2 Corinthians was written to show that true Christianity embraces Christ’s apostles and embodies Christ’s sufferings while trusting God’s power in weakness. The letter has three major sections. We finished the first last Sunday. Chapters 1-7 largely consist of Paul defending his ministry. In a similar way, the latter parts of this letter (chapters 10-13) also defend Paul’s ministry against false apostles.

That leaves chapters 8-9 in the middle. When I start reading chapter 8, you might feel like we’ve jumped to a new letter. Suddenly, Paul’s talking about money, taking up a collection for the poor; and you wonder, “Paul, what does that have to do with everything else you’ve been arguing?” That same question has led some to conclude that chapters 8-9 were a later addition or that perhaps these chapters just don’t belong at all.

But with a little more thought, the connections are surprising. For example, in 2:17 Paul characterized the false teachers as “peddlers of God’s word.” They’re in it to keep money for themselves. Chapters 8-9 become the contrast: Paul is in it to collect money for others. Also, chapters 8-9 help us understand at least one ethical goal of Paul’s defense—gospel doctrine produces open-hearted generosity. And then there’s the whole theme of God’s power in weakness. Chapter 8 illustrates that theme with two examples—the churches of Macedonia and Christ himself. So, with those connections in mind, let’s start reading in verse 1 and see what God says about Christians and generosity…

¹ We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, ² for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³ For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, ⁴ begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— ⁵ and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. ⁶ Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. ⁷ But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also. ⁸ I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. ¹⁰ And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. ¹¹ So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. ¹² For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. ¹³ For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness ¹⁴ your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. ¹⁵ As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

During high-school science, I remember testing liquids to determine which were acids and which were bases. We used these little strips of paper that turned colors depending on the liquid’s pH level. It’s called a litmus test. That external test indicated what sort of liquid was in the bottle.

Paul talks about money like a litmus test. Verse 8, “I say this…to prove [or to test]…that your love is genuine.” Money can prove us greedy or generous. How we use money is a crucial indicator of our spiritual state. It was Jesus who said, “Where your treasure is there your heart will be also…You cannot serve God and money.”

What would the litmus test of money reveal about your spiritual state? It’s a good question to ask, especially since we have to think about money so often. We earn an income. We make deposits. We set budgets. We support a family. We pay bills. We need it to travel. It’s our primary means of exchange. But if we’re not careful, money can also control us. Paul said elsewhere that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” When the dangers of money are so prevalent, how do we stay generous?

Our passage helps us. Paul is encouraging the church in Corinth to grow in generosity. The main idea goes something like this: when grace fills our hearts, joy opens our hands. To grasp this passage, let’s answer five questions.

What’s the occasion for generosity?

Number one, what’s the occasion for generosity? Paul writes as if the Corinthians know what he’s talking about. Verse 4 mentions “taking part in the relief of the saints.” Verse 10 says the church had started this work “a year ago.” Thankfully, we don’t have to guess. Paul’s other letters fill in the details.

For example, 1 Corinthians 16:1 speaks of “the collection for the saints.” The church was to set something aside and store it up. Then later, when Paul passed through town, they would then “send their gift to Jerusalem” (1 Cor 16:4). Also, Romans 15:26 mentions a “contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.” The Gentile churches owed it to them, Paul says. “For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.”

The occasion, then, is that Christians in Jerusalem have suffered some kind of economic hardship. Perhaps that was due to another famine, like the one that gets mentioned in Acts 11. Or perhaps it was due to ongoing persecution—it’s hard to pay the bills when society hates you for following Jesus. In either case, Paul organizes a collection among Gentile churches across multiple regions.

Each church was to save up money, and then Paul would make sure the money gets to the poor Christians in Jerusalem. Not only would this help meet basic needs; it would also display their unity in Christ. That’s the occasion.

How can they show generosity?

But how can they show generosity? That’s our second question. What does Paul want these Corinthians to do? Again, verse 10 shows how they had started this collection a year prior to Paul sending this letter. But it seems their zeal for that collection had waned. Perhaps that was due to the remaining tension from Paul’s painful visit. Maybe it was due to the false teachers taking their money. Or maybe grew distracted by idolatry. Instead of lavish giving, they were toying with lavish living.

Whatever the hesitation, Paul exhorts them to renew their commitment to the collection. Verses 6-7, “We urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.” Paul sets giving alongside other traits that are basic to Christian maturity.

Also, verse 10: “In this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it.”

