Lesson: II Corinthians 8:1-14
Golden Text: “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality” (II Corinthians 8:2).
I. INTRODUCTION. One area that is often neglected in ministry is giving. Giving faithfully to God is a way of serving Christ and His church. It’s something that every believer can do. However, the subject of money is a touchy one, especially when it involves the church. More disputes may arise from the collection and distribution of money than from any other church activity. To make matters worse, the news and entertainment media often give the idea that all ministers are greedy or financially dishonest. Many people who have given to the church think they are giving, but they are really just buying something. It may be that they want to be well thought of in the church (see Acts 5:1-11). Someone might give to buy the church organ provided his or her name or that of a loved one is placed on a plaque on the organ. When someone gives with strings attached, is it really giving? He or she may be trying to buy recognition or some other satisfaction. As in all things, we need to turn to the Scriptures for the proper viewpoint. In today’s lesson we shall study a good biblical example of giving as Paul encouraged the Corinthians to give funds for the support of believers in Jerusalem who were suffering from severe financial problems.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON. About a year earlier, Paul asked the Corinthian believers for money to help the poor saints in Jerusalem (see I Corinthians 16:1). They were to set aside certain amounts weekly and let it accumulate until he came back to collect it. He would then take or send it back to Jerusalem in anyway the Corinthians wanted. However, it seems that the church at Corinth hadn’t faithfully responded. Evidently, some false teachers were suggesting that Paul was keeping the funds he raised for the poor believers in Jerusalem for himself. In addition, some of them had questioned Paul’s authority and integrity. Having dealt with those issues, it appears that Paul felt confident that he could now urge them in the grace of giving. He did this in both II Corinthians chapters 8 and 9. In chapter 7, after expressing his desire that he and the Corinthian believers be reconciled (see II Corinthians 7:1-12), Paul told them how much he appreciated how well the Corinthians had received Titus and the confidence he had in them (see II Corinthians 7:13-16). This is where our lesson begins.
III. BELIEVERS GIVING FREELY (II Corinthians 8:1-7)
A. A good example (II Corinthians 8:1-2).
1. (vs. 1). Paul begins by saying “Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.” The phrase “do you to wit” means to make something known. Paul wanted the Corinthian believers to know “the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia.” The “grace of God” refers to the preaching of the gospel when God had graciously sent Paul into Macedonia to declare the gospel (see Acts 16:9-12) on his second missionary journey. The churches that were established in Macedonia as a result of the preaching of the gospel, were in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (see Acts chapters 16 and17).
2. (vs. 2). In this verse Paul continued to say “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.” Continuing what he said in verse 1, Paul wanted the Corinthian believers to know that the churches in Macedonia, even during “a great trial of affliction” meaning severe persecution for their faith in Christ, they still demonstrated an abundance of “joy” and “liberality” or generosity. Not only were they experiencing great persecution, but the Macedonian believers themselves were in “deep poverty.” In other words, these churches were very poor to the point of being destitute as seen in Paul’s use of the word “deep” to describe their poverty. Despite going through persecution for their faith in Christ and being extremely poor financially, the churches in Macedonia were willing to give freely to help others. In light of these circumstances, no one would have blamed them if they had not given. But they had so much joy in giving sacrificially that their joy “abounded” or overflowed into generosity. They didn’t have much, but they were willing to share what little they had.
B. A desire to help (II Corinthians 8:3-4).
1. (vs. 3). Still referring to the churches in Macedonia, Paul said “For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves.” With the phrase “I bear record” Paul was saying that he wanted to go on record acknowledging the generosity of the Macedonian believers. He bore testimony to their liberality. The words “For to their power” means that they gave what was in their power, or what they were able to give. But Paul went even further. He said that they gave “beyond their power.” The Macedonian believers not only gave what they were able to, but they even gave above their power or ability which was certainly more that anyone would expect them to give. These believers didn’t have to be begged to give either. They gave “willing of themselves” meaning they gave willingly without any prompting from Paul. Note: God doesn’t expect us to give what we don’t have, but He does expect us to share what we do have. The wise man of Proverbs teaches us that when we give to the poor, the Lord will give it back to us (see Proverbs 19:17).
2. (vs. 4). In this verse Paul said that the Macedonian believers were “Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” The phrase “Praying us with much intreaty” means that the believers in Macedonian urged Paul and his companions with great intensity. Paul said that they literally begged the apostle to “receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” These Christians wanted desperately for Paul and his companions to take their gifts and get them to the poor saints in Jerusalem. Today, it’s hard to imagine anyone begging to have a part in helping other believers who are needy, but these saints did. They saw this as way of taking part in “the ministering (or service) to the saints.”
