Presentation 12
Presentation 12
Introduction
There are some things we are embarrassed to
talk about in the church. Sometimes the cause of
our embarrassment is due to the fact that we
may be misunderstood. Sometimes it is because
the issue we are dealing with has been abused by
others thus discrediting the gospel.
A criticism often levelled at the church is, 'they
are always looking for money'. Paul had no
scruples about raising the issue of finance. He
does not apologise for doing so. He does not see
it as a taboo subject but as an integral part of
Christian stewardship and so he raises it with
confident expectation.
Presentation 12
Introduction
Paul was organising a charitable collection to which he
expected Christians to contribute. It is not clear what the
collection was for. It is assumed to be the same one mentioned
in Rom.15v25ff … for the Christians in Jerusalem who had
impoverished themselves for the sake of others on the
first Pentecost and who in addition faced a severe
famine which had gripped the land.
The Corinthians’ initial response to his appeal had
been encouraging but then interest seems to have
waned. Paul's concern was that the much publicised
Corinthian contribution might not materialise
[9v2-3]. Therefore he lays out in chap. 8-9 the
most comprehensive instruction on Christian
giving in the N.T.
Presentation 12
Giving: A Mark Of Christian Discipleship
Paul begins by reminding the Corinthians that the
poorer Macedonian churches had been impressive
in their response to his appeal. The implication is,
'you are surely not going to be outdone in giving by
your poorer country cousins from up north, the
churches like Philippi and Thessalonica’.
You may think this borders upon emotional
blackmail. But in actual fact if wealthy Corinth
could not raise more funds than these northern
congregations she deserved to be humiliated. Just
as we deserve to be humiliated when we hear of
the amazing generosity of many third world
churches in Latin America, Africa and India.
Presentation 12
Giving: A Mark Of Christian Discipleship
Paul cites the example of their poorer cousins to
provide some moral leverage on the tight
fistedness of some of the wealthy Corinthians.
Look at what Paul says of the Macedonian
churches in 8v2-3a. Many of these believers had
suffered a great deal of persecution for their faith.
Some were almost totally wiped out financially we read that their poverty was extreme and yet
strangely, their persecution had the effect of
multiplying their liberality. Persecution has the
effect of clarifying our sense of values, it causes us
to focus, not on the material trappings of this life,
but on the glory of the world to come.
Presentation 12
Giving: A Mark Of Christian Discipleship
Prior to his burning at the stake an English
Reformer was shut up in prison. At that time
there was no prison canteen and prisoners
were responsible for buying food in for
themselves. The Reformer in question
purchased two meals a day. But he could not
bring himself to eat them himself, while others
around him went hungry and so one of those
meals was regularly given to someone else.
You see, as Christians we can afford to be
sacrificial in our giving if for no other reason
than we recognise that this world is not our
home for we await the world to come.
Presentation 12
Giving: A Mark Of Christian Discipleship
The giving of the Macedonians was enthusiastic.
Some people groan over the sacrifices they make
but not the Macedonians. They didn’t need their
arms twisted. They spontaneously volunteered to
give. The word Paul uses in v4 implies that they
begged Paul to let them help. There is a marvellous
irony here. They begged, not for money to relieve
their own poverty but of the opportunity to bring
relief to others. The word translated ‘opportunity’
is the Greek word 'caris' which means ‘grace’. They
were pleading for the undeserved privilege of
helping others. They believed that by giving they
would be the beneficiaries. The Lord Jesus taught,
'it is more blessed to give than receive'.
Presentation 12
Giving: A Mark Of Christian Discipleship
Their giving was not only marked by sacrifice
and enthusiasm but also with spirituality cf. v5
‘they gave themselves first to the Lord’. They
weren't just giving to the needs of the Jerusalem
church they were giving to the Lord. Theirs was
not an automatic act of philanthropy for the
warmth of a personal consecration was bound
indissolubly to their gift. They were saying, 'I'm
doing this for Jesus'. They were not behaving like
accountants who budget to see what is left in
the reserves, they behaved with all the irrational
extravagance of a lover. They did not ask, 'Once
we have bought all the things we want to buy,
how much can we afford to give?'
Presentation 12
Giving: A Mark Of Christian Discipleship
Corinth was a church with a reputation and one
of which they were proud. In matters of faith,
communication skills and gifts, a comprehensive
knowledge, an earnestness and zeal they excelled.
‘Very well’ says Paul, ‘excel in the gift of giving too.
Don't just talk about your commitment to God and
his word, where is the material evidence of that.
Put your money where your mouth is!’
If the Macedonian example was used to prod
other congregations in the C1st how much more
should it prod the affluent C21st church member.
We aspire to be good at so many things in our
Christian life but do we aspire to be better givers?
Presentation 12
Giving: A Mark Of Christian Discipleship
I read recently of a cow and a lamb who were arguing about
which was the more generous. The cow pointed to all the pints
of milk which would be placed on the supermarket shelves
during her life on the dairy farm. ‘Beat that!' she said. The lamb
knowing it was destined for the butchers said, 'Your milk
represents a contribution but what I give represents a sacrifice!'
Do we really miss what we give? When John Wesley was young
he found that he could live on £28 per year. As he got older his
salary grew in size and his writings brought him in thousands of
pounds. He continued to live on £28 per year - the rest he gave
away to those in need. He followed the Macedonian pattern, he
gave sacrificially. What do we know of Macedonian generosity?