How can they show generosity? By completing the work. By finishing what they started. By excelling in this act of grace. The Greek behind “excel” in verse 7 is the same word behind “overflowed” in verse 2. It’s also used when Jesus causes the baskets to overflow with bread. Or when the Philippians provide for Paul’s needs and he says, “I have received full payment and more…” The “and more” is the sort of generosity that Paul is trying to encourage. He wants abounding, glass-spilling-over generosity.

That isn’t how people usually think. Far more common is that people excel in keeping what they have. You might remember the story of the rich young man who came to Jesus. He wanted eternal life. He thought he was a pretty good person. Then Jesus tells him, “Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you’ll have treasure in heaven; and come follow me.” But when the rich man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus says, “Only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven…It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

It’s hard to let go of our riches. Jesus told the disciples, “With man it’s impossible.” But he also added, “With God all things are possible.”

What drives generosity?

That leads to question three: what drives generosity? What changes selfish, greedy people into people who excel in generosity? The grace of God. Look at verse 1: “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.”

The churches of Macedonia would’ve included places like Philippi and Thessalonica; and we know from Paul’s letters that Christians in these areas experienced great persecution.[i] Here, Paul calls it a “severe test of affliction.” And because of that affliction, these churches were also poor. When it says extreme poverty, it’s poverty “down to the depths.” C. K. Barrett called it “rock-bottom poverty.” Financially, these Christians have next to nothing. Yet notice, they still have an “abundance of joy;” and that joy opened their hands in a “wealth of generosity.”

You can see where I got the main idea: when grace fills our hearts, joy opens our hands. That plays out here. From a merely human perspective, this makes no sense. In affliction and poverty, isn’t the natural inclination to hold on to everything we possibly can? “Save every scrap. Don’t let anything go. We’ve already lost so much.” Yet what we’re seeing here is that their joy is not tied to keeping their stuff. It’s bound up with God and being used of God to help meet the needs of others.

Notice what God’s grace did not do. His grace did not remove the affliction. Nor did his grace relieve their poverty. Rather, his grace produced joy and generosity in both affliction and poverty.[ii] It sounds familiar to what Paul eventually says in 12:9, after God refuses to remove the thorn in Paul’s flesh. God tells him instead, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God’s power is made perfect in the weakness of these Macedonian Christians. Nobody can make sense of their example apart from the grace of God. And that’s the point. It’s all about grace. I’m sure some of you know people like this, who, in their most dire moments, continue to give.

Paul says they overflowed in a “wealth of generosity.” What does he mean by that? Well, verses 3-4 help. “They gave according to their means…and beyond their means.” Nobody expected them to give the amount they did. They also did it willingly, without compulsion. Paul says it was “of their own accord.” They were begging him earnestly to participate. If anything, people would’ve been saying, “Look, we know you guys are in a tough spot. Don’t worry about it right now. There will be other opportunities to give.” And they turned around and said, “No, we insist! Please let us give! It’s our joy!” On top of that, their generosity went beyond what Paul expected. Verse 5, “they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.” In other words, they gave more than just money; they gave themselves.

I hope you see this: the point isn’t the final amount they gave, as if Paul is playing the comparison game: “They gave this much while you only gave this.” No, given their poverty, the Macedonians couldn’t give much. The point is that what little they did have, they gave that away; and then gave more. They’re like the poor widow in Luke 21 who put two copper coins into the offering box. Jesus said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

The same generosity was present in these Macedonians; and Paul wants the Corinthians to know it. Again, not to play the comparison game, but to celebrate the grace of God. If God’s grace can do such an incredible work in Macedonia, his grace can also do the same kind of work in these Corinthians. Paul wants them to lean into it.

They, too, can give joyfully, willingly, sacrificially; and in doing so, they will embody the one who gave it all, Jesus Christ. That’s the other work of God’s grace he mentions in verse 9. It’s the ultimate display of God’s grace: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”

If anybody’s rich, it’s the Son of God. He’s not rich simply because he owns everything; he’s rich because of his infinite perfections. Elsewhere Paul calls it “the riches of his glory.” His wealth, his kingdom, his treasures, his glory are beyond what we can imagine. As the hymn puts it, “Thou who was rich beyond all splendor.”

But this same Lord said, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive.” Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. He emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant (Phil 2:6-7). He had every right to be seen as glorious. But he set aside that right to become a slave. The Son of Man had no place to lay his head. He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men (Isa 53:2-3). Yet he kept giving more and more, even to the point of death on a cross.

