TOMS: 2 Corinthians 9

For an introduction to this series, click here.

August 31, 2007

It's good to be back. I basically have a new computer now, and I don't like breaking in a new computer, but I'm sure it will be fine eventually.

This chapter continues Paul's message about the collection for the church in Jerusalem. It begins with a very peculiar statement by Paul: 
"Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction." (9:1-5) Remember that Corinth was in the Roman province of Achaia, which is most of modern Greece today.

Paul is saying he doesn't want himself or the Corinthians to be embarrassed by their lack of giving. This just kind of struck me as an odd way to say it. Obviously lots of people would find out how much the Corinthians gave, so that was an incentive. I realize this has to be balanced with Jesus’ teaching about giving to others in secret, so I’m not advocating for public giving. But God knows. And one day we might be embarrassed by how little we gave. Notice that the last thing Paul wants is for the gift of the people to be an "exaction." True Christian giving is never the result of force or manipulation. It is the result of a joyful heart in the Lord.

Paul continues that thought here: 
"The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." (9:6-8)

I've heard some people say, "God loves a cheerful giver, but He will take it from a grouch." I used to think that was true in the sense that the church will take it, but the Lord will not honor it. But the Lord is showing me a lot of things about giving lately. The Lord will reward a person who may not be exciting about giving but recognizes that the Lord will bless us when we obey. This is about the point where I am right now. The more we give, the more the Lord blesses and the more cheerful we will become.

Paul talks about the benefits of Christian giving, which benefits both the giver and the receiver immensely: 
"You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" (9:11-15, ESV)

The main reason we give is because of the inexpressible gift God gave us: salvation through Jesus Christ. The giver is blessed by the Lord for his gift, and the receiver thanks God for the gift and at the same time prays for the giver. How many times have I and all of us left this chain of benefit broken because we do not give? It is a crying shame how many blessings we forgo because we don't give. This chapter just goes along with what the Lord has been dealing with me about lately. 

You all have a great holiday weekend. I'm pretty sure I will, Lord willing.

(Boy did I ever! I met the love of my life, Beth Anne!)

TOMS: 2 Corinthians 8

For an introduction to this series, click here.

August 24, 2007

This chapter begins a long section on giving. This is a teaching much neglected in the church today, or at least Biblical teaching on the subject is hard to find. The main purpose of this section is to encourage the people to give to the collection for the church at Jerusalem. This was the first large fundraising project in Christian history. Jerusalem was suffering a terrible famine and there were many people starving.

Paul starts with pointing out the example of the Macedonians: 
"We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us." (8:1-5)

Notice the progression: they gave themselves to the Lord and then they gave to Paul's project. Spiritual giving is not the result of badgering or of pictures of starving children or abused animals in a TV commercial. Not that those charities are bad by any means, but that wasn't Paul's method. Paul didn't try to twist the arm of the Macedonians or even beg them to give. He presented the need and the people gave gladly and willingly, according to the will of God. Of course some churches are afraid that if they don't use the world's tactics their people won't give. To that I say, how will they know if they have never tried any other methods?

"Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything— in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you— see that you excel in this act of grace also. I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine." (8:6-8) 

We hear a lot about growing in faith, about our speech and knowledge becoming more and more like Christ, but we don't hear preaching about our giving being a similar matter. We hear more about beating people over the head about giving or embarrassing people into giving. Now Paul does that a little bit by mentioning the Macedonians, but it is not the entire thrust of his message.

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich." (8:9)

I want to stop and comment on this verse very specifically. A lot of people use this verse to point out the earthly poverty of Jesus. But that misses the point of the verse. His father Joseph had a trade and as a young man Jesus would have obviously been a great carpenter. The relative financial state of Jesus is quite irrelevant to His ability to save us. The point of the verse is that He left the eternal riches of God and became a mere man. Just that alone was a tremendous sacrifice, yet we are told that He did it with joy, just to reconcile us to Himself. Amazing.

"And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, 'Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.'" (8:10-15, ESV)

I honestly don't know how much you can apply this to regular giving to your church. I think we will discuss that more in the next chapter, but even here, Paul is specifically talking about raising money for the church in Jerusalem, not about giving to the church, which is what this passage is often used for. I'm not saying the principles taught here are not true, because they are and they should be applied. Apparently the Corinthians had started to collect money, but the momentum ran out. Spiritual giving keeps giving even when the collective positive feelings have worn out. We will talk more about this in the next chapter.