Christ Our Pattern

Topic: Money
Passage: 2 Corinthians 8:7–15

May 20, 2022

Commentary

I have known pastors, missionaries, and Bible school students who argue that since they devote their whole life to serving the Lord, they are not obligated to give financially to the Lord’s work. Paul says just the opposite is true (vv. 7-8). If you are gifted from God, you ought to want to give more. These Corinthian believers were so wrapped up in the gifts of the Spirit that they neglected the grace of giving. They had an abundance of spiritual gifts and yet they were lax in keeping their promise and sharing with their money. Paul had every right to expect the Corinthian church to participate in this special offering. This was their expressed desire more than a year before this. He is only asking that they follow through with their orig­inal commitment. How easy it is to make a commitment to support some missionary or project and then not follow through.

Dr. Charles Ryrie in his teaching on this book says that we should study “Faith Promise” giving in the context of verse 12, where it states that a gift “is accepted according to that a man hath, and not accord­ing to that he hath not.” The whole emphasis of “Faith Promise” giving is that we don’t promise to give some­thing that we have, but instead promise to give something that we don’t have. Then we will trust the Lord to provide. Our giving needs to be in proportion to our income. 

Three Levels of Giving:

1. You must (law)

2. You ought to (obligation)

3. You want to. (grace)

Application

I need to be a good steward by example. I will look for opportunities to teach others how they can give to the Lord’s work if they just trust the Lord to meet their needs instead of going into debt.

2 Corinthians 8:7–15 (NET)

7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you —make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too. 8 I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich. 10 So here is my opinion on this matter: It is to your advantage, since you made a good start last year both in your giving and your desire to give, 11 to finish what you started, so that just as you wanted to do it eagerly, you can also complete it according to your means. 12 For if the eagerness is present, the gift itself is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality. 14 At the present time, your abundance will meet their need, so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

One Billion Dollars

It is difficult to comprehend what $1 billion could be. I have heard an explanation that a man gave his wife $1 million. He told her to go out and spend $1000 a day. She did. Three years later she returned to tell him that the money was all gone. … Continue

Christ Our Pattern

Topic: Money
Passage: 2 Corinthians 8:7–15

October 10, 2021

Commentary

I have known pastors, missionaries, and Bible school students who argue that since they devote their whole life to serving the Lord, they are not obligated to give financially to the Lord’s work. Paul says just the opposite is true (vv. 7-8). If you are gifted from God, you ought to want to give more. These Corinthian believers were so wrapped up in the gifts of the Spirit that they neglected the grace of giving. They had an abundance of spiritual gifts and yet they were lax in keeping their promise and sharing with their money. Paul had every right to expect the Corinthian church to participate in this special offering. This was their expressed desire more than a year before this. He is only asking that they follow through with their orig­inal commitment. How easy it is to make a commitment to support some missionary or project and then not follow through.

Dr. Charles Ryrie in his teaching on this book says that we should study “Faith Promise” giving in the context of verse 12, where it states that a gift “is accepted according to that a man hath, and not accord­ing to that he hath not.” The whole emphasis of “Faith Promise” giving is that we don’t promise to give some­thing that we have, but instead promise to give something that we don’t have. Then we will trust the Lord to provide. Our giving needs to be in proportion to our income. 

Three Levels of Giving:

1. You must (law)

2. You ought to (obligation)

3. You want to. (grace)

Application

I need to be a good steward by example. I will look for opportunities to teach others how they can give to the Lord’s work if they just trust the Lord to meet their needs instead of going into debt.

2 Corinthians 8:7–15 (NET)

7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you —make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too. 8 I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich. 10 So here is my opinion on this matter: It is to your advantage, since you made a good start last year both in your giving and your desire to give, 11 to finish what you started, so that just as you wanted to do it eagerly, you can also complete it according to your means. 12 For if the eagerness is present, the gift itself is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality. 14 At the present time, your abundance will meet their need, so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”

Christ Our Pattern

Topic: Money
Passage: 2 Corinthians 8:7–15

April 5, 2020

Commentary

I have known pastors, missionaries, and Bible school students who argue that since they devote their whole life to serving the Lord, they are not obligated to give financially to the Lord’s work. Paul says just the opposite is true (vv. 7-8). If you are gifted from God, you ought to want to give more. These Corinthian believers were so wrapped up in the gifts of the Spirit that they neglected the grace of giving. They had an abundance of spiritual gifts and yet they were lax in keeping their promise and sharing with their money. Paul had every right to expect the Corinthian church to participate in this special offering. This was their expressed desire more than a year before this. He is only asking that they follow through with their orig­inal commitment. How easy it is to make a commitment to support some missionary or project and then not follow through.

Dr. Charles Ryrie in his teaching on this book says that we should study “Faith Promise” giving in the context of verse 12, where it states that a gift “is accepted according to that a man hath, and not accord­ing to that he hath not.” The whole emphasis of “Faith Promise” giving is that we don’t promise to give some­thing that we have, but instead promise to give something that we don’t have. Then we will trust the Lord to provide. Our giving needs to be in proportion to our income. 

Three Levels of Giving:

1. You must (law)

2. You ought to (obligation)

3. You want to. (grace)

Application

I need to be a good steward by example. I will look for opportunities to teach others how they can give to the Lord’s work if they just trust the Lord to meet their needs instead of going into debt.

2 Corinthians 8:7–15 (NET)

7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you —make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too. 8 I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich. 10 So here is my opinion on this matter: It is to your advantage, since you made a good start last year both in your giving and your desire to give, 11 to finish what you started, so that just as you wanted to do it eagerly, you can also complete it according to your means. 12 For if the eagerness is present, the gift itself is acceptable according to whatever one has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not say this so there would be relief for others and suffering for you, but as a matter of equality. 14 At the present time, your abundance will meet their need, so that one day their abundance may also meet your need, and thus there may be equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”