2 Corinthians 8
Riley2 Corinthians 8:1-24
THE GRACE 2 Corinthians 8, 9 IN the content of these two chapters we have Paul’s counsel on a subject of first concern to every local church. Paul was a peripatetic—a travelling evangelist, but he had the heart of a pastor. On that account there were times when he settled down for a one, a two, and on one occasion, a three year work at a single center (Acts 20:31). But while even his longest pastorates were short, he reckoned himself an overseer of all the churches that he originated, and even a counsellor of some of those that others had founded. Paul’s travelling was not the product of indolence; he was not one of those men who disliked work, and so accumulated a few sermons and by moving from point to point, eased his labors by their repetition.Possibly in human history there is not an instance of any man who accomplished more in the same length of time than did Paul. When writing this Epistle (2 Corinthians 11:23) he speaks of himself as “in labours more abundant”. His history justified the remark. The amazing thing is that a man who had some permanent affliction (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) could possibly have accomplished so much. It is a proof of the Divine power that rested upon him, renewing him daily for the most arduous task, enabling him not only to preach incessantly, but to supervise the young struggling churches that he had called into being.The wisdom of Paul’s counsel has been proven by twenty centuries of application, and though we are so far removed from him this morning, the words of this day’s study are as applicable as if they had been written for the special occasion of the coming week and the financial campaign anticipated. In looking through these chapters, it appears probable that we can arrange their content under these headings —The First Gift, The Gospel Agents, and Intelligent Giving.THE FIRST GIFT The first gift is that of self to the Saviour. Paul, in writing to these Corinthian brethren, reminds them of“the grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia; “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. “For to their power, (he bore) record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves” to receive the gift, and take upon them“the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God”. The key sentence in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 is found in the phrase, they “first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God”.That’s the key-note of a true and competent church life. That is the explanation of an effective church organization. A converted church membership is absolutely essential to a vigorous and spiritual church life. The church that is made up of unregenerated people, that is crowded with children of the world, that strives to increase its enrollment, irrespective of the Spirit, is neither a sound spiritual nor successful body.You can’t build a living temple with dead stones. You can’t cultivate the old nature so that it will produce the fruits of the new creature in Christ. You can’t get grapes from thorns, nor figs from thistles (Matthew 7:16).
The self-centered life will not indulge in sacrifice, and the self-centered man or woman will not deny the desires of the flesh in behalf of spiritual interests.Men sometimes marvel that the multitude of churches make so little progress. A year ago Mr.
Carroll, a Washington statistician, produced a certain amount of consternation in the ecclesiastical world by calling attention to the fact that one-third of the churches in the Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian denominations had gone through the year without winning a soul to Christ—twelve thousand churches and more with not a redeemed man to their credit! Had Mr. Carroll as carefully investigated the contributions of churches, he would have found a kindred condition: namely, that tens of thousands of members had made little or no sacrifice whatever for Jesus’ sake; and had he deduced a logical conclusion, he would have been compelled to say that the failure to fruit, either in winning men to Christ or giving to Christian causes, was due to the fact that the members of these churches had failed to take the first step of the Christian life, namely, to give themselves to the Lord. I want you!Aquilla Webb tells the story of a sixteen-year-old girl who was a chronic invalid, and whose mother was a pleasure-loving woman who preferred society to time with her shut-in daughter. While abroad in Italy, the mother remembered the coming birthday of her daughter, and purchased and sent her a rare and beautiful Italian vase. The nurse brought it to the girl, and commented upon its beauty and upon her mother’s thoughtfulness in getting it to her just on time.
To which the girl said, “Please take it away. It is not her gifts I want —it is my mother herself.”The principle is the one to which Paul here refers.
