2 Corinthians 8

Study Guide 137: 2 Corinthians 8-9 NEW TESTAMENT PRINCIPLES OF GIVING Overview John wrote in the introduction to his Gospel, “ the Law was given by Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). In a sense, the rest of the New Testament is an exposition of the grace and the truth which came through Jesus. Here, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-24 and 2 Corinthians 9:1-15, the Apostle Paul outlined the grace principles governing a New Testament pattern of giving which supplants the Old Testament principle of the tithe. The way Paul developed this topic also illustrates his approach to New Covenant ministry. In the preceding chapters Paul had expressed a confidence in Christians based on the reality of Christ in their hearts. Now, rather than command or coerce, Paul simply taught and encouraged his readers to give as a free and personal response to Christ. These chapters also are an illustration of Paul’ s use of spiritual authority, which we explore in the next study guide. Rather than demand, the apostle carefully guarded the freedom of individuals to be personally responsible to God, and reminded us all that response to God must not be made “ reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7). What a privilege to be able to affirm the grace of God as we teach, and to encourage in our group members a free, spontaneous and loving response to Jesus which the Lord Himself loves to see in you and me.

Commentary It’ s said most Sundays in most of our churches. As the collection plate is passed, the congregation is encouraged to give God “ tithes and offerings.” There’ s nothing particularly wrong with this familiar phrase. Unless we make the mistake of reading into it a theology of giving that has its roots in Old Testament Law rather than in the vital new principles of grace-giving that the New Testament establishes for God’ s people. It is significant that the Epistles mention no tithes, and the offering which God seeks is that of the person himself as a “ living sacrifice . . . which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1).

Background The tithe in the Old Testament. The Law established a concept of tithing which, at first glance, seems simple. Leviticus 27:30-33 says that a “ tithe of everything from the land” was to be set aside for use as God might command. Other passages expand this initial instruction. According to Numbers 18:21-32 tithes were to be used for the support of those dedicated to serve God. According to Deuteronomy 12:5-14 and Deuteronomy 14:22-26, the 10 percent was to be brought to a central sanctuary, later established by David at Jerusalem, for distribution. However, Deuteronomy 14:27-29 and Deuteronomy 26:12-15 introduce another tithe, this one to be collected every third year and distributed locally to the needy! Some students of Scripture believe that as many as three separate tithes can be identified. But surely there are two: the yearly 10 percent taken to support those who led Israel in worship, and a tri-annual 10 percent used to support widows and orphans. In Old Testament times this giving posed no threat to the believer, and Scripture does not see it as a burden. God is able to make the land produce abundantly, so His people will have all they need and more. Giving is a way of worship; a way to express confidence in God (see Malachi 3:10). In addition to the tithes which the Israelite owed to God, the Law established a principle of voluntary contributions. These contributions, called “ freewill offerings,” were given spontaneously, out of love. They were not a duty, and they were not considered “ bribes” to buy divine favor. Thus in the Old as well as the New love flowed: beyond duty there was the privilege of expressing devotion through one’ s giving to God, and of expressing concern for God’ s people by lending to the needy. As we move into the New Testament era, however, we note several important contrasts. The Epistles never call for a tithe. There is no single worship center and no priesthood to be supported by the old, annual temple tithe. While giving to support individuals who minister full time is mentioned in the New Testament, no letter suggests this be done through a local tithe. The New Testament emphasizes a deep concern for the poor and needy, especially within the family of faith. Paul and others did organize offerings to be taken up for those in hunger-ridden foreign lands. But the guidelines for giving that Paul laid down nowhere mention or imply that the tithe is to be used to measure a Christian’ s obligation. So we need to look carefully in our study of 2 Corinthians 8-9 to see if new principles of measure are introduced. The New Testament view of possessions. The principles of giving which we find in 2 Corinthians reflect an attitude toward possessions which is consistent throughout the New Testament. Jesus taught that the believer is not to trust in possessions, nor consider material things treasures (Matthew 6:19-33). The manager in one of Jesus’ parables was considered shrewd because he used worldly wealth to prepare for his future (Luke 16:9). Jesus went on to show that no one can serve two masters: we will either love God and reject money as the focus of our lives, or we will love money and God will take second place. “ You cannot serve both God and money” (Luke 16:13). The believer, then, will give God first place and use money in God’ s service. The New Testament Epistles reflect this teaching. The love of God will be reflected in sharing what we have. “ If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:17-18). Paul told Timothy to “ command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). While it is not wrong to be wealthy, and while material riches can be used to help others, the love of money is a problem, a “ root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). The composite we draw suggests that worldly riches are not in themselves evil. The issue is one of how they affect our values and choices. If we put God first, and respond lovingly to the needs of others, we can use our possessions to prepare for eternity. But if we put money first, we will fall short of full commitment to God and fall short in our obligation to love others. Our use of our resources then becomes one means of measuring our dedication to God and our commitment to eternal values. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Open with a T/F quiz and a “ quick check” review of key Bible verses. Have each person take the quiz first, then together look up the verses that give the answer. As you check references, discuss how the verse suggests we should answer the item.

