Lesson 17 – 2 Corinthians Chapter 8:3-15

Crystal and I recently did a devotion together that highlighted the importance of God’s Word. We saw that it nourishes our faith, and it deepens our understanding of God’s character… along with many more things.

Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

2 Tim. 3:16-17 (NASB):
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Besides loving one another, the other thing that changed the Corinthian believers was the Word of God. God used Paul’s letters to reach them as a way to connect with their hearts, and the end result was their true repentance.

Paul always spoke all of God’s Word, and the Corinthians benefited from that. Paul is reminding the Corinthians that everything he ever said to them, every correction, every encouragement, every warning, was spoken with absolute honesty and truth.

In the first two verses in chapter 8, we’ve seen Paul move forward with the Corinthian believers with a new game plan. As talked about last week, Paul and Titus had both seen a spark, if you will, in these believers. That spark was an indication that the Corinthians had grown spiritually, or we could say they grew in their maturity.

This gave Paul something to work with, and Paul was beginning to introduce real life examples by showing that the Macedonians had a sincere heart to give to the churches in Jerusalem who were in need. Just like the widow Jesus talked about, and Mrs. Tucker in Kentucky who couldn’t give much monetarily, but they gave from their heart.

That brings us to verse 3… Paul continues with the Macedonians.

2 Cor. 8:3-4:
“For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.”

Paul was a direct witness as to what had happened in Macedonia, he says, “I bear witness,” another translation says “I testify.” What we have is from Paul firsthand, it wasn’t hearsay that the Macedonians gave according to their ability, That’s important to remember as we move along in this message.

Ability… the Greek word is (doo’-na-miss) it literally means power or strength, explaining to us the Macedonians’ capacity to give.

How did they give? It says, beyond their ability. That should cause us all to pause for a moment. It means giving that actually requires faith, and not resting in our comfort.

Giving beyond your ability is not reckless; it’s faith-driven and comes through the Holy Spirit. It’s when a believer says: “I don’t see how this fits my budget, but I feel God leading me to give.” Or “This gift stretches me, but I trust God to sustain me.”

It’s a generosity that pushes us past the “safety zone”. I know some of you have the “Top Gun” theme music going through your head right now… or did I just put it there?

Giving when it’s safe is us checking all the boxes and making sure we can pull it off. I’m guilty of doing that, but giving outside the safety zone is what Mrs. Truner did, she knew it might have meant missing a few meals, but she was willing to make that sacrifice for the missionaries.

Convenient giving is what’s left over. Sacrificial giving is what costs us something. The Macedonians were willing to give beyond their power of giving, and when we give like this, God can use it in great ways. I’m reminded of the young boy who gave Jesus the two fish and loaves of bread, and God used it to feed over 5,000 people that day.

For the Macedonians, life was difficult, and they were facing extreme poverty and persecutions. In spite of their dire circumstances, they gave with remarkable joy and without self‑concern; they were compelled by the urgent needs of the destitute saints in Jerusalem. Their actions are a living testimony to us today.

Imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift…

The word imploring is deh’-om-mai and it means “begging” or “to plead.” These are very strong words that Paul is using to convey what was taking place with the Macedonians, they were begging Paul with an urgency so they could give.

It must have really touched Paul’s heart as their pastor, seeing how the Macedonians really were, that there was no acting on their part. In that role he might have said to them, “You really don’t need to give, you hardly have anything as it is.” I imagine the Macedonians would have none of that, they wanted to do what they could, being part of the body of Christ.

John MacArthur writes; “The supreme act of worship is not giving money, attending church, or singing hymns, but giving oneself.”

Romans 12:1 (NLT):
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice… the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.”

An earlier translation of this said, “When you think of what God has done for you, is this too much to ask?”

This really puts it in perspective for us. When we give, it’s a reflection of who we are in Christ. We need Scriptures like this to give us a spiritual re-set.

Again, God doesn’t need our money. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” God doesn’t want your money… He wants your heart. The problem is, too often our heart is often tied to our resources. Our generosity becomes a spiritual X‑ray to be examined.

1 Peter 2:5:
“You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

This connects directly to Christian giving because it redefines generosity as worship, and not merely as charity or obligation. Peter isn’t talking about money first, he’s talking about our identity, and our identity in Christ shapes our giving.

