Paul did not suggest that the rich become poor so that the poor might become rich. It would be unwise for a Christian to go into debt in order to relieve somebody else’s debt, unless, of course, he was able to handle the responsibility of paying the debt back. Paul saw an “equality” in the whole procedure: the Gentiles were enriched spiritually by the Jews, so the Jews should be enriched materially by the Gentiles (see Rom. 15:25–28). Furthermore, the Gentile churches at that time were enjoying some measure of material wealth, while the believers in Judea were suffering. That situation could one day be reversed. There might come a time when the Jewish believers would be assisting the Gentiles.
Who does the equalizing? God does. Paul used the miracle of the manna as an illustration of the principle (Ex. 16:18). No matter how much manna the Jews gathered each day, they always had what they needed. Those who tried to hoard the manna discovered that it was impossible, because the manna would decay and smell (Ex. 16:20). The lesson is clear: gather what you need, share what you can, and don’t try to hoard God’s blessings. God will see to it that you will not be in need if you trust Him and obey His Word.
Our motive for giving is God’s spiritual blessing in our lives, but our measure for giving is God’s material blessing. Paul made this clear when he wrote to the Corinthians in his first letter, “Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Cor. 16:2). Paul did not lay down any mathematical formula, because grace giving is not limited by a tithe (10 percent). Grace giving is systematic, but it is not legalistic. It is not satisfied with only the minimum, whatever that minimum might be.
Since it is God who does the “balancing of the books,” we cannot accuse Paul of teaching some form of communism. In fact, 2 Corinthians 8: is a direct statement against communism. The so-called “communism” of the early church (Acts 2:44–47; 4:32–37) has no relationship to the communistic political and economic systems that are promoted today. The early Christians (like many Christians today) voluntarily shared what they had, but did not force people to participate. The entire program was temporary; and the fact that Paul had to take up a special collection to relieve their needs is proof that the program was never meant to be imitated by later generations of Christians.
Grace giving is a matter of faith: we obey God and believe that He will meet our needs as we help to meet the needs of others. As the Jews gathered the manna each day, so we must depend on God to “give us this day our daily bread” (Matt. 6:11). We must not waste or squander what God gives us, neither must we hoard it. In the will of God, it is right to save. (The Jews saved Friday’s manna to eat on the Sabbath, and the manna did not decay [Ex. 16:22–26].) But out of God’s will, the wealth that we hoard will harm us rather than help us (see James 5:1–6).
Beginning in 2 Corinthians 8:16, Paul suddenly turned from a profound spiritual principle to some practical counsel on how the special collection would be handled. While it is true that grace giving means giving by faith, it is also true that grace giving does not mean giving by chance. The Christian who shares with others must be sure that what he gives is managed honestly and faithfully.
Over the years, I have tried to encourage God’s people to support ministries that could be trusted. On more than one occasion, I have warned a church member not to give to an unworthy organization, only to discover that he gave anyway. Then he would come to me a few months later and say, “I sent a check to that outfit, and now I discover that it’s a fake!”
“I warned you not to give anything,” I would reply very gently.
“Well, the Lord knows my heart,” he would argue. “Even though the money was wasted, I got credit for the gift in heaven!”
Grace giving is not foolish giving. Even in a local church, the people who handle the funds must possess certain qualifications. Paul was very careful how he handled money entrusted to him, because he did not want to get the reputation of being a “religious thief.” The churches that contributed to the collection chose certain representatives to travel with Paul, so that everything would be done honestly, decently, and in order.
I noted in one of our Sunday school classes in a church I pastored that one young man was taking up the offering, counting it, recording it, and then taking it to the Sunday school office. In a nonthreatening way, I suggested that he was putting himself in a dangerous position if anybody accused him of anything, because he could not prove that he was handling the money honestly. “I trust you,” I said, “but I don’t trust the people who may be watching you and looking for something to criticize.” Instead of following my suggestion, he became very angry and left the church.
The men and women in every Christian ministry— a local church, a missionary organization, an evangelistic meeting—should possess the following qualifications if they are to handle God’s money.
