2 Corinthians - Lesson 8F

• Good morning, guys, and welcome back. This morning, we pick back up with our journey through 2 Corinthians. If you’ve been here over the last several weeks, you might be thinking to yourself, more like good morning and welcome back to our study of 2 Corinthians 8.

  • And I get it, because I believe we are in our sixth study of this chapter, and we still have a few more verses to go before we finish. Anyway, it really doesn’t matter because, as I always say, we aren’t running a race, are we? No, I didn’t think we were.

  • We are in search of the truth, which is a result of quality over quantity or substance and accuracy over speed. And so, with that in mind, remember we are essentially on a mining expedition. Meaning, we want to mine every ounce of spiritual gold we can out of every page of God’s Holy Manuscript.

  • And in order to do that, we must take our time, moving methodically, examining every word in detail, allowing God to speak to our heart, revealing His character to us through the Holy Spirit that lives inside every believer. And we do that in the deepest of ways when we follow Paul’s command in 2 Timothy 2:15, which said what? What did he say? Well, it depends on who you ask.

    • If you ask Richard Bancroft (Archbishop of Canterbury), the man who oversaw 47 scholars and clergyman as they translated the New Testament from the Textus Receptus (Received Text), which was a series of Greek text, along with the Old Testament translation, which was translated from the Masoretic Hebrew Text.

    • If you want to know what Archbishop Bancroft of Canterbury thinks, then you would go to the translation of the Bible he helped oversee, which was what translation? The King James Version of the Bible. If you read it, Paul says this as it relates to the handling of God’s word in 2 Timothy 2:15.

2 Tim. 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

• Or, if you read that same verse in the NASB, it would say:

2 Tim. 2:15 (NASB) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 

• The Greek word translated as “rightly dividing” is orthotomounta — (Ortho - tow -mayo), ortho means “right or proper,” and tomounta means “to cut.” Which tell us that the best way success is defined when handling God’s word is by the way it cuts the individual listening to it or studying it; specifically meaning the way it cuts properly and correctly.

  • The imagery here is that of a farmer. A farmer who is plowing a field. More specifically, how that farmer would seek to cut straight furrows in the ground in order that he might plant the rows in a straight line.

  • This method began with the farmer focusing on a point on the other side of the field (a focal point), so as to ensure the line cut in the dirt was indeed straight. This same method, if you will, applies to a good student of scripture. The student must remain focused on the goal or outcome and be diligent to handle the Word of God properly.

    • Which is why rightly dividing the word of truth is compared to that of “cutting a straight line.” And that’s what we do here, and that’s why it takes time to navigate and traverse through the scriptures correctly. And honestly, as you always hear me say, who cares anyway. It should always be about the quality and purity of God’s word, because that’s what changes lives, not the quantity. You get the point, so moving on.

• Last week, we ended our teaching by mining some serious spiritual gold out of verses 13-14, and we left verse 15 as a way of kicking back off this week’s teaching. And so, as we always do, let’s back up and re-read those verses for context before we move forward. And here’s what Paul wrote:

2 Cor. 8:13 For this is not for the relief of others and for your hardship, but by way of equality— 
2 Cor. 8:14 at this present time your abundance will serve as assistance for their need, so that their abundance also may serve as assistance for your need, so that there may be equality; 
2 Cor. 8:15 as it is written: “THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED LITTLE DID NOT HAVE TOO LITTLE.”

• Now, because we have rightly divided the word of truth, we know that Paul was writing this section of 2 Corinthians focused specifically on giving. But not just giving as we think of giving. The giving that Paul references here was a type of giving that brought about a supernatural move of God.

  • It was a giving that provided something, both to the giver and to the one receiving the gift. And what was it? Well first, let’s deal with what the one receiving the gift, what he or she got out of the deal. On the surface I think it’s pretty obvious. They received exactly what you would think they would receive. Which was what? Money. For what purpose? To take care of their needs.

    • Paul was encouraging the wealthier Church in Corinth to give at the same level that the poorer churches in Macedonia gave. And what level did they give? Paul said they gave from what they had (their ability), and they also gave from what they didn’t have (beyond their ability). And why did they do this?

