October 18, 2014
Tom Lowe
The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
III. Appeal of Paul’s Ministry. (8:1–9:15.)
Lesson III.B:Faithfulness Exhorted. (8:6-15)
Part-1: The example of the Macedonian Churches. (Verses 6-8)
Faithfulness Exhorted.
Part-1: The example of the Macedonian Churches. (Verses 6-8)
Part-2: Follow Christ’s example. (Verse 9)
Part-3: Paul challenges the Corinthian believers. (Verses 10-12)
Part-4: Paul tells them to give to set a precedent. (Verses 13-15)
2nd Corinthians 8:6-8 (NKJV)
6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.
7 But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also.
8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.
Introduction
In 2 Corinthians 8:6-8 Paul recommends to the Corinthians that they follow the example of the Macedonian Churches when they make a contribution for the poor and needy brethren in Judea, as well as in other graces.
Commentary
6 So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.
Jerusalem had been impoverished through the famines in Judea in the 40’s. Paul was led by the Spirit to take up a collection for the Christians in Jerusalem, who were suffering hardships and needed help. The collection was both an act of charity as well as a symbol of unity between the Gentiles and the Jews in the church (Acts 11:27-30; Gal. 2:10). Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 8:5 that the Macedonian believers gave themselves to God. And, dear reader, if God doesn’t have you, He doesn’t want anything from you. If God doesn’t have the hand, He doesn’t want the gift that is in the hand. But, if we give ourselves to God, we will have little problem giving to God, we will also give of ourselves for others. Paul says that the grace that motivated the Macedonians should be the same grace that would motivate the Corinthians. The real test of any person lies in what he gives. Someone has said there are three books that are essential for a worship service: the first book is the Bible, the second is the hymn book, and the third is the pocket book. Giving is a part of our worship of God. If we do not have the grace of giving, we should pray to God and ask Him to give us a generous, sharing spirit.
Paul would send Titus back to Corinth to encourage the believers to complete their share in this ministry of giving for relief of the poor and needy in Judea—in other words, to finish the collection there. Paul indicates in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 that this collection has been in progress for some months at least; so we must conclude that Titus began the collection in Corinth before he went there with the “stern letter” from Paul. He must have begun the collection there either when he carried 1 Corinthians to them, or at an even earlier time. Such an earlier time seems indicated by 1 Corinthians 16:1-4. The Macedonian gift was complete and ready, so he wants the Corinthian collection (1 Corinthians 16:1) to be speedily completed and added to the Macedonian gift.
On his previous visit, at least one year earlier (or possibly a visit sometime before the one in which Titus delivered the “severe letter”), Titus had encouraged the Corinthians to continue collecting sums of money every week for the Jerusalem church, for Paul had instructed the Corinthians to do just that in an earlier letter (1 Corinthians 16:1-4). Apparently, the Corinthian’s giving had dwindled, perhaps due to some of the criticism about Paul and his authority (see Paul’s defense of himself throughout this letter: 7:2; 11:7-9; 12:14-17).
7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also.
Paul’s approach is full of tact; he is commending them, and at the same time appealing to the Corinthian’s competitive spirit. He does not condemn their lack of liberality. He could have commanded them to give, and their attachment to him now would have led them to obey. But he will not impose his will on them. Instead, he mentions all their strong points and then suggests that they add this one more. They had striven to excel in so many ways and God had responded to their enthusiasm by giving them an abundance of spiritual gifts—“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus” (1 Corinthians 1:4).They abounded in faith (sanctified trust in the Lord); they were able to witness (with sound doctrine); they had knowledge (the application of doctrine) and diligence (eagerness and spiritual passion); and they had love for Paul and the other apostles. John declares that love of the brethren is the test by which we know that we have passed from death to life (1 John 3:14). They are a gifted church; they “abound in everything,” that is, everything else except in giving. Now he asks them to abound in this grace also; the grace of giving. (One of the greatest examples of genuine self-giving love is, as you know, the Lord Himself.)
