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Generosity Encouraged
1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that
God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe
trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich
generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were
able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they
urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to
the saints. 5And 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.
6So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to
bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7But
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.
8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of
your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For
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.
10And 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. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager
willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to
your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is
acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not
have.
13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are
hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14At 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, 15as
it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who
gathered little did not have too little."
Titus Sent to Corinth
16I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern
I have for you. 17For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but
he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.
18And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by
all the churches for his service to the gospel. 19What 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. 20We want to avoid any criticism of the way
we administer this liberal gift. 21For we are taking pains to
do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of
men.
22In 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. 23As 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. 24Therefore
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 9
1There is no need for me to write to you about this service to
the saints. 2For 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. 3But 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. 4For 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. 5So 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.
Sowing Generously
6Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap
sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each
man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly
or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And 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.
9As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the
poor;
his righteousness endures forever." 10Now 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. 11You
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.
12This 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. 13Because 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. 14And in their prayers for
you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God
has given you.
As followers of Jesus Christ, the way we handle our
money should reflect our faith. That’s what Paul’s instructions in this
passage are all about. In providing us with the Bible’s most extensive
discussion of financial stewardship, Paul offers several helpful insights.
First, generosity is prompted by God’s grace
(8:1-2). The Macedonian Christians were destitute. Yet when they heard
about the financial needs of their Christian brothers in Jerusalem, they
begged for the chance to give - and did so beyond what they could afford.
Were the Macedonians somehow different from us? Hardly. They were just as
concerned about paying their bills and feeding their kids as we are today.
But they gave out of gratitude to God for the forgiveness and salvation He
had given them. Generosity doesn’t come naturally to most people. But
gratitude for God’s grace frees us from the tendency to keep a chokehold
on our checkbooks.
Second, before we give our money to the Lord, we
should give him ourselves.(8:5) Once the Macedonians had given
themselves to God, giving away their money was easy. In fact, they
considered it a privilege. Never forget: God wants you before he wants
yours. In fact, when God has you, he’ll also have all you possess.
Third, when we give, we’re following Jesus’ example
(8:9). Jesus chose to aside his divine glory, clothe himself with flesh
and blood and live on earth in relative poverty. And then, with
incomprehensible generosity, he gave his life for us. Jesus did this so we
who were spiritually poor could become Jesus’ sacrificial love, and
generosity to you. Paul commended the Macedonians for doing just that.
Fourth, God enables us to give generously
(9:6-11). The principle is simple: “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
Unfortunately, some people twist this passage and believe Paul is
promising that if we give money to the Lord, He will give us more money
back - as if God is some sort of celestial investment counselor. While God
may grant you financial prosperity in life, the Bible doesn’t promise that
he will or say that he must do so. Rather, Paul says here that if we give
generously, God will make his grace abound to us (v.8). God is able and
willing to provide for us so we can give generously to his work (9:8, 11).
Finally, the amount of your gift doesn’t matter -
it’s you attitude that counts (9:7). While the size of your gift
should be guided by the resources you have, the Lord doesn’t measure his
approval of that gift by its dollar amount. Rather, he looks at your
desire to give from what you have. God applauds an attitude of sacrificial
giving, not necessarily the act of giving large gifts. (See Mark 12:41 -
44 for an excellent illustration of this principle).
Ultimately, financial stewardship is an issue of
submission to God and obedience to his will. Review these five principles
again and learn to live in such a way that your check book ledger reflects
a life that’s devoted to God.
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