Why? Why did this One with infinite riches stoop so low? That we by his poverty might become rich. He did it because he loved us. He did it because he found his joy in meeting our greatest need. He came and died to forgive our greed. He died to free us from that slave-master called Money. He died to bring you into a relationship with God; and through that relationship with God, you become rich. Not rich with material wealth in this life. But rich in God—rich in forgiveness, rich in Christ’s boundless love, rich in the joy of God’s Spirit, rich with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, rich in eternal life, rich in family with others united to him by faith, rich in hope.

This is the good news; and that good news is the ultimate motivation for generosity. When the grace of the gospel fills your heart, your joy in what God has done for you, your joy in the example Christ is, your joy in the riches you possess in him—that joy opens your hands in generosity to others. The grace of God drives generosity.

What are some principles for generosity?

So, we know the occasion: poor Christians in Jerusalem. We know how they’re supposed to act—excel in giving to the collection. And we know the driving motivation: God’s grace working in Christ and working in his people. But to avoid confusion, Paul adds a few clarifications. Question four, then, what are some principles for generosity?

One is the principle of readiness/eagerness. Verse 11, “So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable…” Readiness has to do with their willingness, their enthusiasm, their eager desire. Later, in 9:5, he’ll speak of their contribution as a “willing gift, not an exaction.” Or in 9:7, he says, “give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

In other words, Christian giving is a matter of the heart, our readiness to meet the needs of others. God does not evaluate our gifts by simply looking at the bottom line. He’s concerned about our motives. Are we giving simply because it’s just the line item in our budget each month? Or because we feel some kind of peer pressure from others? Or, with all the conveniences of electronic transfers, are we even thinking about giving? God wants a heart that’s eager for generosity—that’s what makes the gift acceptable.

Another principle is proportionality. Verse 12, “For if the readiness is there, it’s acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” Paul is not holding up the Macedonians to say, “They gave beyond their means, now you must do the exact same.” No, Paul clarifies that the gift is perfectly acceptable “according to what a person has.” In 1 Corinthians 16:2, he put it this way: “each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper.” In other words, he’s not asking them to create a need by giving to meet a need.

But he’s also saying that giving to this contribution is immediately doable, especially if they give in proportion to what they have. Proportionate giving is not linked to a minimum requirement like a ten-percent tithe. Proportionate giving means that the more God prospers us, the more we can give. Our culture thinks higher income means higher living. But for the Christian, higher income means higher giving. While your living expenses remain modest, you can freely give more.

At the same time, those with lower income give less, but that doesn’t mean their gift is less acceptable. It’s acceptable “according to what a person has.” Which also means that everybody can give. Even those in “rock-bottom poverty” (like the Macedonians were)—they too can give. Nobody who’s poorer should say, “My giving doesn’t matter” or “I’ve only got four dollars, but I’m a little embarrassed to give that.” No, give according to what you have. God approves.

The last principle is that of fairness. Verse 13, “For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, ‘Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.’”

The quote is from Exodus 16:18. Israel is in the wilderness. God gives them manna from heaven. It came daily with the morning dew. And they had to collect it—about two liters a piece, according to the number of people in their tent. Some gathered more, some less. “But when they measured it…whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” It’s a picture of God meeting the basic needs of all his covenant people. Every household had enough for their basic neccessities—no more, no less.

But here’s the thing, if you tried to keep more—perhaps you were anxious that there wouldn’t be enough tomorrow, and you squirrelled away some manna—God caused it breed worms the next day. Yuck! What’s the point? Nobody starves and nobody hordes—to use the words of John Calvin.[iii] That was the operating principle in God’s old covenant people after they were delivered from slavery.

Paul now applies that same principle to God’s new covenant people, the church. But here’s the difference: we’ve experienced a far greater deliverance. Jesus set us free from our sins and selfishness. Now, for those in the church, nobody starves and nobody hordes because Jesus’ new people give eagerly and sacrificially. One person’s abundance supplies another person’s needs. We see this play out elsewhere in the New Testament—like Acts 2 and 4, where those with abundance sell some of their houses and lands to meet the needs of others such that there was “not a needy person among them.”

In case you’re wondering—no, this isn’t validating communism or socialism. Paul isn’t imposing a tax by force. Nor is he asking them to set up a centralized agency to redistribute the wealth—notice, the Corinthians clearly have more money than the Macedonians, but nothing’s collected for Macedonia, only for Jerusalem. But most importantly, such giving is also voluntary. As grace fills the heart, joy opens the hands. God wants joyful givers, not those who’ve had their arms twisted.