Knowing that the Corinthians had a great amount of enthusiasm for spiritual gifts, Paul placed giving alongside other gifts. Paul wanted the Corinthians also to excel in this gracious ministry of giving, in being concerned for other people’s welfare. If they could compete at giving to others, their energies might be directed away from the spiritual gifts that were causing quarrels in the church—“for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:3).
When it comes to giving, enthusiasm is the important thing—not the amount, for that is dictated by your income. The apostle was not asking them to enable the Jerusalem Christians to live in luxury at their expense, but to insure an equitable distribution of goods (it may prove beneficial to them one day!), which after all is a biblical principle.
8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.
Paul is saying here that giving today is not by Law, by habit, or by ritual. I know that there are good Bible expositors who say we are to give the tithe. Obviously, the tithe was basic back in the Old Testament. However, if you examine it carefully, you will find that the people gave three tithes. One was actually for the support of the government, which would be what we call taxes today. So, the tithe is not the basis on which Christians are to give. When Paul says, “I speak not by commandment,” he does not mean that it is not inspired and He is not asking the Corinthians to give because it is a commandment, for love and liberality (which is an expression of love) must be spontaneous and it must come from a willing heart (for God loves a cheerful giver), but he is giving them the example of“the diligence of others” (the Macedonians) as a bench mark to test their love for him; if their expressions of love are as genuine as the Macedonians’, they will give as generously as they did. The Macedonians giving was, like Christ’s motivated by love. What a rebuke to the Corinthians who were so enriched with spiritual blessings (1 Corinthians 1:4, 5). They were so wrapped up in the gifts of the Spirit that they had neglected the graces of the Spirit, including the grace of giving. The Macedonian churches had an “abundance of deep poverty” (2 Corinthians 8:2), and yet they abounded in their liberality. The Corinthians had an abundance of spiritual gifts, yet they were lax in keeping their promise and sharing in the collection. We must never argue that the ministry of our spiritual gifts is a substitute for generous giving. “I teach a Sunday School class, so I don’t have to give!” is not an explanation—it’s an excuse. The Christian who remembers that his gifts are gifts will be motivated to give to others and not hide behind his ministry for the Lord.
Paul gives two reasons why he is asking them to give. The first is to test “the sincerity of your love.” Giving is a natural response of Christian love. Though Paul did not order the Corinthians to give; he encouraged them to prove the sincerity of their love for Christ by comparing it with the earnestness of others (Do they want to be outdone by the liberality of the poor Macedonians?). When you love someone, you want to help that person. You want to give your time, your attention, and your possessions to enrich that person. If you refuse to help, your love is not as sincere as you say it is. It is still true today that the pocketbook is really the test of a man’s love. It is the most sensitive area of a Christian. The second reason is “the diligence of others,” which would be the example which the Macedonians had given. Paul taught that believers should give sacrificially and spontaneously, with spiritual motives, and that they should give freely, for God values the eagerness to give, not necessarily the value of the gift. A good deed is always willingly done, and the Corinthians must make the decision for themselves.
October 24, 2014
Tom Lowe
The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
III. Appeal of Paul’s Ministry. (8:1–9:15.)
Lesson III.B:Faithfulness Exhorted. (8:6-15)
Part-2: Follow Christ’s example. (Verse 9)
Faithfulness Exhorted.
Part-1: The example of the Macedonian Churches. (Verses 6-8)
Part-2: Follow Christ’s example. (Verse 9)
Part-3: Paul challenges the Corinthian believers. (Verses 10-12)
Part-4: Paul tells them to give to set a precedent. (Verses 13-15)
2nd Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV)
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
We continue with the narrative of the Corinthian church’s contribution to the fund for the relief of the poor and needy Christians in Jerusalem.
The apostle begins his plea with these words, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ:” he counts on their knowledge of the grace of Christ, and appeals to it. He does not expect Christian virtues from those who have not had the Christian experience, and these Corinthians to whom he is writing have only just emerged from a pagan society. We cannot get golden conduct out of leaden motives. Paul’s appeals are always based on the highest motives, on loyalty to Christ, and gratitude for what God has done. It is to the grace of Christ that the Corinthians, like all Christians, owe their salvation. No Christian can ever call himself a self-made man.
The Corinthian church—a wealthy church—had pledged a great deal of money, but they had not yet given any of it. Paul was concerned that they might never get around to giving what they had promised, so he gave them two examples of generous giving. In the preceding verses of this chapter, Paul had given them the first example (model); the poor Macedonian Christians who had enthusiastically given beyond what they could afford. Then in this verse, Paul gave the Corinthians another model—Jesus Himself. Although the Macedonians had shown a great amount of generosity in the past, their sacrifice couldn’t compare with Jesus’ giving of Himself.
“Though He was rich,” Jesus became poor for the Corinthians’ sakes by generously giving up His rights as God and becoming human. Although He is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, is as rich as God is rich, and possesses all the privileges, power, authority, sovereignty, glory, honor, majesty, and wisdom of God (John 1:1-14), He gave up all of that. He voluntarily became a man called Jesus of Nazareth. “He became poor” when He became a human, because He set aside so much. He was a heavenly King, and He humbled Himself to become a servant of lowly human beings. He even voluntarily surrendered Himself to death on a cross, like a common criminal—it was the cruelest and most humiliating death known at that time. Yet by doing so, he made all who believe in Him rich. Christians have not only been saved through His self-sacrificing actions, they have also been accepted into God’s family [“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).]. That means that they have a glorious, eternal inheritance in heaven [“while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1).].
Why did Jesus willingly give up so much? The reason is revealed in the final clause; “that you through His poverty might become rich.” This suggests that we were poor before we met Jesus Christ, and we were—totally bankrupt. But now that we have trusted in Him, we share in all His riches. We are now the children of God. Believers become spiritually rich through the sacrifice and impoverishment of Christ [“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Ephesians 2:5-8).]. They became rich in salvation, forgiveness, peace, joy, glory, honor, and majesty [“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge. (1 Corinthians 1:4, 5).]. They became joint heirs with Christ [“and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Romans 8:17).].
Few verses surpass verse 9 as a concise summary of the Gospel [“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).]. From the splendor of heaven, Christ came to the squalor of earth. The One who “was rich,” who had everything, “became poor,” making himself nothing (Philippians 2:7). He assumed mankind’s debt of sin and paid for it with His life (Philippians 2:8). The Corinthians had directly benefitted from His generosity. He became what they were (poor), so they could become what He was and is (rich). Therefore, was it too much to ask for a material blessing from them?
October 30, 2014
Tom Lowe
The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
III. Appeal of Paul’s Ministry. (8:1–9:15.)
Lesson III.B:Faithfulness Exhorted. (8:6-15)
Part-3: Paul challenges the Corinthian believers. (Verses 10-12)
Faithfulness Exhorted.
Part-1: The example of the Macedonian Churches. (Verses 6-8)
Part-2: Follow Christ’s example. (Verse 9)
Part-3: Paul challenges the Corinthian believers. (Verses 10-12)
Part-4: Paul tells them to give to set a precedent. (Verses 13-15)
2nd Corinthians 8:10-12 (NKJV)
10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago;
11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.
12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
Introduction
Good beginnings are fine, but we lose the benefit, unless there is perseverance. When men desire to do that which is good, and endeavor, according to their ability, to perform it also, God will not reject them for what is not in their power to do. But the Scripture will not justify those who think good meanings are enough, or that good purposes are enough, and the mere profession of a willing mind, are enough to save. Providence gives to some more of the good things of this world, and to some less, so that those who have abundance might supply others who are in want.
Commentary
10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago;
There is a great difference between promise and performance. The Corinthians had boasted to Titus “a year ago” that they would share in the special collection (2 Corinthians 8:6), but they did not keep their promise—“So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part” (2 Corinthians 8:6). Note that in this section Paul emphasized willingness, but this doesn’t tie him to the doctrine that the only thing necessary is a good will. Grace giving must come from a willing heart; it cannot be forced or coerced. We must be careful here not to confuse willing with doing, because the two must go together. If the willing is sincere and in the will of God, then there must be a performance also (2 Corinthians 8:11; Philippians 2:12, 13). If our giving is motivated by grace, we will give willingly, and not because we have been forced to give. Paul was careful not to command the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 8:8); he only gave “advice.” He was not commanding the Corinthians to give any specific amount. They willingly undertook the collection; it was not forced upon them. They should now complete what they had begun to do and what they at one time intended to do. It was his opinion, however, that it was to their advantage to give generously, because it would prove their sincerity and consistency, and so they might receive abundantly more from God in either material blessings, spiritual blessings, or eternal reward—“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6; also Luke 6:38). God sees the “heart gift,” and not the “hand gift.” If the heart wanted to give more, but was unable to do so, God sees it and records it accordingly. But if the hand gives more than the heart wants to give, God records what is in the heart, no matter how big the offering in the hand might be.
This passage also appeals to the Corinthian’s competitive spirit (see also 2 Corinthians 8:1, 2; 6-8). They had been the first in two ways! They had started the fund for the relief of the Jerusalem Christians “a year ago,” and were the first to contribute substantially to the fund; therefore they were deserving of praise on both points. At this point, Paul asked the Corinthians to finish the work and complete their commitments so that their eager willingness at the beginning would be matched by their completion of the task (see also 2 Corinthians 9:5). He challenged the Corinthians to act on their plans and give according to their means (2 Corinthians 8:14). Unfinished things are nothing. They are a burden on the mind, and a barrier to progress.
“A year ago” is a vague term; it can mean any time in the past year. Since the Roman year began in January, the Jewish religious year in spring (in the month Nisan), the Athenian year in midsummer, and the Jewish civil year, like the Macedonian-Syrian year, in the fall, the possibilities were many. Paul wrote this letter from Macedonia in late summer or early fall; in any case, it is clear that months before he wrote, the Corinthians had voluntarily undertaken a collection for the Jerusalem Christians.
11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.
The little word “must” makes the “advice” of verse 10, a command. The Corinthians’ earlier readiness to take up a collection was a decision they freely made. But now you also must complete the doing of it” is a reminder that the excitement of starting must be matched by the determination to complete the obligation. It is easy to make promises when making them enhances a person’s image. When the spotlight leaves and the cost of the vow seems to compound daily, enthusiasm wanes. It becomes easy to forfeit honor by forgetting what was promised.
The Corinthians needed to finish what they had started by completing the collection—
But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62)
On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. (1 Corinthians16:2)
They needed this reminder since they likely stopped the process due to the influence of the false teachers, who probably accused Paul of being a huckster who would keep the money for himself (2 Corinthians 2:17).
God had a plan for helping the poor in the Old Testament; He told His people that when they harvested grain to always leave some for the poor. In the New Testament, Jesus emphasized helping the poor and the needy. When you help others, you are, in essence, being obedient to God. The reward is that fresh insight into God’s will grows only through obedience to insight already given. It is generally at some point of disobedience that spiritual development is halted.
Four principles of giving emerge in the following verses:
(1) Your willingness to give cheerfully is more important than the amount you give (v. 12; 9:5). “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).God accepts the will for the deed, as He did with David (1 Kings 8:18). He judges not according to what a man has the opportunity to do, but according to what he would do if he had the opportunity. This is something very important to note—each should give according “to what one has,” and he is to do it with a willing mind. No one is to give according to what he does not have.
(2)You should strive to fulfill your financial commitments (9:5). Paul is saying to the Corinthians that they should carry through with their pledge. They should put their money where their mouth is. However, remember that this is not a commandment. We are not commanded to make a pledge. However verse 11 does tell us that if we do make a pledge, then we are to carry it through and perform it. The tithes were a basic measurement in the Old Testament, and I cannot believe that any Christian today who has a good income should give less than a tenth. In this time of great abundance Christians should be giving more than a tenth.
(3)If you give to others in need, they will, in turn, help you when you are in need (8:14).
(4)You should give as a response to Christ, not for anything you can get out of it (8:9; 9:13). No more is asked or expected from anyone than to give what they can afford; in the words of verse 3, it is to be “according to their means.”
