Grace Giving (2 Corinthians 8:1–7)

In his excellent book Money, Possessions, and Eternity Randy Alcorn observes, “Giving is not God’s way of raising money. It’s his way of raising children.” That is brilliant, insightful, biblical, and precisely Paul’s aim as he pens these next two seemingly out-of-place chapters in 2 Corinthians.

Paul has more than money on his mind as he instructs the Corinthian church about their opportunity to give to a benevolent offering for suffering Christians in Jerusalem. He has their maturity on his mind. He wants them to grow in grace, and thus he instructs them about grace giving.

You will remember that Paul wrote this letter after meeting up with Titus somewhere in Macedonia (modern day Greece). He was a bit on edge waiting to hear how Titus’s visit to the Corinthian church had gone. Titus’s assignment was to communicate Paul’s apostolic instruction concerning their responsibility to discipline a divisive and seditious brother as well as to reaffirm his love to a church that had generally been less than loving to him.

Paul was therefore thrilled to receive word from Titus that the church had repented and disciplined the erring member, and, thankfully, that the disciplined brother responded with repentance. The cherry on the top was the report that most of the church affirmed their love of Paul and thus reconciliation was now a reality.

Now that this matter had been resolved, Paul raises a vitally important matter, which he had broached in 1 Corinthians 16:1–4 but which, because of a change in travel plans, further complicated by the Corinthians’ misbehaviour, he had been unable to follow through. Now he could. Now he could talk about money—not money for himself, as his critics had maligned, but rather money as a means of practical ministry to the suffering local church in Jerusalem. This is the setting for what are two of the most important New Testament chapters addressing giving in the church.

Sadly, the subject of financial giving is often considered controversial. This is both harmful and needless because biblical giving is both a result and a revelation of God’s gospel grace. As Paul begins a two-chapter discourse on giving and the church, he grounds us in the biblical teaching of grace giving. He helps us to see that giving is a gospel issue. That is, those who have embraced the gospel will be gracious and therefore generous. We will discover this under three headings: (1) Grace Experienced (vv. 1–2); (2) Grace Exemplified (vv. 3–5); and (3) Grace Excelling (vv. 6–7).

First, we learn about grace experienced. “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 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” (vv. 1–2).

As mentioned, Paul was in Macedonia, where he had met with Titus after a long-anticipated wait. While there, he was busy ministering among the churches in Macedonia. This included the churches in Thessalonica, Berea, and Philippi. The latter was well-known for its close relationship with Paul, in which the church sacrificially committed to assisting Paul with his material needs for his missionary ministry (see Philippians 4).

Apparently, this was not the only generous church in that region for, in v. 1 Paul, speaks of “the churches of Macedonia” that displayed “generosity” (v. 2). And they did so despite undergoing great affliction for the sake of the gospel (1 Thessalonians 1:6; 2:13–16; Philippians 1:27–28).

What needs to be noted in these opening verses is the source of their amazing generosity: “the grace of God.”

There is a seeming play on words in v. 1 when Paul writes, “We want you to know … the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia.” As Paul was eager to make known, God’s grace to these churches was the reason for their gracious generosity. In the words of Alcorn, “When we catch a vision of God’s grace we will give according to our duty, yes, but far more, we will give beyond our duty, voluntarily captivated by the grace of our ever-giving Lord.”

The giving of the Macedonian churches was an “act of grace” (6–7), that is, a tangible demonstration of God’s grace. These gracious offerings were enabled by the “grace of God.” Grace empowered the Macedonians for generosity and their generosity would be experienced by the recipients as the grace of God.

This is biblical giving. That is, giving “sourced” or motivated by our gracious God. It is therefore “grace giving” rather than “guilt giving.”

But why was it important for Paul to let the Corinthian church “know” about this? Because he expected the same from them. Just as the Macedonian churches submitted to the lordship of Christ, so should the Corinthian Christians. Perhaps better, just as God’s grace enabled the Macedonian Christians to give generously because of the grace of God, so the Corinthians could do the same being also the recipients of God’s grace. His grace is available to every Christian, and hence to every true and faithful local church.

