STUDY THEME: EXCELLENCE IN GIVING. 12-14-03.
“HOW I GIVE.” 2 CORINTHIANS 9: 1-15.
2 CORINTHIANS 9: 1-5, 6-7, 8-11, 12-15.
In the matter of giving two questions are center stage. The first question is “Why should we give?” The second is; “How should we give?” Paul dealt with the first question in 1 Corinthians 8: He deals with the second question in this chapter 9 today.
Last Sunday from 2 Corinthians 8 we learned to demonstrate our commitment to God through our giving. Today we seek to honor God in our giving. These two lessons point to Christ’s giving Himself in 2 Corinthians 8:9 and to God’s great gift in sending Him in 2 Corinthians 9:15. Each lesson warns against the dangers of a selfish, covetous attitude. We can best honor God by giving from a desire to bring honor to God.
Many people who give do so grudgingly or out of a sense of obligation. The Bible calls for Christians to give generously and joyfully knowing that God will supply the means to give and will receive honor from the giving.
Both lessons center on Paul’s encouraging the Corinthian believers to complete their offering for the needy believers in Jerusalem.
PLEASE READ 2 CORINTHIANS 9: 1-5.
In this 9th chapter the Spirit of God brings before us in a very impressive manner our responsibility, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, to give of our means both for the support of the Lord’s work and in order to meet the necessities of Christians who are in distressing circumstances.
It was given to our Lord Jesus to enjoy in a way peculiarly rich and full the happiness of giving. He through whom all things came into being, and for whom they all exist, came into this lower part of His creation, not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.
The apostle Paul, in addressing the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:35, called upon them to “remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
In Vs. 2 Paul was simply calling the Corinthian believers back to their original eagerness and readiness to participate in the offering project to relieve the suffering believers in Jerusalem.
The false teachers had come to Corinth and spread lies. They said that Paul was a deceiver, ministering only for money. This had sidetracked the believers in Corinth in their giving to the offering.
The accusation was false, for Paul would not have misused any part of the gift to be sent to Jerusalem. Instead, he insisted that chosen men of various churches accompany him. Paul spent three months in Greece and would have sailed from Corinth to Syria to the church in Antioch. When he heard of the plot against his life in Acts 20 he decided to return through Macedonia. Sopater of Berea accompanied Paul to Asia while the other six men went ahead to wait for them in Troas. Paul was certain the money was well guarded.
In 2nd Corinthians 8, Paul had encouraged the Corinthian believers to follow through on their earlier intention to participate in the offering for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. Now in 2nd Corinthians 9 he considers the question of “how are we to give.” How are we to give under the Lord’s direction? The reply was that we are to give eagerly. “Why give generously?” Because, such Christian giving is a ministry that glorifies God.
Paul sought to help the Corinthians gain the proper perspective on giving by describing the offering he was promoting as a ministry to the saints. Contributions would meet genuine needs of believers living in Jerusalem. In 2 Corinthians 8: 1-5 Paul used the example of the Macedonians to challenge the Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians 9 he used the example of the Corinthians to motivate the Macedonians. On the surface, this looks like a gimmick designed to raise more money. But Paul’s goal was not to raise money by any means available: he desired to develop givers more than to receive gifts. He was not making the offering into some worldly competition, designed to see who would give the most.
Another factor in explaining why Paul used each group of Christians as an example was his desire to spare any embarrassment and shame. So far from opportunistically playing one church against another, as is often concluded from this passage, Paul is, rather, seeking to preserve the reputation of the Corinthians in a situation of potential misunderstanding in which they would have lost face.
Paul wanted the Corinthians to realize the urgency of finishing their part of the offering under the leadership of Titus and the two other leaders. Paul was coming soon to Corinth. With him might be some of the Macedonians to whom Paul had bragged about the eagerness and readiness of the Corinthians. Paul told them that if this happened and the offering was not ready, he would be embarrassed, and so would they.
Yet another factor was that good examples of giving do encourage others. This was the point in 2 Cor. 8:24. Centuries later we are still encouraged by the example of the Macedonian Churches.
Another key factor in explaining Vs. 1-5 “Paul’s glorying here is neither in men nor in human achievements as such, but in the grace of God manifested in and through the lives of men.”
Bounty in Vs. 5 often means “good words,” but can refer to “good deeds,” including generous gifts. Paul contrasted this bounty with covetousness or “greed.” Covetousness applied to the spirit in which they made their offering. They were to be generous in their gifts, not greedy people who clung selfishly to what they called their own.