A God-given desire to serve (vv. 16–17). Paul did not “draft” Titus; the young man had a desire in his heart to assist in the gathering of the special offering. Too often in local churches, men and women are put on the finance committee who do not have a sincere desire to serve God in this way. Above all else, a person who handles the Lord’s money must have a heart that is right with God.
A burden for lost souls (v. 18). We do not know who this brother was, but we thank God he had a testimony that he shared the gospel. Perhaps he was an evangelist; at least he was known to the churches as a man burdened for souls. Local church nominating committees put the good “soul-winners” on the evangelism committee or on the missions committee, which is fine; but some of them also ought to be on the finance committee or the board of trustees. Why? To keep the priorities straight. I have seen committees approve large sums for buildings and equipment who would not release funds for a soul-winning ministry.
A discouraged young pastor sought my counsel one day. “My finance committee is running scared,” he said. “The economic situation has made them so tightfisted, they won’t spend any money—and we have a big surplus in the bank!” I had never met his committee, but I knew one thing about them: they needed a burden for lost souls.
A desire to honor God (v. 19). Too often, financial reports glorify the church, or a group of special donors, and do not glorify God. There is no such thing in the church as “secular and sacred,” “business and ministry.” All that we do is “sacred business” and ministry for the Lord. When the church constitution says that the deacons (or elders) handle the “spiritual affairs” of the church, and the trustees handle the “material and financial affairs,” it is making an unbiblical distinction. The most spiritual thing a church can do is use its money wisely for spiritual ministry.
We glorify God by using what He gives us the way He wants it used. If the people who manage church finances are not burdened to glorify God, they will soon be using those funds in ways that dishonor God.
A reputation for honesty (vv. 20–22). Paul made it clear that he welcomed the representatives from the cooperating churches. He wanted to avoid any blame. It is not enough to say, “Well, the Lord sees what we’re doing!” We should make certain that men can see what we are doing. I like the way J. B. Phillips translated 2 Corinthians 8:21: “Naturally we want to avoid the slightest breath of criticism in the distribution of their gjfts, and to be absolutely aboveboard not only in the sight of God but in the eyes of men.”
Personally, I would not support a missionary or Christian worker who was not identified in some way with a reputable committee or board, or a reputable organization. Nor would I give support to any ministry that did not have its books audited and the report available to the donors. I am not saying that all “freelance” Christian workers are irresponsible; but I would have more confidence in their ministries if they were attached to a board or an organization that supervised their financial support.
Note the emphasis in 2 Corinthians 8: on diligence. If there is one quality that is needed when handling finances, it is diligence. I have heard of church treasurers who did not keep up-to-date accurate records of income and expenditures, and who handed in careless annual reports with the excuse that they were “too busy to keep up with the books.” Then they should not have taken the office!
A cooperative spirit (vv. 23–24). Titus not only had a heart for this ministry (2 Cor. 8:16), but he knew how to be a good “team member.” Paul called him his “partner” and “fellow helper.” Titus was not like the committee member I heard about who said at the first meeting, “As long as I am on this committee, there will be no unanimous votes!”
Finance committee members do not own the money; it belongs to the Lord. The committee is but a steward, managing the money honestly and carefully for the service of the Lord. Note too that Paul saw the committee as special servants of the churches. The raising of this special “relief fund” was a cooperative effort of the Gentile churches, and Paul and the representatives were but “messengers” of the churches. The Greek word is opostolos, from which we get “apostle—one sent with a special commission.” These dedicated Christians felt an obligation to the churches to do their work honestly and successfully.
Grace giving is an exciting adventure! When you learn to give “by grace, through faith” (just the way you were saved, Eph. 2:8–9), you start to experience a wonderful liberation from things and from circumstances. Instead of things possessing you, you start to control them; you develop a new set of values and priorities. You no longer measure life or other people on the basis of money or possessions. If money is the best test of success, then Jesus was a failure, because He was a poor Man!
Grace giving enriches you as you enrich others.
Grace giving makes you more like Jesus Christ.
Have you discovered the thrill of grace giving?