The Grace of Giving Encouraging the Corinthians to “abound in this grace also” (2 Cor. 8:6) by giving a “liberal distribution” (2 Cor. 9:13) to needy saints, Paul used the sacrificial example of Christ as a practical definition of grace. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (2 Cor. 8:9) The Example of the Macedonians Although “the grace of our Lord” is the subject of this verse, giving is the theme of the context (2 Cor. 8:1- 9:15). Suffering “great trial of affliction,” “the churches of Macedonia” “first gave of their own selves” and then “abounded unto the riches of their liberality.” Using them as an example, Paul challenged the Corinthians to “prove the sincerity of their love” by adding “performance also” to their “readiness of will.” By “supply[ing] the want of saints” in Jerusalem by giving from their abundance, the Corinthian brethren would also supply “abundant thanksgivings unto God.” Grace In the New Testament, grace (Greek: charis) generally refers to unmerited favor. Specifically, and typically, grace refers to the unmerited favor given to sinful man: “the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:15). In other words, grace usually refers to “redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sin” (Eph. 1:7). But there are other definitions of grace that help us understand Paul’s admonishment to “abound in this grace also.” Grace sometimes refers to the graceful, kindly character of persons (Luke 2:40), to generous acts of goodwill (Acts 7:10), or to proof of the presence of grace in the life of a Christian by practical deeds of grace (1 Cor. 16:3). The example of Christ as described in 2 Corinthians 8:9 combines many of these definitions. The Mingling of Grace and Giving Matthew Henry commented on 2 Corinthians 8:9: The example of our Lord Jesus Christ should have great influence. And you know, saith the apostle, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ , that though he was rich, as being God, equal in power and glory with the Father, rich in all the glory and blessedness of the upper world, yet for your sakes he became poor; not only did become man for us, but he became poor also. He was born in poor circumstances, lived a poor life, and died in poverty; and this was for our sakes, that we thereby might be made rich, rich in the love and favour of God, rich in the blessings and promises of the new covenant, rich in the hopes of eternal life, being heirs of the kingdom. This is a good reason why we should be charitable to the poor out of what we have, because we ourselves live upon the charity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul returned to the contradictory path of Christ from the highest realms of Heaven to the lowest plains of earth in Philippians 2:6-8. [Christ] being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. In order to “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth” (Rev. 14:4), we must stick to the same path, giving ourselves and giving of ourselves while “present[ing] [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is [our] reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). The “reasonable service” in this passage can easily be understood as an equitable responsibility to respond to God’s grace by being gracious and graceful. What better way for Christians to graciously respond to God’s graciousness than for “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, [to] give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7)? Cheerful giving is easy when the projects we support with our giving serve our needs or are close enough for us to easily monitor. The “unmerited favor” of the grace of giving is even clearer when we give cheerfully to mission efforts on the other side of the world or among people who are not like us .
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 09:14:15 +0000
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