CRM Partners,
II Corinthians 8 reads, “and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.”
The Apostle Paul had in his first epistle to the church at Corinth, in chapter 16, given instructions as to how they were to collect an offering to be delivered to the suffering believers of Jerusalem. However, after he wrote that epistle, he received news of conditions which had popped up among the believers of Corinth which concerned him. Certain “false apostles” had appeared among the brethren, and were through false and arrogant teachings, seeking to turn the believers against Paul, and into following their twisted version of the gospel. This prompted Paul to send Titus to Corinth so that he might discover exactly what was happening.
Once Titus returned to Paul and gave him an accurate picture of the situation in Corinth, Paul wrote his second epistle, which we know as Second Corinthians. In chapter 8 of this second letter, Paul has returned to the issue of collecting an offering for believers in Jerusalem, and in verse 5, he challenges the believers of Corinth using the example of how believers in Macedonia gave.
Matthew Henry wrote these comments on II Cor. 8:5-6 many years ago.
8:1-6 The grace of God must be owned as the root and fountain of all the good in us, or done by us, at any time. It is great grace and favor from God, if we are made useful to others, and forward to any good work. He commends the charity of the Macedonians. So far from needing that Paul should urge them, they urged him to receive the gift. Whatever we use or lay out for God, it is only giving him what is his own. All we give for charitable uses, will not be accepted of God, nor turn to our advantage, unless we first give ourselves to the Lord. By ascribing all really good works to the grace of God, we not only give the glory to him whose due it is, but also show men where their strength is. Abundant spiritual joy enlarges men’s hearts in the work and labor of love. How different this from the conduct of those who will not join in any good work, unless urged into it!
Key Points:
- The Macedonians were in the main a poor and persecuted group of people. Yet the amount of money they gave far exceeded what Paul expected to receive from them, i.e. “not as we expected…” God’s power and grace were magnified through their giving. As Henry wrote “The grace of God must be owned as the root and fountain of all the good in us.”
- “They gave themselves first to the Lord…” This does not mean “first in time,” (mere chronology) but rather “first in importance or priority.” This drives home the point that those who daily surrender their lives over to Jesus as Lord, learn more about His grace and goodness, and consequently are filled with the joy of the Lord. As Henry wrote “abundant spiritual joy enlarges men’s hearts in the work and labor of love.” Such people do not require to be shamed or prodded into giving.
- “…by the will of God…” Those words remind us of what Paul wrote to the Philippians in 2:13 “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” The will of God is to be our operating principle in giving. His Word reveals to us what His will is for giving. When we give ourselves first to the Lord, we will always be “cheerful givers.” II Corinthians 9:7 reads …”for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Application:
All that God has given us, we hold in trust. If we give ourselves to the Lord, it is easy to give our means. All biblical giving is a personal matter, a surrender of oneself to the Lord. Living in the will of God produces adequate giving to the cause of Christ.
May each of us enter 2023 with hearts and minds committed to loving and obeying Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. May each new day find us full of the joy which flows from experiencing His grace at work in our lives. As we study HIs Word each day, may our knowledge of what pleases Him grow, so that our ability to discern HIs will for the use of our time, energy, talents, and finances grow accordingly.
I am confident that CRM’s field partners will not lack for the resources they require to carry out Kingdom advance in their particular context if we all follow the example of the Macedonians in the upcoming New Year.
For His glory,
David Crane
