Daily Scripture Reading 2Corinthians 8:10 - 9:4
People generally think the person who gives away the most money is the most generous. Thus, a rich person will always be credited with the most generosity, because they have the most possessions to give away. If that were how God determines generosity, then a poor person could never be credited with generosity because they can never compete with a rich person.
In today’s passage we will learn that God has a different method for determining generosity, a method that allows the poorest people on earth to receive as much praise for generosity as the richest people on earth.
In the last chapter of 1Corinthians, Paul instructed the Corinthians how to collect money for the saints. He gave them the same instructions he gave to the Macedonian churches. In the opening verses of the eighth chapter of 2Corinthians, Paul praised the churches in Macedonia because they gave beyond their ability. Then he began encouraging the Corinthians to complete their gift.
2Cor. 8:10 And I give my opinion in this matter, for this is profitable for you, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it.
2Cor. 8:11 But now complete doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it from what you have.
2Cor. 8:12 For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
The normal mentality of people is that the person who gives the most gets the most credit for being generous. Therefore, a very rich person will always be credited with greater generosity than a poor person, because the rich person can easily give away more wealth.
In this verse, Paul revealed a different approach to assessing benevolence. Generosity is not determined by what a person does not have, it is determined by what he has. Therefore, a poor person who gives away a greater percentage of his possessions than a rich person is more generous than the rich person.
2Cor. 8:13 For this is not for the relief of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality—
2Cor. 8:14 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.
Paul was not encouraging the Corinthians to give so that they would be afflicted instead of the saints who needed help. Instead, the idea was that since the Corinthians were not needy, they should share their possessions so that they and the poor were equal.
2Cor. 8:15 As it is written, “HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK.”
This is a quotation from Exodus 16:18. When the Israelites began collecting manna in the wilderness, God miraculously assured that every family had one omer per person, despite how much they had actually collected out in the field.
Some people may argue this is a call for communism: from each according to his ability, and to each according to his need. However, in the wilderness, humans did not redistribute the manna, God did that Himself. Furthermore, Paul did not dictate how much each person was supposed to give, nor did he instruct the church leaders to redistribute wealth. Instead, Paul encouraged Christians to be generous and help their fellow believers. It was up to each individual Christian to decide how much to give away. That amount was not dictated to them as is the practice in communism. This verse is not a call to establish communism.
2Cor. 8:16 ¶ But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.
2Cor. 8:17 For he not only accepted our plea, but being himself very earnest, he has gone out to you of his own accord.
2Cor. 8:18 And we have sent along with him the brother whose praise in the things of the gospel is throughout all the churches.
2Cor. 8:19 And not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work that is being ministered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness,
2Cor. 8:20 taking precaution lest anyone discredits us in our ministering of this generous gift,
2Cor. 8:21 for we respect what is good, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
2Cor. 8:22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found earnest in many things, but now even more earnest because of his great confidence in you.
2Cor. 8:23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.
2Cor. 8:24 Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.
2Cor. 9:1 ¶ For it is superfluous for me to write to you about this ministry to the saints;
2Cor. 9:2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, that Achaia has been prepared since last year, and your zeal stirred up most of them.
Macedonia was a Roman province in northern Greece, while Achaia was a province in southern Greece. Corinth, the recipients of the letter of 2Corinthians, was in Achaia. The Corinthians were the first to be zealous for making a collection for the saints, and their zeal motivated the Macedonians to do the same.
2Cor. 9:3 But I have sent the brothers, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared;
2Cor. 9:4 lest if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to speak of you—be put to shame in this certainty of ours.
Paul had told the Macedonians about the generosity of the Corinthians, so he wanted the Corinthians to finish their collection before he arrived, so that no one would be shamed if the deeds of the Corinthians did not match their intent or Paul’s praise.
The normal mentality of people is that the person who gives away the most money gets credited for being the most generous. If that were God’s method of assessing benevolence, then God would never consider any poor person to be generous.
In today’s passage Paul revealed a different approach to assessing benevolence. God does not determine generosity based on what a person does not have, it is determined by what he has. Therefore, a poor person who gives away a greater percentage of his possessions than a rich person is more generous than the rich person.
How does today’s passage change your frame of mind regarding generosity?
What are the blessings from God that you have received that you should consider sharing with your fellow believers?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”