We will confine our attention to one
of the sections of Internal Revenue Service Form 1040, used by most taxpayers
who itemize deductions, i.e. contributions. We further restrict our concern
only to the annual total of our contributions given at the collections; each
Lord’s Day in assemblies of saints gathered solely to the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Repeated personal interviews
with IRS auditors have forcibly brought to our attention the fact that
contributions made to a "religious organization" (as generally termed
in IRS bulletins) are not being presently allowed as deductions unless the said
organization has filed a tax exemption application with the Federal government,
IRS Form 1023, and been approved as a "qualified exempt
organization." This is not a matter of personal or local interpretation by
IRS, but nationwide policy as verified by brethren in other cities and states.
It plainly means that Christians in assemblies gathered to the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ may have difficulty in deducting their contributions unless their
particular local has been approved as a "qualified exempt organization."
The Federal Government has no
legal definition of what does and what does not constitute a
"church." We know of no law which requires churches to file or
qualify in order to obtain tax exemption. However, the IRS is now interpreting
and applying the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 as requiring all organizations
(churches included as religious organizations) to qualify in order to receive
deductible contributions. [See Code Sections 170 and 501(c)(3).] As to future
contribution claims it appears that it is only a matter of time before all
income tax forms will be more thoroughly examined and questioned if they do not
comply with IRS interpretations of the law. Individual taxpayers have often
appealed unfavorable rulings by IRS to tax courts and even higher courts. Yet
the Christian, following his Lord, may feel limited in this pursuit.
We wish therefore to briefly
state the procedure required for an assembly of Christians to acquire the tax
exempt status and discuss what bearing it may have on Scriptural principles.
IRS Form 1023 EXEMPTION APPLICATION requires the following information:the
organization name, address, purpose of operation, by-laws, method of obtaining
income, and a host of accounting details. The form is basically an information
sheet to state all aspects of the organization’s operation in order to assure
the office of Internal Revenue that it is tax exempt and qualified to receive
deductible contributions.
We sincerely question attaching
a name to an assembly of Christians professedly gathered solely to the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 18:20). Would it not also seem inconsistent for
those met on the truth of the one body of Christ, as the divinely constituted
ground of gathering, to take a name identifying them in distinction from other
members of that one body? In the past many have consistently shunned the names
which others have attached to such simple gatherings of Christian people. They
have seen the Christians at Corinth shamed by the apostle for aligning under
certain teachers. The "party spirit" of that day has more fully
blossomed into sectarianism now rampant throughout Christendom. Shall we then
disapprove the assumption of names by others and yet assume one to ourselves
when the occasion seems to our advantage? it is not simply a name that is
involved but the representation of an assembly to the government on almost
identical footing with the different so called "faiths" in Christendom.
This issue may have been
overlooked by some in assuming a name and filing other information necessary to
obtain tax exempt status. At this point we advise our readers that the exempt
status of one local assembly of Christians in no way exempts other similarly
gathered assemblies unless these are united by district or national
organization and have been approved as such.
Even if a Christian assembly has
obtained tax exemption, the problem is not yet settled for the individual
contributor. His contributions must be not only to a "qualified exempt
organization" but verified as to the amount claimed to be allowed as an
itemized deduction. Personal records might be sufficient proof. However, if
additional verification is required methods of bookkeeping and collection have
been devised whereby the treasurer can give contributors annual statements of
the money received. Some tender consciences have felt these methods of
informing the treasurer, and Uncle Sam go too far beyond the Lord’s caution
that "when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand
doeth:that thine alms may be in secret:and thy Father which seeth in secret
himself shall reward thee openly" (Matt, 6:3,4). We realize that the Lord
Jesus is cautioning us against giving so as to be seen of men and receive their
praises. It would nevertheless seem that whether it be praises or only tax
exemption, whatever credit we do receive from men here, is just that much less
reward that is due us from our Father.
It is apparent also that due to
a lack of uniformity in practices by IRS auditors, there is at present a
measure of confusion on these issues. Many who have not itemized deductions nor
claimed proportionately large contributions have never been challenged to
verify their listings. It is also obvious that the most generous givers are the
most often challenged and the added tax is correspondingly greater when and if
the deduction is denied. We remind these of the Lord’s promise of our Father’s
open reward and feel that they shall be more than compensated. "God is not
unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward
his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister" (Heb.
6:10).
In summary then, can we deduct
our contributions with a free conscience before God if, in order to do this, we
must follow IRS rulings which require us to take a distinguishing name (other
than simply Christian), and also inform not only our left hand but the assembly
treasurer as of that which our right hand has given in secret? Would not our
Lord be more honored by our adhering more closely to His word than the enlarged
sacrifice resulting from compliance with IRS regulations to gain qualified tax
exemption? If we are thus applying divine principles carefully and correctly,
as led of; the Holy Spirit, are we not thus rendering "to God the things
that are God’s"—and also "to Caesar the things that are
Caesar’s"?
We are persuaded that the
subject of the church-state relationship is of increasing importance not
limited to this narrow scope nor the month ahead when our income tax forms are
due. The income tax regulations seem but a foretaste of the Church of Jesus
Christ voluntarily coming under the control of the world. This is being done
slowly, a step at a time, and voluntarily on the part of the churches in order
to obtain tax-exemption privileges from a Christ-rejecting world. Do we not at
least faintly perceive the handwriting on the wall spelling out that
co-operation between church and state heightened to the full in the coming
apostasy when that harlot will ride ever so smugly to her doom fully supported
by the multi-headed, horned beast (Rev. 17)!