Dwell in the Word: 2 Corinthians 8:1-24

Contemplate these questions as you dwell in 2 Corinthians 8:1-24:

1. The text mentions the exemplary generosity of the churches in Macedonia, who gave abundantly despite their limited means. How can modern-day Christian communities strike a balance between generosity and financial responsibility, especially when faced with various needs and causes?

2. Paul draws attention to the sacrificial nature of Christ's poverty, emphasizing the spiritual richness it brings to believers. How can understanding the spiritual wealth bestowed by Christ's sacrifice impact individuals' perspectives on material wealth and generosity within their communities?

3. The passage emphasizes the call for the Corinthian church to give generously to aid other churches in need. In what ways can churches today extend practical support to fellow congregations or communities in distress, echoing the spirit of sacrificial giving demonstrated by the Macedonian churches?

Transcript:

As we come to this text, we see Paul making a request of the church in Corinthians. Now, he is talking about the generosity of the churches in Macedonia. That would be the churches in Philippi, in Thessalonica, and in Berea. What has happened from what we can see here in the text, is that there was a point where they were asked to give for another church, and they did this, and they did it way beyond their means. These churches in Macedonia did not have much means. They were not wealthy churches, but they gave not only based upon what they had, but above and beyond that, because they loved the church, they loved the Gospel, they loved the ministry that was going on there. Now we have a church that is well off. The church in Corinth was doing much better than the churches in Macedonia. Paul is saying, Hey, it's time to return the favor. It is time for you to give not only based upon your means, but abundantly for the gospel. Now, he's not asking for money for himself. He's not asking to become wealthy. He's not doing some scheme here to build up his empire.

He's asking them to give to others in need, other churches that are in need. Now, the important part for us, though, is what he does to help them to understand that they should do this. We're going to look specifically at verse 9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor, so that you might buy his poverty, become rich. Now, of course, this passage is not about while Jesus was poor and he became rich, so now we should become poor and we will become rich, as far as in material things, in things of this world. That is not the category that Paul is operating in. This is not the category that scripture operates in, right? We understand that the richness here that Paul is talking about is the richness of the Gospel, is the richness of salvation that we have in the Lord Jesus. He tells them here that Jesus was rich. Now, Jesus was not... Well, obviously, he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, right? He's the Triune, God's the son, part of the Triune God, right? But this was not an earthly richness that he abandoned.

It was the glory of heaven that he left to come to us, this condescension that Jesus had to His people. And so that is what he's talking about. He became poor in that way. But not only that, we're trying to understand that Jesus did not have earthly wealth. He did not gain a lot of money in his earthly ministry. He lived a poor and humble life. And so what do we see here? That by doing this, not only the poverty of His condescension, but also the poverty of his life, the fact that... I'm not actually talking about finances here, but the poverty of His being persecuted, His being crucified for our sake, His going to the lowest levels for us. Is there anything lower? Is there any greater poverty than having your clothes stripped from you, being beaten and crucified on a Roman cross? There's not. We see here that Paul says that by this poverty of Jesus, all that He did for the sake of His people, we now have become rich. He is talking again about the richness of the salvation that we have in Christ. As we think about this passage, as we think about this general idea of everything that we've read, first, we need to understand that what the Lord Jesus has done for us has made us rich, but not in the way that we desire, not in the way that we scheme to have more money, but in the boundless way in which we have His grace, that we have forgiveness of sins, we have His salvation.

That is so vital for us to understand. And then from that flows our desire to be like these churches in Macedonia, that we would give not only what we are asked, but we would desire to give more, that we might be able to serve our brothers and sisters in Christ, that we might be able to facilitate the expansion of the Gospel, that by our gifts, people would be built up. And so may we start with this in our generosity. May we understand the generosity that Jesus showed to us that even though He was from the glory of heaven, He took on our flesh that we might become rich in salvation. And from there, might we be generous that the work of the Gospel might go forth and that our brothers and sisters in Christ might be provided for.