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You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” NLT

‘As always, Paul’s vision of God’s people is firmly rooted in the Bible. And whenever Paul quotes a passage of the Bible, even four or five words, it’s worth looking at the original passage, often the entire chapter or paragraph from which the quotation is taken, and seeing what its overall sense is.’ Tom Wright

Tom points out that the Greek translation of Proverbs 22:9 says, ‘God loves a cheerful giver.’ He says that Paul and his churches would normally have read the Bible in Greek, and the passage he quotes would have been in their Bibles. He also points out that much of Proverbs 22 is about riches and poverty.

‘Proverbs gives a reasonably complete portrait of a wise and God-fearing person who knows how to be generous with money. Paul wants the Corinthians to see this as a portrait of themselves.’

He wants them (and we can say ourselves also) to fully inhabit the Biblical picture of a godly person. This will involve cheerful generosity.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. ESV

We note the repetition of the word ”all” in this verse, and the appearance of ”every”. This points to a comprehensive abundance in order to live the out-going life to which we are called.

We should not shy away from the Biblical world-view that says that if we give generously give to God, He will give back to us abundantly. But as we work through this passage we will see that the abundance is to enable further (and, I believe, greater) giving. It is not for hoarding, but for sharing.

Tom Hale is a missionary statesman, and I will quote him a number of times over the coming days. It seems to me that he has a helpful, and balanced, Biblical understanding of this subject. With regard to this verse he writes: ‘Let us never think that if we give to the Lord we will suffer loss. When a farmer sows seed in the ground, the seed is not lost – it turns into a harvest! God is able to make all grace abound to us – in all things at all times (see Matthew 6:31-33; Philippians 4:19…). What an amazing promise! God be praised!’ (Applied New Testament Commentary).

‘Even if I give the whole of my wealth to Him, He will find a way to give back to me much more than I gave.’ C.H. Spurgeon

 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ESVUK

Writing about verses 6-15, Tom Wright says, ‘Paul rounds off his careful and cautious appeal about the collection by standing back from the details of travel plans and other arrangements and outlining the world-view within which generous giving of the sort he has in mind no longer seems awkward or peculiar…As always, Paul’s vision of God’s people is firmly rooted in the Bible…’

The evangelist, Lindsay Clegg, apparently paraphrased verse 7 as ‘Hallejujah. Here comes the plate!’

In preaching on this passage, David Pawson said that what it means in practical terms is that we enjoy this part of the service. People may say that they enjoy the singing, or the sermon etc. But do we enjoy the offering?

Do you ever feel a sense of excitement about the opportunity and privilege of giving? May God grant that our giving should be a delight to us, even as we seek to bless others – that we might be like the Macedonians in feeling it is a ”favour” done to us, to be permitted to give (see 8:4).

‘Our service, our giving, must be done generously; our acts of mercy must be done cheerfully (Romans 12:8). If when we give we are not happy about it, then we are not giving in the right way. Let us remember Jesus’ words: ”It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Jesus said: ”Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8).

”…God loves a cheerful giver” because He Himself is ”a cheerful giver”. His self-giving in Jesus is the great example in these chapters: ”Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (15).

 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. ESVUK

This is such an important Biblical principle.

Giving our money and material possessions for the Lord’s work is like sowing seed in the ground. If we are generous in our giving, God will give to us generously in return. There will be a harvest.

”One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (Prov.11:24,25; see also Prov.22:9).

However, Tom Hale writes wisely: ‘As a man sows, so will he reap. This principle applies not only to material things, but to spiritual things as well – such as forgiveness, judgment, and sin (see Matthew 6:12,14-15; 7:1-2; Galatians 6:7-10…).

Jesus said: ”And if anyone gives a cup of cold water to one of these little ones…he will certainly not lose his reward” (Matthew 10:42). But if we selfishly give to others only to gain a reward, we shall lose the reward. We must give unselfishly and generously, without any thought for our own benefit. If we give in this way, God will surely bless us both in this world and the next (see Proverbs 19:17; Matthew 25:34-40; Luke 6:34-35; 14:12-14).”

I really don’t need to write to you about this ministry of giving for the believers in Jerusalem. ² For I know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.

³ But I am sending these brothers to be sure you really are ready, as I have been telling them, and that your money is all collected. I don’t want to be wrong in my boasting about you. ⁴ We would be embarrassed—not to mention your own embarrassment—if some Macedonian believers came with me and found that you weren’t ready after all I had told them! ⁵ So I thought I should send these brothers ahead of me to make sure the gift you promised is ready. But I want it to be a willing gift, not one given grudgingly. NLT

Although Paul fundamentally believed that the Corinthians would make good on their previous desire and intention to give, it appears that he was not totally confident. So we see him treading a diplomatic line, or so it seems to me, between saying, ‘I really believe in your good intentions’, and ‘Don’t let me – or yourselves-down!’

The key thing is that whatever they (or we) give should be ”willing” and not grudging. It is important to stress that Paul wasn’t asking them to do anything new, but just complete what they had already expressed they wished to do. So he wanted them to get the money together before his arrival, so that there could be no suggestion that they were giving with one arm twisted up their backs: only giving because the apostle was standing over them.

