9:1 It is indeed unnecessary for me to write to you concerning the
service
to the saints,
9:2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast on your behalf to
them
of Macedonia,
that Achaia has been prepared for a year past. Your zeal has stirred
up very many of them.
9:3 But I have sent the brothers that our boasting on your behalf
may
not be in vain in this respect,
that, just as I said, you may be prepared,
9:4 so that I won't by any means, if there come with me any of
Macedonia
and find you unprepared,
we (to say nothing of you) should be disappointed in this confident
boasting.
9:5 I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brothers that
they
would go before to you,
and arrange ahead of time the generous gift that you promised
before,
that the same might be ready as a matter of generosity, and not of
greediness.
The Principle of Sowing and Reaping
9:6 Remember this:
he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
9:7 Let each man give according as he has determined in his heart;
not grudgingly, or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you,
always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every
good
work.
9:9 As it is written, "He has scattered abroad, he has given
to the poor. His righteousness remains forever." (Ps 112:9)
9:10 Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food,
supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of
your righteousness;
9:11 you being enriched in everything to all liberality, which works
through us thanksgiving to God.
9:12 For this service of giving that you perform not only makes up
for lack among the saints,
but abounds also through many givings of thanks to God;
9:13 seeing that through the proof given by this service,
they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel
of Christ,
and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all;
9:14 while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf,
yearn for you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you.
9:15 Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!
Discussion Questions
vs 1-5 What words describe the Corinthian's attitude towards
giving?
If you were to motivate people to give, what kind of hinderances and
reluctance would you have to overcome?
How do you keep aware of the needs of the saints?
What techniques will help to make us reliable givers?
vs 6-15 How much does Paul advocate people give?
Does he even mention tithing (10% giving)?
What benefits may the giver receive from his generosity?
Besides meeting material needs, how might meeting material needs
benefit
the ministry spiritually?
Comments
Enthusiastic
Generosity
is Contagious
2Cor 9:1,2There 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.
Have you ever noticed your enthusiasm for something influencing
others? Have you yourself ever been stirred to action by the
enthusiasm
by others? The word "enthusiasm" here in the NIV is elsewhere
often
translated "zeal". "Never be
lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the
Lord."Rom 12:11"It is fine to be zealous,
provided the
purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with
you."Gal 4:18
Churches which are not application oriented are often so because
of
a lack of enthusiastic individuals whose actions prompts others to
take
action on their faith. "Therefore, prepare your minds for
action" 1Pet 1:13a
Overseeing
the
Ministry
2Cor 9:3-5 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.
One can divide most organizations into laborers and administrators
for
good reason. For there are those who are available with resources
but
without oversight such resources may go to waste. Granted that each
of
us individually as mature adults may play both roles with regards to
our personal lives. But to assure the completion of a project it is
best to have those devoted to overseeing its completion.
This is why the church has overseers. But such overseers must be of
a
proper character quality and perspective.
"Since an overseer is
entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless— not overbearing,
not
quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not
pursuing
dishonest gain."Titus
1:7
"Here is a trustworthy saying:
If
anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble
task.
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one
wife,
temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to
teach, not
given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not
a
lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that
his
children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know
how to
manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s
church?) He
must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall
under
the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good
reputation
with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into
the
devil’s trap." 1Tim 3:1-7
And to overseers Peter writes,
"Be
shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as
overseers—
not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants
you to
be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over
those
entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock."1Peter 5:2,3
And you can see particularly in this case that greediness must be
avoided in handling other people's money. The
Principle
of
Christian
Generosity
2Cor 9:6,7Remember this: Whoever sows
sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also
reap
generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his
heart
to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful
giver.
Unike under the Old Covenant where people were under obligation to
tithe, those under the New Covenant are under no such obligations.
Rather Christians practice generosity from the heart. Tithing, being
an
obligation, is not an act of generosity. For nothing which is an
obligation is an act of generosity. Consequently I would say that if
you haven't made a pledge to give to some cause, as the Corinthians
had
in this case, and if you feel reluctant in your heart to give, then
don't give. In fact concerning the amount of one's generosity I
would
recommend one give only up to the amount they don't feel reluctant
to
give. As for the direction of one's generosity, the Bible primarily
directs it to the poor, and poor Christians having the priority as
it
says, "as we have opportunity,
let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to
the
family of believers."Gal
6:10,
which
is
in
fact
the subject of the Corinthian's donation.
One thing that motivates the degree of one's generosity is the
degree
of fruitfulness it brings, just as the farmer who sows sparingly
also
reaps sparingly, but those sowing bountifully generally reap
bountifully.
