Lesson 2
“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first-fruits of all your crops”
Proverbs 3:9
The Setting
1 Corinthians 16:1-4: “1 Now about the collection for God's people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do. 2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. 3 Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem. 4 If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me.”
In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, Paul focuses on the need to complete the offering for the needy saints in Jerusalem. The offering began about a year before but was “put on the back burner,” evidently because of problems plaguing the congregation. As Paul encourages the completion of this offering, he places before the Corinthians and us some key principles of stewardship, principles that can guide individual Christians and Christian congregations yet today..
The Macedonians
2 Corinthians 8:1-5 “1 And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5 And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
Paul describes the financial stability of the Macedonian churches with the words __________ and __________.
Yet their giving is described as rich __________.
ἁπλότης. - Here, too, the basic meaning is a. “simplicity”: 2 Βασ. 15:11; 3 Macc. 3:21; Jos. Bell., 2, 151. And again this leads to such value concepts as b. “noble simplicity,” “characteristic of the psyche of heroes,” c. “purity” or “singleness of heart”
ἁπλότης giving does not have any __________, _____-_____ motives.
ἁπλότης points more to the ___________ of the giver than it does to the __________ given.
The __________ of __________ made it possible for the Macedonians to give like this.
In what three ways does Paul describe the remarkable nature of the giving of the Macedonians?
Verse 3 - They gave __________ their __________.
Verse 4 - They __________ for the __________.
Verse 5 - They gave in keeping with __________ __________.
What can we learn from the Macedonians about our giving? ______________________________________________________________________
2 Corinthians 8:6-7 “6 So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”
Paul connects the act of giving to Jesus by calling it the __________ of __________.
Why is Paul quite certain that the Macedonians will excel in the grace of giving? ______________________________________________________________________
2 Corinthians 8:8-9 “8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
Why has Paul brought up the example of the Macedonian believers? ______________________________________________________________________
What does it mean that Jesus was rich? ______________________________________________________________________
How did Jesus become poor? ______________________________________________________________________
What are the riches we receive through His poverty? ______________________________________________________________________
2 Corinthians 8:10-12 “10 And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”
Paul’s advice is that our __________ to give be matched by the __________ of our giving.
Paul says if the __________ is there, the gift is __________.
With the words “according to what one has” Paul is reminding us that the __________ we give is not as important as the __________ we give.
Me
The Tithe - Tithing is an Old Testament concept. The tithe was a requirement of the law in which all Israelites were to give 10 percent of everything they earned and grew to the Tabernacle/Temple (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:26; Deuteronomy 14:24; 2 Chronicles 31:5). In fact, the Old Testament Law required multiple tithes which would have pushed the total to around 23.3 percent, not the 10 percent which is generally considered the tithe amount today.
Proportion - Rich generosity does not necessarily mean a large amount of money. A family making $30,000 a year can have rich generosity at 10% giving and still give less money than a family making $200,000 giving three times as much at 5%. Basking in the light of God’s grace, spend some time this week comparing your rich generosity to that of the Macedonian churches.
Stability - As you are financially blessed or challenged your offering amount may go up or down but your percent stays the same