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2 Corinthians Chapter
8
Commentary by Ron Beckham
Verse 1. "Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which
has been given in the churches of Macedonia,"
Paul is writing TO the Corinthians, but is writing ABOUT another group of churches, the
Macedonians. The latter area was formerly a country north of Greece that conquered
all of Greece, under Phillip of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great. At this
time, all Greece, including Macedonia, was a part of the united Roman Empire.
Paul is going to teach us about the wonderful grace of God. "Grace" is
something given to us that we do not deserve. We do not earn His grace through
works, but are instead given everything, out of His love. To think we can earn our
salvation is to fail to understand the love and mercy of God. Paul talks of his
people Israel, in Romans 11:6, and says "if it is by grace, it is no longer on the
basis of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace."
All that we have, all that we are, all we have of Him, is totally the grace of God,
given in His love for You and me. But this grace is given in a surprising and
unexpected way, as we shall see in the next verse.
Verse 2. "that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and
their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality."
This verse begins Paul’s definition of the grace (unmerited favor) he
referred to in verse one; where we see Paul as a proud "father", who loved his
"children" in the Lord. The surprising news here is that God’s grace
is not necessarily found in our GETTING something from Him, but is expressed most
beautifully when we are enabled by God to GIVE, in the power of the Lord.
In their deep affliction, they found JOY, because though they were poor, they gave
much. In our country, at this time, we have much but give little. It
isn’t only money we can offer, by the way, for we can give our time, our comfort,
encouragement, friendship – and when we give, it is not to be some kind of mere
philanthropy, it is the grace of God – to you and me.
God enables the giver to give, and it is His grace to the giver, allowing you to
participate in the things of God, in the lives of people.
Verse 3. "For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their
ability, they gave of their own accord,
It is not grace when we give out of some kind of guilt, at the prompting of some
televangelist. We give of our own accord; we give freely, because of the prompting
of the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus said "freely ye have
received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8) and when you do, you discover the grace
of God. You will find rest for your soul.
Tithing is not necessarily "10%". It is not based on your
"gross" or your "net" income. Real tithing is the heart that
yields to God, in relation to the need of others. This is much like
"fasting", which is not merely going without eating. It is the giving up
of what you have (your time, your money, your life) to fill the need of someone else
(Isaiah 58:6-12). Give of your heart, of your own accord, as led by God, and His
grace will fill you.
Verse 4. "begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the
support of the saints,"
It isn’t some pastor who should be begging his people to give; it should be the
people (including the pastor) who give from their hearts. Much like his gift to us
of prayer, God is doing us a favor, by allowing us to participate in the support of
others. Did it occur to you to wonder why you receive the income you do? Is it
because you’re such a great guy? Because you’re so clever? No,
it’s because God, who is full of grace, is opening a door, that you may help those in
need.
The strong are made strong, that they may help the weak. It is an intelligent
rich man who sees that he is rich in order to help the poor. What "gifts"
do you have in life? They were GIVEN to you, that you might receive the grace of
God, in helping others. This is why you are alive; why you are here.
Verse 5. "and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves
to the Lord and to us by the will of God."
Paul continues to express that we receive the grace of God to become the people of God,
who give to others in their need. When you are truly in the Lord, you will be led by
the Spirit of God, to places and thoughts never before expected. Jesus said "the wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot
tell where it comes from and where it goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit"
(John 3:8).
Notice in this verse we FIRST must give ourselves to the Lord, and it is only AFTER we
can truly give ourselves to others. It is not that we give to other people, by the
way, just because we think we ought to, and it is not due to the urging of someone else.
We give because we took the risk and have abandoned ourselves to God in Christ, as
we are led by His Spirit.
Verse 6. "So we urged Titus that as he had previously made a beginning, so he
would also complete in you this gracious work as well."
Since verse 1, Paul has been writing to them about the churches of Macedonia, who had
been given the grace of God, in that they were enabled to give to those in need.
This was wondrously done in them through the will of God (verse 5), and Paul had urged
Titus to share the unexpected JOY of giving, with the Corinthians. They, like us,
need to know the delight that comes from sharing what we have, in the will of the Lord.
