2 Corinthians 8 (4)

Pray Psalm 132.8-10.
Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your saints shout for joy.
For Your servant David’s sake,
Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.

Sing Psalm 132.8-10.
(Finlandia: Be Still, My Soul)
Arise, O LORD, come to Your resting place;
Your holy Presence meet with us in might.
Clothe us with righteousness in Jesus’ grace,
and we will shout to Your divine delight!
For David’s sake, turn not away Your face,
but look upon us in Your holy light.

Read 2 Corinthians 8.1-15; meditate on verses 13-15.

Preparation
1. What was Paul trying to accomplish?

2. What Old Testament story did he cite?

Meditation
What did Paul men by “an equality”? Obviously, he did not mean that one group of churches should be depleted, weakened, or burdened so that another group of churches could enjoy the life of Riley (v. 13). Paul’s idea of “an equality” relates to the workings of God grace in, through, and among His churches, both as individual churches and as a worldwide fellowship and body.

He explained this idea more pointedly to the churches in Rome: “For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem. It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things” (Rom. 15.26, 27). The Gospel came to the believers in Macedonia and Achaia—Thessalonica and Corinth—by the efforts of the churches in Jerusalem and Judea (and Antioch). They supported the work of Paul, Barnabas, Timothy, and Titus so that the Corinthians could be “partakers of their spiritual things”. In return, the Corinthians should “minister to them in material things” during this time of famine and want.

So the “equality” Paul wrote about has nothing to do with equal shares of anything other than the multifarious, polychromatic, need-meeting, and joy-inducing grace of God. Grace flowed from Judea to Corinth; now it must flow back to Judea from Corinth. From the one, grace to meet spiritual needs; from the other, grace to meet physical needs.

There is no shortage of grace to go around, Paul insisted, citing the episode of the manna in the wilderness. We who have known God’s grace are the earthen vessels through whom His grace must flow to others, according to the opportunities and situations with which we are presented. What was true for the Judean and Corinthian believers is true for us as well. Let the grace of God flow freely and be spread lavishly among and from us, and there will never be a shortage of this wonderful and all-transforming gift.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,
and He will pay back what he has given” (Prov. 19.17).
“…he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he” (Prov. 14.21).
“He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker,
but he who honors Him has mercy on the needy” (Prov. 14.31).
“There is one who scatters, yet increases more; and
there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty.
The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself” (Prov. 11.24, 25).

As in the story Paul referred to, God’s economy always works.
But God’s people must participate obediently for this to be so.

The children of Israel were very busy wandering in the desert because of their disobedience. Therefore, they could not stay in one place long enough to cultivate food or livestock for food. So, God in His great grace and mercy stepped in to provide for their daily needs. But there were strict guidelines to be adhered to, in order for them to abound.

Six days the men were to hustle out in the early morning and collect one omer of manna for each person living within his tent. Nothing more, nothing less. And then on the sixth day they were to collect for two days—two omers each—so they did not have to work on the Sabbath day of rest. (Even in their time of wandering, repentance, and renewal God was teaching, leading, and guiding them to follow His laws and learn His ways).

When they did it God’s way, everyone had enough to eat, every day, even on the day of rest. Thus, Paul’s statement: “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack” (Ex. 16.18).

The worldwide church functions in the same way. Or should. Those who have enough are to share with those who lack. And then when those who were abundant have a need, another part of the Body will fill it. These needs are not always financial in nature, although often they are. Churches suffer persecution, they suffer from sin, they suffer from attacks of the enemy, they suffer losses, they suffer from sadness, they suffer from a lack of leadership, and they suffer in a variety of other ways. Observant churches, through the power and nudging of the Holy Spirit, should have their hearts fine-tuned to spot these needs and then step in to help. “But whoever has this world’s good, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in Him?... Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him” (1 Jn. 3.17-19).

What an amazing witness this love is, to the watching world, of the churches’ equality loving (2 Cor. 8.14) for one another (1 Jn. 4.7). With never a “shortage of grace to go around”!

For reflection
1. How do you see this principle of “an equality” at work in your own church?

2. Do you think such a principle should exist in your Personal Mission Field? Explain.

3. How was the manna of the Old Testament like the grace of God we know today?

The saints, with their hope in the world to come, have more than those who appear to be rich in this world. But both will be made equal, because those who give of their wealth to help the saints now will be helped by them at some future time, when they are in need. Ambrosiaster (fl. 366-384), Commentary on Paul’s Epistles

Pray Psalm 132.13-18.
Thank God for choosing you, making you part of His eternal family, and giving you a church where you can worship, grow, and serve. Seek His help in your walk with and work for Him today.

Sing Psalm 132.13-18.
(Finlandia: Be Still, My Soul)
God dwells among us, and He will forever,
to meet our needs and clothe us with His grace.
He has to us sent Jesus Christ, our Savior—
Beloved, eternal light and resting place.
His foes are banished from His Presence ever,
but we shall reign with Him before His face.

T. M. and Susie Moore

Growing in prayer
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available by clicking here.