We are a holy priesthood whose role is to “offer up spiritual sacrifices.” So, when a Christian gives, they’re not just supporting a ministry, they’re stepping into their priestly calling as it were. Thus, our offering rises up to God as worship.

2 Cor. 8:5:
“And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.”

(NLT) “They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.”

It was the Macedonians’ devotion to God that led them to submit to Paul, Timothy, and Titus. It is the will of God that Christians obey those who Shepheard them in the Lord.

Their giving flowed from surrender, and not from any kind of outside pressure. Paul emphasizes that their first act was to give themselves to the Lord. That means their generosity wasn’t manipulated, it wasn’t guilt‑driven, and it wasn’t even primarily directed toward Paul. It was the overflow of a surrendered heart.

1 Thess. 5:12-13 (NLT):
“Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.”

In reading this we should feel both challenged and encouraged. Paul isn’t giving a suggestion, he’s describing the proper posture of believers toward their spiritual leaders and toward one another.

2 Cor. 8:6:
“So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well.”

About a year earlier Titus had initiated the collection for the Corinthians’ offering. He had recently come back to Corinth carrying Paul’s severe letter, and Paul encouraged him to assist the church in completing their gift. Between Paul’s written instructions and Titus’s in‑person visits, the Corinthians were fully informed about what their leaders were asking them to do.

2 Cor. 8:7:
“But as you abound in everything… in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us… see that you abound in this grace also.”

Warren Wiersbe writes; “The Macedonians’ giving was, like Christ’s, motivated by love. What a rebuke to the Corinthians who were so enriched with spiritual blessings. They were so wrapped up in the gifts of the Spirit, that they had neglected the graces of the Spirit, including the grace of giving. The Macedonian churches had an “abundance of deep poverty,” and yet they abounded in their liberality. The Corinthians had an abundance of spiritual gifts, yet they were lax in keeping their promise and sharing in the collection.”

The truth is, our giving doesn’t occur in a vacuum, detached from the other virtues of the Christian life. It must never contradict the condition of our heart, because giving without sincerity just becomes hypocrisy on our part.

The Corinthians abounded in faith… we all know what faith is. Then Paul says “in speech,” this has nothing to do with speaking, but with doctrine. The Greek word here for speech is logos, meaning the word of truth. In knowledge means the ability to apply doctrine to the issues of life, actually applying God’s Word to your life.

In all diligence… or we could say “in complete earnestness.” This is the Corinthians having an eagerness, the energy to do this… which equates to having a “spiritual passion” within them.

And in your love for us…

You know this “love” word, it’s agape, the gracious love of self-sacrifice, and Paul had taught them by his example… through his living, teaching, and preaching.

Since God had already worked so many spiritual qualities into their lives, Paul encouraged the Corinthians, “Make sure you excel or abound in this grace as well.” The grace that shaped their hearts was meant to flow outward in their generosity.

2 Cor. 8:8:
“I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.”

Commandments from God are good; we welcome them, we hold on to them because there are good for us. In the Old Covenant, the people were commanded to give a tithe back to God, because tithing served several spiritual, practical, and commitment purposes. When you look closely, the tithe was never just about economics, it was about worship, identity, and obedience to God.

When Paul says, I speak not by commandment… he wanted to emphasize that when it came to giving to the church, it needed to be a voluntary thing… we call it “free-will giving.” Paul is contrasting the Old Covenant obligation with a New Covenant willingness. Under the Law, giving was commanded, now under grace, giving is invited, not enforced.

1 Chron. 29:9:
“Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with a loyal heart they had offered willingly to the Lord; and King David also rejoiced greatly.”

Paul says in Romans 12:8 “he who gives… with liberality,” which means it’s not self-seeking, it’s having an openness of heart, manifesting itself by showing generosity. If God commanded us to give it would be out of obligation and not from the heart.

It’s like you can’t come up to someone and tell them to love you, it wouldn’t be real, and it wouldn’t be from the heart. God wants us to have a heart that’s willing to give because that’s what makes it real.

But I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others…

Many times in life, God tests us, and here Paul is testing the Corinthian believers.

Instead of calling this a test, we could say that this was an “opportunity” for these believers. How often do we have the occasion to give? It’s quite possible it could happen to us on a daily basis.

