I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.
We are to do what we promised to do! The history around the above passage starts with a famine that was spreading across the mid-east at the time. The churches in Jerusalem were extremely hit hard. Paul and the rest of the Apostles were soliciting funds from the churches throughout the region to care for the saints hit hard by the famine. It is amazing that God allowed this type of situation as the early church was still developing. Remember that one of the first stressors on the early church was recorded in Acts 6 about the widows who were in need to be cared for by the church. This is a fundamental aspect of the Christian faith; that of caring for those in need. It was a fundamental aspect of Jesus’ ministry, as well. He cared for the 5,000 as they hungered on the hillside after His teaching them all day. In the above passage we read that the church at Corinth apparently had promised a year earlier to give to this effort. However, they had not yet fulfilled their vow. In these chapters Paul is telling them that he is sending an envoy to collect what they had promised to give. He does not want them, or him, embarrassed because they are not ready.
2 Corinthians 9:3-5 (ESV)
But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.
The part of Paul’s writings that is so apparent is that he ties this into the genuineness of their love. He is actually stating to them that the giving of the funds to care for the saints is a primary indicator of their Christian love. Caring for others is an expression of the Spirit’s love in our own hearts. Our love toward others is the best test of our faith toward Him. That love is demonstrated by our being the hands of Jesus. He took the small loaves and prayed over them and gave to the hungry. We too should take what is in our hands (or wallets) and give to those who are hungry, as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment