Daily Devotional Saturday 18th March 2023
by William Moody2 Corinthians 9
The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem
9:1 Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, 2 for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3 But I am sending1 the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift2 you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.3
The Cheerful Giver
6 The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully4 will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency5 in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”
10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13 By their approval of this service, they6 will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14 while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!
Footnotes
[1] 9:3
Or I have sent
[2] 9:5Greek blessing; twice in this verse
[3] 9:5Or a gift expecting something in return; Greek greed
[4] 9:6Greek with blessings; twice in this verse
[5] 9:8Or all contentment
[6] 9:13Or you (ESV)
Paul continues to encourage the Corinthian believers in their generosity to the believers around Jerusalem who were in need. When believers come to collect their gift, Paul wants them to be ready and not embarrassed by their lack of generosity and readiness in this matter (v3-5).
Paul speaks of how generosity brings great blessing from the Lord (v6-8). Those who sow sparingly reap sparingly and those who sow bountifully will reap bountifully. This is a wonderful illustration and we can see how this applies for a farmer sowing a field. He can’t expect a great harvest if he is timid in how much seed he sows.
We must not be timid with our giving to the Lord’s work in regards not just our money, but our effort and time as well. Let’s not do the Lord’s work but in regards our money, time and effort, let’s be cheerful givers and thereby know God’s blessing (v9-15).
We though need to be watchful for the ‘health and wealth’ interpretation which wrongly teaches that our giving automatically brings material wealth.
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