Paul made it clear that he had not sent the Christian brothers to make the Corinthians give. The brothers merely would collect the offering. If the Corinthians truly wanted to give, they could. Paul encouraged them to give, but neither he nor anyone else would try to force them. Paul hoped to lead the Corinthians to give as a ministry and to set a positive Christian example.
Twice in Vs. 5 Paul referred to the collection as a gift. In the N.T., the word normally refers to a blessing. Did Paul mean the blessing would belong to the Corinthians? Or did he mean it would belong to those receiving the Corinthians’ gift? Perhaps both ideas apply. Certainly the Corinthians’ opportunity to aid fellow Christians should be viewed as a blessing rather than a hardship, an opportunity rather than a burden. If the Corinthians took advantage of such an opportunity, they would be blessed. At the same time, the offering would be a blessing to the poor Christians in Jerusalem.
In the next verses Paul continued to indicate how Christian giving is done. Believers are to give generously and cheerfully.
PLEASE READ 2 CORINTHIANS 9: 6-7.
As Paul moved toward closing his message in relation to the collection for the suffering Christians in Jerusalem, he presents motives that not only were pertinent to the Corinthians but which are applicable to Christians in every age. This passage gives us a whole outline of the principles for giving and generosity.
First of all, he encourages the Corinthians to be generous in their gifts because of the enrichment certain to result in their own lives. There is an old Latin proverb which goes, “He gives twice who gives generously.” That is always true. The finest gifts are given, not when they are demanded, but before they are asked for. The finest gifts are given, not after waiting until need has to ask, but by the man whose eye see and whose heart feels, and whose hand is stretched out even before any request is made. It was while we were enemies of God that Christ died for us. God hears our prayers even before we speak them. And we should be to our fellow man even as God has been to us.
“But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” Vs. 6 is a law of nature which applies in every experience of life. One who scatters but a little seed reaps but a small harvest, while generous sowing prepares for a harvest of abundant fruitage. Think of a farmer so foolish, as he goes forth to sow his wheat, as he says, it is too bad to sow so much to one acre. I think I can get a fair crop sowing less. Such conduct would be absurd. So it is with us.
Charity is thus not a casting away, but a sowing. It is in the truest sense an investment. It is certain to secure returns. Not only does one who gives “lay up treasures in heaven,” but he also prepares to reap a harvest here on earth. Of course charity cannot be commercial. It ceased to be charity when exercised with a view to a reward. Nor can it be by compulsion.
The charitable man must do “according as he hath purposed in his heart.” His action must be in accordance with his own free will and desire; it must not be performed grudgingly, with sorrow and regret, “or of necessity,” under the compulsion of circumstances, or of fear of criticism, or the custom of his society. “God loveth a cheerful giver.” It is not the amount given which determines His approval, but the spirit of the one who gives; and one can safely trust in God. Because God gave to us in such a generous way, we should be led to give to others generously.
The Contemporary English Version translates part of Vs. 7 as, “But don’t feel sorry that you must give and don’t feel that you are forced to give. God loves people who love to give.”
If we want God’s blessing on our work, if we want Him to visit us with power and to be generous with us, we must care for the needs of others. Now notice the state of the heart in Vs. 7 that God takes into account when it comes to giving. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart.” Someone says he does not believe in making a pledge. What is a pledge? It is the expression of the purpose of your heart. The apostle Paul says, writing by the Spirit of God, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give.”
Purpose in your heart then give; “not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
It is usually in God’s providential plan to increase the resources of the cheerful giver.
PLEASE READ 2 CORINTHIANS 8: 8-11.
The idea in these verses is that God blesses generous believers so they can give even more generously. Let us never forget that having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the key to Christian giving. God alone is able to make every grace overflow to you. Every grace includes His spiritual and material gifts. Overflow suggests “far more than enough.” God provides more than bare necessities for generous givers to enable them to excel in every good work. The idea in Ch. 9:8-11 is that God blesses generous believers so that they can give even more generously.
God is not a miser. If He were, the Corinthians prudently would have hoarded all their resources and given nothing away. God is, however a generous Provider. Paul reminded the Corinthians that God is capable of meeting their needs as they followed His leadership in meeting the needs of others. Like a domino effect, God increases one’s material prosperity, which leads to greater generosity in giving, which in turn leads to greater spiritual and physical benefits to both the giver and the recipient.
The world’s approach is to accumulate material wealth to ensure a pleasant and enjoyable life of ease. That is not God’s approach. He intends that we use material blessings unselfishly to minister to others.
In Vs. 9 Paul illustrated his point by quoting from Psalm 112:9. In that Psalm God is depicting the typically righteous man. One characteristic is, he is interested in other people. He planted widely and gave generously to poor people.
