The Grace of Giving (2 Corinthians 8:1-9)

Bible Passage: 2 Corinthians 8:1-9

As Paul planted and oversaw churches throughout Europe, one of his key concerns was teaching them to be generous with what they had. There were believers in Jerusalem who had experienced famine, and Paul encouraged the other churches to set aside money and generously give in order to meet this need. In this passage, Paul makes his appeal to the Corinthian church, and he does so by highlighting both the generosity that has already been shown by a different church, and by pointing out the gift that they have themselves received from Jesus.

Giving is an act of grace (v1-2): Paul begins his appeal by sharing the example of the Macedonian churches, and described their generosity as ‘the grace that God has given to them’. They saw their giving as an act of God’s grace through them, and this perspective transforms how we think about our possessions and the opportunities that we have to give. This happened in the context of the Macedonians themselves experiencing severe trial and extreme poverty. In a way that is similar to the widow who gave her last penny in Luke 21, the example of the Macedonians shows us that giving is not only something for those who are well off or are in comfortable circumstances, but it is a grace of God into which we are all invited. The Macedonians were motivated not by their tough circumstances but by their overflowing joy in God, and this joy led them into generosity.

Giving is an act of willingness (v3-5): The gifts of the Macedonians did not come because Paul had pressured them or twisted their arms, but from their own willingness. They pleaded with Paul for the opportunity to be involved in this offering. The New Testament doesn’t present giving as something we ‘have’ to do, but as something we ‘get’ to do. For the Macedonians giving did involve money, but it also involved much more, as they gave their hearts to God and also to support the apostles mission. As we think about our own giving, we should challenge our attitude if our giving is reluctant or begrudging, and instead give with willing enthusiasm.

Giving is an act of Christlikeness (v9): In verse 9, Jesus is presented as the paradigm of generous giving. Jesus possessed all the riches of heaven, but he laid it aside and gave even his very self for our sakes. By his poverty, we are enriched. Our giving comes from a recognition that in Jesus we have already received more than we deserve and that our giving can never out-do his. It also comes from a recognition that as disciples, Jesus is the model we have to follow, and following Jesus includes embracing the same kind of generosity that he has shown to us.

Potential Applications:

Challenge people to think where they are currently on the ‘Giving Ladder’, and whether they may be ready to step to the next rung.

• Non-Giver
• Occasional Giver
• Regular Giver
• Proportional Giver
• Extravagant Giver