    • Well, because as we learned in verse 4, they wanted to get in the game. They wanted to participate in what God was doing. Listen to verse 4 one more time:

2 Cor. 8:4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints. 

• The Churches in Macedonia were literally begging Paul for the opportunity to give. All with an intent and purpose in mind, which was what? So they too could participate in the work of ministry, and that was manifested in the form of supporting the saints.

  • And who were the saints? The believers, the church, you and me. We are saints. And what’s a Saint? Anyone who is saved. And so basically, at the end of the day, the Churches in Macedonia wanted to support their poorer brothers and sisters, those less fortunate, in other areas of the country.

  • So, getting back to my original statement. We know how those who received, received the benefit of the money, and that money provided for their basic needs. But what about the giver? Those who gave, what did they get in return? Well, let’s back up and read verse two for the answer.

2 Cor. 8:2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 

• We spent a lot of time on this topic over the last few weeks, so I am not going to rehash it all. But it’s worth noting one more time, those who gave received an abundance of joy because of what they gave. Not how much they gave, but rather how much they sacrificed. How much they gave in relation to what they had.

  • As I have said, it’s a percentage thing, and Paul saw the results of their giving first-hand. And for that reason, he was writing to encourage the Church at Corinth to do the same, which is what then led Paul to write verses 13-14:

2 Cor. 8:13 For this is not for the relief of others and for your hardship, but by way of equality—
2 Cor. 8:14 at this present time your abundance will serve as assistance for their need, so that their abundance also may serve as assistance for your need, so that there may be equality.

• As I said last week, this concept of equality denotes balance. Much like scales. They have something you need, and you have something they need, and the equation looks something like this. Money given = an abundance of joy = equality. And it was all made possible by way of sacrifice.

  • Just remember that when you give, especially when you question how much to give. It’s all about the sacrifice of the gift, not the amount. Pressing on, we ended our teaching last week with verse 14, and I didn’t finish verse 15, so let’s do that now before moving on. And here is what Paul wrote:

2 Cor. 8:15 as it is written: “THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND THE ONE WHO HAD GATHERED LITTLE DID NOT HAVE TOO LITTLE.”

• Let me remind you, when you see quotes in the New Testament, followed by capitalized letters, the quote will be a reference back to the Old Testament. And so, if that’s the case, then the only question is where do these words show up in the Old Testament?

  • But more importantly, why is Paul quoting these specific words (and how does it relate to what Paul is trying to convey)? Well, that’s a good question, and one that you will soon discover will reveal yet another spiritual nugget, at least as it pertains to God’s character. But more specifically as it relates to a picture of a promise to His children. A promise that still holds true today. A promise that includes you and me.

• Now to begin the process of understanding what Paul wrote, we will need to journey back to Exodus 16:18, and that’s where we will find the verses that Paul is referencing. And so, let’s begin our journey by asking ourselves who wrote Exodus. Moses did.

  • Now, to further this process along, and before we read verse 18, let’s back up a couple of verses for context and begin from there, with verses 16 & 17:

2 Cor. 8:16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Everyone gather as much as he will eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’”
2 Cor. 8:17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little.
2 Cor. 8:18 When they measured it by the omer, the one who had gathered much did not have too much, and the one who had gathered little did not have too little; everyone gathered as much as he would eat. 

• So once again the question is why did Paul quote Exodus 16:18 while he was writing 2 Corinthians to the Church at Corinth? Because he was trying to drive home a point, and to do that he wanted to use the most reliable source he could find, which for a Jewish person would have been what? The Old Testament.

  • You see, the Hebrew Bible was everything to the Jewish people, and so referencing it brought validation and accreditation to Paul’s words. And so, what was the point he was trying to make? Well, to know the point you must first know the setting and or context of the setting, which would begin where?

  • It would begin by asking yourself the question, where were the Israelites at this point in Exodus? Hint: The name of the Book kind of gives it away. Exodus - it means what? “Mass departure of people.”

    • And who were the people that had departed and where did they depart from? It was the Israelites, and they departed or were freed from Egypt, from slavery. And who led them out? Moses. And where are they now? In the wilderness, which by the way, when the scripture says wilderness, most of the time it doesn’t represent wilderness (at least in the way we think of wilderness).

