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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Monday, March 4 . 2 Cor. 8 : 8 , 9 .
Sunday, March 3 . 2 Cor. 8 : 5 - 7 .
Paul did not command them to give. If he had there would have been no element o f voluntariness in it, as there must be in true giving. Two things moved Paul to speak: first, “the earnestness (or diligence) o f others;” second, the wish to test thé sin cerity o f the love of the Corinthians. There is perhaps no surer test o f the genuineness o f love than generosity in giving (1 John 3:17, 18). But now (v. 9) Paul brings in a mightier motive to abundant giving, i.e., the example o f our Lord Jesus Christ, who, “though He was rich, yet for our sakes became poor,' that we through His poverty might become rich.” How rich was. He? All Divine glory and power and riches were His (Phil. 2:6 ). Howjpoor did He become? The poorest being in the universe. He emp tied Himself and was stripped of every thing (Phil. 2:7, 8). He had not where to lay His head. He Vvas robbed o f His very clothing before He died; left the world penniless, hungry, naked, dying a felon’s death on the cross. And how rich do we become through His deep poverty? All that God has becomes ours (Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 3:21, 22). Ought we therf to hesi tate at the little sacrifices we are called upon to make for others? I f we were asked to give all it would be little in comparison with what Christ gave for our sakes. Tuesday, March 5 . 2 Cor. 8 : 10 , 1 1 . Paul gives his judgment (R. V.J in this matter o f giving, and the judgment which he gives was an inspired judgment (cf. 1 Cor. 7:40). His judgment, or opinion was that as a year ago they were the first “to make a beginning,” “not only to do., but also to will (i. e., to d o ’heartily),” they should now complete the doing of .it. The readiness to will was good, but there should also be a completion o f what was willed. This should be “out o f their (your) abil ity.” This strikes, at an error that is all too common in our day, viz., a great failure to carry out what is resolved and pledged. And where there is a doing very frequently
The abounding liberality and the earnest desite to give on the part o f the believers in Macedonia had not been merely as Paul hoped if might be, but far beyond his hopes.' There was also something far more impor tant than their gifts o f money; that was that they “ first give their own selves to the Lord.” Not only did they give themselves unto the Lord, but they also gave them selves unto Paul as the Lord’s representa tive. Paul speaks about this as being “ first.” This giving was not only first in time, but first in importance (cf. Matt. 6:33). They gave themselves to the Lord “through the will o f God.” (Both the Authorized and the English Revised Ver sion have “by the will o f God,” but the American Standard Version is right in reading “ through the will o f God.” The thought is that they did not merely do it according to God’s will, but that they were moved thereto by God’s will, they did it “through the will o f God” cf. Phil. 2:13). Paul was so moved by what was done in Macedonia that he urged Titus to go to Corinth and lead them on in like generosity. Titus-on his former visit to Corinth, from which he had just returned, had already made a beginning along this line, and Paul exhorted him to return and complete what he had begun. The,church in Corinth was a church o f abounding gifts. Paul puts it that they “abounded in everything,” and then he goes on to specify Some of the things in which they peculiarly abounded: “ faith” (seemingly in this instance, miracle working faith, cf. 1 Cor, 12:9, 10; 13:2), and “utterance” (literal word: the apparent thought is that there were many eloquent speakers in Corinth), and “all earnestness” (or zeal), and “love to Paul.” Paul would have them abound not only in these things in which they were so preeminent, but also in the grace o f giving. It is possible for a church to have a great many specially gifted members and yet not be a notably generous church.
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