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.
Have you ever made a promise and had others have to remind you of that promise? This is what is happening in the Corinthian church and Paul’s ministry to them. Throughout the book he has been challenged about his apostleship and authority. Now he is challenging them. They made a promise to help with the financial needs of those who have been dispersed by persecution and a famine. Paul is simply reminding them of that promise and wants to make sure they fulfill it. He is reminding them of this Old Testament verse:
Numbers 30:2 (ESV)
If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
When we vow something to the Lord we are obligated to fulfill the vow. Paul is not, however, chiding them. He has confidence in them. In fact, the entirety of chapter eight is his commendation about their giving and not his condemnation of them not yet doing so. He is sending Titus and other men to collect the money. He simply wants them to get it all together before they arrive. It is important for us to see three things in this text:
1. When we make a vow we are to complete the vow.
2. When we make a vow we are to make all efforts to complete the vow in appropriate time frame.
3. We ought to hold others accountable for the vows they make.
God ask for our commitment to Him. It is important that we do what we say we are going to do in the best way, as soon as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment