I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.

9 You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

10 Here is my advice: It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. 11 Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. New Living Translation

In the mission hall I attended as a child, with my parents, there was a box at the back of the room that said ‘Free-will offerings’. Christian giving should not be commanded. Paul didn’t want to do that with the Corinthians. But he was not averse to drawing upon the inspiring example of the Macedonians, in order to encourage them to fulfill their good intentions.

C.H. Spurgeon apparently said, ‘If you’re going to give a tract to a hungry man, make it the wrapping for a sandwich.’ Paul, in all his gospel preaching activities, had also set up a famine relief fund, to help the poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. One year earlier, the Corinthians had been the first to want to give to the fund. They had also made a good start. He urges them to now finish what they started.

Tom Wright refers to a news item about a woman crossing the Atlantic single-handedly in a rowing boat. At least, she ended up doing it single-handedly. Initially, her husband had been with her, but he became exhausted and demoralised, and was flown home, leaving his wife to battle on all by herself. He had left about one third of the way across. He goes on to say, ‘Initial enthusiasm is not enough…with almost everything worthwhile there comes a moment when the initial energy has been drained away; the novelty of the project has worn off; and you have to make up your mind to go on despite the fact that at the moment it isn’t fun any more.’ (But he does hasten to add that he wouldn’t dream of rowing a boat across the English channel, let alone the Atlantic!)

In Philippians 1:3-6 Paul writes:  I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. NIV

Our God finishes what He starts. May He strengthen us to continue in every ”good work” He has put into our hearts.

For the Corinthians, this meant completing their contribution to the fund.

 ‘Giving is true having.’ C.H. Spurgeon