THE KING’S BUSINESS
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ness:) (And He ihat supplieth seed to the sower and bread fo r food, shall supply and multiply your seed fo r sowing, and increase the fruits o f your righteousness: ye) being enriched in everything to all bountifulness (unto all liberality), which causeth (work- eth) through us thanksgiving to God.” While we should sow abundantly, after all, it is God who supplies the seed to the sower, and who also supplies bread for eat ing. If we sow as He provides He will supply and multiply seed for sowing, and increase the fruits o f our righteousness. But if we do not sow He will cease to supply. The more we give the more God will increase our power to give. In this way we will -be enriched in everything to all liberality. This liberality on our part will work through us who give thanksgiv ing to God on the part o f the recipients. vs. 12-14. “F o r the administration o f this service not only supplieth the want (filleth up the measure o f the wants) o f the saints, but is abundant (aboundeth) also by (through) many thanksgivings unto God, whiles by the experiment o f (: seeing that through , the proving o f you by) this ministration they glorify God fo r your pro fessed subjection (the obedience of your confession) unto the gospel o f Christ, and fo r your liberal distribution (the liberality o f your contribution) unto them, and unto all men ( omit, men): and by their prayer fo r you which ( ; while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf,) long after you fo r (by reason of) the exceeding grace o f God in you.” This giv- (1 ) Giving Is a Grace, vs. 1-5. What is grace? Rom. 11:6. To what does “ministering” refer? Luke 8:3, Where does Paul speak similarly? 1 Cor. 16:15. What logically follows the fact of-resur rection? 1 Cor. 16:1 (See preceding chap ter). LESSON
ing to the needs o f the saints does good in two ways: (1) It “filleth up the measure o f the wants o f the saints.” (2) It “abound eth also through many thanksgivings unto God.” That is, it brings honor and glory unto Him through the many thanksgivings to which it gives rise (cf. Heb. 13:15). The saints in Jerusalem, when the saints in Cor inth had been tested and proven by this ministration to their need, would glorify God for two things: ( I ) The obedience o f the confession o f the saints in Corinth unto the gospel o f Christ. (2) The liber ality o f their contribution unto them. The generosity in giving o f many o f the saints in Corinth Would be repaid by—the saints in Jerusalem by generosity in prayer. Fur thermore, the saints in Jerusalem would long after the saints in Corinth by reason o f the exceeding grace o f God which was in them. v. 15. “ Thanks be unto (to) God fo r H is unspeakable gift." Paul closes Tiis words about giving on our part, with thanksgiv ing unto God for His own wonderful giv ing, the giving o f the unspeakable gift, Paul was wont to stir up the giving o f men by pointing to God’s greatest giving in the gift o f His Son (cf. ch. 8 :9 ). •The unspeakable gift o f God, that is. the gift that could not be told fully out, is-of course Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 8:32), No human language can fully express the meaning and measure of that gift, and noth ing should so move us to give to others as the thought that God has given His very best and dearest to us. OUTLINE For whom was this collection made? Rom. 15:26. Who took it to Jerusalem? Acts 24:17. Should Gentiles give for Jews? Rom. 15:27. Who evangelized Macedonia? Acts 16:10-12. What was Macedonia’s chief city ? Acts 16:12.
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