2 Corinthians 8:1-7

2 Corinthians 8:1-7

And we have made known to you all, brothers and sisters, the grace of God that has been given in every church in Macedonia – because in a great examination of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed into the wealth of their generosity.  Because according to power, I witness – even beyond power – of their own free will while begging us with many appeals for the grace and fellowship of the service into the holy ones.  And not just as we hoped – but rather they themselves gave first to the Lord and then to us through a will of the Lord in order to encourage us and Titus – in order that just as he had begun an earlier work in the same manner he should finish in you all this act of grace.  But just as you all excel in all things – by faith and by word and by knowledge and by all eagerness and by the love out of us in you all – in order that you all should also abundantly exceed in this grace.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

As Paul moves ahead in this letter, he now turns to the topic of the collection for the saints in Jerusalem.  He reminds the Corinthian churches that the churches in Macedonia not only gave out of their excess but also out of their poverty.  This is what godly generosity looks like.  Remember when Jesus was in the temple area with the disciples watching rich person after rich person put in great sums of money into the temple treasury?  Yet, the person that Jesus chose to praise was the woman who gave all that she had out of her poverty.  Jesus’ point there – and Paul’s point here – is that generosity is an outpouring of faithfulness and trust.

How generous are you with supporting God’s kingdom?  How do you determine what to support and what not to support?

Second Thought:

The second point that Paul makes about the Macedonian churches is that they gave enthusiastically.  They Macedonian churches didn’t need to be reminded to give.  Rather, they just gave.  They gave to the Lord first and then out of what was left they likewise gave to Paul and the collection for the orphans and widows in Jerusalem.  It is one thing to give.  It is another thing to give out of one’s poverty.  It is another thing to give enthusiastically because we want to give.

Do you enjoy giving?  What makes it easy for you to give?  What makes it difficult?

Third Thought:

Finally, Paul makes the point that our giving should come out of our whole spirit, not just a single dimension of our relationship with God.  Our faith should lead us to give.  Our words should lead us to give.  Our knowledge should lead us to give.  Our eagerness to do the work of God should lead us to give.  Our love should lead us to give.  Giving is not just a single dimension of the Christian life.  Giving is the physical outpouring of the manifestation of our whole Christian spirit.

Do you give out of your whole self?  What does this look like for you?

Passage for Tomorrow: 2 Corinthians 8:8-11