Our gifts are only acceptable to God after we have made to Him the supreme gift of self.The practice of giving is inherent in regeneracy. The new man in Christ Jesus will undertake new things. His whole attitude of life is influenced by his loyalty to the Lord. The regenerated spirit becomes an antagonist of the flesh and consequently is set into instant conflict with selfishness.The intensity of that conflict will be determined by the vigor of the new-born soul. If one would watch the warfare between the old nature and the new creature, he can get a kaleidoscopic view by studying the 7th of Romans, where Paul, the author of our text, is presenting in detail his personal experience and tells us:“I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. “Now if I do that I Would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. “For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man: “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death”? And when he sees that his conflict is not in vain, that the Spirit is to have the victory against the flesh, he shouts in sheer gratitude, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the Law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:18-25).Len G. Broughton is credited with having the record to a report that a certain Baptist church made to its annual association meeting: “Members received, none; members dismissed, none; members died, none; members married, none; given to missions during the year, nothing.” The report was followed by the comment, “Brethren, pray for us that during the next year we may hold our own.”The pastor, therefore, whose unrighteous ambition leads him to build a big membership in the interests of reputation and in answer to his personal pride, is playing a foolish part indeed. The very size of his congregation, compared with the pitiful sacrifices that unsaved people can ever be brought to make, will become his shame; and the very objective of a good reputation as a successful church-builder, will be defeated by a selfish, unsacrificing assembly.If, therefore, we would build here a church that is worthy the description “the Body of Christ”, let it be understood that no name should be recorded on these rolls until there is adequate evidence that that one has first given himself to the Lord and then unto us by the will of God.But look further into our text and let us note that Paul pleads for the exercise of giving in equity.It seems that Titus had been the teacher and that he had not been remiss in telling them both the duty of giving and teaching them the grace of the same; and now Paul reinforces his fellow-laborer by urging that they abound in that grace, and also by instituting the comparison of their contribution to that of others, reminding them that their sincerity was proven by the measure of their sacrifice and illustrating by the example of Christ.“Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9); and then he adds,“And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. “Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. “For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not” (2 Corinthians 8:10-12). Certainly there is a similarity between men of all ages. Under the teaching of Titus certain men had made pledges and had failed to pay them, and Paul is reminding them here of the indefensibleness or even the dishonesty of the same, saying, “As there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have”. The willing mind is a good thing, but only when reinforced by the willing hand.We rented a house to a fat, inland man who promised the rent in advance. Month succeeded month and he paid none. When seen, he reaffirmed his intention; but finally, when urged to provide something on the eight months past due, he moved out between days.A certain gentleman promised us a sum of money due, and he sent us a check; but when we took it to the bank on which it was drawn, they reported “no funds”. If we vow, we are to pay our vows.
There are few churches in the world that do not have some such as he found at Corinth. They pledge but they pay not.
By the pledge they make for themselves a reputation at the time, of generosity. In the failure to pay, they trust the pastor and the treasurer to be silent and hope that the church public is ignorant of the refusal to perform the pledge. Paul says, “Do you understand what that means? ‘Such men are eased and their brethren burdened,’” Certainly it cannot be otherwise.When I was a lad on the farm, we had much clearing to do and heavy work of varied kinds. Not a day but a log was to be carried, or some enormous load that taxed the strength of the two or three or four or five boys that were working together. The load would be lifted off the ground and carried to the shoulder level, and if one man shirked, the shoulders of the others must bear the additional weight; and if one man dropped his end of the log, as sometimes he did, the shoulder of the other took the shock and carried the consequent sore. We were brothers in the flesh and we loved one another and we stood together and worked together, and, when occasion arose, we fought together.
But about the heaviest strain that was ever put upon our fraternal affection occurred when one boy, tiring of his load, dropped his end of the log, throwing not only the entire weight, but the jar and shock, to the shoulder of his fellow.I have often said and I believe it to be true that fellowship in Christ is above, better and sweeter than the fraternity of blood; but it is a truth, as Paul here plainly states, that brotherhood is strained indeed when some capable man eases himself and throws the part of the load that he should bear, upon the already burdened shoulder of his own brother in the church, and thereby disturbs that equality for which Paul here pleads.But the Apostle takes a further step, and for our information and inspiration as well, we should follow him, “As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack” (2 Corinthians 8:15).The reference is to the old day when God sent His manna from Heaven and when greedy men gathered more than the day’s needs demanded and thought to store it up, but found it spoiled on their hands; and trusting men gathered less, yet had no lack. How often have we seen these principles illustrated in church life.
