D A IL Y D E V O T I O N A L S T U D I E S I N T H E N EW T E S T A M E N T FOR INDIVIDUAL MEDITATION AND FAMILY WORSHIP By R A. TORREY
Friday, 'March i. 2 -Cor. 7 : 12 - 16 .
had done in some other church, so Paul now makes known (v. 1, R. V .) to the church in Corinth what the churches in Macedonia (principally perhaps the'church at Philippi, Phil. 4:14-16) had done. Paul speaks o f it as “the grace o f God which hath been giVen in the churches o f Mace donia.” He speaks o f it in this way because their generous giving was the product o f .God’s grace, and not o f their own natural generosity (cf. Acts 4:31-33). True gen erosity is always a product o f grace. The Macedonian Christians were being put to a severe test at this time. This testing ■came from affliction. But in the midst of this great “testing o f afflictioii’’ “the abun dance o f their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches o f their liberal ity.” The phrase translated “ deep” in verse 2 is not .an adjective, but a preposition and a noun. A literal translation would be “poverty down to (or, according to) depths.” The deeper their poverty the more their liberality abounded unto the riches o f their liberality, and the more their joy abounded. There was “abundance o f joy,” and their poverty down to the depths and the abundance o f their joy abounded “ unto the riches o f their liberality.” , One o f the fairest, sights in the church today is the abounding joy and abundant liberality o f God’s poor ones. In Macedonia they not only gave up to the measure o f their power, but even “beyond their power,” and they did this “o f, their own accord” (R . V .). The thought is that there needed to be no urging by others. Indeed in this case Paul seems to have been inclined to discourage such over-abundant giving, and they besought him “with much entreaty” that, they might exercise this grace and might have fellowship in the ministering to the saints.
, It was not merely for the sake o f the one who did the wrong, nor for the sake o f the one who had suffered wrong, that Paul wrote. His object in writing was that his diligence in their behalf (cf. ch. 2:4) (o r their diligence in his behalf—there is a variation in the Greek manuscripts at this point) might be made manifest unto them in the sight o f God. So Paul had great comfort in the whole matter because it had turned out just as he hoped it might. Titus had been greatly pleased by the Spirit shown by the Corinthians. Indeed, he had been filled with joy over the matter, and his joy had brought exceeding joy to Paul. Paul had spoken very highly o f the Cor inthians to Titus, and their conduct had justified everything he had said. Titus’ Sympathy and affection had gone out greatly toward them as he remembered their obedience (cf. ch. 2:9) and how they had received him with fear and trembling (cf. 1 Cor. 2:3), i. e., with anxious solici tude to do all Paul bade them through his messenger and lest there be anything in them to offend either Titus or Paul, Paul closes this part o f his letter with the assur ance that he is pleased with everyhing, and that his former doubts have given way to gbod cheer in their case. Saturday, March 2 . 2 Cor. 8 : 1 - 4 . The (eighth and ninth chapters o f the epis tle are devoted to the very vital subject o f Christian giving. The giving in the apos tolic church ^vas on a high plain, and the modern church has much to learn from it along this line. It was Paul’s method to stir up one church by recounting what God
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs