2 Corinthians 8:1-15
Encouragement to Give Generously
8 We want you to know, brothers about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 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 by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
When we hear of a need, we may desire to give—but then our bank account convinces us doing so is impossible. Although we realize that generosity should characterize believers, sometimes it seems the only way to be generous is to be wealthy.
The Christians in Macedonia prove that this is not the case. Using them as a model of generosity, Paul motivated the Corinthians to follow through on their original commitment to support the church in Jerusalem. Through the example of the Macedonian churches in today’s reading, we see what characterizes a generous spirit.
A generous person is sensitive to the needs of others. Although the Macedonian believers were suffering from affliction, their own troubles didn’t prevent them from feeling compassion for the needs of fellow Christians (2 Cor. 8:2).
A generous spirit sees needs as opportunities. Far from dreading needs, they actually begged Paul to let them help support the saints in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:4).
Liberality flows from a life surrendered to God. Before offering their gifts, these believers first gave themselves to the Lord in obedience to His will (2 Cor. 8:5).
Generosity is not an emotion but a decision. The Corinthian church was also moved to contribute, but they may have discovered what we often do—that “readiness to desire” generosity is not the same as “completion of it” (2 Cor. 8:11).
A generous spirit has nothing to do with how much money we have, but rather how much of us the Lord has. When we are fully surrendered to Him, He provides the grace we need to share whatever we have—whether time, treasure, or talent.
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