Lesson for August 30, 2023
The Book of II Corinthians
Chapter 8:1-24
Verses 1-15
“Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia,that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. So, we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.
Verses 1-15 are about Christian giving. Paul was encouraging the believers in Corinth to continue a work of grace giving that had begun under the ministry of Titus for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. Paul used the churches of Macedonia, who themselves were impoverished, as an example of grace giving. Paul addressed this subject in Romans 15:25-28; I Corinthians 16:1-4; Galatians 2:10; II Corinthians 8:1-5.
The Macedonians were impoverished but God provided for them because they were grace oriented. The grace of God is the fact that God had provided so much for the impoverished and persecuted Macedonians that they had an abundance to give to the impoverished and persecuted believers in Jerusalem. The principle is that when you understand grace and are living your Christian life on that basis, God will pour out blessing into your life that will enable you to give to others.
In order to properly understand giving we must first understand dispensations. A dispensation is a period of time in which God deals with mankind in a certain way to administer His policies. Each dispensation, therefore, has unique characteristics, as well as certain similar functions, as in the case of giving. In the Church Age, giving is both different and the same as in the Age of Israel (Old Testament).
Giving and tithing are different. Failure to distinguish between the two indicates a person does not know God’s Word and has failed to recognize the differences between the Age of Israel and the Church Age. Giving has always been a legitimate function for believers, but tithing is only for Israel in the Old Testament. (Leviticus 27:30-34; Malachi 3:10)
Tithing was a form of taxation for Jewish believers and unbelievers alike. The word means “a tenth.” There were several tithes that were levied upon the Jewish citizen: maintenance of the office of the Levitical priests, for national feasts and sacrifices, and for the poor. (Numbers 18:21,24; Deuteronomy 14:22-29)
Giving went beyond the requirement to pay a tithe (tax) because it involved the freewill of the giver. Properly motivated giving involves a willingness to honor God with the provisions He has given to us. Unlike the tithe, which was a violation of the law if not obeyed, giving was voluntary. When properly motivated by a desire to bring glory to God, a believer voluntarily gave over and above the required tithe. (Malachi 3:8-10 – tithes and offerings)
In the Church Age, there is no tithing requirement. We no longer have a Levitical Priesthood; all believers are priests. National feasts and sacrifice worship have ceased, and the local church is supposed to take care of its poor. Grace giving by a believer with the proper mental attitude will reflect God’s “grace giving” to us. In other words, with the right mental attitude, we will use the blessings that God has bestowed upon us to support God’s work. II Corinthians 8-9 gives us a list of principles about our responsibility of supporting God’s work.
But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. The Corinthian believers had been blessed with a great deal of money and with a great deal of doctrine. This, of course, should be a wonderful combination. In faith refers to their faith in God and His provision of material wealth so that they were able to give. Utterance means they did not just give “lip service” to what Paul had asked of them, they backed it up by starting a collection for their fellow believers in Jerusalem. Knowledge refers to knowing the doctrine of giving and helping other believers. In all earnestness means sincerity. In the love we inspired in you indicates that the Corinthian believers had begun a grace gift for the believers in Jerusalem from their love for fellow believers.
Verses 16-24
“But thanks be to God Who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord. We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches; and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness, taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you. As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.Therefore, openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.”
The wealthy Corinthian believers had begun a collection but had never completed it. (Acts 24:17; I Corinthians 16:1-5) Titus encouraged them to finish the collection so it could be taken to Jerusalem. The believers in Macedonia gave according to (and beyond) their ability, voluntarily, and willingly, without coercion from Paul or the other apostles. Grace giving is always a matter of a person’s volition, and np one should ever feel pressured to give. Giving is a function of the Royal Priesthood and a matter of privacy between you and God. A believer’s attitude, not the actual gift is what constitutes proper giving, and the Macedonians were happy that they were able to give.
The principle is: give as God has prospered you. Grace giving excludes emotionalism, guilt, fear, bribery, personal recognition, or gimmicks. If you give in order to get, you are giving for the wrong reason. The proper motive for giving should come from the application of and appreciation for Bible doctrine. Grace giving is a privilege that God has granted to every believer.
When properly done, giving is divine production, which is of eternal value. Not everyone is able to give monetarily at all times, but there are many ways to support a ministry. For example: prayer, administration, positive mental attitude, attending Bible class faithfully, helping with the children, etc. Our first responsibility is to take care of ourselves and our family. But we should always have an attitude of willingness to give. (II Corinthians 8:12; I Timothy 5:8)
The Corinthians had been taught the doctrine. Now Paul was encouraging them to allow the doctrine to motivate them to do the right thing and finish what they had started. This was Paul’s advice: “apply what you have learned;” give as God has prospered you. Christian giving comes from the stability that has been developed in our soul through the knowledge of Bible doctrine.
The principle of Christian giving is based on grace and is a matter of the correct mental attitude of the giver. God loves “a cheerful giver.” Giving cheerfully means giving graciously because we understand that everything we have is a result of divine grace. None of us deserves the rich blessings of God. Therefore, when we give, we must first make sure that our family has been provided for and then give as we determine in our own soul before the Lord. If you cannot give cheerfully, then don’t give. If you have no money to give, then find another means to support the ministry. The important thing to God is for us to have the right attitude with regard to giving: an attitude of grace.