Economic Integrity in the Church

“Paul’s Advice on Stewardship”

2 Corinthians 8 10-15

v.10 Paul gives advice to the church. His advice is that they continue doing what they started over a year ago. In 1 Cor. 16:1-3 we see the Corinthians beginning the habit of collecting money to send to the poor saints in Jerusalem. Paul encourages them to continue doing that.

He also says that it benefits them to give. The Corinthians would be blessed if they gave to the work of the Lord. The return of our monetary gifts may be understood in several ways.

God may bless us financially. I believe that God sometimes gives us more financially as we show Him we can be faithful stewards of what we already have.

God may bless us spiritually. We are emulating the character of God when we give. Giving to the work of the Lord is a spiritual act. As we grow in this grace we are transformed more into the likeness of Christ.

God blesses us with peace. Believers are commanded to give. When we refuse to do so we are in disobedience and forfeit our peace. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. As we respond with repentance God restores our peace.

It is for our benefit to give financially to the work of the Lord.

v.11 In essence Paul says, “Finish what you started doing!” Initially the Corinthians were willing to give to the work of the Lord. However, their commitment must have faded over time. Giving is a discipline that we must constantly work at. The easiest way to falter in this discipline is to be inconsistent with your giving. Inconsistency breeds complacency which often ends in complete abandonment.

We need to discipline ourselves by consistently giving to the work of the Lord. When we do this, we are far less likely to become inconsistent in our giving. Giving is a spiritual act that reveals our maturity. It is important to do it and do it regularly. It contributes to the furtherance of the gospel and benefits us spiritually.

Anyone can give sporadically; it takes spiritual discipline to give consistently.

v.12 God accepts the offering of a willing person based on proportion to what they have. In other words, God does not say, “Everybody give $1000.” Those who cannot give large amounts should not feel ashamed. We cannot give what we do not have. God looks at what He has blessed us with and measures our faithfulness by our willingness to give of what we have.

Believers are not to forsake obligations to give to the Lord. They are not to borrow money to give either. We are to give willingly, consistently, and proportionately.

God accepts our giving based on the state of our heart not the size of our gift.

v.13 The Corinthian church was made of predominately Gentiles. The needy church in Jerusalem was primarily a Jewish congregation. Some may have believed that since Paul was a Jew he favored the church in Jerusalem. Paul assured the Corinthians that his intention was not to ease some and burden others.

v.14 Paul believed that there should be an equality (balance) between the churches. At the present time the Corinthians had an abundance of resources. On the other hand, the Jerusalem church was lacking in resources. Paul wanted the Corinthians to share their abundance so that the church in Jerusalem could benefit.

This may not always be the case. In the future the Corinthians may need help from the Jerusalem saints. The church is the family of God. When we see needs between congregations, we should be willing to help meet those needs. Churches should be willing to share resources. All we have comes from the same God and is to be used for the same purpose (the kingdom).

v.15 Paul uses an illustration from the Old Testament. He references the provision of manna in the wilderness for the Israelites. The account is found in Exodus 16. God provided on a daily basis an equal amount of manna for all the people. The Corinthians are to follow the example of God. They are to provide for those who are in want. It would not be kind to watch others suffer while we live in abundance. God would not allow this in the case of the Israelites in the wilderness. He certainly would not look upon favorably within the church.

Jealousy often keeps the Body of Christ from sharing with each other.

v.16-17 Paul has at some length now been discussing the matter of stewardship. He has encouraged the Corinthians to give to the work of the ministry. Specifically, he wants the Corinthians to participate in helping the poor saints in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:3). It is important to recognize that Paul was not alone in his desire. God had also put into the heart of Titus the passion to help the Jerusalem saints.

This is important for a couple of reasons.

* Titus was a Gentile. The Jerusalem saints were primarily Jewish. Paul was Jewish as well. The false teachers may have used this as an opportunity against Paul. They may have told the Corinthians (the church was overwhelmingly Gentile) that Paul was only interested in helping the Jewish people. It helped Paul’s cause to have a Gentile pastor who shared in the same burden as he.

* Paul was not a dictator. He recognized the need to have partnership in ministry. He knew that more would be accomplished with a team than simply by himself.

Titus whole heartedly accepted the appeal of the apostle in the relief effort for the saints. He appealed to the Corinthians voluntarily. Paul and Titus shared the same vision in ministry.

v.18-19 Paul did not send Titus alone to receive the offering from Corinth. He sent an unidentified brother with him. We see two qualifications that stand out about this individual.

* He had a testimony throughout all the churches. He is unnamed here but not unknown to the early church. The phrase “who is famous” probably means that he was some type of pastor, elder, or evangelist. He was known as one committed to the gospel. He was well liked also.

* He was chosen by the churches to accompany Titus to receive the offering. Paul did not hand pick him. If he had the false teachers may have used that against Paul. They could have accused the three of being in on a scam together. All three men were known as men of integrity who were committed to the gospel.

“This act of grace” is the grace of giving to the poor. Paul and his co laborers were administering this for the glory of the Lord. The task also proved that the ministers, as well as the Corinthians were eager to help the poor.

v.20 Paul took the precaution of having the unnamed minister accompany Titus for a specific reason. He did not want the ministry to be blamed. He was very sensitive to the possibility of bringing reproach upon the name of Christ. The term “generous” implies that the gift being taken to Jerusalem was a substantial one. We do not know exactly how much money it would have been. It was, however, a large gift. Such a gift would be tempting. This is why Paul took the great effort to ensure that everything was done with integrity.

Many ministers and churches have lost credibility with people because of mishandling of funds. Throughout the age of the church there have always been those who take financial advantage of God’s people. Pastors and churches must guard against this constantly. Once you lose credibility in this area it is difficult to get it back.

v.21 Paul wants to be honest in the sight of the Lord and in the sight of men. He was concerned about how he was perceived by the public. If the people believed he was only interested in their money it would be difficult to reach them with the gospel. Believers should be concerned to some degree about the way the world perceives them. It is the world we are trying to reach! If we lose their confidence it is doubtful we will win them to the Lord (Proverbs 3:3-4).

v.22 In addition to the previous unnamed brother, another brother in the Lord was sent with Titus. This man had been tested by Paul and other ministers. He was found to be a diligent brother in the Lord. His diligence was even greater as a result of the Corinthians repentance (7:11-16). Their spiritual growth encouraged him and gave him confidence. Paul did not entrust just anyone with this ministry. All involved were strongly committed believers interested in the spread of the gospel.

v.23 Paul gives a description of the men of God entrusted to the ministry of the collection for the saints. If anyone wanted to know who these men were they could tell them what Paul is about to share.

Titus

* He was a partner to Paul. The two worked side by side in the ministry. Their goal was the same. They sought to spread the good news so people could experience the forgiveness of sins.

* He was also a fellow worker among the Corinthians. He was a partner to the Corinthians. He had been involved in helping them turn back to the Lord.

The brethren

* They are the messengers of the churches. They represented the churches. They were handpicked by the congregation. They carried the same message the church did. That message is that Christ is Lord and Savior.

* They are the glory of Christ. This means that they brought glory to Christ through their life. These men were truly salt and light.

v.24 The “proof of your love” is the monetary gift that Paul wanted them to give to the work of the Lord. The Corinthians are to show these faithful men of God how much they love the Lord and the church through their offering. When the Corinthians gave their gift, the messengers would see the reason that Paul boasted so much about the Corinthians. Paul was confident that they would not disappoint him.

Thoughts To Consider

1. God expects leaders to be held accountable.

2. Those who handle the finances in a church should be gifted and above reproach.

3. Shady financial practices have given many a church and a minister a bad reputation in a community.

4. The church has a responsibility to choose faithful men to do its business.