Contents of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9

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Contents of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9

2 Corinthians 8 and 9 are about liberality.

From Paul's perspective, this might seem a bit childish, right?

Even an unknown warrior like me, in the eleven years since, has never preached a sermon about offering.

As someone who speaks on behalf of God's word, I felt embarrassed to talk about money, so I couldn't even properly advertise it.

Looking back, I hated the idea of comparing God's spiritual grace with material things, and what I meant was that if you only give of your own, you shouldn't give.

If Israel sacrificed oxen or sheep without a sense of atonement for their sins and reconciliation with God, it's like murder, like breaking a dog's neck.

He says that if other gifts lose their meaning and are offered as if they were one's own, he will regard them as pig's blood and it will be seen as the same act as praising an idol (Isaiah 66:3).

If you do not appreciate the forgiveness of sins through the atoning death and being raised of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ who is still alive today to reconcile us to God, and if you think that you are giving your possessions to God, then you should not give offering.

So, what does Paul mean by offering? Why do we give? What is the benefit? He explains.

The concept of offering today is different from the concept of offering in 2 Corinthians.

The offering Paul speaks of includes relief, offerings to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor, and missionary funds.

Of course, Paul himself is included in this.

While offerings are a true measure of faith, there is a danger that they can become a substitute for offering oneself to God.

Young believers may think that God loves money.

Furthermore, because people love money, they mistakenly believe that God loves money too.

However, the condition for offering that Paul sets forth is that we must first give ourselves, and then give what we have according to God's will (verse 5).

Therefore, offering is an expression‎ of genuine love (verse 8).

If we only say, "I love the Lord," but keep our wallets closed, we will be like the Pharisees, merely reciting the Shema, but our hearts are far from God.

The important point about offering is whether we are truly enriched with the spiritual blessings of heaven through the Lord Jesus Christ who has come among us (verse 9).

Those who force people to offer are problematic, but so are those who argue about whether or not to offer.

For example, if we bicker over the issue of sin, both are sinners.

The righteous have already died to sin with the Lord and are raised with Him, living as new creations. They are too busy denying themselves and bearing their cross to condemn others.

Their own burdens are immense, so they have no time to meddle in the sins of others.

In this way, it is difficult to see those who emphasize offering and those who deny it as having given themselves to the Lord and have obtained the glorious and abundant riches of heavenly treasure through Christ.

Offering is neither forced nor avoided.

If we do not rely on the grace and love of the Lord Jesus Christ through His death on the cross and His resurrection, and the Holy Spirit coming to make our bodies into temples, reflecting the image and glory of God in us, and if we offer what is ours to God and build a castle and a tower and inscribe our names on it, then that is not the biblical offering.

The key verses of chapter 8 are verses 13-15: "For I mean not that other men be eased, and you burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may  be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack."

The church in Corinth had not yet reached this spiritual state.

Of course, the early church after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost had this kind of sharing and exchange. However, in the end times, with the development of capitalism and the preval‎ence of market thinking, democratic thinking has infiltrated the church, and a few powerful figures have come to dominate the church.

Perhaps, if a vote were held to call a pastor like Paul, it would not be approved in today's churches.

In 2 Corinthians 9, the church in Corinth is neither qualified nor capable of offering and managing the offering, so Paul presents the Macedonians as a model and has them manage the offering.

And we see that Paul does not touch the offering.

The church cannot do this without workers, but because the pastor manages the offering, there is a lot of noise.

The key verses of chapter 9 are verses 9-11: "As it is written: He has dispersed abroad; he has given to the poor: his righteousness remaines for ever. Now he that ministeres seed to the sower both minister bread for food, and  multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness. Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causes through us thanksgiving to God."

Paul hopes that the church in Corinth will participate in this blessing.

If those who, as new creations in Christ, are completely dedicated to the Lord, give themselves first to the Lord and offer offerings as proof of their love for the Lord, He will abundantly provide seed and food, filling them with the fruit of righteousness.

However, we must guard against the attempt to obtain God's blessings through offerings.

Therefore, Paul summarizes his references to offerings in verse 15, "Thanks be unto God for his inspeakable gift."

No matter how great the offering, it is nothing compared to the inspeakable gift of the one and only Son, the atonement accomplished in Him, new life, the image and glory, and the outpouring of love.

It is only natural that such an offering of faith will be accepted and receive even more abundant blessings.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

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