Second Letter to the Corinthians -- Chapter 9
Having urged the Corinthians to continue their generous support of the collection for the church at Jerusalem Paul continues on to elaborate further on Christian giving. He begins by praising their efforts so far: “There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the saints. For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action” (2 Corinthians 9:1-2). Paul admits that his urgings of the Corinthians towards generous giving may be “preaching to the choir” since he has witnessed how their own example of giving has been an inspiration and motivation to all those who have seen and heard about it. Despite this however Paul is still concerned because he does realize the temptations to complacency and apathy that bombard us in our sinful nature: “But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given” (2 Corinthians 9:3-5). As Christians we must never rest on our laurels thinking we have “done enough.” What we have done in the past in not enough, what we have done up to today is not enough, we need to continually press forward in the works that God is working thru us. The call of grace proclaims that Christ has already done everything necessary for us (“It is finished!”) so we in turn are to give our entire lives over to endless love and service to all men. We always need to prod and beat our bodies to make sure that we carry out our intentions and don’t just sit around and talk about all the good things we are going to do. “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Thru this diligence and focus we will uphold the willingness of our giving, establishing it as an exciting opportunity and not a “chore” that we “have to do.”
Paul continues on to reinforce the general “principles” and ideas of Christian giving: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). Looking at these words it is important for us to dispel the false myths which claim that these words apply first and foremost to how much we are to give as Christians. These words are not about the “size” of our gift; what Paul is trying to convey thru these words is that Christian giving is only Christian giving when it is done with a willing spirit. “Sparingly” and “generously” do not refer to the arbitrary amount given or sown, but to the state of the heart. To sow “sparingly” is to give reluctantly and grudgingly even though the gift may be truly large in size; to sow “generously” is to give very willingly, happily, and with free love even though the gift may seem small to the world. However this proverb is not a validation of giving small amounts, but it is indeed a call to sow generously in proportion to how we have ourselves been blessed in this life. The man who gives willingly out of the love of Christ will indeed give sacrificially (according to what he has been blessed with) as he remembers the words of our Savior: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:37-38). Because we have been treated with the generous measure of Christ, we go out and treat others with this same overflowing measure of grace. We also have the sure Word of our Lord who promises to bless us as we ourselves use His blessings to help those in need: “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9). “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to” (Deuteronomy 15:10). In addition, our giving to the poor is in fact giving to the Lord Himself. What we do for the least of these we do for Christ Himself: “He who is kind to the poor lends to Yahweh, and he will reward him for what he has done” (Proverbs 19:17). “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Therefore Paul urges us to never give reluctantly or under compulsion, but to give knowing that we give to the Lord: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). God doesn’t want a greedy, grudging, or hypocritical giver; He desires us to give because we know that all we have is His in the first place. We do not give because we will receive in return; we give because we already have received all things thru Jesus Christ our Lord. “Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!” (1 Corinthians 4:8).
Paul continues on to emphasize the source and strength of our giving: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). In God’s grace of the Cross we have the sure promise that God will provide all that we need throughout our entire lives. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26). Paul is very specific in his words by saying that this provision from the Lord is not just “sometimes” or “most of the time” but that it is in fact “in all things at all times.” This means that no matter the outward circumstances of this life we can trust in the promise that God is providing what we need for today and will provide what we need for tomorrow. However God does not stop at simply providing our daily bread and provisions, He also provides out of His generous bounty the righteousness and good works which He desires for us do in this life: “As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 9:9-10). God provides our daily sustenance in order that we are enabled and empowered to abound in the good works which He has planned for us. He has created us for the very intention of doing these good works: “We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Therefore the purpose of all that we receive in life (everything!) is so that we can be generous towards our fellow man with what we have received from God: “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11). Whether spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, or materially, all the blessings and riches we receive from God are given to us in order that we may let them flow to our neighbors and enemies, bringing glory and thanksgiving to God thru them. As always, all that we do in our discipleship has the intention of ultimately pointing men to the Cross of Jesus Christ: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you” (2 Corinthians 9:12-14). It is important to notice that in these words Paul explicitly tells us that obedience accompanies the true confession of the Gospel. To know and believe the Gospel in the heart is to have its fruit of obedience in our lives; it is this very obedience that God uses to substantiate the message of the Gospel that we proclaim. Without these good works of love our faith and life is nothing but a sham, an empty and meaningless clanging cymbal.