A great task is undertaken, a tremendous and costly enterprise is to be put forward and some man of means concludes that he will make big reservations instead of big sacrifices. He has plans for the future and plethoric hopes, and he reserves, in the interest of investment, and lo! a few months and the investments have turned out poorly. He held back more than was meet and it tended to poverty. He selfishly retained and the worms hatched in the middle of the manna; and impossible as it seemed, consumed the same. Then I have seen others who, at the call of God, said, “It doesn’t look as if I can afford it, and yet all that I have, came to me ‘from above, from the Father of lights’ and for the sake of His cause, it is a pleasure to sacrifice,” and lo in a month, the gift has been made up to him and more.More than once have I seen both sides of this truth illustrated, and witnessed the absolute and scientific demonstration of the sacred sentence, “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that upholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty”.A certain merchant of Chapham, England, received news of a failure that involved him in an enormous loss, and within a few minutes a country preacher called at his office to collect a subscription he had made to the country church. Learning of the merchant’s failure, the minister apologized, saying that he was sorry and he hoped the merchant would just dismiss the whole matter from his mind.
To which the noble-hearted Christian man answered, “My dear sir, the wealth I have is not mine, but the Lord’s, and may be He is going to take some more of it out of my hands. If this be true, I should certainly make the best use of what is now left; and instead of paying that subscription, here’s my check for its double.” A man who imagines that his future and fortune are independent of God’s favor, has no God at all.“How can I, Lord, withhold Life’s brightest hour From Thee; or gathered gold, Or any power? Why should I keep one precious thing from Thee, When Thou hast given Thine own dear Self for me!” Commentary, speaking of this text, tells us: “Vast enterprises are never born of masses, but of individuals; apostles first, and then churches; Bunyan, and two centuries of literature for the poor and illiterate; Watts and the sacred poets following; Raikes and Wesley; Martyn and Judson; successors multiplied because of their ‘forwardness’.”The volunteer is commonly the leader, and worthy to be the Captain.“A call for loyal soldiers comes to one and all; Soldiers for the conflict, will you heed the call? Will you answer quickly, with a ready cheer, Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? Chorus: “A volunteer for Jesus, a soldier true! Others have enlisted, why not you? Jesus is the Captain, we will never fear; Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? “Yes, Jesus calls for soldiers who are filled with pow’r, Soldiers who will serve Him ev’ry day and hour; He will not forsake you, He is ever near; Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? “He calls you, for He loves you with a heart most kind, He whose heart was broken, broken for mankind; Now, just now He calls you, calls in accents clear, Will you be enlisted as a volunteer? “And when the war is over, and the vict’ry won, When the true and faithful, gather one by one, He will crown with glory all who there appear; Will you be enlisted as a volunteer?” THE GOSPEL AGENTS There are three of these mentioned in this connection, Titus and two unnamed companions.Titus was a volunteer in this mission service.The language of the text is: “Thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you. For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you” (2 Corinthians 8:16-17). It is not surprising that we hear of this man again. Later Paul will be writing to him. He was a worthy co-laborer indeed. He was one of those men who do not have to be sent on missions, who do not require a long and eloquent argument to impress them with duty.
He was not a Moses, making the excuse of slow speech, nor a Jonah, disobedient to the Divine voice; but, like Isaiah, a volunteer, saying, “Send me”. The late war taught us the meaning of “volunteer”, and compelled us to think of the contrast between the volunteer and the conscripted soldier. The first commands respect; yea, he excites even admiration. The second associates himself with either cowardice or lack of patriotism. The first gives promise of a good soldier; the second prophesies an untrustworthy servant.Titus’ first co-laborer enjoyed a good reputation with the Church.“We have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the churches; “And not that only, but who was also chosen of the Churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind: “Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us: “Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men” (2 Corinthians 8:18-21). The handling of funds by a minister is always attended with danger and involves the utmost delicacy; and it requires integrity of the highest sort. Paul appreciated that fact and proposed a company of brethren who were so esteemed that none could suspect them. His wisdom here is increasingly evident. The church of God has suffered no little at this point. The preacher who handles church or mission funds with carelessness brings against Christianity a bitter criticism, and when he handles such funds with dishonesty, he not only degrades his own profession, but destroys the world’s confidence in Christianity itself. Honesty is everywhere regarded as essential even to the transaction of secular business, and any failure whatever in handling funds intended for sacred uses, strikes the church of God a mortal blow, and brings disrepute to the entire Christian profession.That is why people look with a large and justifiable degree of suspicion upon preachers who come to present personal enterprises, and who are eager to secure personal ownerships of properties supposedly devoted to the Lord.
