About Jesus    Steve Sweetman

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This Section - Chapters 8 and 9

ch. 8:1-15    ch. 8:16 - 9:5    ch. 9:6-15 

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Generosity Encouraged  (ch. 8:1 - 15)

Paul makes a bit of a shift in his train of thoughts at this point in his letter.  He refers to the churches of Macedonia (a Roman province).  He says that they gave (financially) with “joy”, even though they were going through “great trials” and were “extremely poor”, (NIV says extreme poverty)  We need to note that these Christians were very poor, even though they were Christians.  I say this in light of the teaching concerning “prosperity”.  Prosperity teaching teaches that Christians should not be poor but wealthy. Those holding to this teaching say that if you have sufficient faith, you should be able to expect material blessings and wealth from God.  None of us needs to be poor,  that is, if you have lots of faith.  The Macedonian Christians were far from rich.  They were extremely poor.  I am also sure they had lots of faith since they gave despite their great poverty.  I won't get side-tracked on the "Prosperity Gospel" as some call it.  I've discussed that elsewhere.  I'll only say, it is not Biblical.       

Even though  these Christians were very poor, they gave with “rich generosity”.  They gave “as much as they were able and even beyond their ability”.   This says something about these Christians.  Paul was quite pleased with them because of their giving.  This should say something to us today concerning our giving.  We should not withhold giving since we are poor. 

Note here that the financial giving was to people in need.  It is my thinking that much of our giving in the modern church only goes to serve ourselves, and not those who need it most.  Much of our money goes to our buildings and our organizations that serve us more than those outside of our ranks.  I think we need to think about where we give.  We need to give responsibly.  Also note here that Paul is not talking about tithing. Paul says nothing about tithing in his writings.  If you believe that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews, that book does speak about tithing, but it is in the context of the Old Testament.  Paul speaks about giving generously according to the ability you have to give.  I believe this is New Testament thinking on giving.  I don't believe tithing is a New Testament concept.  I won't explain that because I've done that elsewhere.      

Paul says in verse 4 that these people ‘urgently pleaded with us to share” in this giving.  Paul may not have even asked for a financial gift, or maybe he did but did not expect their eager response.  They “pleaded’ with Paul in this matter of giving. I suppose most pastors would like such a congregation.  The Macedonian churches viewed this giving as a “privilege”, something they did not have to do, but really wanted to do.  It is hard for me to even imagine that people are so willing to give that they plead with Paul to give.   As a youth I remember just the opposite.  I remember long drawn out appeals that could last a half our when the offering was taking up in a Sunday morning service.  I also remember multiple offerings in some service.   The pastor was the one dong the pleading, not those in the pew.  

In verse 5 Paul says that they “did not do as he expected”, meaning, these Christians went farther then Paul would anticipated for them.  “They first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us”, Paul says.  Part of the proof of these people giving themselves to Jesus was seen in their giving to their brothers in the Lord. 

I think there is a major point to be made here.  To the degree we give ourselves to the Lord, will be the degree in which we will be able to give from pure motives.  Our relationship with Jesus is primary in our lives.

In verse 6 Paul alludes to the fact that Titus was involved somehow in the encouragement of the Corinthian church in giving as well.  This giving most likely was the fund raiser that Paul was a part of to raise money for the poor saints in Jerusalem .

Paul recognized that the Corinthians were growing in “faith, speech, knowledge and love, but now he wants them to also grow in their “grace of giving”.  This term that Paul uses, that is, “grace of giving” is important.  It takes God’s grace to give to such a degree as the Macedonians gave.  Grace is inherently involved in giving.  We have received grace from God and therefore His grace should encourage and enable us to give graciously as well.  Earlier Paul said that the Macedonians gave with “joy”.  Jesus tells us to give with joy.  The attitude in which we give is important.  If we do not give with joy, I am not sure that God is pleased with our giving.  Yes, the recipients of our giving may be happy, but it will accomplish nothing for us. God loves a cheerful giver.

In verse 8 Paul tells us why he brought the Macedonians into the discussion in his letter.  He hopes by comparing the Corinthians with the Macedonians, this will encourage the Corinthians to give as well.  Paul tells his readers that he is not commanding them to give.  He is merely encouraging them to give.  As he puts it, “this is a test of your love”.  If we say we love, we will give in whatever way we can.  Love without practical giving is not love.

After comparing the Corinthians to the Macedonians, Paul compares them to Jesus Himself.  He uses Jesus as an example by saying, that Jesus “though He was rich, He became poor for your sakes, so that you through His poverty might become rich”.  This is the example for us to follow.  This is where the "Prosperity Gospel" goes wrong.

