II Corinthians 8 Devotional
by Pastor Mark Hudson
I wish there existed a paradigm that listed the topic in the Bible that are the most prominent so we could evaluate our preaching/teaching topics. For instance, justice is a massive topic but white Northern American Evangelicals rarely dig deep into it. Another is money and all things associated with it. We should simply give due weight to all topics.
Money, giving, and the process of money collected to money receives is a topic that we do well to study and understand. This passage is about giving, equity, and honorable stewardship. Notice the sections in chapter 8; 1-6, 7-15; 16-24. The first section is the most well known about the generosity of the churches in Macedonia. The second is the section I would like to focus on. The third section 8:16-24 Paul reminds the Corinthians and all readers after that how careful and circumspect the church ought to be with money. Let the sunshine in where money is concerned. Go above and beyond in being transparent with money in the church.
The second section 8:7-15 intrigues me. Here Paul is persuading the Corinthians to finish their promise of giving but he has to strike the right balance. He is not heavy handed but diplomatic without losing sight of the overall goal and the specific goal of consistent giving.
In verse 7, Paul praises the believers for their faith and then encourages them to excel in giving (this act of grace). In verse 8, he motivates them to give by appealing to their desire to be seen as genuinely loving. Then in v. 9, Paul appeals to Christ which is a powerful motivator. Paul certainly is not referring to material riches but both material and spiritual riches are woven in and out of this sentence.
In verse 10, Paul gives his judgment: not only complete the giving, but desire to give which is to your benefit. So, it is not enough to cough up the money but what pleases God is the heart behind giving. In v. 11, Paul encourages them not to quit giving but to be willing to give and to actually give.
I find verses 12-15 so fascinating. First, the giving here is the Gentiles giving to believers in Jerusalem who were hurting financially. When these early Christians gave they provided support to their teachers/preachers. They also gave to support the poor among their church, and also for the poor in Jerusalem.
The giving by the Gentiles to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem meant so much to Paul. He wanted to see the division between Jewish and Gentile broken down and this tangible gift of unity might bring these two groups closer together. Paul even appeals to their sense of fairness. As if to say, “It is only fair to give since you have more than our brothers and sisters in Jerusalem.”
Verse 15 is a quote from Exodus 16:18 during the wilderness wandering. When people collected manna, the point is they all had enough. Paul is making the point that the Jerusalem believers need financial help. If we give, we will have enough and we should give since they need the help now.
A few thoughts to ponder:
- Actual giving is important. But God sees our attitude as well. A redeemed heart is a generous heart.
- Giving requires planning. Giving is not a haphazard event but a well thought out design with proper execution.
- A giving person gives with the larger picture in view.
- Our giving is motivated by the teaching and life of Christ.
- The church needs to be scrupulous about giving. No one should ever be in the dark about the church’s process for intake or distribution of funds. We do not exclude others’ attention or refuse to answer their questions when it comes to the topic of money in the church.
May we enjoy the fruits of generosity in our church.