Motivating Generosity
2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (RCL 8:7-15)
Tony’s Overview Video
How to Use
Preparing to teach
- Read the Bible Lesson by Tony Cartledge in this month’s issue of the Nurturing Faith Journal
- Watch Tony’s Video for this session
- Select either the Adult or Youth teaching guide and follow the directions
Click to read the Bible Lesson by Tony Cartledge
Key Verse: 2 Corinthians 8:9 –
“For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.”
What themes do you most enjoy in Bible studies or sermons? Most of us enjoy thinking about love, or peace. We may enjoy lessons or sermons that contain practical advice for the stress of everyday life. Salvation and hope for the future are popular topics.
Now turn the question around and think about what you least like to hear or study about. The topic of money is bound to be high on the list. Do you consider a sermon on finances to be too personal? Too much pressure? Too much practical and not enough spiritual?
Ah, but there is something deeply spiritual at stake here, because when we talk about our money, we are getting close to our deepest heart. It was Jesus himself who said “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21), and just three verses later, he went on to say that we cannot serve both God and money (Matt. 6:24).
Today’s lectionary text is the New Testament’s most extensive discussion about stewardship, and we can tell that even Paul was not comfortable with it. He didn’t like preaching on this subject any more than his modern counterparts. Ordinarily, Paul was very straightforward, but here he danced around the issue and treated it as delicately as he could.
In approaching the subject with the Corinthians, Paul used every homiletical strategy at his disposal. He held up the Macedonians as an example of generous givers. He flattered his readers to encourage them to greater growth. He challenged them to test and prove their love through serious stewardship. And, he reminded them of promises they had made.
Let’s take a closer look at how he did it.
Check this example (vv. 1-5)
The specific thing Paul had in mind was a special offering for the poor in Jerusalem. There had been a spate of bad weather and meager crops in Palestine, and the poorest people around Jerusalem were seriously suffering. Given the “all things in common” philosophy practiced by at least some in the Jerusalem church, even well-heeled people may have exhausted their resources in sharing with others (Acts 2:44-47).
Paul had mentioned the offering in an earlier letter, when he wrote of instructions he had given the Galatians, urging them to set aside a weekly offering for the poor in Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:1-2).
Paul was enthusiastic about the opportunity for predominantly Gentile Christians in Asia to assist believers in Jerusalem, most of whom were Jewish. He had been particularly impressed by the response of the churches in Macedonia, “for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” (v. 2). Paul held them up as an example in hopes that the Corinthian Christians would respond in the same way, giving “according to their means, and even beyond their means” (v. 3).
Paul insisted that the Macedonians had surprised him by “begging us earnestly for the privilege of sharing in this ministry to the saints” (v. 4), giving themselves “first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us” (v. 5).
How many of us have ever pleaded for the privilege of donating to a worthy cause? Many of us are ready to respond when asked to contribute to a cause we believe in, but few beg for the honor. We might be surprised to learn that those who are most willing to give are, like the Galatians, often those who are least able. Generalizations are hard to make, but a variety of recent studies show that both poor and rich people tend to give a higher percentage of their income to charitable causes than people whose incomes are in the middle. While the rich can easily afford it, the poor know what it feels like to be in need, so they are often more willing to help. [DD]
As a rule, the biggest secret we keep in our society has to do with how much money we make. Whether in industry or education, it’s unusual for people who work together to know how their salary stacks up against their co-workers. That’s changing some, in part because women tend to be paid less than men for equal work, and we can’t work toward wage equality if we don’t know what wages are. [DD]
Most churches have members in a broad spectrum of income brackets, and some people in every group give generously, and some give little or nothing. Paul would call on all of us to be generous in Christian stewardship – and consider it a privilege.
Excel in everything (vv. 6-7)
Paul moved from the example of the Macedonians to an argument based on flattery and encouragement to greater maturity. He had seen how the Corinthians had excelled in other areas of their Christian growth and development, and he had sent Titus to urge them to grow in generosity, as well (v. 6).
“Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking” (v. 7).
Faith, speech, enthusiasm, and love: those are wonderful attributes to have. Paul had seen evidence of growth in these areas, but he wanted to see them grow in giving, too: a literal translation could be “see that you also excel in this thing of grace.”