This should encourage us of the potential of every faithful—not perfect—local church. God’s grace is available to those weak enough to need it. You will remember that this theme of God’s grace overcoming our weakness is a major theme of this epistle.

As we will see, these churches in Macedonia were “weak in wealth” but rich in God’s grace and therefore they did the otherwise incredible.

Perhaps a problem with many churches is that they are too healthy. They are too strong. They are too self-sufficient. The result is that they live unaware or their need for the grace of God. We sometimes live like we don’t need God’s equipping grace and hence, “though rich,” we are impoverished (Revelation 3:17).

In summary, if we will truly be grace-givers, we must be graced-givers—empowered by God’s goodness.

We might label v. 2 “a gracious contradiction” or “a graced oxymoron” for, at least in a graceless, godless, the words don’t make any sense. After all, how do we reconcile “severe affliction” with “abundance of joy”? How can we make sense of “extreme poverty” and “wealth of generosity”? Though the math does not add up, such a miracle occurred. As Tasker so beautifully puts it, “The Macedonian Christians were able to exhibit, even under persecution and poverty, two of the loveliest flowers of the Christian character, joy and liberality.”

Their sacrificial, generous, voluntary giving was tangible demonstration of their experience of God’s grace to them. God’s grace experience through his gospel made them, as The Message puts it, “incredibly happy, though desperately poor.” And happy people are helpful people. More to the point, people who are happy in the Lord are helpful in the work of the Lord.

When we experience adversity, especially “severe affliction,” we tend to become introspective. But God’s grace in the life of the Christian empowers and equips us to look outside of ourselves, like these Macedonian Christians. As Garland comments, “they were a ‘rich poor’ church that in spite of their impoverished condition refused to turn inward.” They were rich in grace and poor in self-pity; rich in grace and therefore wealthy in generosity.

The word translated “generosity” does not emphasise amount but rather attitude. It speaks of giving “without self-seeking,” giving with no strings attached, without hypocrisy. It speaks of giving purely without any personal agenda but rather giving to the glory of God. “Generosity” was exemplified by the widow who, in giving two cents, was generous because she gave willingly and worshipfully (Mark 12:41–44).

The powerful dynamic of God’s grace becomes a practical demonstration of God’s grace as we selflessly give for the work of the Lord. This is biblical stewardship in action.

Randy Alcorn observes what is often our experience when he writes, “Principles of Scripture … have an annoying tendency to take issue with the way we prefer to think and live.” How true when it comes to giving! But we need to listen to God’s word, for God’s grace empowers the local church to do the otherwise incredible. That which may initially strike us as annoying can result in the admirable. When we experience and express God’s grace in giving, we can stimulate encouragement to others. This is why Paul mentions these churches.

BBC has been a practical demonstration of God’s grace with its consequent generosity. Other local churches have been encouraged to do likewise. But other local churches have likewise been a stimulating demonstration to us.

One more thing. Paul speaks of “joy” characterising their giving. The Thessalonians received the gospel with joy (1 Thessalonians 1:6) and, of course, joy is a major theme in Philippians. The point is that joy enables generosity in giving. Where there is joy, there is cheerful giving (1 Corinthians 9:7). The more joyful in Christ, the less fretful about our possessions.

Those who have experienced the grace of God in the gospel are not alone in that experience. We have much in common with those local churches who also exist by the grace of God, and God’s grace to them can be our experience as well. This brings us to the next point.

Paul further describes the grace giving of the Macedonian churches by providing us with three important examples to be emulated.

You have probably known a lot of people who are living above their means but I wonder if you know anyone who is giving above their means. According to Paul, the churches in Macedonia were.

Granting that Paul is speaking hyperbolically—exaggerating to make a point—his point is an amazing one. These afflicted and impoverished believers gave way above what anyone would have naturally expected. They gave beyond their natural ability. And they did so willingly.

From what we read in Philippians 4, it is apparent what Paul means: They gave in such a way that they created need in their own lives (Philippians 4:14–19). That church partnered with Paul in his need, alleviating his material burdens. This required putting themselves in need. In this way, they “gave beyond their means.” Paul is emphasising, not the amount, but his amazement that they gave above their natural ability. They gave supernaturally. They did not receive money miraculously, enabling them to give. Instead, they gave “miraculously” in the sense that they gave sacrificially out of what they had, which was not much. They gave counterculturally.