C. A personal commitment (II Corinthians 8:5-6).
1. (vs. 5). The apostle continued to say “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.” Paul had “hoped” or expected that the Macedonian believers would give to the collection for the needy. He said “this they did, not as we hoped” or expected. But they went far beyond his expectation and “first gave their own selves to the Lord.” Their gift of money was a testimony to the fact that they had given themselves unto God first. When giving is done out of poverty or sacrifice, the person giving shows total dependence on God. They were committed to God before they did anything else. They understood that God is much more concerned that believers surrender themselves, body and soul to Him than He is with having anything we may possess (see Romans 12:1-2). These people dedicated themselves to the Lord and then Paul said that they also gave themselves “unto us by the will of God.” It was the will of God that these Christians first give themselves to God and then offer themselves to Paul and his companions for any Christian service they might need. Note: Try to think of how much joy many pastors would experience if their members demonstrated the same unity as these churches did and followed their leadership with the same excitement. The churches in Macedonia---Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea had given more than Paul expected or hoped for. This was sacrificial giving for they were poor themselves, but they wanted to help. The point of giving is not so much the amount we give, but why and how we give. God doesn’t want gifts given grudgingly. He wants us to give as these churches did, out of dedication to Christ, love for fellow believers, the joy of helping those in need, as well as the simple fact that it was the good and right thing to do.
2. (vs. 6). In this verse, Paul went on to say “Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.” The word “Insomuch” refers to the encouragement that Paul received from the Macedonians’ willingness to give. He was so encouraged that he said “we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.” Titus had visited Corinth earlier (see II Corinthians 7:6-7, 13-15) and on that visit the phrase “as he had begun” seems to indicate that he started the collection process for the poor saints in Jerusalem, but for some reason it was never finished. Because of the eagerness of the Macedonian churches to give, Paul told the Corinthian Christians that just as Titus had begun to collect the money on his previous visit, he “desired” or urged him to “also finish in you the same grace also.” It was essential that the Corinthian believers continue the work of collecting the money for the needy in Jerusalem so that the project could be completed. The word “grace” here refers to the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. It was called a “grace” because the ability to give is an indication of God’s favor on the giver. In this case, God had shown favor to the Corinthians in that they had plenty to share.
D. A reasonable challenge (II Corinthians 8:7). Now the apostle says “Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.” Even though the saints in Corinth had many problems, Paul declared that they still “abound in every thing.” The word “abound” here has the idea of “excelling in something.” Note: Paul didn’t say that the Corinthians had excelled in “every thing.” They only excelled in the things he listed: faith, utterance, knowledge, diligence and love. It should be noted that in the King James Version, the words “thing” here, and “in” occurring in the remainder of the verse are italicized, meaning they were added by the translators to give better understanding. The word “every” describes the five things named: faith, utterance, knowledge, diligence and love. They abounded in those things because of God’s grace. In this verse, Paul was giving a second reason why the Corinthian believers were to continue to raise a collection. The first reason he gave was that the churches in Macedonia had already done so. Their example was to motivate the Corinthian Christians to do as the Macedonians had done. The second reason given was that the Corinthian believers abounded or excelled in a number of other Christian graces. In other words, they were spiritually gifted. First, they abounded “in faith,” which probably refers to both the faith they showed when they responded to the gospel message and accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour, as well as the faith they showed in daily living. Second, they abounded in “utterance.” This refers to their speech and can include their ability to preach and teach. Third, they abounded in “knowledge,” the understanding and application of spiritual truth. Fourth, they abounded in “all diligence,” or earnestness and eagerness. Fifth, Paul said they abounded in their “love to us.” This refers to the love that the Corinthian Christians had for Paul and his companions. Paul then said that they should also “abound in this grace also.” This again is a reference to the grace of giving. Just as they abounded in the other five graces he mentioned, Paul urged them to also abound or excel in giving to the poor saints in Jerusalem. They were lacking in this ministry.IV. BELIEVERS GIVING WILLINGLY (II Corinthians 8:8-14)
A. Follow the example of others (II Corinthians 8:8-9).
1. (vs. 8). In this verse Paul says “I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.” Paul had apostolic authority (see II Corinthians 10:8; 13:10) and could’ve used it to command that the Corinthians to obey his instructions. However, when we remember that he was writing to some who had questioned his authority, we can understand why he chose not to use it. The apostle wanted his readers to give to help the needy in Jerusalem not out of compulsion, but “to prove the sincerity of your love.” Giving should be done out of love for Christ and for others. Instead of compelling them to give, Paul chose to use the Macedonian believers as an example of giving in love. This is what he meant by the phrase “by occasion of the forwardness of others.” The word “occasion” refers to the time that the Macedonians gave, and “forwardness” refers to the earnestness or diligence of their love. Of course, the word “others” is a reference to the Macedonian Christians themselves. Note: True love is demonstrated in deeds. If a person says he loves but doesn’t do what he or she can to alleviate suffering, especially among God’s people, there is reason to question that love. Paul was putting the Corinthians to the test. Did they really love God and those in need? The way to prove it was to give an ample offering for the needy saints (see II Corinthians 8:24). The Macedonians were the example Paul gave for giving to help the needy. They were truly giving as they purposed in their hearts, not reluctantly or being compelled. Therefore they were demonstrating the truth that God loves a cheerful giver (see II Corinthians 9:7).