And that is why there are thousands of faithful ministers of the Gospel whose hearts bleed today over the administration of funds contributed for the express purpose of sending the Gospel abroad, but are being diverted to the non-commissioned end of mere education, while other funds were intended to build institutions upon that solid base of the Bible itself, and are now diverted to the ends of propagating the unbiblical philosophies of Modernism.Instances of such dishonesty in the sight of the Lord, and in the sight of men are drying up the fountains of benevolence! Denominational leaders who have proven themselves untrustworthy, are fatally stabbing the very cause for which they speak. The man who is dishonest in carnal things cannot be trusted in the things of the Spirit. The greatest single barrier of Christian benevolence today is the misapplication of moneys given by godly men and believing women. The unbeliever on the foreign field, and the ministerial skeptic in the home land—these have done more damage to the cause of missions than all the Rousseaus, Paynes, and Ingersolls of the past.The third companion of Titus was a collection-expert.“We have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you. “Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the Churches, and the glory of Christ. “Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the Churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf” (2 Corinthians 8:22-24). We sometimes say that these are the days of the expert, but the specialist has always been in demand. Peter was a specialist as an evangelist. Paul was a specialist as a speaker and writer. John was a specialist as a pastor. And here we have an expert in the collection of funds. The development of such a man, then, is not modern.
There is nothing new under the sun. The existence of such a man was needful, and is to this day. The praise of Mr. Moody has long been in the mouths of the believing multitudes, and he was able to turn men to Christ in mighty numbers. He was an expert evangelist. Hodge, of Princeton fame, was an expert in training men for the ministry.
Broadus was an expert in teaching; Clough a world-wonder in mission work. But the gatherer of funds is nonetheless God’s man, and little less essential to the highest success of the church. Dr. Frank Divine of New York is undoubtedly God’s gift to the church-building enterprise. Solomon has lived in history for centuries, and he is not more famed as the rich ruler of Israel than for his service and leadership in the construction of the temple. But his job in temple building was comparatively small beside that which Divine has wrought in our day.
This church, at least, has a debt of gratitude to God both in his equipment and appointment, to this end. He discovered us to ourselves, and thereby made these sanctuaries possible. How marvelously the combination here suggested is suited to the objective to be accomplished! Titus an ordained minister of the Gospel, and an active agent in gathering funds; an unnamed co-laborer, whose reputation with the churches was such that all that he touched was believed to be safe, and this expert in inciting the spirit of benevolence! It was a trio of efficiency, created and employed by the Holy Spirit in the interest of the old first church at Jerusalem.Mark now the progress of our studies as they bring us to the question ofI GIVING To this the ninth chapter is devoted entirely, and it involves three suggestions:First, Intelligent giving is giving after careful consideration. Paul declares that this has long been before their minds, that he had boasted about their readiness to the people of Macedonia, and that Achaia also had been ready for a year, provoked, however, as had been others, by the zeal of the Corinthians.The matter of benevolence is not a subject of mere emotion. It should never be the product of but a moment’s reflection. .On the contrary, time, thought, and prayer should precede giving. I have sometimes wondered if the poverty in the first church at Jerusalem might not have been the product of emotional giving. And yet let this be said in their defense, namely, that they studied doctrine, exercised fellowship, celebrated the Lord’s Supper, and engaged in prayer, all of which is recorded to their credit.Previous to the record of their benevolence “all that believed were together, and had all things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need”. It is our candid conviction that but for the counsel and prayers through which this church passed for years, the contributions they made to construct these buildings would have been impossible.
