10. Christian giving promotes thanksgiving to God (9:11b-15)
10. Christian giving promotes thanksgiving to God (9:11b–15)
11b. . . through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Four times in the concluding paragraph of these two chapters, Paul states his confidence that the ultimate result of their offering will be to increase thanksgiving and praise to God. This is at the heart of all spiritual giving.
v11 ‘your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God’
v12 ‘this service that you perform . . . is . . . overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God’
v13 ‘men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity’
v15 ‘Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!’
Authentic Christian giving leads people not only to thank us, the givers, but to thank God, and to see our gift to them in the light of his indescribable grace, shown supremely in the gift of his Son.