    • Wilderness usually denotes woods, and although there are woods in the Middle East, this wilderness is generally the desert (rocks, etc.). And so, the Israelites are in the wilderness, and they are struggling a little bit (which is an understatement). They are actually struggling a lot. And what are they struggling with?

  • They were struggling with trusting God. Trusting Him as it related to taking care of their basic needs, especially food. Which is understandable when you realize where they were. I mean after all, they are in the desert and there is no food in sight, which I would say would obviously exacerbate their trust issues.

  • And this story, by the way, is no different for us. When we can’t see a way, we automatically struggle trusting God. And why? Because we are human. We want to trust God but it’s hard when we can’t see a way. But remember, in those times all we have to do is reflect back on what Heb. 13:5 says, which is what?

• It’s another promise from God “that He would never leave us nor forsakes us”, and as we know, His promises never fail. Which means you count on them. And this story in Exodus 16 highlights that very fact. And so, what’s the deal? What’s Paul’s point?

  • By referencing back to Exodus, Paul is letting this church know that God always takes care of His children, just as He did for the Jews after the Exodus in the desert. But honestly, there is more to it than that. Yes, that’s the message, but what about the message behind the message?

  • Let me show you what I mean. Yes, God provided, but wait, there’s more. Let’s dig deeper. Moses said although some of the Israelites gathered much manna and some gathered little for various reasons, regardless of who gathered what, they all had their needs met.

    • Which is deep, because it highlights God’s Sovereignty through His provision. We have no clue exactly how God worked it all out, because the Old Testament doesn’t tell us. But at the end of the day, some gathered little (not enough), while others gathered a lot (more than enough). And when they had all finished eating, they looked around and regardless of who gathered what, they were all fed.

    • You see, Paul wanted the Corinthians (and by extension, you and me) to understand this concept. He wanted them, (and as I said, you and me) to see God’s principal at work in the lives of their ancestors. But why? Why did he choose this verse specifically?

  • Well, as I studied commentary on this topic, most if not all of the commentary on these verses expounded on what I call the surface message of the text. Remember, when it comes to God’s word there are usually multiple messages within the text, which is what makes God’s word so fascinating.

  • And so, having said that, what was the surface message? It was that God would provide for His children no matter who had gathered the most or the least, meaning no matter who had little and who had a lot, that God is our provider (Jehovah Jireh), and He always provides no matter our situation or circumstance.

• Paul wanted them to see the true character of God. He also wanted them to see how they would also become God's agents in maintaining sufficiency for all. And although these surface messages are very powerful in and of themselves, for me what was more exciting was the message behind the message, and in order to see that you must stay in context with Paul’s writings. And what was the context of Paul’s writings?

  • Well, it started in verse 1 with Paul referencing the Churches in Macedonia. Specifically, how they gave from what they had (their ability) and how they gave more than they had (beyond their ability). And then, how that because of this type of sacrificial giving, God blessed them for their sacrifice and turned around and did something supernatural in their lives. And what was it?

    • Here it is. He gave all those big givers lots of stuff (big houses, Ferraris, jets & Rolex watches). No, that wasn’t it. As a matter of fact, they didn’t receive anything made with human hands. Instead, He gave them an abundance of joy, which might not seem like much.

  • But let me ask you, what do you think would be more valuable right now in your life, an abundance of joy brought to you through peace and happiness and contentment, which gives you a real sense of true satisfaction in your life, or more stuff?

    • Let me ask you a question. Can you think back to a time when you were really happy and content, at peace? Well, that’s not the kind of joy Paul is referencing here. Let me be clear here, this isn’t just any old abundance of joy that we are dealing with.

    • No, I would submit to you this type of happiness and contentment isn’t like any you may have ever experienced because it’s a peace and happiness that comes from God. Which means it’s happiness and contentment 2.0, which I assure you is far more valuable than stuff.

• And so, Paul made a reference to Exodus 16 because he wanted the Church at Corinth to understand what was up for grabs as it related to their sacrificial giving, so they too could experience what those Churches in Macedonia had experienced. But how does Paul’s point specifically tie back into the Exodus story? And more importantly, how does it apply to us?