What does Paul mean when he says that Jesus became poor so that we might become rich ? Prosperity people would use this verse in their defense.  Does this therefore mean that we should all be rich due to the fact that we are Christians?  In the context I am sure that Paul is talking about “material riches”.  I believe that you could expand this idea into spiritual and eternal riches as well.  Yet we need to understand these words in light of Paul’s thinking about financial riches.  It is clear from all of his writings that money means little to Paul.  Doing the will of God means everything.  Paul felt that he was rich just because he had received the grace of God into his life.  That was good enough for him.  If he received any financial benefits beyond God’s grace, well that would be great, but not all that necessary.  It is my understanding that Paul meant that first and foremost Jesus became poor so that we might become spiritually and eternally rich.  In the next life, we will be very rich, both materially and spiritually.  On earth, we may experience material riches, but not necessarily.  We must remember that God’s plan for us is for eternity.  The earthly aspect of His plan is very temporal.  If He blesses us with earthly riches, we can rejoice as we share them with others.  If not, we should enjoy our relationship with Him. Because that is the important thing.

In short, I believe that Jesus became poor, so that we might become rich in the next life.  Until then, we follow  Jesus' example so we can bless others as He blessed others.

In verse 10 Paul offers the Corinthians some “advise”.  He says that “last year you were not only the first to give but you had a desire to do so”.  These people were really willing to give of their money for the cause.  But now Paul wants them to finish what they have started, complete what they have pledged to give, “according to your means”.  Note the use of the phrase, “according to your means”.  Even though the Macedonians gave “beyond their ability”, Paul only expects people to give according to their ability.  If you want to go farther than that, that is your decision, but at least give “according to your means”.

Paul continues by saying that the “willingness” to give is the important thing.  If you are willing to give according to your means and you do so, that is what God desires.  He specifically says that we should give according to what we have, “not according to what we don’t have”. 

In all that Paul says here about giving, he never uses the word tithe, or a tenth.  He uses the phrases “giving according to your means”, or ‘according to what you have, not what you don’t have”. 

In verse 13 Paul states the reason why he wants people to give.  He says that he wants “equality” among the believers.  He does not want the Corinthians to become poor because of their giving.  He wants all Christians to live by a median income, meaning equal. 

Some over the years have seen this verse as a form of socialism, or even communism, but that's not Paul's point.  The giving that leads to equality here is not forced giving.  It's giving based on our heart's desire to give, a heart that has been blessed by Jesus.  There is no hint of socialism and communism here that is forced on you by one in authority. 

At the moment the Corinthians “plenty would supply what they (the poor Christians) need, and in turn their plenty would supply what you need”.  Paul did believe in equality.  Communists would often quote Paul on this point, but Paul was not a dictatorial  communist.  Yes, he believed in equality, but he believed in the joyful exchange of money in order to bring everyone on the same level.  He did not use any dictatorial influence.  He only asked and encouraged such giving based on what Christians had received from God. 

The Corinthians at the moment had extra.  They could afford to give to the poor saints in Jerusalem .  Maybe someday the poor Jewish saints would return the favour, or maybe they could return the favour by giving in some other way at the present time.

Paul backs up his point by quoting from Ex. 16:18 which says, “he that gathered much did not have too much, and he that gathered little did not have too little”.  Whether you worked hard and gathered little or lots, the end result in Paul’s mind should be equality of material wealth.

Titus Sent To Corinth (ch. 8:16 – 9:5)

In verse 16 and 17 Paul relates to the Corinthians Titus’ concern that he has for them.  This concern was not as a result of Paul’s influence, but a genuine heart felt concern he had.  Paul was going to send Titus back to Corinth along with another unnamed, but  well respected person.  This unnamed person was chosen by many of the churches to accompany Paul and his fellow workers with the financial contribution they collected for the poor saints in Jerusalem .

Paul says that the collection of this money is meant to “honour the Lord Himself”.  This is a Scriptural principle, that is, we honour the Lord by serving others. 

Concerning the special gift of money, Paul says in verse 21 that he wants “to do what is right”.  He also says in verse 20 that he wants to “avoid any criticism”, thus the reason for this well respected person that was chosen by the churches to accompany Paul on his journey.  Paul took his work seriously.  He knew well that he would encounter criticism if there was not an outsider, well liked by all, to keep watch over him and his companions.  I am sure Paul would have handled the money properly, but in order to  avoid false criticism from without, he submitted himself to the watchful eye of someone else.   He said that he did not only want to do “right in the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes of men”. (ch. 8:21)  Our modern word for this would be “accountability.  This is very important for our modern church, especially in light that the world is watching the church very closely when it comes to money.

In verse 21 Paul says that he is sending another unnamed man along with Titus and the other unnamed man.  This second unnamed man has “proved himself in many ways”. 

In verse 23 Paul calls Titus “a partner and fellow worker”, while the other men he notes as being representatives of the churches.  With this in mind Paul encourages the Corinthians to show themselves worthy of the change that they say has taken place in their church. 

The beginning few verses in chapter 9 continues on in Paul’s train of thinking.  It appears that part of the reason why these men were coming to Corinth was to collect the money that they had saved up.  Paul says that he wasn’t going to remind them of their pledge.  He simply remembers what they had told him a year earlier, that they were very eager to contribute to the cause, and now it was time to collect. 