Presentation 12
Giving: A Mark Of Christian Discipleship
Do we give out of duty or see it as a privilege?
Does resentment rather than enthusiasm
characterise our response when the offering is
uplifted? Some Christians give beyond their
means others according to their meanness.
How spiritual is our giving. When a humanist
gives it is an act of charity, when a Christian
gives, that is an act of worship. We are
responding to what God has done for us.
The hymn-writer says,
‘Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my heart, my life, my all’.
Presentation 12
Giving: Expresses Our Christian Unity
All that Paul says to the Corinthian church
about giving is without coercion. Indeed in
v8 Paul makes it clear that he is not
commanding them to give and again in v10
that what he is offering them is advice
concerning the manner of their giving.
However, it is also clear that Paul believed
that giving to the wider work of the church is
an expression of our Christian unity.
Believers are not isolated individuals but
have a mutual responsibility towards one
another. The communion of the saints was
for Paul a very practical doctrine.
Presentation 12
Giving: Expresses Our Christian Unity
Paul uses the word ‘koinonia’ [ 8v4; 9v13] which
is translated in the NIV as 'sharing' but is
regularly translated as 'fellowship' or
'communion' elsewhere. That is what the
Christian church really is. We are a fellowship, a
communion, a group of people who are bonded
together in a common life, with something
more powerful than superglue.
Now it is clear form Paul's use of this term in
chap 8 and 9 that Christian communion quite
definitely has economic implications. Giving is
not a private Christian virtue but an expression
of our corporate Christian unity. cf v13-14.
Presentation 12
Giving: Expresses Our Christian Unity
‘Equality’ is a word in prominent usage today. The
Equal Opportunities Commission has mushroomed in
size and influence in the UK. Employers can no longer
advertise for male or female employees
lest a member of the opposite sex is discriminated
against! But what kind of equality Paul has in mind.
Paul is not arguing for a redistribution of wealth so
that the people in Corinth and Jerusalem would
have precisely the same sum registered in their
bank accounts. What he is asking for is a sharing
of the Corinthians’ surplus in order to eliminate
deprivation in Jerusalem. Basic human needs and not
an equality of absolute standards is what is in view.
Presentation 12
Giving: Expresses Our Christian Unity
Paul is concerned with economic need rather than
with economic diversity. There is all the difference in
the world between telling the man who has two
shirts to give one to the man who has none and
telling the man who has ten shirts to give one of
them away to the man who has only eight.
Paul is not suggesting that it is immoral for the
Corinthians to have a bigger bank balance than their
brethren in Jerusalem. Marxist philosophy, which
advocates a redistribution of wealth because it is
immoral for one man to possess more that another,
has no biblical basis, though some have tried to use
passages such as this one to argue that case.
Presentation 12
Giving: Expresses Our Christian Unity
The burden of Paul's heart is that there should
be such a burden of mutual concern for one
another within the church that we should seek
to meet one another's needs.
Of course it works both ways. There could come
a day when the Corinthian stock market
collapsed, or the when Corinthians found
themselves impoverished by invading armies
plague or famine and then other churches, like
the one in Jerusalem, would come to their aid.
For to be a Christian is to be part of a worldwide family.
Presentation 12
Giving: Expresses Our Christian Unity
Paul reminds his readers of the provision of God for
the OT church in the wilderness in v15 . God fed his
people with manna from heaven. Some people
collected frugally and others greedily of this provision
but when they got home and weighed what they
collected, each family discovered they had as much as
they needed. That, argued Paul, should help shape the
model for the church's enjoyment of her wealth. God
gives enough for everyone but sometimes we have to
do some mutual sharing to make sure no one goes
hungry. We need to be sensitive to the economic
hardship others may be experiencing. Some will find it
hard to make ends meet, others have lost
employment, some are one parent families and so on.
Presentation 12
Giving: Expresses Our Christian Unity
There is also the enormous challenge of the
church overseas. There are missionaries who
cannot engage in the mission because of a lack
of resources. Some fellowships are unable to
support pastors, erect a church building not to
mention unable to afford food. Is our surplus
wealth not something that can be put at their
disposal? Is that why God has given it to us?
Do we not owe it to those who belong to us in
the international family of God's people to
share God's good gifts with them so that
together we may be a light to the world. cf
9v11-14....
Presentation 12
Giving: Expresses Our Christian Unity
When we give in this way, people will thank God for us,
they will be bound to you in prayer as never before
because of real heart involvement. Many churches prepare
a budget of anticipated expenditure for the coming year.
A figure is set and giving is regulated accordingly. If we
are in the black we have had a successful year.
But we can become complacent when we see we are
on budget and ask, why should we give more? The
minister is paid, the bills are paid, all our targets are
met, why should we give more? Oh not to make our
worship environment even more palatial but as an
expression of fellowship with those members of
our world-wide church family who are in
desperate need.
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Conclusion
Paul never makes an practical exhortation without
providing the necessary motivation. His principle
motivation is not found at the beginning of the passage
where he says, do not be put to shame by poorer
congregations but in the heart of our passage in v9 we are
called on to grasp the extraordinary generosity of Christ -
‘he became poor that you might become rich’.
Perhaps we should write these words on our purses and
wallets. For it answers the question, ‘Why should I give
sacrificially and enthusiastically and worshipfully?’ My
giving says thank you to God for the inexpressible gift of
his Son. And that,
‘Demands my heart my life my all’.
Presentation 12