This makes the church a counter-cultural community. In our world, most are bent on accumulating wealth for selfish ends. But when God prospers a Christian, that Christian looks at his abundance in a whole new light. He/she asks the Lord, “How can my abundance supply someone else’s need, especially those in the household of God.”

How can we grow in generosity?

Last question: how can we grow in generosity? It’s worth noting how this passage has no direct commands for us. The only imperative comes in verse 11: “Finish doing it well.” But even that is for the Corinthians on the specific occasion of this collection. We must figure out how to grow in generosity based on the pattern of grace in the Macedonians, the poverty of Christ in the gospel, and the principles of generosity in Paul’s teaching. And from those things, I see at least five things to walk away with.

One, test yourself. How do you think about money? Is it the center of your worries? Does it fuel fear and anxiety, such that you serve it? Is it hard for you to give it away when others have needs? When you have a surplus, are your primary thoughts about new luxuries and comforts to exclusion of the needs of others? What does money indicate about your spiritual state? This is the test of verse 8: “but to prove…that your love is genuine.” Love is genuine when it finds joy in meeting the needs of others.

Two, excel in giving. Again, don’t miss how Paul encourages the church in verse 7. They excel in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in earnestness, in love. But then Paul presses them further “excel in this work of grace also.” When you think about spiritual growth is generosity on the radar? Is it important to you? Would others say that you’re a generous person? How are you cultivating a heart that’s ready to give?

Can you manage your finances differently, so that you have more margin to give? That could range from downsizing your home to buying less fast food to re-thinking that yearly subscription. Or maybe it’s learning how to use the things you already have in service of others. If you have the space, who can you host? Is it tools, machines, equipment that others can borrow? Maybe it’s an extra car to lend out. [I won’t mention trucks because everybody already calls you guys.] The point is this: everything belongs to the Lord. He gave it to us both to enjoy and to share it with others in need.

As your pastor, I’ve been encouraged by you in this respect. We rarely say anything about giving; and yet needs are met all the time. In our own church, Zach Hughes is our Deacon of Benevolence. He’s familiar with some of the needs in our church family. If you’re in a place where you can help meet needs, give Zach your name. And if you’re in a place where you have needs, also talk to Zach. Part of our church budget—if you want to call it a collection—goes to things like benevolence.

Three, pray for grace. The churches of Macedonia didn’t become generous by will power. Nor was anybody prying their hearts to give like they did. The grace of God caused their generosity. And that same grace is available to you who are in Christ. Lean into it. Depend on it. We need the Lord to work in us. Otherwise, we might become like the church in Laodicea. They were financially rich, and that led them to believe that they didn’t need anything from God. It made Jesus want to vomit.

But for those who know their need of grace, God makes them shining examples of generosity. That’s where we need to live. When you face affliction, ask God for “an abundance of joy.” When you face poverty, ask God for “a wealth of generosity.”

Four, give yourself to the Lord. I’m often asked questions like, “How much should I give? To whom should I give? When should I give?” The New Testament certainly offers broad principles: our giving should be regular, sacrificial, proportional, cheerful. It also speaks to priorities like providing first for your family, then giving to the church, and, after that, to the world, especially those in closest proximity to you.

But in the end, I can’t tell you what to do in many of the specifics. Give yourself first to the Lord, and he’ll help you figure it out. His word will guide you. His Spirit will compel you. His people will share their wisdom. And he will not fail you. Nothing pleases him more than a heart that sits before him and asks, “Lord, what would you have me do? Who can I bless with this money?”

Finally, return to the gospel. You won’t grow in generosity by making up new laws for yourself—like a ten-percent tithe. If you want to count that as a wise starting place, great. But you won’t find the apostles pointing to anything like that to ensure generosity. Nor do they use worldly incentives: “If you give this much, we’ll put your name in this drawing.” No, how does Paul stir their hearts? “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus that though he was rich yet for your sake he became poor so that you by his poverty might become rich.” Your growth in generosity starts with the gospel.

God would’ve been just to leave us in our sins and punish us in hell. But God sent his Son to take away our sins—sins like greed and covetousness and envy. Jesus died for those sins; and then he rose to help us walk in new patterns of generosity. Meditate on the gospel. Turn it over in your minds until your heart is full and joy opens your hands.

________

[i] Phil 1:7, 28-29; 1 Thess 1:6; 2:14-15.

[ii] Murray J Harris, 2 Corinthians, NIGTC (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2015), 564.

[iii] John Calvin, 2 Corinthians, Calvin’s Commentaries, vol. 20 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2003), 297.