Paul may have said that he did not want to speak too much to this matter of giving, yet maybe subconsciously he is putting a little pressure on these people.  In verse 3 of chapter 9 he says, “I am sending the brothers in order that the boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you should be ready, as I said you would be”.  Is this subliminal pressure, or merely and encouraging reminder? 

In verse 4 he says, “for if any Macedonians come and find you unprepared, we, not to say anything about you, would be ashamed…”.  This definitely is at least some strong words of encouragement, if not a bit of arm twisting. 

In verse 5 we see part of Paul’s plan.  He was sending Titus and the other unnamed brothers to Corinth “in advance” of his own coming, so that they could make the arrangements concerning their gracious gift, so that when Paul actually arrived himself, everything would be ready.  The gift of money would have been gathered joyfully and everyone would be happy.  Paul would not have to go through all this in person.  In Paul's heart, he really did want things to go smoothly, and he'd rather admonish n a letter than in person.  He'd rather just have a good time with these people when he arrived in town.  

Sowing Generously (ch. 9:6 – 15)

In this next section Paul continues on the theme of giving.  He says, “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, whoever sows generously will also reap generously”.  The sowing analogy is an agricultural one.  The more seeds you plant, the more chances of reaping a big harvest.  This is a sales principle as well in business.  If you want to sell something, the more contacts you make. the more chances you have in making a sale. 

Paul says that “each man should give according to what he had decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”.  A couple things should be noted here.  One thing is that the individual should decide for himself what he should give in this matter.  Note that there is no talk about tithing here.  This is an individual matter of giving, that is decided in the heart of men.  You might say that before the Lord you decide what to give. You don’t give because someone is telling you to give.  You give because you want to give, and you do it cheerfully.  There is no undue pressure here.

Paul goes on to say in verse 8, “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".  What is Paul saying here?  Is he saying that if you give cheerfully, God will bless you financially?  This is partly true.  I believe Paul is saying that if you give from a cheerful heart God will look after you, yet at the same time he will help you “abound in every good work”.  This is important.  The emphases is not on the Lord blessing you because you give.  The emphases is on God giving you grace to do good works as you continue to give.  Financial blessings are secondary.  Good works are the primary result of giving.  Now there's a thought for the "Prosperity Gospel" folk. 

Paul quotes from Psa. 112:9 to back up his point.  The quote reads, “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor….”  This is meant to be an encouragement to give to the poor that is among you.

In verse 11 Paul says that “you will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous”.  Note that being rich is more than just financially, although it would include finances.  Yet the reason why you would be rich is in order to help the poor.  Can this verse be used as a “Prosperity Teaching” proof text?  Paul does seem to suggest that if the Corinthians give cheerfully that God will reward them in order to do more good works, in order to give again.  You must note then that if you are blessed by God, the blessing is meant to be passed on to others.  Yet at the same time this blessing is to be given to poor people, including poor Christians.

The idea that there are poor Christians would suggest that God does not bless everyone alike.  It is His prerogative or choice to bless whom He wishes.  This may be hard to understand.  Paul suggests here that if you give, the Lord will look after you, to the extent that you can give even more.  Yet at the same time there are poor Christians that need to be the recipients of this giving.  Why are these Christians poor?  Is the giving of money to them part of God’s blessing towards them?  Whatever the case, Paul as stated before, is interested in equality, not riches.

I'd suggest that you look around the next time you are in church, and see if there is financial equality among those who are sitting in the pews with you.  My guess is that there is not financial equality.  If that is the case, then your church is not following the Word of the Lord on this point.   Your church is probably not spending it's money properly, because I believe Paul would say that people come first.

In verses 12 and 13 Paul says that there is a secondary result in being generous.  Yes, the people to whom you give money to will be helped, yet they will also thank God for the gift.  The thanking of God in Paul’s mind is just as important as the equality that results in the giving. He says that “men will praise God for your obedience”.  It is this expression of praise to God that is important in the mind of Paul, possibly even more than the equality that comes from giving. 

Part of verse 13 says that this “obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ”.  We should back up our confession with action.  If someone really has accepted the gospel of Christ, it should be evident in his actions.  This is what Paul is saying here.  The Corinthians have a confession of faith, therefore they should prove its validity by giving.

In verse 14 Paul says that those who receive the gift and see the love in action will not only give thanks to God but their hearts will go out to the one giving.  This is relational, another thing that Paul is very interested in. 

You remember earlier when Paul said that he opened his heart wide to the Corinthians, yet they did not extend the same affection in return.  He was quite sorrowful as a result of this.  The same feelings can be seen in his words here.  When you give, the people receiving the gift will open their hearts to you. 

Paul ends this chapter by saying, “thanks be to God for His indescribable gift”.  The gift that Paul is talking about here is the gift of Salvation, and all that it encompasses.  This would include such things as Jesus Himself, the Holy Spirit, the present and future kingdom of God , among many other things.  If we have received this indescribable gift, then anything we have in the way of materialism isn't all that important.  We should view everything we have in light of the gift we have from God, that is, Jesus Himself.