In Vs. 10 Paul stressed that God is the One who provides seed for the sower and also provides enough for the sower to have bread for food. You see, you take the right attitude toward God and His Word, and He will take a wonderfully benevolent attitude toward you. This is the main point of this part of the letter and a crucial truth in Christian financial stewardship.
To the people who give generously from what God has provided, God promises food for their own needs and enough seed to plant for another bountiful harvest. In other words, God gives to those who give to others. He will give you all you need (not the same thing as all you want) and more so you can continue to be generous in giving to others. God knows you need these things and He will look after you. Righteousness and liberality go together. Vs. 11 in the New English Bible reads, “you will always be rich enough to be generous.”
Some people preach a message of wealth for those who give. By that they mean that God will make generous people financially wealthy. Paul spoke of a different kind of wealth----the kind that meets our needs and provides us with enough resources to give generously to others. I have found it to be true, that you can’t out-give God. You are enriched in every way, for all generosity clearly and pointedly shows what God expects of His people who have more than they need to survive. One obvious way the Lord provides for His people is through one another. The last part of Vs. 11 introduces another theme related to giving. When God’s people happily render the service of meeting one another’s needs, the result is thanksgiving to God. Those receiving gifts from other believers recognize His hand at work and thank God.
How do you respond to a raise in salary or to some other increase in your finances? This is an acid test of faithful stewardship. Some Christians can pass every test except prosperity. They persevere during hard times, but a little wealth makes them yearn and plan for even more. If they are not careful, they will find themselves feeling and acting like the farmer in Luke 12: 13-21, who had a good crop but had no thought of sharing any of it with others.
Verses 12 to 15 expand on this idea.
PLEASE READ 2 CORINTHIANS 9: 12-15.
Three groups of believers were involved in this offering. The givers were the Gentile believers in Macadonia, Achaia, and elsewhere. The recipients were the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem. The ones who carried the offering were Paul, Titus, the two brothers, and representatives from the churches. The last group is called us in Vs. 11. The word thanksgiving refers to the gratitude of the Jewish believers for the generosity of the Gentile churches. Vs. 11b-15 express Paul’s hope and prayer for the outcome of the offering when it was delivered.
Paul’s dream was that two miracles would happen. The first miracle was that the Gentile churches would send a generous offering. The second miracle would be that the Jewish believers would receive it in the best possible way. Up to this point, Paul had been writing to the Gentile churches, urging them to do their part. He already had some encouragement that this miracle would happen. The Macedonians had done their part, and Paul felt that the Corinthians would do their part.
Vs. 12-14 reveal what Paul hoped and prayed about the second miracle. He hoped that the offering would not only meet the physical needs of the Jewish believers but also lead to many thanksgivings unto God. The Jewish believers would give thanks, but so would the ones who gave and the one who carried the offering.
Paul also wanted the Jewish Christians to see in this offering, proof that the professions of faith by Gentile believers were genuine. Their generous gifts should be proof of this. When the Jews realized this fact, Paul wanted them to respond in three ways: (1). He wanted them to glorify God. This was another way of describing their thanksgiving to God. (2). He wanted them to have deep affection for the Gentile believers. (3). He wanted the Jews to pray for the Gentiles. The giving of the Gentile Christians would help convince the Jewish Christians that the Gentiles were truly converted. If these things could happen, these two miracles would help to break down barriers between Jews and Gentiles in Christ.
In vs. 15 Paul was so moved by the prospect of these miracles that he uttered a short, powerful expression of personal gratitude to God for his indescribable gift. He did not specify which of God’s wonderful gifts he had in mind. But the heart of his praise was no doubt thanks for the Lord Jesus Christ; God’s greatest gift of God’s love. In Him is found the true motive for all charity. He is the final embodiment and source of all grace, and for Him thanks should be given to God, who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. This is a good Christmas text for He is the center of what Christmas is all about. He is the reason for the Season. This lesson is designed to focus on how we should give or the attitude and spirit of our giving. Remember that it is more blessed to give than to get!
God is interested not only in the fact that we give but also in how we give. No matter the amount of the gift; giving that is done begrudgingly or out of a sense of obligation is not giving that pleases God. God blesses Christians by supplying what they need for themselves and more than they need so they can give to others. When our giving is generous and cheerfully given, God receive honor from it, and the giver is blessed.
NEXT SUNDAY FROM LUKE 2 WE HAVE ONCE MORE THE CHRISTMAS STORY. “WHAT CHILD IS THIS.” A.V. DAUGHERTY 12-14-03
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