All your life, you have wanted to be complete, which is what people are after
when they take drugs, engage in illicit sex, continuously overwork, or whatever. If
you seek to satisfy yourself, it can never happen, for you were created by God to know
Him, to receive His Spirit, and to respond to His will. Titus would finish the work
of God in them, by revealing that the grace of God becomes complete in Christians when we
serve others in their need.
Verse 7. "But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and
knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound
in this gracious work also."
James correctly said "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is
dead" (James 2:17). Jesus (through John) alerted the Ephesians that to be
doctrinally correct but lack love (Revelation 2:4 & context) is to miss it all.
Paul also captures this in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. There is a need in us that is not
going to be met by merely the proper expression of some element of the Christian
religion. If we say things well, or are apparently faithful; know a lot, are
earnest, or even do loving things – We may still not know what it means to be
complete in Him.
The source of all we need, is found in John 15:7, where Jesus commands us (for our good
and for His glory), "Abide in Me," and you are to
let His "words abide in you." The result is,
"you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."
To be complete in Him, you must abide in Him, and THEN you will experience the
grace that will "abound in this gracious work" (as in this verse). It all
comes from your PERSONAL walk with, and in, Jesus Christ. And He will draw you to serve
others in His Name.
Verse 8. "I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the
earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also."
Note that Paul does NOT command them to some mere religious act, but points them in a
direction where they may be complete in Him. God will stretch us in a direction that
will TEST the sincerity of our love, our faith. To say we have faith is good.
To say "I love you" can be wonderful. But Jesus alerted us, "Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).
Our love will be proved (tested), until finally we no more live for ourselves, but for
God. It is unnatural (from a human perspective) to place others before ourselves,
and even placing others first can be merely an outward religious act. We will be
proved; and if we pass the test, we will find JOY and love in the Lord and with one
another. The walk in Christ is not a series of commands (don’t do this;
don’t do that) but is an opportunity to express and receive love the love of God in
relation to other people.
Verse 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 through His poverty might become
rich."
We find exceeding GRACE in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, here on this earth.
We are simply given EVERYTHING in Him, and He is the ultimate model, for your life and
mine. He had it all (He came from eternity – Micah 5:2), and gave it all up,
for you and for me. We don’t even know how "rich" He was, because we
have not yet been to the place from which He came. We needed a Savior because we are
sinners before a Holy God. We were helpless. Jesus loved this world and gave
everything for you.
But He gave up everything for a PURPOSE, that through His loss we might FIND it all!
And He says to us "if anyone desires to come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me" (Luke 9:23).
To become complete in His grace, we are to abandon our selfishness and follow Him.
The works that come after, will be from Him, and not merely from ourselves.
Verse 10. "I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage,
who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do
it."
Often times, we are prompted in our hearts to do some good thing. And then, we
may become distracted. The cares of this world creep in, and we later wonder, was
that really the Lord’s will (to do this or that)? We shrug, and go back to our
lives as they were before. We may still attend church (or not), and tithe (or not),
but the vision God gave, has been dimmed in our hearts and lives.
Paul is giving his opinion, his observation. A year ago, they had been drawn to give
much, like the Macedonians (verse 1 and forward) had been drawn to give. But the
Corinthians had become distracted and did not follow through. I find that often God
will prompt my heart in something, and then I develop all sorts of opinions about what He
meant. I muddy the waters and subsequently must return to His original, simple touch
in my heart. The "waters" then clear and I can do His will.
Verse 11. "But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the
readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability."
Many years passed, from the time God called me to His work, until I was willing and
able to do that which I was called to do. During the years I avoided that call, one
word described my life: INCOMPLETE. No matter how much I strove to be
fulfilled, I remained empty inside.
It had been a year since the Corinthians knew they were drawn to give. To be
drawn to act for God, is to find the grace of God. But much like Pilgrim in
"Pilgrim’s Progress," they were soon off the path and into the cares of
this world. If our desire is good, and godly, we must complete it according
to the ability God has given each one.
Verse 12. "For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to
what a person has, not according to what he does not have."
Jesus sat in the Temple, and watched how the people put money into the treasury (Mark
12:41-44). (Just as He is watching you and me). He saw "many who were
rich put in much". And He also saw a poor widow, who put in little (12:42).
It was at that point He called His disciples to Him and said, "this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the
treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in
all that she had, her whole livelihood" (John 12:43-44).
That is precisely the lesson Jesus gave them in relation to the "loaves and
fishes" (Matthew 14:15-21, Matthew 15:32-38), where we see that God can take the
little we have, and turn what we give into something great. He does not need your
riches – What He wants is your heart.
Verse 13. "For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction,
but by way of equality,"
When the other person has better income than we do (and we are struggling), our
tendency is to cry out, "Why him and not me, Lord?" The other person may
be better looking, have a more attractive job or ministry, and so on. Down through
the years, I have often met workers who feel they know more and are better qualified than
their supervisors. "Why not ME, they ask?"
The answer is that God DOES have your well being in mind. And He gives more to
the one, so that he will, in turn, give to the other. He does not have in mind that
the one will suffer in the giving, but that all might have enough. Jesus said "My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:30).
Your giving is to become an "easy" thing and
then it will become a joy.
Verse 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;"
If you are a person who has enough income, are sufficiently good looking, have a
desirable marriage, are healthy, etc., has it occurred to you God has a PURPOSE in this?
These days, it’s impossible to ignore the homeless in our midst. They
are at our convenience stores, asking for money as we enter. Do we help them?
What if they spend the money we give on alcohol or other drugs?
As to who you give to and when you give, you’ll have to look to your heart, and if
the Holy Spirit lives in You; follow Him! And that’s the key. What is
given to You, is ultimately not for you at all, but for the purposes of God. And
always remember, His intention is that ALL will have enough. He not only loves you,
who may have enough, but He also loves (very much), the one who is suffering need.
He expects you to love them, too.
Verse 15. "as it is written, ‘He who gathered much did not have too
much, and he who gathered little had no lack."
This verse is a quote from Exodus 16:18, where the people Israel had just discovered
the edible substance manna, outside their tents. The word "manna" in the
Hebrew literally means something like "What on earth IS this stuff?"
(16:19). It is interesting they were told "let no one leave any of it till
morning" (16:19), but they did it anyway (16:20), and it spoiled when they did.
God was teaching them to have faith in Him for today (don’t be afraid for
tomorrow) – He loves us and will provide for our needs.
We know He is doing the same with us, because Jesus, when He gave us a model prayer
(Matthew 16:9-13), taught us "give us this day our DAILY bread"
(6:11). Not "give us a lifetime of security" but, "provide for us
TODAY!" God will patiently teach faith in Him, through both our abundance and
our lack, if we simply let Him do the work needed for our lives.
Verse 16. "But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf
in the heart of Titus."
God gave Titus a concern for the Corinthian people. We have all heard of the
missionary who "knew" he was "being sent" to some people or another.
And the real secret is that we are ALL sent, the husband to the wife (and vice
versa), and the person to his or her neighbor. When you go to work and are grumbling
"I hate Mondays," the Lord in your heart is likely urging "Speak to them
(at work) about My Son… Tell them how I helped you." God SENT you to that
workplace.
It was God who put love into the heart of Titus for the Corinthians and it is God who
enables you to care for that person who is your friend. We often think of a man and
woman having love for one another, and yet don’t consider it was God Who gave them
that love in the first place. The love we have is often misused, for we are flawed
sinners, but it is God Who gives love.
Verse 17. "For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very
earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord."
It is good to receive instruction from other people and also to capture the vision they
have, of the "work" of the Lord. But it is even better to have your own
vision from God; your own understanding of His desire for your life. You can only go
so long on someone else’s zeal for the Lord – You must find Him for yourself.
Titus listened to Paul and he was excited (and challenged) by what he heard. But
when he went to the Corinthians, it was because he was drawn directly by the Spirit of
God, and he wanted to go.
Verse 18. "We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things
of the gospel has spread through all the churches;"
It can’t be stressed enough that God sends His very best. He has GIVEN His
very best, the Son of God. As to who "the brother" is, in this verse,
there are as many opinions as there are theologians, but it is enough that his
"fame" was everywhere. He was a man who faithfully preached the Gospel of
our Lord. The BEST was being sent to them.
As this is written, my two year temporary job has run out, and I have no income.