I think of poor churches and poor Christians who have fed me meat when all they could afford for themselves was vegetables. It is humbling. And yet, out of love for Christ, out of joy in the Lord, out of their own experience of gospel grace, they extended that grace to me.

As mentioned, a repeated theme in this epistle is God’s strength experienced in the believer’s weakness. This is apropos here. Though financially weak, nevertheless a grace-fuelled (God-fuelled) willing heart (“of their own accord”) resulted in a God-glorifying gift. Grace makes us willing. Grace enables us to overcome inability. Rather than our inability providing an excuse for non-participation, God’s grace provides us with the ability to do the exceptional.

The Macedonian saints had a big God who graciously solved their greatest problem, and this empowered them with faith to trust him for lesser provisional problems. After all, if God reconciled them, certainly he could resupply them.

The Macedonians “begg[ed] us earnestly for the favour of taking part in the relief of the saints.” What an interesting statement! These believers, who may well have been as poor as beggars, nevertheless begged Paul and his fellow missionaries to receive something from them. Evidently, Paul considered their circumstances and was perhaps reluctant to ask them to participate in the offering. But they are “begging” to give, and not to receive. As Chrysostom remarks, it was they, not Paul, who did the begging.

The word translated “begging” means to supplicate, and is often used in the context of prayer. Having heard about the offering Paul was collecting for the suffering Christians in Jerusalem, these afflicted and impoverished believers longed to be a part of the solution. They came alongside Paul and urged him to permit their participation in providing relief “of the saints.”

Paul evidently has grace on his mind, for the word translated “favour” is charis— grace. These churches were begging to experience and to extend God’s grace. Think about that.

First, they were begging earnestly to be gracious to those in need. But second, the result of this would be their own experience of God’s grace. When we willingly sacrifice what we have in order to assist our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we have the privilege of experiencing God’s supernatural work in our lives.

We can experience God’s grace in overcoming our selfish flesh, in meeting our needs and strengthening our faith, in extending his kingdom and doing his will, and in experiencing his gracious providence including what we might refer to as God’s miraculous provision. Grace, biblically considered, is miraculous.

In summary, let us learn by the example of these graced and gracious Macedonians to see our giving as a gracious opportunity to experience God’s grace and thus to extend his grace by being gracious to others. Meeting the needs of the faithful—both needs in our own church and missional needs of those beyond our church—is something for which we should be begging God.

Lack of income is not grounds to do nothing. It may be a God-given, grace-supplied, and grace-empowered opportunity to experience God’s amazing grace of giving.

It seems that Paul was a bit amazed by this grace. Though he did not expect the churches to participate in the offering, nevertheless, because they submitted to Christ’s lordship, they responded in faith-filled and generous stewardship. Their response was a practical illustration of how lordship and stewardship are related. As Guthrie observes, “Proper commitment to ‘lordship’ lays the appropriate foundation for ‘stewardship.’”

In responding to the financial request, they demonstrated deep and reverent submission to the Lord and, driven by their devotion, carried out the will of God as they literally gave to Paul’s benevolent collection. Their response was not merely a fiduciary, financial matter, but rather an act of worship. Their donation arose from their devotion. So it should always be for the Christian.

When I give my tithes and offerings, I usually do it electronically (for security issues). But it is not merely a financial transaction. I think about what I am doing. I consider God’s goodness and generosity in sharing with me what belongs to him—all of it. I pray a prayer of thanksgiving as I hit send. I want to practically give out of devotion; I want to give as an act of worship. In the words of the closing verses, I want to give as an “act of grace.”

“Giving is spontaneous. It does not arise from compulsion; indeed, it cannot properly arise from compulsion, or it is no longer giving. The unfettered spontaneity of giving nevertheless does not exclude persuasion” (Seifrid). True. And from this point through chapter 9, Paul seeks to persuade the Corinthians to follow the example of the Macedonian churches in their giving.