How you give reflects your devotion to Christ. Don’t rush into a commitment to give. Evaluate your finances, so that you will be able to keep your promise.
12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
Paul wasn’t concerned about the amount the Corinthians would raise, but he wanted them to be eager to give. When he spoke of the Macedonians’ giving, he did not tell the Corinthians how much the Macedonians had given, but how they had given. They gave with great joy, out of their devotion to Christ (8:2, 3, 5). The principal thing is the voluntary willingness. Their own decision to complete the giving comes first; Paul was confident that once they renew that earlier decision, they will finish the work. Paul was more concerned about the Corinthians’ attitude than whether he reached a certain goal in his fund-raising.
Although what the Corinthians possessed was a gift from God in the first place (1 Corinthians 4:7), Paul asked them to give of what they had, not what they didn’t have. God judges our liberality in relation to the means we possess, not by the amount we actually give. (Perhaps the Corinthians had made promises larger than they can now fulfill.) The widow who put two mites into the temple treasury was commended by Jesus as an example of liberality, because though the amount was infinitesimal it was all she had (Mark 12:42-44). In this light what looks in one case like a princely sum may only be a mite; while in another case a mite may be generous. Liberality is always relative. Sacrificial giving must be responsible. He spoke of a readiness and willingness to give. Best wishes—desire and eager willingness—are no substitute for good deeds—“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (James 2:15, 16).God is most concerned with the heart attitude of the giver, not the amount he gives—“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7; also see Mark 12:41-44). Paul believed a person should give “according to what one has.” Whatever one has is the resource out of which he should give. That is why there are no set amounts or percentages stated anywhere in the New Testament. The implication is that if one has much, he can give much, if he has little he can only give a little (2 Corinthians 9:6), “and not according to what he does not have.” God does not see the portion, but the proportion. If we could have given more and did not, God notes it. If we wanted to give more, and could not, God notes that too. When we give willingly, according to what we have, we are practicing grace giving. Believers do not need to go into debt to give, nor lower themselves to the poverty level. God never asks believers to impoverish themselves. By that standard the Macedonian gift, like the poor widow’s offering, might in one sense be easy to equal, but in another sense be hard to exceed. The Macedonians received a special blessing from God for giving the way they did.
November 5, 2014
Tom Lowe
The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians
III. Appeal of Paul’s Ministry. (8:1–9:15.)
Lesson III.C:Faithfulness Exhorted. (8:6-9:15)
Part-4: Paul tells them to give to set a precedent. (Verses 13-15)
Faithfulness Exhorted.
Part-1: The example of the Macedonian Churches. (Verses 6-8)
Part-2: Follow Christ’s example. (Verse 9)
Part-3: Paul challenges the Corinthian believers. (Verses 10-12)
Part-4: Paul tells them to give to set a precedent. (Verses 13-15)
2nd Corinthians 8:13-15 (NKJV)
Part-4
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.
14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,
15 as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
Commentary
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality.
The Jerusalem Christians had been poor for some time. About a decade before this collection, the believers in Antioch had sent Paul and Barnabas with some monetary relief for the church at Jerusalem. Palestine had been hit with a severe famine, and apparently the believers in Jerusalem were in great need (see Acts 11:27-30). Most likely, the Jerusalem Christians remained extremely poor because of their social ostracism[1].
Again Paul seeks to remove any idea that too heavy a burden is being placed on the Corinthians. He does not mean “others” should “be relieved” from the strain of heavy giving and you Corinthians be burdened with large financial obligations. That would be like robbing Peter to pay Paul! A guiding principal for material and monetary giving among churches is “equality.” Paul is saying that a burden should not be placed on anyone. It would be unwise for a Christian to go into debt in order to relieve somebody else’s debt, or cause hardship for his family by giving more than he could afford; unless, of course, he was able to handle the responsibility of paying the debt back. Paul saw an equality in the whole procedure: the Gentiles were enriched spiritually by the Jews, so the Jews should be enriched materially by the Gentiles: “Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way” (Romans 15:25-28).
