January 20, 2022 at 11:39 am | Posted in II Corinthians | 4 Comments
Tags: 2 Corinthians 9, Biblical giving, commentary on 2 Corinthians, faith promise offering, financial giving, financial offerings, giving in church, Sunday School lessons on 2 Corinthians
In II Corinthians Chapter 9 Paul wanted to let the Corinthians know that he was sending brethren to collect the offering and that he wanted them to be prepared, since he had already assured others of their generosity.
Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
II Corinthians 9:3
This is not the highest purpose of financial giving, but one of its benefits is that it motivates other believers to give. Paul was using the Macedonian churches to motivate Corinth. Now he revealed that he had used the promise to give, made by Corinth, to motivate the Macedonians.
High-pressure giving is not Biblical, nor is boastful individual giving, but commitment-based giving and publicized giving through church bodies (not the individuals that make them up) is Biblical. Paul did not want it to look, to the Macedonian brethren who would accompany him and his team to Corinth, like they failed to keep their promise and now had to be pressured into giving what they were not prepared to give. I would encourage Christians today to take some time to pray about, plan, and even organize your personal giving, while remaining open to spontaneous giving that may go above what has been previously planned.
A second motive for giving, in addition to motivating others, is that God plainly declares that He will bless those who give.
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
II Corinthians 9:6
This is a general principle woven into the fabric of God’s creation by God Himself. It is doubtful that non-Christians would be capable of understanding the balancing of this principle with the unselfish desire to minister to the Lord and others through giving (which, to be fair, is the chief overriding motivation that the Lord wants us to have).
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
II Corinthians 9:7-8
While we admittedly enjoy the thought of receiving blessings, we also defeat the fear that sacrificial giving might cause us to miss out on meeting what we perceive as our needs by knowing God’s ability and disposition to supply those needs with His grace.
Another good motivation for giving is a desire to be used by God in meeting those very needs in others.
For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
II Corinthians 9:12
Our brothers and sisters have needs. We have been blessed to be able (by working together) to meet those needs. But, rather than earning their thanks ourselves, we cause them to give thanks to God, and thereby demonstrate the greatest motivation for giving: to glorify God.
Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
II Corinthians 9:13
As mentioned before, organized giving ministry through the local church is a joint cooperative effort, and it helps to unite, not only givers with givers, but givers with receivers.
And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
II Corinthians 9:14-15
We can certainly verbalize our thanks for financial or material gifts, but these gifts are really only echoes which hearken back to the Gift that goes beyond our ability of description.
The Deep End 
Motivations for Giving
January 20, 2022 at 11:39 am | Posted in II Corinthians | 4 CommentsTags: 2 Corinthians 9, Biblical giving, commentary on 2 Corinthians, faith promise offering, financial giving, financial offerings, giving in church, Sunday School lessons on 2 Corinthians
In II Corinthians Chapter 9 Paul wanted to let the Corinthians know that he was sending brethren to collect the offering and that he wanted them to be prepared, since he had already assured others of their generosity.
II Corinthians 9:3
This is not the highest purpose of financial giving, but one of its benefits is that it motivates other believers to give. Paul was using the Macedonian churches to motivate Corinth. Now he revealed that he had used the promise to give, made by Corinth, to motivate the Macedonians.
High-pressure giving is not Biblical, nor is boastful individual giving, but commitment-based giving and publicized giving through church bodies (not the individuals that make them up) is Biblical. Paul did not want it to look, to the Macedonian brethren who would accompany him and his team to Corinth, like they failed to keep their promise and now had to be pressured into giving what they were not prepared to give. I would encourage Christians today to take some time to pray about, plan, and even organize your personal giving, while remaining open to spontaneous giving that may go above what has been previously planned.
A second motive for giving, in addition to motivating others, is that God plainly declares that He will bless those who give.
II Corinthians 9:6
This is a general principle woven into the fabric of God’s creation by God Himself. It is doubtful that non-Christians would be capable of understanding the balancing of this principle with the unselfish desire to minister to the Lord and others through giving (which, to be fair, is the chief overriding motivation that the Lord wants us to have).
II Corinthians 9:7-8
While we admittedly enjoy the thought of receiving blessings, we also defeat the fear that sacrificial giving might cause us to miss out on meeting what we perceive as our needs by knowing God’s ability and disposition to supply those needs with His grace.
Another good motivation for giving is a desire to be used by God in meeting those very needs in others.
II Corinthians 9:12
Our brothers and sisters have needs. We have been blessed to be able (by working together) to meet those needs. But, rather than earning their thanks ourselves, we cause them to give thanks to God, and thereby demonstrate the greatest motivation for giving: to glorify God.
II Corinthians 9:13
As mentioned before, organized giving ministry through the local church is a joint cooperative effort, and it helps to unite, not only givers with givers, but givers with receivers.
II Corinthians 9:14-15
We can certainly verbalize our thanks for financial or material gifts, but these gifts are really only echoes which hearken back to the Gift that goes beyond our ability of description.