But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. ¹⁷ Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. ¹⁸ We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. ¹⁹ He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help.

²⁰ We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. ²¹ We are careful to be honourable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honourable.

²² We are also sending with them another of our brothers who has proven himself many times and has shown on many occasions how eager he is. He is now even more enthusiastic because of his great confidence in you. ²³ If anyone asks about Titus, say that he is my partner who works with me to help you. And the brothers with him have been sent by the churches, and they bring honour to Christ. ²⁴ So show them your love, and prove to all the churches that our boasting about you is justified. NLT

‘Satan is always looking to bring evil out of a good work.’ Tom Hale.

This is an important passage for highlighting the need of financial integrity in managing the affairs of the church. As church leaders we need to not only do the right thing but be seen to be doing the right thing. We should be committed to best practices in handling church money, and in accounting for it to the local congregation. Church administration ought to be carried out as well as we possibly can.

To avoid any potential charges of financial mismanagement, Paul would not handle this offering all on his own. Rather he worked with a team of respected leaders. One of them was chosen by the churches themselves. This was important, because if anyone falsely accused Paul and his colleagues of dipping their fingers into the offering bag, there would be a witness on hand to repudiate such an allegation.

As Tom Hale points out, Paul wasn’t concerned about his own reputation as such, but Christ’s. He writes: ‘…every Christian, insofar as possible, must protect his reputation from dishonour – even the appearance of dishonour. This doesn’t mean that we should avoid being dishonoured for Christ’s sake; all believers can expect to be dishonoured because of their faith in Christ. But it means that we should avoid the dishonour that comes from wrongdoing, or the appearance of wrongdoing. Paul wrote: Avoid every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). We must not give people any unnecessary opportunity to speak against Christ and His Gospel (see 1 Corinthians 9:12).’ (The Applied New Testament Commentary).

But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have. ¹⁷ Titus welcomed our request that he visit you again. In fact, he himself was very eager to go and see you. ¹⁸ We are also sending another brother with Titus. All the churches praise him as a preacher of the Good News. ¹⁹ He was appointed by the churches to accompany us as we take the offering to Jerusalem—a service that glorifies the Lord and shows our eagerness to help. NLT

It has been said that worship is really worth-ship. It is seeking to give God what He is worth, both by lip and by life; by word and by deed. Not that we can ever fully do this, of course. But it isn’t just about hymns and songs and prayers etc; it is, rather, about the whole of life given over to God. It is not merely about services in church, but a church in service.

Our passage for today shows that Christian giving is an act of worship: ”a service that glorifies the Lord”.

I remember reading that one of the Hebrew words for worship means ‘to move the body.’ I was just thinking this morning that the movement of the hand to the pocket and out again is part of our worship. At least it is if it is holding out a gift!

Now this had made us ask Titus, who has already done so much among you, to complete his task by arranging for you too to share in this work of generosity. Already you are well to the fore in every good quality—you have faith, you can express that faith in words; you have knowledge, enthusiasm and your love for us. Could you not add generosity to your virtues? I don’t want you to read this as an order. It is only my suggestion, prompted by what I have seen in others of eagerness to help, and here is a way to prove the reality of your love. Do you remember the generosity of Jesus Christ, the Lord of us all? He was rich beyond our telling, yet he became poor for your sakes so that his poverty might make you rich.

^10-15 Here is my opinion in the matter. I think it would be a good thing for you, who were the first a year ago to think of helping, as well as the first to give, to carry through what you then intended to do. Finish it, then, as well as you can, and show that you can complete what you set out to do with as much efficiency as you showed readiness to begin. After all, the important thing is to be willing to give as much as we can—that is what God accepts, and no one is asked to give what he has not got. Of course, I don’t mean that others should be relieved to an extent that leaves you in distress. It is a matter of share and share alike. At present your plenty should supply their need, and then at some future date their plenty may supply your need. In that way we share with each other, as the scripture says, ‘He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack’. J.B. Phillips

Although Paul uses the supreme example of the ”grace” of the Lord Jesus, who impoverished Himself for our sakes (and this impoverishment was not simply an economic one. It probably refers to the whole cost of our Lord’s generous self-giving), Paul did not expect the Corinthians to impoverish themselves. He just wanted for there to be a levelling-up across the church. God looks upon the heart. He sees and values the desire to give. The giving should be willing, in proportion to a person’s income and means. So it’s not a set amount that Paul has in mind, and that remains between the individual and God.

Give in proportion to what you have. ¹² Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. ¹³ Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves. I only mean that there should be some equality. ¹⁴ Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. NLT

This section ends with a quote from Exodus 16:18. Paul finds an illustration of the sort of equality he has in mind in the experience of the exodus community. When God provided manna from heaven, the needs of all were met. No-one suffered lack, and no-one had an over-supply.

I think it is important to bear in mind that Paul was writing about a specific and urgent need at that time, requiring a collective effort from the Gentile churches especially, demonstrating their oneness in Christ with their Jewish brothers and sisters. Nevertheless, there are timeless principles of Christian giving here, to be placed alongside other principles found elsewhere in the Bible.

I often think of this quote, but I can’t remember who said it: ‘If there’s anything you own you can’t give away; you don’t own it. It owns you.’

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