Second Letter to the Corinthians -- Chapter 8
Having reminded the Corinthians of the importance of the Law in leading us to godly sorrow that in turn leads us to Christ, Paul continues on to use the churches in Macedonian as encouragement: “And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches” (2 Corinthians 8:1). Paul is very deliberate in his intro by plainly giving all credit to God’s grace amongst the Macedonians, accurately recognizing that all their good deeds are nothing more than God’s work in their lives. It is not about the Macedonians, but about God’s grace in their lives. “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints” (2 Corinthians 8:2-4). The Gospel message had a very real effect in the Macedonians and this was seen in their outward lives of service. In response to the overwhelming love they received from God in Jesus Christ the Macedonians willingly and generously gave out of their “extreme poverty” to help the saints who were even worse off than themselves. Their giving was clearly a Christ-like giving for they didn’t stop at what they were “comfortable” with giving, but actually gave beyond their worldly ability to give. This means that the Macedonian churches willingly sacrificed their own standard and quality of living so that their brothers who were facing persecution might be helped; they gave not just out of their luxury but out of their poverty. “And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will” (2 Corinthians 8:5). Understanding their devotion to God first and their fellow man second, the Macedonians always put their discipleship and commitment to the Lord as priority one. Instead of thinking that monetary giving was some sure way they could be righteous themselves (as so many do!) they first gave their entire lives to God in response to the love of Jesus Christ. They put their entire lives, abilities, talents, and energies into God’s hands, serving Him with everything they had, and then secondarily they gave monetarily to help their fellow man. They truly went above and beyond the normal “call of duty” of man, displaying the love and service unique to Christians alone. Many unbelievers will do great acts of philanthropy, helping their fellow man in a worldly way, but it is only the disciple of Christ that will give their entire lives to God first and then thru His will serve neighbor and enemy alike in true love.
Having held up the Macedonians as an example, Paul urges the Corinthians to do likewise in their own lives: “So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:6-7). Paul wants the Corinthians to see that giving out of our worldly possessions is the completion of the work of grace in their lives. After grace has brought us to faith, secured us in Jesus Christ, put our lives in God’s hands, and brought us to love our fellow man, it will also move us to give generously of the worldly possessions we have been blessed with. Paul wants the Corinthians to see that God’s grace in Jesus Christ should pervade every nook and cranny of our lives, bringing us to love and sacrifice not only internally but also externally. “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others” (2 Corinthians 8:8). Paul however wants the Corinthians to be sure to see that he is not commanding them in regard to this giving. The grace of God never commands, it instead accomplishes; the Law demands, while grace on the other hand fulfills. Paul knows full well that if the Spirit is alive and at work within the Corinthians he will not need to command them for out of the love of Christ that lives within them they will willingly comply. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Following the example of Christ who has redeemed us, we are compelled by the grace of God to willingly become poor for the sake of our fellow man.
“And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means” (2 Corinthians 8:10-11). Paul’s knows that the Corinthians have willingly given in the past and therefore he urges them to see the race thru to the finish by continuing to help by giving according to their means. Paul fully realizes that the Corinthians cannot give more than they have so he is not asking for a specific amount; he only desires them to give all that they can, trusting that God will see to it that it is enough. “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have” (2 Corinthians 8:12). Therefore the key to Christian giving is not how much we give, but is the willingness with which we give. Before God’s eyes the size of our gift doesn’t matter, what matters is that we give according to how we have been blessed by Him. God blesses us specifically to give us the opportunity to use those blessings to serve and help our fellow man; every blessing is an opportunity to serve. We can take nothing with us out of this life and we know that God has promised to provide for our daily bread, therefore we willingly give out of our blessings to support those who are in need.
Paul continues on to tell the Corinthians the goal of the giving: “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little’” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15). Paul does not want to make the Corinthians “poor” thru their giving; he simply wants them to help out their brothers who have a great need at this time. The Corinthians are currently living in plenty and have far more than they truly need, therefore Paul wants them to help bring equality amongst the saints by helping those who are barely scraping by while struggling for the Gospel. Then when the churches which the Corinthians help are later blessed by God with material goods they will then in turn help the Corinthians if the need arises. Christian giving is a continuous and never-ending cycle of service and help as the Body of Christ takes care of every other member in generosity and humility. Paul hammers home this fact that we are to rely on God for our daily bread by quoting and referencing the Israelites who gathered the manna in the desert. The manna for the Israelites was a tangible lesson about living today on what God has supplied today, trusting that He will take care of us in the future. God wants us to cease being “self-reliant” and to learn to rely on Him for all goodness and supply (both physically and spiritually). This is to be manifested as we give willingly and trustingly to help all men, especially those within the Church. By giving generously when we are in plenty we become God’s hands, distributing His blessings to those who are looking to Him for their daily sustenance, and thru this we also exercise trust in God to provide for us in the future (since we are no longer greedily and selfishly trusting in our own hoarding).