In light of this generosity and grace from the Lord which transforms us into willing vessels of His work, obedience, love, and overflowing bounty, Paul proclaims a joyful exclamation of thanksgiving: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). The Lord’s work in our lives is astounding as He turns unwilling sinners into willing saints, greedy scrooges into generous philanthropists, impatient narcissists into patient servants, disobedient wretches into obedient disciples. Thru the Cross of Jesus Christ we are undeservingly converted into God’s workmen who rely completely on God’s grace and no longer on ourselves. Where we couldn’t ever measure up, Christ measured up on our behalf so that we might be freed to live for Him alone. However, knowing that this journey of sanctification and growth in our faith is a life long endeavor we must never think we have achieved everything there is. In this life we will never live up to Christ’s calling completely and yet it is our duty to strive towards this daily, running the race as we rely completely on His grace to pull us thru to the finish. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things…Let us live up to what we have already attained” (Philippians 3:13-16).
Paul continues on to reinforce the general “principles” and ideas of Christian giving: “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). Looking at these words it is important for us to dispel the false myths which claim that these words apply first and foremost to how much we are to give as Christians. These words are not about the “size” of our gift; what Paul is trying to convey thru these words is that Christian giving is only Christian giving when it is done with a willing spirit. “Sparingly” and “generously” do not refer to the arbitrary amount given or sown, but to the state of the heart. To sow “sparingly” is to give reluctantly and grudgingly even though the gift may be truly large in size; to sow “generously” is to give very willingly, happily, and with free love even though the gift may seem small to the world. However this proverb is not a validation of giving small amounts, but it is indeed a call to sow generously in proportion to how we have ourselves been blessed in this life. The man who gives willingly out of the love of Christ will indeed give sacrificially (according to what he has been blessed with) as he remembers the words of our Savior: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:37-38). Because we have been treated with the generous measure of Christ, we go out and treat others with this same overflowing measure of grace. We also have the sure Word of our Lord who promises to bless us as we ourselves use His blessings to help those in need: “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor” (Proverbs 22:9). “Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to” (Deuteronomy 15:10). In addition, our giving to the poor is in fact giving to the Lord Himself. What we do for the least of these we do for Christ Himself: “He who is kind to the poor lends to Yahweh, and he will reward him for what he has done” (Proverbs 19:17). “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Therefore Paul urges us to never give reluctantly or under compulsion, but to give knowing that we give to the Lord: “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). God doesn’t want a greedy, grudging, or hypocritical giver; He desires us to give because we know that all we have is His in the first place. We do not give because we will receive in return; we give because we already have received all things thru Jesus Christ our Lord. “Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!” (1 Corinthians 4:8).
Paul continues on to emphasize the source and strength of our giving: “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). In God’s grace of the Cross we have the sure promise that God will provide all that we need throughout our entire lives. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26). Paul is very specific in his words by saying that this provision from the Lord is not just “sometimes” or “most of the time” but that it is in fact “in all things at all times.” This means that no matter the outward circumstances of this life we can trust in the promise that God is providing what we need for today and will provide what we need for tomorrow. However God does not stop at simply providing our daily bread and provisions, He also provides out of His generous bounty the righteousness and good works which He desires for us do in this life: “As it is written: ‘He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.’ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 9:9-10). God provides our daily sustenance in order that we are enabled and empowered to abound in the good works which He has planned for us. He has created us for the very intention of doing these good works: “We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). Therefore the purpose of all that we receive in life (everything!) is so that we can be generous towards our fellow man with what we have received from God: “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (2 Corinthians 9:11). Whether spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, or materially, all the blessings and riches we receive from God are given to us in order that we may let them flow to our neighbors and enemies, bringing glory and thanksgiving to God thru them. As always, all that we do in our discipleship has the intention of ultimately pointing men to the Cross of Jesus Christ: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you” (2 Corinthians 9:12-14). It is important to notice that in these words Paul explicitly tells us that obedience accompanies the true confession of the Gospel. To know and believe the Gospel in the heart is to have its fruit of obedience in our lives; it is this very obedience that God uses to substantiate the message of the Gospel that we proclaim. Without these good works of love our faith and life is nothing but a sham, an empty and meaningless clanging cymbal.
In light of this generosity and grace from the Lord which transforms us into willing vessels of His work, obedience, love, and overflowing bounty, Paul proclaims a joyful exclamation of thanksgiving: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). The Lord’s work in our lives is astounding as He turns unwilling sinners into willing saints, greedy scrooges into generous philanthropists, impatient narcissists into patient servants, disobedient wretches into obedient disciples. Thru the Cross of Jesus Christ we are undeservingly converted into God’s workmen who rely completely on God’s grace and no longer on ourselves. Where we couldn’t ever measure up, Christ measured up on our behalf so that we might be freed to live for Him alone. However, knowing that this journey of sanctification and growth in our faith is a life long endeavor we must never think we have achieved everything there is. In this life we will never live up to Christ’s calling completely and yet it is our duty to strive towards this daily, running the race as we rely completely on His grace to pull us thru to the finish. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things…Let us live up to what we have already attained” (Philippians 3:13-16).
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