Quiz TF1. Ten percent of what we make belongs to God (1 Corinthians 16:2). TF2. Having riches is in conflict with commitment to God (Luke 16:13). TF3. Money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:18). TF4. The rich have a special opportunity to do good (1 Timothy 6:18). TF5. The rich trust their wealth rather than God (1 Timothy 6:17). TF6. Most of my problems would be solved if I had a million dollars (Luke 12:14).After discussing, point out that our attitude toward God and possessions will be reflected in our giving. Give an overview of giving in the Old Testament, then ask: “ How do you determine how much to give, and what to give toward?” If your group will discuss, let them, before moving on to study 2 Corinthians 8-9. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Or put this list of questions on the chalkboard. Each person is to jot down his or her answer. Then form teams to look into 2 Corinthians 8-9 and discover what answers Paul would give. What is the “ right amount” for a Christian to give? Is “ giving” the best name for making our contributions? What are valid motives for giving: why do we give? What are some of the results of generous giving? What are we to look to as the ideal example of Christian giving?

Grace Giving: 2 Corinthians 8-9 Several things help us put this passage’ s teaching on giving in perspective. In the early New Testament church there were no buildings to finance, no curriculums or programs to support. Yet there were needs within the body. Funds were given to the apostles and to others who traveled as missionaries. Often local elders would be supported to free them for a full-time ministry. Paul wrote to Timothy about needy widows who were also supported by the congregation. However the first obligation for their support fell on children and grandchildren. The great collections of which the New Testament speaks here and in other passages (cf. Acts 11:27-30; etc.) were, however, intended for the support of Christian brothers and sisters in lands struck by famine or some other natural disaster. Essentially then “ giving” in the New Testament was focused on meeting “ people needs.” Its goal was to enable others to simply survive, or to carry on ministries recognized as important by the church. It is not surprising then to discover that the term used for “ giving” in this New Testament context is not the typical Greek word for making a gift. Instead the New Testament adopts the Greek word koinonia, which means “ sharing.” As Christians shared life in Christ, their family relationship was expressed by a sharing of financial and material resources. In these chapters of 2 Corinthians then Paul wrote to encourage members of this congregation to share their material possessions with needy brothers. His whole approach and argument was a demonstration of the revolutionary approach to motivation explored in our last study guide. Paul held no rallies and called for no pledges. He sent no letters filled with underlined appeals. Paul set up no “ buy a brick” campaigns; he put no red ribbon threaded through a giant thermometer to creep upward toward Paul’ s campaign goal. There was not even an every-member canvass. In fact, Paul seems to have found an entirely different way. If we keep in mind these two factors, that “ giving” is really sharing to meet needs in the body of Christ, and that New Testament giving focuses on people needs, we will be able to better understand what Paul teaches us here. Two examples (1 Corinthians 8:1-9). Paul began by telling about the way the churches of Macedonia had shared generously despite extreme poverty. Their act of service was viewed as a privilege, and their example provided a standard against which the Corinthians could measure their own earnestness. But the Macedonians were not the prime example of the grace of giving: Jesus is. Jesus demonstrated this grace in that though He was rich, He gave all (“ became poor” ) that through His poverty we might become rich. There is no appeal here to the tithe as a standard against which to measure our giving. Instead Paul pointed to other believers and to Jesus, whose love moved them to give, first themselves and then money. Willingness (2 Corinthians 8:10-12). Paul was pleased that the Corinthians had earlier expressed a strong desire to help. But the Corinthians needed to carry their intentions through to completion, “ according to your means.” This is an important factor in grace giving. Paul said it again. “ If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.” On the one hand, one need not be a millionaire for his or her contribution to be significant. Even the gifts of those who have little and can give little are acceptable. What God is concerned with is the willingness: the love that motivates the believer to share (cf. Luke 21:1-4). The principle of “ equality” (2 Corinthians 8:13-15). Here Paul laid down an important principle. The goal in grace giving is “ that there might be equality.” This is not Christian communism, in any sense. Paul’ s vision is of a worldwide church, an international body. In the first-century world, as in our own, there were at times famines or other natural disasters, which left whole populations on the verge of starvation. The collections which Paul spoke of here were for the relief of Christians in such areas. What Paul pointed out is that, at present, the plenty enjoyed by the Corinthians could supply others’ needs. In their turn those others might one day supply the Corinthians when they had needs. The body image is appropriate here. Just as the food we take in is digested and distributed to all parts of the body, in order that every bodily part can function, so the funds God supplies to believers are to be shared with those in need so they can live and function as God intends. Action encouraged (2 Cor. 8:16-9:5). Paul told the Corinthians that Titus and another brother were coming to take and distribute their liberal gift, and urged them to “ show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you” by having it ready. Giving as sowing (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). Paul turned to another image that had its roots in the Old Testament. Sharing with others is like sowing seed: the more generously one sows the more he or she will reap. This is not a promise that one who sends in $7 will get $77 in return. Instead it is an affirmation of God’ s ability to outgive His people. “ God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” The conviction that God is able to supply our needs is intended to free us to give generously, without fear that we will deprive ourselves or our family by responding to meet the needs of others. In this context Paul said that “ each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Again, Paul was careful not to place believers under any obligation to give, and not to specify any percentage as appropriate. Each is to give “ what he has decided in his heart,” and that decision is not to be made reluctantly or under compulsion. The outcome of grace giving (2 Corinthians 9:12-15). Paul now summed up the results of generous giving. It supplies the needs of God’ s people. It overflows in expressions of thanks to God, and stimulates praise. It demonstrates the obedience (commitment) that is appropriate to our profession of faith. It generates prayers for the giver by the one who receives. And, as Paul had shown earlier, it permits us to experience the faithfulness of God who is able, and does supply our needs as we use our material possessions to help our brothers and sisters.