Paul continues: “I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men” (2 Corinthians 8:16-21). Here Paul concludes by discussing the plan for the gift that he is gathering for the desperately poor church at Jerusalem. Paul doesn’t want the Corinthians to think that he is taking this collection for himself in the greedy manner of the false teachers of the world. Paul himself wants nothing from this collection for himself and therefore he has appointed trustworthy men who will make sure the gift is transported in its entirety to the churches who need it. Because money is such a touchy subject with people Paul wants to avoid even the appearance of evil, greed, or deception. “In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it” (2 Corinthians 8:22-24). In addition Paul urges the Corinthians to accept Titus and the other brothers that come with him. Paul wants them to see that they are worthy representatives who will remain faithful to God’s Word, and to therefore welcome them with the love of Christ that has been guiding their lives. Paul doesn’t want the Corinthians to put the light of Jesus Christ in their life under a bushel, but he wants them to display it from the hilltop for the entire world to see. Let us pray that we also follow this example and urging of Paul as we look to let God’s love and grace shine thru our lives of service to neighbor and enemy alike, holding out the truth of God’s Word in Jesus Christ for all to see. “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” (Philippians 2:14-15).
Having held up the Macedonians as an example, Paul urges the Corinthians to do likewise in their own lives: “So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:6-7). Paul wants the Corinthians to see that giving out of our worldly possessions is the completion of the work of grace in their lives. After grace has brought us to faith, secured us in Jesus Christ, put our lives in God’s hands, and brought us to love our fellow man, it will also move us to give generously of the worldly possessions we have been blessed with. Paul wants the Corinthians to see that God’s grace in Jesus Christ should pervade every nook and cranny of our lives, bringing us to love and sacrifice not only internally but also externally. “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others” (2 Corinthians 8:8). Paul however wants the Corinthians to be sure to see that he is not commanding them in regard to this giving. The grace of God never commands, it instead accomplishes; the Law demands, while grace on the other hand fulfills. Paul knows full well that if the Spirit is alive and at work within the Corinthians he will not need to command them for out of the love of Christ that lives within them they will willingly comply. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Following the example of Christ who has redeemed us, we are compelled by the grace of God to willingly become poor for the sake of our fellow man.
“And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means” (2 Corinthians 8:10-11). Paul’s knows that the Corinthians have willingly given in the past and therefore he urges them to see the race thru to the finish by continuing to help by giving according to their means. Paul fully realizes that the Corinthians cannot give more than they have so he is not asking for a specific amount; he only desires them to give all that they can, trusting that God will see to it that it is enough. “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have” (2 Corinthians 8:12). Therefore the key to Christian giving is not how much we give, but is the willingness with which we give. Before God’s eyes the size of our gift doesn’t matter, what matters is that we give according to how we have been blessed by Him. God blesses us specifically to give us the opportunity to use those blessings to serve and help our fellow man; every blessing is an opportunity to serve. We can take nothing with us out of this life and we know that God has promised to provide for our daily bread, therefore we willingly give out of our blessings to support those who are in need.
Paul continues on to tell the Corinthians the goal of the giving: “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little’” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15). Paul does not want to make the Corinthians “poor” thru their giving; he simply wants them to help out their brothers who have a great need at this time. The Corinthians are currently living in plenty and have far more than they truly need, therefore Paul wants them to help bring equality amongst the saints by helping those who are barely scraping by while struggling for the Gospel. Then when the churches which the Corinthians help are later blessed by God with material goods they will then in turn help the Corinthians if the need arises. Christian giving is a continuous and never-ending cycle of service and help as the Body of Christ takes care of every other member in generosity and humility. Paul hammers home this fact that we are to rely on God for our daily bread by quoting and referencing the Israelites who gathered the manna in the desert. The manna for the Israelites was a tangible lesson about living today on what God has supplied today, trusting that He will take care of us in the future. God wants us to cease being “self-reliant” and to learn to rely on Him for all goodness and supply (both physically and spiritually). This is to be manifested as we give willingly and trustingly to help all men, especially those within the Church. By giving generously when we are in plenty we become God’s hands, distributing His blessings to those who are looking to Him for their daily sustenance, and thru this we also exercise trust in God to provide for us in the future (since we are no longer greedily and selfishly trusting in our own hoarding).
Paul continues: “I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men” (2 Corinthians 8:16-21). Here Paul concludes by discussing the plan for the gift that he is gathering for the desperately poor church at Jerusalem. Paul doesn’t want the Corinthians to think that he is taking this collection for himself in the greedy manner of the false teachers of the world. Paul himself wants nothing from this collection for himself and therefore he has appointed trustworthy men who will make sure the gift is transported in its entirety to the churches who need it. Because money is such a touchy subject with people Paul wants to avoid even the appearance of evil, greed, or deception. “In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it” (2 Corinthians 8:22-24). In addition Paul urges the Corinthians to accept Titus and the other brothers that come with him. Paul wants them to see that they are worthy representatives who will remain faithful to God’s Word, and to therefore welcome them with the love of Christ that has been guiding their lives. Paul doesn’t want the Corinthians to put the light of Jesus Christ in their life under a bushel, but he wants them to display it from the hilltop for the entire world to see. Let us pray that we also follow this example and urging of Paul as we look to let God’s love and grace shine thru our lives of service to neighbor and enemy alike, holding out the truth of God’s Word in Jesus Christ for all to see. “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life” (Philippians 2:14-15).
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