If it is true that giving is an essential ingredient of Christian service (and it is) then Paul’s exhortation here is driven by pastoral concern for the spiritual welfare of these believers. He desired them to “excel” in Christlikeness and, by nature, this means growing in the grace of giving. We can note two things in these verses.

The word “accordingly” connects Paul’s encouraging comments concerning the Macedonian giving to this subsequent appeal for the Corinthians to match their participation “in this act of grace.” Paul therefore is sending Titus back to Corinth to finish what was “started.” What does this mean?

As noted earlier, Paul had mentioned this offering to the Corinthian church in 1 Corinthians 16:1–4, but due to changes and challenges, it had been put on hold. But now it was time to finish what had been started.

As Bruce summarises, “But now, with the restoration of happier relations, the subject could be raised again, and Paul raises it, with all the delicacy and tact at his command. He wanted the Corinthians’ contribution to be generous, but at the same time he wanted it to be completely voluntary.”

Why was this so important to Paul? Why risk being misunderstood again with all the potential pain that would cause for him?

Fundamentally, Paul was driven by both his love for Christ and his love for Christ’s church—both Gentile and Jewish churches. This offering would strengthen the ties of these churches. It would be a practical demonstration of unity between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. In fact, it seems that this was one of his apostolic duties (Acts 11:27–30: Galatians 2:9–10—the poor being the Jewish Christians who were poor [Romans 15:25–27]).

We should understand therefore that “this act of grace” was grounded in the gospel that reconciles once-alienated sinners from God to God and it therefore reconciles once alienated sinners from each other to each other (Ephesians 2:11–22). Hence this benevolent collection was a practical demonstration of their unity in Christ and therefore Paul’s urgency. As Erdman comments, “Nothing would more clearly demonstrate such oneness of life than would this expression of sympathy and of love, given by converts from various nations to the members of the mother church in Jerusalem.”

When we give to God’s work, we are demonstrating gospel partnership. We are saying, “We are together for the gospel!” This is clear when it comes to what we call “missions giving.”

But this is also true at home. When we give to meet the needs of our own local church, we are practically displaying our united commitment for the work of the gospel here.

We can summarise by noting that those graced by the gospel will be gracious because of the gospel and gracious for the gospel. Generosity will flow from our wills and wallets because of God’s lavish generosity to us (9:15).

The word “excel” means “to superabound.” It is translated various ways in the New Testament, such as “abound” (Roman’s 3:7), “exceed” (2 Corinthians 3:9), “increase” (2 Corinthians 4:15), “abundance” (Mark 12:44), and (my favourite) “lavish” (Ephesians 1:8). In short, it is an excellent word.

Paul commends this church for abounding in several virtues including “faith,” “speech” (gifted in communicating truth), “knowledge,” “earnestness” (diligence), and the benefit of Paul’s “love” for them. That is, he was “for them,” which should encourage them to persevere in grace—including persevering in the grace of giving.

Paul was not playing psychological games. He was not “buttering them up” to manipulate them to give. Rather, having received a good report from Titus about them, he, out of love for them, urged them to grow further in grace. In the words of Peter, he desires the church in Corinth to grow in the grace and in knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). And one means of such growth is by giving. Grace giving requires faith. It requires the grace of faith. And it results in a growing faith (see Matthew 6:25–34).

When we cling tightly to what God has entrusted to us, we find our faith shrivelling. But when, in submission to the Lord, we give as his steward, our faith expands.

Both our faith and our love for others grows. As we share with those in need, we find our love for others growing. We discover new vistas of God’s grace. And this results in greater generosity.

I am thankful for a generous church. As a whole, I believe we are doing well in this area. Our missions giving is a great grace to those we support. And by God’s grace we are also meeting our needs here at home. And yet, no doubt, there is opportunity for us to “excel” as well.

Yet as we are reminded of the grace of God, as expressed and experienced in the gospel, let us give ourselves afresh to the Lord. By doing so, we will be obedient to his will investing in his work with the result that his name will be increasing hallowed as his kingdom is increasingly advanced made visible as we see his will done on earth as it is in heaven. Therefore, let us be churches known for grace giving to the glory of God.

AMEN