Proverbs also speaks of principles of generosity:
"One
man
gives
freely,
yet
gains
even more; another withholds unduly, but
comes to poverty."Pr
11:24
"He
who
is
kind
to
the
poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for
what he has done."Pr
19:17
"A generous man will himself
be
blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Pr 22:9
And Jesus said:
"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 6:38
God
Provides
Resources
for the Generous
2Cor 9:8,9 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. As it is written:"He has scattered abroad his gifts
to the
poor; his righteousness endures forever." (Ps 112:9)
Paul clips a verse from Ps 112, but insightful to read the context
which says, "\Good will come
to
him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs
with
justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be
remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is
steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is secure, he will have
no
fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. He has
scattered
abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever;
his
horn will be lifted high in honor. The wicked man will see and be
vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the
wicked will come to nothing."Ps
112:5-10
And while the generous may experience difficulties, such is the case
in
the end. And King David, though himself experienced with
difficulties
writes of his observation, "I
was
young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous
forsaken or
their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend
freely;
their children will be blessed."Ps 37:25,26
God
Provides
Wealth
for Generosity
2Cor 9:10,11 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. 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.
Contrary to the selfish greedy "health and weath" gospel, the
blessings
promised for one's generosity are intended to be utilized in further
generosity, rather than being wasted on one's own vain and covetous
desires. For the reason why God makes one rich is in order that they
may be generous on every occasion.
And Paul writes:
"Command (rich Christians) to do
good,
to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to
share. In
this
way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm
foundation for
the
coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly
life."
1Tim
6:18,19
And what is expected of the receivers of such donations but
thanksgiving to God, which of course should be the natural thing to
do.
Interesing also that verse 9 is a take on Isaiah 55:10,11"As the rain and the snow come down
from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth
and
making it bud and flourish, so
that
it
yields
seed
for the sower and bread for the eater, so is
my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me
empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for
which I
sent it."
Thus another form of generosity is sharing the Word of God. So if
you
don't have much in the way of money, there you go!
Praise
Results
from
Generosity
2Cor 9:12,13 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.
The expected result of generosity is thanksgiving to God. And
consequently the direction of one's giving should be primarily
directed
to those who believe in God - as described in the Bible. (Gal 6:10) Common for
non-Christians to thank you for your generosity, but thanking the
God
of the Bible is another matter. But in any case whomever you give
to,
remind them not to simply thank you, but to thank God, who put it in
your heart to give. Yet seldom in the Christian community have I
heard
these type of rhetoric characteristic of Paul's perspective where
for
example he says, "I thank God,
who
put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you."2Cor 8:16
As for the "obedience which
accompanies your confession of the gospel", there's much to
be
said about that. The word in Greek is not expressing the sense of
obligation, but rather as the lexicon has it"a voluntary attitude
of
giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a
burden". Such a voluntary attitude comes naturally to the
Christian as such a person is born-again and given the Spirit of God
as
Ezekiel says, "I will give you
a
new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your
heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my
Spirit
in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my
laws."Eze 36:26,27
But
while the Spirit prompts us to action, it's still a voluntary act to
cooperate with the Spirit of God.
Give
and
You
Shall be Prayed For
2Cor 9:14,15And in their prayers for you their
hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has
given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Be encouraged to pray for other Christians around the world who may
not
be affiliated with your particular church. For we are one body,
having
the same Spirit. And if you want people to pray for you, then
practice
generosity. For people praying for you is a byproduct of your
generosity.
What is the surpassing grace given them? There are a numbers of
mention
of grace. In 2Cor 8:1,2 he
speaks of the "the grace that
God
has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial,
their
overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich
generosity.",
which
is
to say that God's grace in that case was God imparting the
Macedonians with a spirit of generosity. And he encourages the
Corinthians to "excel in this
grace of giving."2Cor
8:7b
But right after this he speaks of 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."2Cor 8:9
In fact the "indescribable gift" may allude to all these kinds of
things. For it was because of Christ's sacrifice that they were
given
the Spirit of God which imparts spiritual gifts and invokes
character
qualities such as generosity.
It's interesting though that he speaks of the gift being
"indescribable", and yet the preaching the gospel involves telling
people about the grace of God in Christ paying for sin. Yet there's
a
depth to God's grace which cannot be communicated by words but
rather
we gain by experiencing it. The word "surpassing" is "huperballo" in
the Greek, which is where we get the word hyperbole. God's grace is
transcendant. One cannot make too much of it.