  • Well, here it is. When you give beyond your ability, sacrificially, and remember it’s not about the amount you give, it’s about the sacrifice of your gift. When you give sacrificially you never have to worry about there being enough. Meaning you will never have to worry about running out.

  • Because, just like the manna that fell from heaven in the desert night, it was always just enough. Never too much and never too little. And even though some gathered much, and others gathered little, they were all provided for equally. And yet, nobody could figure out how and why, because it was a supernatural work of God.

• Now, I want to preface all this by reminding you of our teaching from a few weeks ago, which was that the purpose of the church first and foremost was and still is to take care of each other. Not in extravagant ways, but by meeting our basic needs. We are to take care of our own first, and if we do that well then guess what? The government doesn’t have to.

  • Which is why I said it is not the government’s responsibility to take care of believers. It’s the church’s job. You may not know it, but God originated the Welfare System.

    • It was His concept, and not welfare in the way we think of welfare. We tend to look at the word ‘welfare’ in a negative light. But it’s not, at least not in God’s dichotomy. You see God designed a system in which those who had much would give to the church, and then, in turn, the church would provide for those who had little.

  • And once again, when I say little, I’m speaking about little as it pertains to their basic needs being met. Which means the church has its own built-in and mandated welfare system. Which makes sense when you think about it, especially as it relates to a believer’s position in this world.

    • Which is what? We are to remain separated from the world and anything it has to offer. And so, if that is the case, well then, we shouldn’t ask the world to take care of us, right? And by the way, one more time, just so we are crystal clear, when I say basic needs, sometimes I think we kind of think this means starvation, and certainly food meets the criteria of a basic need, but there are many other needs that need to be met inside the church.

  • Many needs such as medical or needs such as a single mom who can’t afford childcare or maintenance on someone’s home, and the list goes on and on. I won’t belabor the point, but just fill in the blank with whatever it is.

• Now having said that, I do want to point something out. Something I think is interesting. I want you to notice that Paul is not asking this church to take up an offering for him or the other disciples and Apostles. And this intrigued me, made me wonder, ask the question, did Paul ever ask the churches he worked with for money for himself or other disciples?

  • The answer is nope, he did not. I couldn’t find any place in scripture where Paul takes up an offering for himself or for the other Apostles. On the contrary, he is always collecting money for the poorer churches. As a matter of fact, Paul actually denounces taking money from the church.

  • And he does so for a very interesting reason. Let’s read about 1 Cor. 9:15-18. Here’s what the NASB version has to say on this topic:

1 Cor. 9:15 But I have used none of these things. And I have not written these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than that. No one shall make my boast an empty one!
1 Cor. 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, for I am under compulsion; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.
1 Cor. 9:17 For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a commission nonetheless. 
1 Cor. 9:18 What, then, is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

• Paul said, I do not want to charge for the gospel message. Paraphrasing, I don’t want to take a dime for the work I am called to do. And why? Because I do not want to dilute or lose any of the effectiveness or impact that my preaching may have. Isn’t that interesting?

  • I guess many of the ‘prosperity guys’ missed that memo, and in keeping with this theme, if we back up to verse 16, Paul said, I preach the gospel because that is what God has called me to do. That’s what he means when he says I am under compulsion, and therefore woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.

  • He said, paraphrasing once again, woe to me, not only am I under compulsion, but I do it also for free without charge because I have no choice, and if I choose to take pay, then guess what, I lose my reward.

    • Then in verse 18 he says,

1 Cor. 9:18 What, then, is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.

• So, Paul makes it really clear. If I take money for doing what God called me to do, then I lose my reward and my message, the message of the gospel, may lose its maximum impact. Now, I wonder why this is the case.

  • Well for at least two reasons. One is Biblical and the other, well, is my personal opinion (which is not what we are supposed to do when teaching scripture, which is listen to my opinion), but I believe I am right, and I know that’s a shocker, but just humor me here for a minute.

