2 Corinthians 8:11-13
Read 2 Corinthians 8:11-13
Helpful Background Information:
As we read on Tuesday, Paul founded the Corinthian church around 50 A.D. (Acts 18) and spent 18 months there before continuing his second missionary journey. While in Ephesus, he heard troubling reports of immorality in the church, prompting a now-lost letter (referenced in 1 Corinthians 5:9), followed by 1 Corinthians in 55 A.D. Later, Titus brought news that many had repented, leading Paul to write 2 Corinthians in early 56 A.D. to express joy and relief about this development, and further address ongoing issues in the Corinthian church.
In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul urges the Corinthians to complete the collection, or a financial donation, for the struggling church in Jerusalem. This church, consisting mostly of Jewish believers, consistently faced famine and persecution. Hence, Gentile believers providing for Jewish believers served to show the immense unity these two ethnic groups now had in Christ; theologically, they were members of one body and of one family in the gospel. In this chapter, Paul offers one of the richest and most detailed models for Christian giving in the New Testament.
In our few verses today, Paul makes a reasonable appeal for the Christian to give. After citing Christ’s self-giving love in verse 10, Paul asks the believer to take his or her situation into account. Can I give according to what I do have? The implication is that if a believer has much, he can give much; if he has little, he can give little. The Corinthians were being prompted to give at that time because of their abundance. And in like fashion, if they were in a season of scarcity, other churches would have been prompted to give to them to meet their needs.
Will giving in this current situation cause me hardship? Believers are never called to go into debt or impoverish themselves for the sake of giving, nor should believers neglect providing for their own families or local churches. Giving must not be done out of such compulsion, but from eagerness and willingness. Lastly, Paul says that giving is a matter of equality, not wealth redistribution among the churches, but a call for Christians to voluntarily meet the needs of their fellow believers when they can do so.
Reflection Questions:
Many Christians often ask the question, “How much should I give or tithe?” How does Paul’s instruction in 2 Corinthians 8 provide more clarity to this question? List as many observations as you can.
Paul warns against giving in a way that causes personal hardship. How do you discern between proper sacrificial giving and unwise giving? For example, consider a family with three kids. Their income and necessary living expenses are equal. How should they go about giving/tithing? Are there non-financial ways they could show generosity? If you are potentially in that situation, how does this passage encourage you and give you wisdom?
Is your attitude toward giving marked more by joy or by pressure? How does Christ’s self-giving love in verse 10 help you cultivate a heart that gives eagerly or cheerfully, even in moments of giving little?