“The Grace of Giving!”

2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15

One of the major ministries of Paul’s third missionary journey was the taking up of a special “relief offering” for the Christians in Judea, who were suffering from a famine.

Acts 11:27–30 CSB

27 In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the reign of Claudius. 29 Each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers and sisters who lived in Judea. 30 They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul.

Paul had assisted in this way once before and was happy to do it again.

It was also Paul who remembered the “forgotten beatitude” of our Lord:

Acts 20:35 CSB

35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

Paul had other GOALS in mind besides the material assisting of the poor:

He wanted this offering to strengthen the unity of the church between the Gentile and Jewish congregations.

Paul saw the Gentiles as “debtors” to the Jews, and the special collection was one way to pay that debt.

Romans 15:25–28 CSB

25 Right now I am traveling to Jerusalem to serve the saints, 26 because Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27 Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. 28 So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain.

This offering was also evidence to the Jewish believers (some of whom were still zealous for the Law) that Paul was not the enemy of the Jews!

A third motive stems from a promise Paul had made early in his ministry to the Gentiles, to remember the poor!

Galatians 2:9–10 CSB

9 When James, Cephas, and John—those recognized as pillars—acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 They asked only that we would remember the poor, which I had made every effort to do.

UNFORTUNATELY, the Corinthians were not doing their part!

Like many people, they had made promises, but they failed to keep them!

In fact, an entire year had been wasted (8:10; 9:1-5) [Which, by the way, is a biblical example of making a pledge or promise for a special offering]!

What was the cause of this serious delay?

The low spiritual level of the church. A spiritually unhealthy church will NOT be a generous church.

Another factor was the invasion of the Judaizers, who probably siphoned off as much money as they could (11:20; 12:14).

Paul knew that it would be difficult to get the Corinthians to participate, so he lifted his appeal to the highest spiritual level possible: he taught them that giving was an act of grace.

In these two chapters, Paul used fourteen different words to refer to the offering, but the one he used most in chapter 8 was GRACE.

David Garland writes: “…Paul never mentions the word money when talking about this project. He cloaks the whole enterprise in language that has both a formal administrative character and a theological character. […] For Paul, however, this ministry is far more than simply delivering aid to poor people. It had major theological consequences and was something he was prepared to risk his life to carry out. Business language is therefore hardly adequate to describe it, and so Paul resorts to theological language.”

“grace,” “privilege” (charis, 8:4, 6, 7, 19)

“partnership,” “sharing” (koinōnia, 8:4)

“service,” “ministry” (diakonia, 8:4; 9:1, 12, 13)

“diligence” (spoudē, 8:8)

“love” (agapē, 8:7, 8, 24)

“willingness” (prothymia, 8:11, 12, 19; 9:2)

“generosity” (haplotēs, 8:2; 9:11, 13)

“abundance” (perisseuma, 8:14)

“large sum/liberal gift” (hadrotēs, 8:20)

“situation/undertaking” (hypostasis, 9:4)

“blessing” “generous gift” (eulogia, 9:5)

“good work” (ergon agathon, 9:8)

“harvest of your righteousness” (ta gennēmata tēs dikaiosynēs hymōn, 9:10)

“service” (leitourgia, 9:12).

More than just an amazing list of words, these two chapters demonstrate the strong connection of giving with our spiritual maturity!

Paul knew that this collection was a debt owed by the Gentiles; but it was even more: it was the working of the grace of God in human hearts.

Romans 15:27–28 CSB

27 Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to them in material needs. 28 So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain.

It is a wonderful thing when Christians enter the grace of giving, when they really believe that giving is more blessed than receiving.

Dane Ortlund (ESV Expository Commentary) refers to this section as, “Abundance through Poverty!” He writes:

This chapter is about divine grace and human giving. Grace without giving is fraudulent and no real grace at all. Giving without grace is moralistic do-goodism and only makes cranky Christians crankier. But when the grace of God in the gospel, outrageous and undeserved, in defiance of what we most deeply deserve, comes washing into our hearts, our clenched hands soften and we are released into the joy of generosity.

He further refers to chapters 8-9 as, “The Paradox of Flourishing through Generosity.”

Paul indicated that there were a number of evidences that appear when GRACE MOTIVATES our GIVING:

I. When We Give Despite Circumstances (8:1–2)

The Macedonian churches that Paul was using as an example had experienced severe circumstances, and yet they had given generously.

NOTICE two conditions that would seem to classify them as those needing assistance:

They had not simply gone through “affliction” (from thlipsis - ‘pressure’); they experienced “…a severe trial”

They were in “…extreme poverty” (v.2b), which means ‘rock-bottom destitution.’

The word describes a beggar who has absolutely nothing and has no hope of getting anything.

Their difficult situation may have been caused in part by their Christian faith, for they may have lost their jobs or been excluded from the trade guilds because they refused to have anything to do with idolatry.

The TEMPTATION would be for them to explain to Paul, “We can’t give—look at what we’re going through right now…This is not a good time, besides we don’t have any money! We’re a poor congregation…”

YET, the because of “…the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia”, God worked the OPPOSITE!

Their GREAT TRIAL OF AFFLICTION resulted in an “…abundant joy!”

Their DEEP POVERTY “…overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.”

No computer could analyze this amazing formula: great affliction and deep poverty plus GRACE = abundant joy and abounding liberality! (cf. v.3a)

It’s the same math we saw in (2 Corinthians 6:10)!

When you have experienced the grace of God in your life, you will NOT use difficult circumstances as an excuse for not giving.

SECOND, you know that GRACE is motivating your giving…

II. When We Give Enthusiastically – (8:3–4)

It is possible to give generously but NOT give enthusiastically!

A miserly church member once remarked, “The preacher says I should give until it hurts, but for me, it hurts just to think about giving!”

(v.3) - The Macedonian churches enthusiastic giving (“…of their own accord”) needed no prompting or reminding, as did the church at Corinth.

They were more than willing to share in the collection. They begged to be included! - (v.4)

How many times have you heard a Christian beg somebody to take an offering?

Their giving was voluntary and spontaneous because it was of grace, not pressure.

They gave because they wanted to give and because they had experienced the grace of God.

Grace not only frees us from our sins, but it frees us from ourselves!

Matthew 6:19–21 CSB

19 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The grace of God will open your heart AND YOUR HAND. Your giving is not the result of cold calculation, but of warmhearted jubilation!

Which brings us to our third point this morning, we will give with grace…

III. When We Give Because of our Commitment to God – (8:5-7)

NOTICE three things from (vv.5-7)

1. The KEY to grace giving is CONSECRATION – (v.5a)

Matthew 22:36–38 CSB

36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important command.

If we give ourselves to God, we will have little problem giving our substance to God.

2. Consecration to God results in a COMMITMENT TO OTHERS – (v.5b)

Matthew 22:39 CSB

39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.

It is impossible to love God and ignore the needs of your neighbor!

1 John 3:16–17 CSB

16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him—how does God’s love reside in him?

Jesus Christ gave Himself for us!

Galatians 1:4 CSB

4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

Should we not give ourselves to Him?

Galatians 2:20 CSB

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

He died so that we might not live for ourselves, but for Him and for others!

2 Corinthians 5:15 CSB

15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

3. Grace giving is a MEASURE OF OUR MATURITY – (vv.6-7)

Learning to give is in one sense is a proof or measure of our “excelling” in Christ – (v.7)

End of Part ONE.