Editing Alms (section)

=== In the New Testament ===
In addition, private acts of charity are a duty and considered virtuous only if not done for others to admire:
{{Blockquote|Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.|{{bibleverse||Matthew|6:1}}}}

Jesus places the primary focus on the motives behind the outward and inward giving of alms, which should be love:
{{Blockquote|Rather, give as alms what is inside, and then everything will be clean for you!|{{bibleverse||Luke|11:41}}}}

[[File:Gospel of Luke Chapter 21-4 (Bible Illustrations by Sweet Media).jpg|thumb|Jesus commends this poor but generous woman in {{bibleverse||Luke|21:1–4}}.]]
Jesus contrasts the giving of the rich and the poor:
{{Blockquote|He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And He said, 'Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.'|{{bibleverse||Luke|21:1–4}}}}

Giving should be out of love and not out of duty:
{{blockquote|He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'|{{bibleverse||Matthew|25:45}}}}


Sharing possessions was practised in the church:

{{Blockquote|text=Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.|multiline=true|source=Acts 4:32}}
{{Blockquote|text=..there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.|source=Acts 4:34-37|multiline=true}}