II Corinthians Chapter 9
The church at Corinth had previously agreed readily to give a love offering to the needy in Jerusalem as Paul had requested when he was there with them. But this church had a reputation for not sticking to their convictions and they had lost their respect for Paul when he pointed these things out to them. Paul said it was superfluous (more than is needed or wanted) for me to write to you. He knew that being reminded of this commitment would not settle well with them, however they had not been trustworthy in their walk with the Lord, so he did think it was necessary to write and remind them.
Imagine for a moment that you were to receive a letter in the mail from someone in your church reminding you of the convictions and commitments you had made in your faith. That would be very humbling, wouldn’t it? This happened to me once (in a sense) when I was a young mother. We had stopped attending church for a few months and the Pastor’s wife came to visit, to sweetly inquire about my well-being, and to invite me to come back to church. That was all it took, and I was back attending church on a regular basis. Reading scripture on a regular basis will have the same affect – the Holy Spirit will remind us of our faith and our convictions and gently guide us back to walk with Him.
Let's Reflect
1. Paul had previously said what about the church in Corinth to the churches in Macedonia?
2. Paul surmised that it was a possibility that the Corinthians might have gone back on their word and stopped collecting monies for the gift Paul was collecting. He mentions how embarrassing it would have been for them if he might have done what? Instead he thought it would be best to send Titus and the other brother ahead of time.
3. What are the principles that Paul teaches the church about giving found in verses 6-8?
Jesus said this about giving in Matthew 19:29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. Jesus meant that we are never the losers when we give to the cause of Christ. God can never be in debt to us. He will always out-give us.
4. What phrase in those verses shows that God allows each individual to make the choice of how much he or she will give?
5. My favorite phrase is that God will give all sufficiency to the cheerful giver. The Greek word for sufficiency means contentment. There is great contentment or peace in the heart of the giver. There is contentment in knowing that God is going to take care of my every need. This idea is in the last phrase of verse 8 and in verse 10. What does that phrase say?
6. Verses 10-15 speaks of the circle of giving. What happens when a person sows a seed of giving to another person?
7. The receiver is filled with thanksgiving, and they will in turn glorify whom?
8. The circle is complete when the receiver of the gift does what for the giver?