Remember, giving isn’t just about money, it’s about time, attention, compassion, encouragement, patience, and even our presence. Sometimes the most meaningful gift you can offer is simply showing up for someone who needs you, and that’s called love, brothers and sisters.

The diligence of others… refers to the Macedonians. When it came to giving, they were the poster-child for giving, and Paul was using them to guide the Corinthians to start stepping out in love.

1 John 4:20-21:
“If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”

The way the Macedonians gave was in a spirit of love… willingly, generously, and even sacrificially, setting a great example. This wasn’t just for the Corinthians to learn from, but for all of us as well. When we choose to give with that same kind of open heart, we step into the kind of blessing God loves to pour out, both in this life and in the life to come.

2 Cor. 8:9:
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”

The Missionary and the Coat…
In the early 1900s, a young missionary named Amy Carmichael served in India. One winter, she met a little girl who had been rescued from a dangerous situation. The child had nothing… no family, no belongings, not even warm clothing.

Amy had only one good coat. It was a gift from a supporter back home, and it was the nicest thing she owned. She needed it for the cold mornings, and she had no way to replace it, but when she saw the shivering child, she didn’t hesitate. She took off her own coat, wrapped it around the girl, and said, “You need this more than I do.”

Later, someone asked her why she gave away something she clearly needed. Her answer was simple: “How could I keep what Christ Himself would have given away?”

That coat was valuable to her, but the child’s life was more valuable. Amy chose to become “poor” in that moment, giving up comfort, security, and her only warm clothing so that someone else could be “rich” in warmth, safety, and love.

Paul says Jesus was rich… He had glory, honor, and the fullness of heaven, yet He willingly stepped into our poverty, weakness, and humanity so that we could share in His spiritual riches.

Phil. 2:5-8 (NLT):
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

What Amy Carmichael did showed that she belonged to Jesus, and what Jesus did was the purest act of love for us.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ…

From Paul’s teachings, the Corinthians knew about God’s grace. They might not have known how to give like the Macedonians, but they were well versed in grace.

Paul used the word “grace” to describe what Jesus did, because His giving came from a place of pure lovingkindness. We didn’t earn it, we didn’t deserve it, and He didn’t do it because anyone pushed Him. He did it out of real, honest love. That’s what true grace‑filled giving looks like at its core.

That though He was rich…

How rich is God? It’s a pretty interesting question when you think about it.

God isn’t “rich” the way we think about being rich. He’s not sitting on a pile of money. He owns everything. Every sunrise, every breath, every star in the sky… it’s all His. He has unlimited power, unlimited wisdom, and unlimited love. There’s no shortage in Him. He never runs out, never comes up empty, never has to budget or cut back. He’s rich in every way that actually matters.

Job 41:11 [God speaking to Job]:
“Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.”

Psalm 24:1-2 [David writes]:
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters.”

Charles Hodge, a theologian of the 19th century, describes God as, “He is set forth as the creator and upholder and ruler of the universe. All things were created by Him and for Him; and by Him all things consist. He is the object of worship to all intelligent creatures, even the highest; all the angels.”

Yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Jesus had everything… glory, power, honor, all of heaven is at His command. There’s nobody higher than Him, but, He didn’t cling to any of it. He stepped down into our world, took on our skin, walked our roads, and lived our struggles. The richest One there ever was chose to live like one of us. In the grand scheme of things, He became poor for us. If that doesn’t humble us, we’re really not paying attention. His humility calls us to lay down our pride and follow His example of self‑giving love. Can I get an Amen?

2 Cor. 8:10-11:
“And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.”

We’re still talking about giving… Paul says, “And in this I give advice,” or “I give you my opinion in this matter.” Remember Paul didn’t issue a command about giving.

Most churchgoers respond to giving requests with a blend of willingness, hesitation, and selective generosity. Research consistently shows that only a small portion give regularly and sacrificially, while the majority contribute modestly or inconsistently.

Sadly, the average giving level is about 2.5–4.35% of a person’s income. This suggests that when asked to give, many people respond with partial generosity rather than full tithing. A tithe is considered 10%, and some people will use that as a gage for giving, but as you can see many do not.

Some pastors won’t teach on Scriptures like we have here in chapters 8 and 9. My job is to present the Scriptures as God has intended.

I think one of the reasons people are hesitant to give is because there are some church leaders who are all about the money, and are looking to cash in on the flock.

