A Generous Church
A GENEROUS CHURCH
2 CORINTHIANS 8:1-7
Why should it be natural for Christians to give to others?
At this point the second major part of the letter begins as Paul turns to consider the collection which he was raising in all the Gentile churches for the impoverished Jewish Christians in the mother church at Jerusalem. It is important to see the place of this collection in the life of the apostle’s missionary work, for such an enterprise was first a fulfillment of his promise, made to Peter and James, to remember the poor at Jerusalem (Galatians 2:10), and secondly a testimony and practical evidence to the “saints” in Palestine of the love of the Gentile churches, expressed in a most realistic way. There was no finer way of demonstrating the unity of both Jewish and Gentile elements in the one church than this, and at the same time, no more powerful repudiation of the Judaizers who tried to insinuate that Paul was out of sympathy with the Jewish Christians and their leaders. See Romans 15:25-27.
The noble example of the Macedonian churches would be a well-chosen incentive to the Corinthians to “excel in this gracious work also” (8:7), which in turn is prompted by the divine grace (8:1).
The churches in Macedonia, of which Philippi is the best known, were renowned for their “wealth of generosity” (8:2), and it is good that we have independent witness of their generosity in the way in which they supported Paul’s ministry as well as the fund (Philippians 1:5; 4:10-19). Nor was such generous giving made lightly, for the churches of Macedonia were, at that time, in the grip of a financial squeeze (8:2), but this state of their economy did not restrict their sacrificial giving (8:3), even to the point of their imploring Paul to take the money! Does this attitude remind you of an Old Testament parallel, when God’s people gave too much (Exodus 36:2-7)?
Paul had commissioned Titus (8:6) to act as his agent for the collection. He had already made some arrangement to collect the money, but with the trouble at Corinth, no doubt the matter was put in abeyance. Now that the air had cleared and good relations were restored, Titus will be encouraged to complete the matter.
To think over 8:4 contains the New Testament key term koinonia, normally translated “fellowship.” The word means “sharing”—but not simply of experiences and the gospel truths, but in a most down-to-earth way of material resources with others. Look at Acts 2:43-47; 4:34-37; 6:1; Romans 12:8; Galatians 6:10: Have we sufficient social concern for the needy today?