Translations like the NRSV often blunt the charm of Paul’s terminology by paraphrasing it to something like “excel also in this generous undertaking.” Paul emphasized that unselfish giving is an attribute of grace.
Through the grace of God we can receive life abundant and eternal. Through the grace of God we can receive love undeserved and beyond all measure. Through the grace of God most of us who read this journal have material blessings far beyond the reach of most of the world’s population.
Why were we born in America instead of Yemen? In a land of opportunity instead of one torn by bloody civil war? In a land of spacious skies and fruited plains, instead of a land marked by barren fields and starving children?
We can’t explain it; we can only acknowledge that we did not do anything to deserve it. We are recipients of the inexplicable and undeserved grace of God. If our eyes are open to the grace that has been given us, our gratitude for that ongoing grace should lead us to be generous in sharing that grace with others. [DD]
Paul wrote to people who were growing in their faith, in their knowledge, in their earnest love for others. He did not want them to miss the joy of growing in the grace of giving.
Demonstrate your love (vv. 8-9)
Paul drove his plea home with a comparison and a point-blank appeal. He knew better than to “command” generosity, but had no problem appealing to their sense of pride: “I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others,” he said (v. 8).
The primary “other,” in Paul’s mind, was Christ. “For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich” (v. 9).
“I am testing the genuineness of your love.” In essence, Paul was challenging his readers to prove the reality of their faith – to demonstrate their love for Christ by generously supporting the work of God.
He was giving them, as it were, the acid test. Perhaps you remember litmus paper from high school science lab. You dip a strip into a liquid or press it against something moist and watch what happens. If it turns blue, the solution is more alkaline. If it turns pink or red, the solution is acidic.
Paul was putting the litmus paper to the Corinthian Christians’ faith, testing them against Christ. Those who have truly experienced the grace of God should be willing to demonstrate grace of their own, he believed. When people who claim to love Christ refuse to share their blessings with others, they fail the test.
We are all familiar with the challenge to “put your money where your mouth is.” Paul is exhorting us to put our money where our faith is – if we truly have faith.
Remember your promises (vv. 10-15)
Paul’s final attempt at urging generosity from his readers came in the form of a reminder that they had already made commitments to God, and they would be well advised to keep them. They had given before, and should be eager to give again, finishing the work they had already begun (vv. 10-11).
The amount of their gift was not as important as their willingness to give it: some have more to share and some less, but all can have the same spirit of generosity.
Paul was building on the idea sometimes expressed by the phrase “today for you, tomorrow for me.” In the present, the Corinthians were doing well, while the people in Jerusalem were suffering. Later, the tables might turn and the Corinthians could be the ones needing help from Jerusalem (vv. 13-15).
Keeping our commitments to God is an important aspect of spiritual growth. We give, not only to help others or to accomplish a needed project, but as an expression of who we are, and as a means of growing in our personal and spiritual lives. [DD]
We give, because giving is not truly so much a matter of the pocketbook, but a matter of the heart.
Adult Teaching Resources
Download the PDF of teaching resources for this lesson.
This PDF contains the Teaching Guide, Digging Deeper, and Hardest Question pages.
Read Scripture online: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (RCL 8:7-15)
Youth Teaching Resources
Parent Prep
We would love for our students to do the right thing without being told or bribed. Some days it seems like you repeat yourself over and over again, wondering if you are speaking another language. There are other days, that you promise one thing in return for a behavior. You swore you would never do thins, but you eventually understand the necessity of it. Neither of these are the choices that we would like to make, instead, we would simply like our students to choose to do the correct thing the first time, without being told. When we witness these instances, it makes all the other times worth it and realize that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Most importantly, when you see your students make the correct decision without being told, let them know you witnessed it.
Additional Links/Resources
Read Scripture online: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (RCL 8:7-15)
Download the PDF for youth teaching resources using the button below. This PDF contains the Teaching Guide for this lesson:
Video
Encourage youth to check out this video ahead of the lesson.
“Show Me the Money” from Jerry McGuire
via www.youtube.com
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