The truth is, most pastors are not living lavishly, and many are underpaid, but the handful who flaunt wealth or pressure people to give, create negative stereotypes that stick… along with a media that loves to put a spotlight on it.

Paul is being a genuine pastor and teacher, so he’s giving the Corinthians his advice… and they would be wise to receive it, because Paul’s motives are pure and can be trusted.

It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have.

Perhaps when you were a kid your mother had to remind you to take out the garbage… I know my mother did, and it was because I was forgetful. This isn’t what Paul is doing, he’s not nagging the believers, he’s giving them a gentle reminder about something they had the very best of intentions to do.

If we look back all the way to 1 Corinthians, we see that there were many issues taking place… disunity, sexual sin, eating food offered to idols… you get the picture. Now Paul was redirecting them; the Corinthians had repented, and the spark that Paul was hoping for had taken place. In a way Paul was saying, “Hey guys, remember what you started a while ago? let’s get that going again… you’ll be glad you did.”

There’s a pretty good principle here, and Jesus taught on this…

Luke 6:38:
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Pressed down, and shaken together… I heard a pastor describe this a long time ago. Imagine a new large bag of Lays potato chips; you open it, put it the counter and you smash down all chips, then pick up the bag and shake all the broken chips down (pressed down). If you look inside, you’ll see now you have a lot more room inside the bag. Then God fills the bag with a lot more chips. No, God doesn’t bless us with potato chips, but you get the point.

When we have a heart to give, and give willingly, don’t be surprised if God adds to what you have given, and then in ways you can’t even imagine.

2 Cor. 8:12:
“For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.”

Whatever you give is acceptable, if you give it eagerly… that’s having a willing mind to give.

When it comes to spiritual gifts, there is the gift of giving, and my wife has that gift. Anytime Crystal and I are figuring out what to give, I always check with her first. Her idea of giving is almost always twice what I was thinking of, sometimes even three times as much. She just has a bigger giving spirit than me, and I love that about her.

It is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have…

This addresses giving and sacrificial giving as well. God expects us give out of what we have and not what we don’t have… this requires sound judgment and balance on our part. Believers should never borrow money to give; going into debt to give is foolish.

2 Cor. 8:13:
“For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened;”

(NLT) “Of course, I don’t mean your giving should make life easy for others and hard for yourselves.”

Paul was not trying to raise the comfort level of the saints in Jerusalem by causing the Corinthians to struggle… again, it’s about a commonsense balance.

2 Cor. 8:14:
“But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack… that there may be equality.”

This is a principle not only for finances, but of life.

Luke 6:38b:
“For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Whether it’s money or mercy, goods or grace, whatever you give has a way of finding its way back to you.

Paul viewed the arrangement of giving as a matter of “equality.” The Gentiles had received spiritual blessings through the Jews, so it was fitting for the Jews to receive material help from the Gentiles. At that moment, the Gentile churches enjoyed relative prosperity while the believers in Judea were struggling. Paul also recognized that this situation could easily reverse in the future, with Jewish believers one day supporting Gentile Christians.

There’s a worldly saying that I like… “pay it forward” and I think it fits in nicely to what Paul is trying to teach.

2 Cor. 8:15:
“As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”

(NLT) “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.”

In the Old Testament, God commanded the Israelites to gather only the manna from heaven needed for that day. Any attempts to store more resulted in a putrid, worm‑infested heap by the morning. The same principle applies to us. As we mature in our walk with God, we recognize that many of the things we once pursued ultimately prove empty and unsatisfying.

Does that mean we’re supposed to have nothing? Not at all. Look at Abraham… he was loaded. The man had land, livestock, and servants… he wasn’t hurting, but he was also willing to give up the one thing that meant the world to him, his son Isaac. That’s the point.

When God is your main passion, He can trust you with anything. That’s why Paul could say he learned how to live with a lot and how to live with a little. Having things isn’t the problem. The problem is when those things start owning us. God wants us free. At the end of the day, it’s always about the heart.

What should stand out to us is that God is the ultimate giver!

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

We have His love and His giving to us… and it cost Him everything. He offers both as a gift to us, a “love offering.” It’s up to us to receive His gift. God won’t force us to receive it, but it’s there for the taking for all who would believe.