2. (vs. 9). Paul continued to say in this verse “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” The challenge the apostle gave the Corinthians to resume their collection for the poor included the example of the Macedonian saints as well as the Christian graces God had given them (see verse 7). But an even more important reason for giving was the example of love demonstrated by Christ. He said that the Corinthians knew “the grace (or love) of our Lord Jesus Christ.” That love was demonstrated in the fact that “though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor.” The Lord Jesus, who had been rich, incredibly rich, didn’t let riches hinder showing His love for people. For the sake of humanity, Jesus “became poor.” He didn’t cleave to His heavenly riches (see Philippians 2:5-8), but instead He became poor by setting aside His rights as God and becoming human. Paul told his readers that Jesus became poor so “that ye through his poverty might be rich.” In other words, Jesus became poor by laying aside His divine attributes for our sake so that we, sinners, might become rich by receiving salvation and eternal life. Note: We know that Christ was deprived of much while He lived on earth. He was born in a stable. He had no place to call home, no place to lay His head (see Matthew 8:20). But it wasn’t these aspects of poverty that Paul had in mind. Instead, he was describing Christ’s act of incarnation, or becoming human. Jesus was poor because He embraced humanity, but He never stopped being God. He humbled Himself and learned the cost of obedience. Before He became poor, Christ was rich with all the bounties of heaven. When He came to do the Father’s will, He didn’t give up His deity, but He did clothe Himself in humanity, thereby giving up the independent use of His divine attributes. This was all part of His great humiliation. As sinners are convicted by the Spirit of God and exercise faith in Him as Saviour, they become rich. The great work of redemption displays the grace or love of Jesus Christ. Paul told the Corinthians that they knew about this. Christ gave Himself for them; now they were to give to His needy people and His work.
B. Finish what you started (II Corinthians 8:10-12).
1. (vs. 10). In this verse the apostle said “And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.” When Paul said “herein I give my advice,” he was giving his conviction or his strong opinion on what they should do about the collection for the poor. It appears that the apostle was doing his best not to directly command the Corinthians about this matter. Paul believed that it was “expedient” meaning it was to the advantage of the Corinthians to resume the collection which they had “begun before” or already started. They needed “to do” or continue taking up the collection that they had “forward” or willingly begun to do “a year ago” meaning a year earlier. They had stopped the collection effort for the poor saints in Jerusalem most likely because of questions about Paul’s apostolic authority. Paul’s advice was that they should pick up where they left off. They had shown the willingness to give, but now their willingness needed to be transformed into action.
2. (vs. 11). Paul continued to say “Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.” Paul encouraged these believers to “perform the doing of it.” We know that we should give to God’s ministries; that’s not the problem. The problem is doing what we should do. Paul encouraged them to “perform” or complete the collection. The phrase “that as there was a readiness to will” means that they were at one point eagerly willing to give. Since they were willing, there also needed to “be a performance also out of that which ye have.” In other words, they needed to complete or finish taking up the collection “out of that which ye have.” This means that they were to give out of their abundance or what they had. The Corinthians were better off financially than the believers in Macedonia therefore they could give more financially. Paul’s instructions here put the responsibility of giving above any legal amount or stipulation. It put the amount of the believer’s giving on a higher level---that of grace.