It is by teaching, by understanding the significance of types and symbols, by a long continuance in prayer, that the soul grows in likeness to its Lord, and the unselfish sacrificial spirit is strengthened. That spirit is far more sensitive to contributions than is the gathering of material wealth.
James Denny in his volume on Second Corinthians reminds us of the fact that the first generation of Methodists in England, and the men who in 1843 fought the good fight of the faith in Scotland, illustrated this law, “In a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality”. For years the Salvation Army was the scoff of the “upper tens” but finally the children of fortune discovered that their contributions to Christianity were small beside those that the poorest of the poor, under Booth’s leadership, were making. That shamed these sons of wealth into silence first, and forced from their lips commendation afterwards. The prayerful, thoughtful church will grow in benevolent giving.Paul also calls attention here to a second feature essential to all benevolent success, namely:It is to be done in a cheerful spirit. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7) This, of course, is a spiritual axiom. God could love no other kind of giver. We sometimes imagine that there can be no other kind of giver, that unless men give cheerfully they would not give at all, but, alas, such a view ignores known features of human nature.
Men give from all sorts of motives: for the sake of reputation, for the sake of show, to escape the condemnation of their fellows, out of fear that if they did not give God would withdraw His favor. There are many unworthy motives that may lead to giving, and sometimes even large gifts are animated by any other than a cheerful spirit.
Louis Albert Banks, in his volume, “Windows for Sermons” contributes this amusing story told by the late Eugene Field. He said:“When Lawrence Barrett’s daughter was married, Stuart Robson sent to the bridegroom a check for five thousand dollars. Miss Felicia Robson, who attended the wedding, conveyed the gift.“ ‘Felicia,’ said her father, upon her return, ‘did you give him the check?’“ ‘Yes, father,’ said the dutiful daughter.“ ‘What did he say?’ asked Robson.“ ‘He didn’t say anything,’ replied Miss Felicia, ‘but he shed tears.’“ ‘How long did he cry?’“ ‘Why, father, I didn’t time him; but I should say, however, that he wept fully a minute.’“ ‘Fully a minute!’ roared Robson. ‘Why, I cried for an hour after I’d signed it!’”Robson has his fellows in the church of God. Their offerings are baptized in tears.The widow who gave two mites, her all, never cried over it; not a tear is recorded, though she had nothing left. The members of the old first church at Jerusalem sold their possessions, and goods, and parted them to all men, and never voiced a grief. Joses, surnamed Barnabas, put his farm up at auction, and brought the proceeds and laid them at the Apostles’ feet, with a hallelujah shout. But Ananias and Sapphira, in order to keep up appearances, brought to the altar a part of one sale they had just made, and then both of them died of heart failure. “God loveth a cheerful giver”.Finally: To give under the direction of the Spirit is to grow in soul.“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. “Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. “For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto 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; “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” (2 Corinthians 9:8-15). To grow in grace, grow in the knowledge of the Lord; to have sufficiency in all things; to abound in every good work, oh! what a blessing! In other words, to be a “man in Christ”!There is a theory still regnant with certain scientists that man’s body is filled with vestigal remains, namely “left-overs” that have no function to perform in the human anatomy. But almost daily the Divine intent of some one of these is discovered. We know now that the appendix increases the mucus surface, and makes its contribution to health. We know now that the thyroid glands are producers of iodine, and preservers against cretinism. We know now that the pineal gland, once supposed to be an extinct eye, is the most important appointment of the entire body, and determines its growth.
If it should fail to function, a child could not develop into manhood, but infancy in size would link itself to senility, and the world would be filled with the pitiful sights of aged babies. In the things of the Spirit, the pineal gland is the Holy Ghost. If He indwells, dominates, and determines, spiritual growth is insured, and manhood and womanhood in Christ are effected. Is anything more pathetic than the sight of a baby that has failed in development? Yes, one thing: the sight of a soul that remains in infancy, marks no progress, attains to no stature in Christ, and exhibits no graces of godliness. “This I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully Let us, then, glorify God in our subjection unto the Gospel, and grow by our distribution unto all men, thanking Him for His unspeakable gift, the presiding, indwelling, and developing Holy Spirit.