2 Corinthians 9 (6)

Pray Psalm 48.1-3.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised
In the city of our God,
In His holy mountain.
Beautiful in elevation,
The joy of the whole earth,
Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north,
The city of the great King.
God is in her palaces;
He is known as her refuge.

Sing Psalm 48.1-3.
(Cwm Rhondda: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah)
Great is God, now greatly praise Him in the city of the LORD!
Holy she, His lovely mountain, great and glorious by His Word!
God her King is great within her, He, her Stronghold ever sure!
He, her Stronghold ever sure!

Read 2 Corinthians 9.1-15; meditate on verses 12-15.

Prepare
1. What is the result when grace spreads?

2. Why should we especially give thanks to God?

Meditation
Paul called the work of giving to relieve the needs of poor saints in Judea a λειτουργία, leitourgia, that is, a liturgy, a form of worship. All the ways we give of ourselves to others are liturgies of worship to the Lord. We worship God when we do good works by directing all attention to Him, Who is the giver of all gifts and Who brings forth the fruit of good works in His people.

Further, Paul wrote that the way this ministry (διακονία, diaconia, service) was administered was important, because the goal of all ministry is that God receive thanks and praise. The “administration” of this gift—collecting it, receiving it, transporting and delivering it—because it was full of grace and worship, would bring “many thanksgivings to God” (v. 12). Paul was already anticipating how the believers in Judea would respond to the Corinthians’ great show of grace (v. 14): They would glorify God, which is precisely what the spreading of His grace is intended to do (2 Cor. 4.15).

But all God’s grace in all kinds of giving are but tokens and representations of the “indescribable” grace of God in giving us the gift of His Son (v. 15). His grace is the source, template, and end of all the grace He grants to us and spreads through us, for it all testifies to His unfathomable love in Jesus Christ.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
There are not words in human language to explain God’s many gifts to us—creation and redemption—which are “indescribable” (2 Cor. 9.15).

So we may as well just get out of the way, and not even try to compete for blame for these gifts that remain without adequate description. Since every good and perfect gift is from God. Always. (Jms. 1.17)

Anything that we do that is good and helpful—uplifting, or of a joy-bringing or grace-spreading nature—is all of God. And no other. The church who benefitted from the Corinthians’ gift, longed for them because of the grace of God in them (2 Cor. 9.14). They didn’t long for them because they were awesome folks, they appreciated them because they allowed the awesome God to work through them.

The Judean church also glorified God for the Corinthians’ obedience to Him, because they followed His commands for life, work, and service (2 Cor. 9.13). They knew of their belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, now they knew of their actions to back up their beliefs. They knew for certain that they were not taking on the Name of the Lord their God in vain (Ex. 20.7).

It should be our goal, that whatever we do in our Personal Mission Field, would cause someone to be thankful to God.

As an aside: it is good manners to thank a person who does us a kindness; that person God has tapped on the shoulder to show us His love. So, if we are the recipient of someone’s gift, we should thank them properly. And it is not wrong for us, if we do a kindness, to also appreciate being thanked. But the focus of everyone’s thanks should be toward God because all goodness is from Him!

“Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.”

“The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.
The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.”

“All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, and Your saints shall bless You.

They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, and talk of Your power,
to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of His kingdom.”

“The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season.
You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all His ways, gracious in all His works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth”
(Ps. 145.2-4, 8, 9, 10-12, 15-18).

And God, in His indescribable grace and mercy, allows us to participate with Him in His good works! (1 Cor. 3.9; Eph. 2.10)

“Thanks be to God!” (2 Cor. 9.15).

For reflection
1. How do you respond to people who spread the grace of God to you?

2. How does showing grace to others help to fulfill our calling to the Kingdom and glory of God?

3. Whom will you encourage to be a spreader of God’s grace today?

Blessed be God for the unspeakable gift of his grace, whereby he enables and inclines some of his people to bestow upon others, and others to be grateful for it; and blessed be his glorious name to all eternity, for Jesus Christ, that inestimable gift of his love, through whom this and every other good thing, pertaining to life and godliness, are freely given unto us, beyond all expression, measure, or bounds. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on 2 Corinthians 9.6-15

Pray Psalm 48.4-14.
Pray that God’s grace will fill you, your churches, and churches throughout your community and the world so that grace will spread throughout the earth and God’s Name will be magnified.

Sing Psalm 48.4-14.
(Cwm Rhondda: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah)
Earthly kings, amazed and wond’ring, look upon the Church with fear.
See them flee in dread and anguish, knowing that the LORD is near.
For the city of the Savior God will keep forevermore!
God will keep forevermore!

For Your grace and lovingkindness we proclaim Your matchless worth!
As Your Name is, great and boundless, let Your praise fill all the earth.
Let Your people sing rejoicing for the judgment of Your truth;
for the judgment of Your truth.

Walk about the blessèd city, see her beauty, see her power.
Count her ramparts, filled with glory, look on every mighty tower.
Tell her glory to the nations: God will guide her evermore;
God will guide her evermore!

T. M. and Susie Moore

Two books can help you see both the greatness and the smallness of God’s salvation. Such a Great Salvation and Small Stuff will show you how to think small, live big, and know the salvation and glory of God in all your daily life. You can learn more about these books and order your copies by clicking here and here.

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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.