3. (vs. 12). The apostle went on to say in this verse “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” The important thing about giving is doing it with a “willing mind.” Where eagerness and willingness to give is present, the gift “is accepted” by God “according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.” God does not hold a person responsible for what he does not have. Instead, each person is responsible before God for what he or she does have---the ability to give. God’s blessing accompanies a gift given in the right spirit whether it is large or small. I like the Living Bible translation of this verse: “If you are really eager to give, then it isn’t important how much you have to give. God wants you to give what you have not what you don’t have.” Paul’s teaching is that when we sincerely wish that we could give more, God is pleased with what He sees in our hearts and He accepts that. What’s important is our willingness to give and following up on it instead of the actual amount we do give. When we drop that check or cash into the offering plate, we must do it with an attitude of cheerfulness and willingness. That’s what God considers the most important thing in giving. We must also be careful when pledging to give a certain amount (see Ecclesiastes 5:4). We shouldn’t and can’t pledge to give what we don’t have thinking that God will supply what we don’t have. Neither can we give to get back so we can give more. That’s putting God in a position that we aren’t authorized to put Him in, and He may not honor it. Note: How do you decide how much to give? What about differences in the financial resources Christians have? Paul gives the Corinthian church several principles to follow: (1) each person should follow through on any promises they’ve made to give (see II Corinthians 8:10, 11; 9:2-3); (2) each person should give as much as he or she is able (see II Corinthinas 8:12; 9:6); (3) each person must make up his or her own mind how much to give (see II Corinthians 9:7); and (4) each person should give in proportion to what God has given him or her (see II Corinthians 9:10). God gives to us so that we can give to others. Paul says that we should give of what we have, not what we don’t have. But let’s be clear, sacrificial giving must be responsible. God wants believers to give generously, but not to the extent that those who depend on the givers (for example their families) must go without having their basic needs met. Give until it hurts, but don’t give so much that it hurts your family and/or relatives who need your financial support (see I Timothy 5:8). Notice that Paul doesn’t mention the tithe. That’s because tithing was given to the Jews as part of the Old Testament way of giving. In the New Testament, tithing is only mentioned in the Gospels which take place while the Law was still in effect. The Law observances were abolished for the church when Jesus was crucified (see Colossians 2:13-17, 20-22). As a result, tithing is not mentioned in any of the New Testament epistles. Each person in the New Testament church is to give “as God hath prospered him” (see I Corinthians 16:2). If people gave as God has blessed them, in most instances they would give more than the tithe or ten percent. When deciding what to give, the tithe is a good place to start, but if you don’t have ten percent, but a heart to give, God will accept what you give.
C. Find a balance through giving (II Corinthians 8:13-14).
1. (vs. 13). In this verse Paul says “For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened.” The apostle wanted the Corinthian saints to know that in his request for them to give to the poor saints in Jerusalem, he didn’t intend for them to be “burdened” or hard pressed while “other men” probably a reference to the poor in Jerusalem, were “eased” or relieved. In other words, Paul was saying to the Corinthians “Of course, I don’t mean that those who receive your gifts should have an easy time of it at your expense.” The point Paul seems to be making was that Christian giving must not encourage laziness on the part of those receiving the gift. The goal was not to make things easy for the Jerusalem church at the expense of the Corinthian believers. The goal was that all the churches would be equally provided for during difficult times as we shall see in the next verse.
2. (vs. 14). In our final verse Paul says “But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality.” When Paul said “But by an equality” he was encouraging an equality in which those who had much, in this case the Corinthians, would share with those who had unusually great needs, meaning those in Jerusalem. What is meant here by equality is giving to relieve a need, not an artificial equalization of property. Verse 15 is not part of our lesson, but in that verse Paul used Exodus 16:17-18 to illustrate his point of equalization. In gathering manna, the person who gathered much really had only what he needed. By the same token, the person who gathered little ended up having all that he needed. Everyone gathered according to his needs. Note: The equality mentioned here may also be broader than this. It may refer to both spiritual and economic equality. As the Jerusalem Christians shared God’s truth with the Corinthian believers, the Corinthians, in turn were to minister to the physical needs of the Jerusalem saints (see Romans 15:26-27). Paul wasn’t expecting a full equality of financial or material holdings. He was aware that God in His sovereign wisdom has blessed some with more wealth than others. The point here is that when a need is present, we should be willing to chip in and help fellow believers with what we have. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we should care deeply for one another. The reason Paul gave for the Corinthians to share with the saints in Jerusalem was so that “now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want.” In other words, if the Corinthian believers ever found themselves in need, other churches would share with them; then there would be equality in giving.
V. Conclusion. Christians are called upon by God to exercise the grace of giving. That’s what this lesson was all about. The Corinthian Christians needed a lesson in giving to the Lord’s work. Paul gave them that lesson. He used the Lord Jesus and the Christians in Macedonia as examples of giving. Giving should be done joyfully and lovingly. We should give out of an appreciation for all that the Lord Jesus Christ did for us. We should be willing to receive from God’s people when we have a need, and we should be willing to give to others when they are in need. May the study of this lesson help you examine your level of giving. In doing so, here are some questions that you might need to answer: Do you give willingly and abundantly, or do you let other people do most of the giving? Do you give as the Lord has blessed you? Or do you give as little as possible? Do you give out of love for the Lord? Remember, Christ gave His all for you. The least we can do is give of what we have to help others.
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