Implications In an earlier study we saw that the Apostle Paul abandoned typical approaches to motivating others. He did not demand. He did not try to produce guilt. He did not manipulate. Rather Paul put great trust in the fact that Christ does live in the believer, and he based both his confidence and his appeal to others on this reality. What kind of pattern might we see in our local churches if we were to build our stewardship programs on the gracious principles Paul presents in 2 Corinthians 8:1-24 and 2 Corinthians 9:1-15? In seems that such a program would feature these elements: We would present needs. Paul did not hesitate to share with the churches the needs of those for whom he planned to take up a collection. The needs emphasized were human needs. It is not wrong to give today to support the local church as an institution, or to support denominational programs. But the strongest and best motivation for giving is to respond to brothers or sisters whose needs are real and basic. We would encourage our people to evaluate our own needs in view of the resources and against the needs of their brothers. Wealth is comparative. In some situations a person with a thousand dollars is rich; in others a person with that amount is poor. In some societies all our needs can be met with the expenditure of a few thousand dollars a year. In other situations our most basic needs may require the expenditure of many thousands of dollars. God does not set a fixed amount that Christians are to give, but He does call on us to evaluate what we have (and need) and to look honestly at what others have (and need). We are then to give what we can and what we wish to, but not what we cannot spare or are unwilling to share. We would reject manipulation. Like Paul we would protect the freedom of our brothers and sisters to respond to God as they themselves choose, and do nothing to force or manipulate giving. We would teach freeing truths. While Paul did not manipulate, he did not hesitate to teach truths which release Christians from fear and from bondage to the material. Like Paul we might remind others of God’ s great gift in Christ. We might emphasize God’ s commitment to us, and affirm that we can not outgive a God who is able to make all grace abound to us. We might also teach that the person who gives sparingly will reap sparingly, and that giving generates many spiritual benefits. These are principles we need to implement in our churches. But before we apply them to stewardship in the church, we can apply them in our own lives. As we take to heart the truths Paul taught here, we experience both freedom and release. We are freed from compulsion in our Christian lives. And, through growing trust in God, we are released from our bondage to possessions and enabled to respond freely, and generously, to meet others’ needs. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Divide into teams to take the role of a church stewardship committee. Ask each team to develop a stewardship program for the congregation that puts principles from 2 Corinthians 8-9 into practice. After 10 or 20 minutes, reassemble and compare programs. Then check the programs against the principles mentioned above.

Teaching Guide Prepare Evaluate your own giving by the teaching of 2 Corinthians 8-9.

Explore

1. Begin with the T/F “ quick check” quiz on giving above. Use it to lead into a minilecture on giving background on both the Old Testament tithe and the New Testament’ s attitude toward riches and material possessions.
2. Or distribute a list of questions suggested in “ link-to-life” above. Break into teams to discuss. Then have the teams check their ideas by trying to find answers to each question by studying 2 Corinthians 8-9 together.

Expand

1. In a minilecture cover the main points Paul makes in these chapters, guided by the commentary in this study guide.
2. Ask the study teams to take the role of a church stewardship committee, and determine steps they might take to establish a “ grace giving” stewardship program in your church. See “ link-to-life” above.

Apply Encourage each group member to write down a list of factors he or she will use to reevaluate his or her own giving. Or ask each to pick a key verse from these chapters that expresses something he or she needs to apply in thinking about personal giving. Share the verses, and share why each made the choice he or she did.