And yet, I am on the coast of Israel, listening to the waves of the Mediterranean Sea,
through the window of a luxury hotel, and all is paid for the next 12 days. God
provided this trip and God will provide for you. He will send the right word,
through exactly the best person possible to feed your soul, and He will provide for your
every need.
Verse 19. "and not only this, but he has also been appointed by the churches
to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory
of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness,"
It is time for the people of the various visible churches to once again listen to the
leading of God. You (we) must select men, not merely on the basis of an education in
theology, but because they will administer the glory of God to the people. Religious
training is good, but a heart for God, His Word, and His people, is infinitely better.
The purpose in ministry is twofold, and is 1) for the glory of God, that He may
be revealed, and 2) for the people of this world, that they may hear about the One
who died for them. When God appoints us for a work, it is not done for our glory,
but for His, and it is not for our benefit, but for those to whom we speak. Be ready
to speak for Him.
Verse 20-21. "taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our
administration of this generous gift; for we have regard for what is honorable, not only
in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men."
Paul had become a good man, in that he followed God, Who is good. In his heart,
he had completely given himself to the Lord, and therefore, had become acceptable to the
Father. And he had gained understanding that, wherever possible, we are to be of
good reputation among men. He also knew the work of God is a gift of God, to those
who serve.
In verses 18 and 19, we see indications about how our behavior is to be
"honorable." They sent "the brother" (Paul sent his very best),
and did it not merely on his own authority, but as "appointed by the churches."
Here was a man who sought God, and where appropriate, took the counsel of other
leaders. And he recognized fully that the work they did was not for themselves, but
was for the glory of the Lord.
Here in verse 21, we find Paul acted in an "honorable" manner (an uncommon
word in our society). And we must continue to note this was not only "in the
sight of the Lord" but he also acted with honor "in the sight of men."
And so should WE be a people of honor and grace, doing all for the good of men and
the glory of God.
Verse 22. "We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and
found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence
in you."
"Our brother" seems to be a reference to Titus, a man who was very useful to
Paul. This was a young man tested by Paul (and by God), and found to be a diligent
person. Keep in mind that Paul sent those who would have been useful to HIM.
"Our brother" had passed the test and was shown as an effective worker.
He was perfect in service to Paul and was therefore the one Paul sent to the
Corinthians.
The lamb for the Passover was to be without blemish (Exodus 12:5), and was killed as a
substitute for those who had sinned. Christ, our Lamb of God, was without blemish
and without spot (1 Peter 1:19), and was sent to die for you and me. As Paul saw,
God always gives His best. We, in turn, are to give OUR best, both for God and for
one another.
Verse 23. "As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as
for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ."
Paul was a true leader, who reasonably gave praise for the effective service given by
those around him. He called the much younger Titus "my partner" which is
to say, his equal in the service of God. Even more compelling is the phrase
"messengers" - actually the word "apostoloi" in the Greek, which we
translate as "apostle" or "sent one." He was honoring Titus and
the others with the same title "apostle" which he also held.
We may not be called and sent to whole countries, as were these men, but we are called,
and we are sent. God sends the husband to the wife, not for his purposes, but
ultimately to bring "glory to Christ." Does your wife call you faithful?
And wife, do you bring the glory of Christ to your husband? God sends us to
be ministers to our children. To our neighbors and to those we encounter at work.
How would Paul rate our performance?
24. "Therefore openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love
and of our reason for boasting about you."
Often people respond to their pastors, those whom God sends, with gossip and criticism.
And pastors, like bosses, tend to "beat the sheep" in return.
Instead, we are to reply to God’s gift (the pastor and the people are gifts to
one another) with love. Sometimes, the one we have in the pulpit is insufficient as
God’s man, and then we must look to the Lord (instead of gossiping to others).
We may find we are called OUT of that place, or we may be led to remain and PRAY
for that pastor.
Here "the proof of your love" refers back to the first verses of this
chapter, where Paul urges them to have hearts that GIVE to others. He had used the
example of the churches of Macedonia, who had little but gave much. We are to be a
people who GIVE, in a variety of creative ways (as led by the Holy Spirit), to those who
are in need.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
ron@fridaystudy.org
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