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2 Corinthians 8:16-10:18 To Give is a Gift

by fol CHURCH on February 25, 2020

With this letter, I imagine a group of people gathered eagerly together to hear what Paul had to say and that occasional outbursts of ‘Amen’ at the good bits were chorused, mixed with prideful cries of ‘not us’ when wrongs had been highlighted and pensive silence at the personal challenges. Have you ever noticed how willingly a young child will share a treat?  As they get older, they are able to consider how giving some of their sweets to others, means less for themselves; therefore, sharing becomes less attractive without a motive.  Paul encouraged his readers not only to give but to do so generously both willingly and with enthusiasm!  He used Titus as an example of one who desired to serve God and man but Paul’s choice of wording was clever - we see this style again in his letter to Philemon.  Imagine with me, the change in atmosphere at the public reading of this section of the letter:

“A visit from Titus and brothers in Christ on behalf of Paul” = collective cheer “Hooray!” “Paul is proud of us and has even been boasting of our love and generosity to others to the Macedonians” = collective cheer “Hooray!” “Now we’ve just got to carry on so he can’t be proved wrong and be ashamed of his confidence in us” = silence broken only by the loud gulping as everyone looks to see if anyone else has noticed they haven’t been quite so generous and Paul appears to know.  Oops!

Paul has called them (and me) out but then he points to the motivation for giving generously.  God has given all our gifts to us in abundance not for us to grasp protectively but to use and share. Paul is right to challenge on why we are so sparing in the sharing of these gifts because our harvest will be as limited as our sowing.  What greater blessing can there be but to see others turn to Christ because we have given willingly and with enthusiasm? Faced with criticism from the worldly folk and knowing those he had nurtured into faith would hear the false claims, Paul sought to reassure all his brothers and sisters in Christ of his holding firmly to the truth of the gospel so his only boast can be in the Lord. 

 

 

 

 

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O Lord, thank You for the gifts You pour out on me.  Give me the courage to use

them at every opportunity to Your glory and honour. Amen

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