Paul no doubt approved of the Jerusalem church’s early efforts in meeting each other’s needs by having everything in common: “And all that believed were together, and had all things common” (Acts 2:44). This expressed their mutual concern for all members of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:25). This principal is modeled after a divine pattern. When God gave food to the Israelites in the wilderness He did so equally according to their needs (Exodus 16:16-18). The church should not do less. The golden rule is, “Love thy neighbor as thyself,” not more than thyself.
14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality,
This verse describes God’s program for the relief of want in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord’s purpose is that whenever a need exists in one area among Christians, then there should be a flow of funds from other areas to that needy spot. The constant flow and interflow[2] of funds would result in an equality among the churches world-wide. Thus, at the time of Paul’s writing there would be a flow of funds from Corinth, Macedonia, and other places to Jerusalem.
Verse 14 may complete the statement of verse 13: “but that” you should give so that “there might be equality.” However, they may be joined with what follows in verse 14. In either case, verse 14 explains what is meant by “equality”: Christians should share their resources, those who have more sharing with those who have less. The term “equality” could also be translated “balance” or “equilibrium.” The idea is that in the body of Christ some believers who have more than they need should help those who have far less than they need, which is the premise of 1 Timothy 6:17, 18: “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.” This is NOT, however, a scheme of Paul’s to redistribute wealth within the church, but rather to meet basic needs. It has been suggested that, as in Romans 15:27, this verse means the Gentile-Christian church should give financial help to the Jerusalem Jewish-Christians in return for the gift of the Gospel that has come to the Gentiles from the Jewish Christians. But the return the Jewish Christians are to make is mentioned as something that will follow the giving of the Corinthians. So the meaning seems to be that you now, at the present time, are to meet their need, and at some future time, if you have need, the Jewish Christians (or other Christians) will share with you. No church, and no individual, can tell when it’s time of hardship and need may come. The reference to “your plenty” makes it clear that the Corinthian Christians, though mainly from the lower classes of society (1 Corinthians 1:26), are financially better off than most Christians; it is implied throughout the entire passage (see verse 2) that they are more prosperous than the Macedonian Christians, who had to endure persecution with its inevitable financial losses. Furthermore, the Gentile churches at that time were enjoying some measure of material wealth, while the believers in Judea were suffering. That situation could one day be reversed. There might come a time when the Jewish believers were assisting the Gentiles.
In the end, the giving and the receiving of money would tie the entire church together. Each would be dependent on the other. Just as the Gentiles had been dependent on the Jewish Christians for the wonderful message of salvation, the Jews would be dependent on the Gentiles for financial support. Each part’s need would be met with the other’s strength, so the entire church would be built up.
15 as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."
The Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness. During that time they could not find enough food to feed all of their number. So God provided food from heaven; manna. These thin, white flakes appeared on the ground every morning. Paul gives the example of the gathering of the manna in the wilderness, to show a biblical basis for his idea of economic equality among Christians; those with more than others should share. Each person was to gather enough for one day. Some man might go out with several baskets and say, “Let’s just fill them up. I’ll gather bushel baskets of manna while I can.” He would go out and greedily gather up much more than he needed. What would happen? After he had eaten what he needed for that day, he would find that all the rest had spoiled by the next morning. The collecting of the manna by the Israelites in the wilderness was an appropriate illustration of sharing of resources. Some were able to gather more than others, and apparently shared it so that no one lacked what he needed. The lesson is clear: gather what you need, share what you can, and don’t try to hoard God’s blessings. It was God’s plan that each one should have just enough and no more. God will see to it that you will not be in need if you trust Him and obey His Word.
We will learn in chapter 9, verse 6, that “. . . He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” I think that God will begin to deal with you as you have been dealing with Him. I think that God keeps books. He does not put us under Law because He wants our giving to be a grace, a passion, and a desire to share. It should be a joyful experience. You should be able to say to fellow believers, “You ought to listen to the pastor. He’s talking about the most wonderful privilege in the world. He’s telling us how we can be happy by giving.” That may sound crazy to you, but that is exactly what Paul is saying here.
[1] Exclusion, by general consent, from social acceptance, privileges, friendship, etc.
[2] To flow into each other; intermingle.
