The Corinthians had talked a good game about giving, and Paul had passed that on to other churches. As things progressed, though, the actual generosity of the church looked like it was going to fail to live up to the lofty rhetoric the Corinthians had used.
Paul then has two problems to solve. On the one hand, there are real needs and real expectations. If the Corinthians fail to keep their end of the bargain, both they and Paul will look foolish.
But even more importantly, Paul wants the Corinthians to have a generosity of spirit that spills out into giving in this way, not giving because they were forced or cajoled. He cites both Proverbs and Psalms to encourage this, holding out the blessings of God as both a cause of and a response to the generosity of Christians.
This should not be considered a transactional arrangement, nor an opportunity to achieve selfish desires by giving up others. This is certainly not the prosperity gospel, but rather the enablement of all people to participate in this generosity, with the promise of God’s care in response
God Himself is the ultimate giver, having given us the indescribable gift of grace. As we are made in God’s image, our giving of our time and resources is a picture of that gift. The converse is also true – we are also mortal and built to receive as well.
Are we willing to surrender our will and material goods to God in an increasingly materialistic culture? And beyond materialism, there is the anxiety around our bills, expenses and saving for the future. How do we give sacrificially in this context?
First, we should budget it, both financially and in terms of the time we give. Giving should probably hurt a little bit, if it is really to be sacrificial. On the flip side, God wants it to be both voluntary and cheerful. We can only do both by recognizing that everything we have is itself a gift from God, and that loving others is, in fact, loving God.
But the first step to becoming a sacrificial giver is by receiving the sacrificial gift given by Christ.
– Sermon Notes, Dave Lester, Seed Church, Lynnwood, WA, May 13, 2018
2 Corinthians 9:1-15
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