  • I believe when the man delivering the message is paid, I believe it lessens his impact because of a change in the relationship between the one giving money and the one delivering the message. But why is that the case? Because of the expectation of the giver. Maybe not consciously, but certainly subconsciously.

    • Money always changes the expectation. I’ll give you a quick example of what I mean and then I’ll digress. Let’s say we are friends, and you call me up and say, “Hey Pastor Greg, can you come over to my house and paint my living room and I’ll pay you?”

    • And I say yes, and I go to your house, and I paint your living room. Because you are paying me, you are going to scrutinize my work; not give me as much grace and mercy. But on the other hand, if I say no thanks, I don’t want any pay, I’ll do it for free.

  • When I finish the job, you will be less likely to scrutinize, but more likely to be thankful for the help. All because you didn’t pay for it. Money always changes the expectation, and that’s why Paul didn’t take money.

  • Instead, he said when you take up an offering, we will give to those in need. Once again, I know this flies all in the face of church tradition. But once again, I’m not making the news, I am just reporting it.

• Now, in the past when speaking on this topic, I’ve had people say to me, well preacher, if the preacher is working a job then who is going to visit the people in the church? Those who are sick, etc. Ah - wonder who? Who might need to go do some visiting? How about you.

  • This is just one more reason for the preacher to forego pay. Because when the preacher receives his primary compensation from the church, the church automatically (the people) assumes everything is his responsibility, which then ends up burning him out. Leading to the number one reason so many preachers end up quitting the ministry, and they also many times end up in divorce as well.

  • Which is insane when you think about it. The preacher ends up divorced, all because he spent more time tending to the needs of the church than he did to his own family. Do you think God designed it this way? I think not.

    • And just one more thing I would like to say before moving on while I’m on my soap box. What a shame it is that the believer doesn’t get to participate in the work of ministry, all because in their mind they gave money to the church, and therefore, they subconsciously don’t feel as if they need to go visit someone. What a blessing they are missing out on.

• Anyway, Paul didn’t get paid. But wait. I am confused. How did he survive? You ready for this? He had a job. He had a job. And what did he do? He built tents. He was a tent maker. So, are you saying he shouldn’t have received any compensation from the churches? Nope, I am not saying that at all.

  • I’m saying he felt that if he took pay, it would take away his reward and it would lessen his effectiveness in ministry. Another way to say it is, he worked free of charge so that he could maximize his impact in the ministry, and therefore he worked, and he had a job, and I’ll leave it at that.

    • But back to the topic at hand, which was what? What was Paul’s point in this passage; the deeper point he wanted to make? Well, it’s pretty clear. If a person gives sacrificially, which, as Paul says, is beyond their ability, they can rest easy knowing that God will always meet their needs by Paul’s own reference back to the Exodus story.

  • If a believer does this, he or she will never even notice it’s gone, because God will equal it all out in the end. And one more thing before I leave this teaching. If a believer gives to this church, you have my word that it will never be wasted on anything frivolous or unnecessary.

    • Things like extravagant salaries for staff or a Cadillac for the preacher or for say ‘non- essential’ facilities. Instead, it will be used to take care of our own first, and then from there, our gifts will move outside the walls of the church.

  • Let me also assure you, all decisions relating to giving in this church will be made by the elders, who will do so by beginning from a place of prayer.      

• Now, this morning I want to do something as we close, and that is I want to read the final verses of this chapter as a segway into next week’s teaching. I would like for you to take these verses this week and see if you can mine your own spiritual nuggets out of Paul’s words.

2 Cor. 8:16 But thanks be to God who puts the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.
2 Cor. 8:17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest, he has gone to you of his own accord.
2 Cor. 8:18 We have sent along with him the brother whose fame in the things of the gospel has spread through all the churches;
2 Cor. 8:19 and not only that, but he has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness,
2 Cor. 8:20 taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift;
2 Cor. 8:21 for we have regard for what is honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of other people.
2 Cor. 8:22 We have sent with them our brother, whom we have often tested and found diligent in many things, but now even more diligent because of his great confidence in you.
2 Cor. 8:23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.
2 Cor. 8:24 Therefore, openly before the churches, show them the proof of your love and of our reason for boasting about you.