Lesson 18 – 2 Corinthians Chapter 8:16-24 & Chapter 9:1-11

Chapter 8 has been a lesson in giving… for the Corinthians and for us as well. Paul has presented the example of the Macedonians, and how the Holy Spirit had invaded their hearts, transforming their lives, that now line-up with the mind of Christ.

We know that Jesus Christ is the ultimate giver. He emptied Himself for us, because He loves us. We see the essence of this in Phil. 2:

Phil. 2:6-8 (NLT):
“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.”

The Macedonians gave in a way that was sacrificial; they were willing to do without so that others would benefit. In a perfect way, Jesus gave all of Himself, which meant suffering and dying on a cross so the whole world could benefit from His sacrifice.

How do we measure up in our giving? That’s something to pray about.

The Corinthians had started a project a year earlier, where they had planned on giving to the church in Jerusalem. They had the very best intentions I’m sure, but living life in different directions caused things to stall out for them.

Can you relate? Did you ever start something and for some reason or another you just didn’t get it done? I think we all have done that.

What do we need to help us? We need a strong message from a pastor to get us back on track, and that’s what Paul was doing, he was doing his best to get the Corinthians on the right path again.

Remember, he didn’t command them, he didn’t spiritually twist their arms, rather he gently opened their eyes to how others were making it work. Even though the Macedonians were running on fumes financially, they gave what they could.

We finished last week looking at the phrase “pay it forward,” meaning if you have benefited in some way, do what you can do to help someone else. The thought was, the Gentiles had received spiritual blessings through the Jews, so it was fitting for the Jews to receive material help from the Gentiles. So, if we give (pay it forward) to someone, the day might come when we will need some help. It’s not karma as some might believe, it’s God using those who have the mind of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 — “Carry each other’s burdens…”

Romans 12:10 — “Be devoted to one another in love…”

1 John 3:18 — “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions…”

Ephesians 4:32 — “Be kind and compassionate to one another…”

These are all Scriptures that relate to being a Christian who gives.

Let’s pick up where we left off with verses 16 and 17.

2 Cor. 8:16-17:
“But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord.”

When Paul says this, he’s trying to head off any doomers in the crowd who want to accuse Paul of any wrong doing, that this wasn’t just a “dream-child” of his. Remember, false teachers and antichrists are always lurking around.

God was working here!

(NLT) “But thank God! He has given Titus the same enthusiasm for you that I have.” Titus had the same love for the Corinthians that Paul had, and God was working in Titus’ heart.

God really brought Paul and Titus together on this, which made it even clearer the collection was what God wanted. The people who were against Paul couldn’t accuse Titus of favoring the Jews in anyway because he wasn’t even Jewish, he was a Gentile.

For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord…

To take this a step further, the Corinthians didn’t think Paul talked Titus into this, he says… he went to you of his own accord. Titus and Paul were of the same mind about this. They were missionaries with the same goal, like-minded believers teaching and preaching so that congregation would keep moving toward maturity.

We could say that Paul and Titus were moving the Corinthians along in the sanctification process, learning what it means to be set apart for Christ and to live out good works.

2 Cor. 8:18:
“And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches,”

Who did Paul send with Titus? His name isn’t given; he could have been a super-star in the church, but it’s likely the Corinthians would have known this guy.

Whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches…

Some speculate that it might be Luke. Regardless of who it was, what a wonderful thing to be said about any man.

Having another solid, godly leader involved in the collection just made the whole thing feel even more trustworthy; and honestly, that lines up with what we see in the New Testament… money was usually handled by people who were spiritually grounded and respected. The same applies today.

2 Cor. 8:19:
“And not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind,”

This unknown creditable person chosen by the churches to travel with Paul further fortified the collection effort. As I said before, we don’t know who was lurking in the shadows, or looking to stab Paul in the back. It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to think satan was nearby.

Which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself…

This wasn’t Paul playing ‘Mr. Goody‑Two‑Shoes’ trying to raise money for the Jews in Jerusalem. This was something the Lord Himself had put in motion.

We honor God when we use what He gives us in a way that He intends, but if the people handling the church’s finances aren’t committed to glorifying Him, it won’t be long before those resources get used in ways that don’t honor Him at all.

And to show your ready mind… the (NLT) words this part a little better… “and shows our eagerness to help.” This is something Paul was always eager to do.

Gal. 2:9-10 (NLT) [Paul talking]:
“In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.”

2 Cor. 8:20:
“Avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us”

A better translation of the phrase “avoiding this” would be, “taking precaution.” They were traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way they were handling this generous gift.

Paul hadn’t forgotten that the false teachers were going around trash‑talking him, telling everyone he was only in it for the money, but while they were pointing the finger at Paul, the truth was pointing right back at them. In this, it was necessary for Paul to protect himself and the ministry.

Lavish gift… it means a “bountiful collection,” or a “great abundance.” This tells me that the Corinthians really stepped up, with each one giving what they could. If Paul had actually been the embezzler as his critics claimed he was, this would’ve been an easy place for him to take advantage of the situation.

2 Cor. 8:21:
“Providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.”

(NLT) “We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.”

You might be thinking that Paul definitely cared what the Lord thought of him, but not so much about what people thought about him… and you would be right.

Gal. 1:10 (NLT):
“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

1 Thess. 2:4 (NLT):
“For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.”

The thing was, Paul knew he couldn’t give his critics any ammunition to throw false accusations at him, anything that might damage his credibility in front of a watching world and then get in the way of his preaching the gospel. Paul wasn’t guilty of anything, but he still took steps to make sure no one could accuse him.

That’s wisdom. Sometimes protecting your witness means being extra careful with how things look, not just what’s true.

2 Cor. 8:22:
“And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, because of the great confidence which we have in you.”

Now Paul has added another unnamed preacher to the mix, the Scriptures don’t tell us who he is, but the Corinthians also know him. This person also knew of the Corinthians growth and maturity, which gave him great confidence in what they were doing.

We can only imagine the fellowship that was taking place at this time. We have this team of great spiritual leaders coming together to help Paul and also to be a great inspiration to all the believers… all of one accord, all praising the Lord, all of the mind of Christ.

I believe this is why when we meet perfect strangers in a Christian setting such as a retreat or conference, we find it very easy to make friends, and it is all because we have Christ in common. I personally experienced this years ago at “Promise Keepers,” with 60,000 of my closest friends.

2 Cor. 8:23:
“If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.”

Paul talks about Titus again, to say they were friends would be an understatement… he is my partner and fellow worker.

The two guys whose names we don’t know, Paul refers to them as messengers (a-pos’-tow-los) and it means apostles. Messengers of the churches… this phrase only occurs here in the New Testament, but they weren’t apostles like we’re familiar with. They were not apostles of Christ, as the Twelve and Paul were. They were not eyewitnesses of the risen Lord, chosen and commissioned by Him. These two faithful brothers were sent by the churches to help with the collection. Paul refers to the three men in this verse as a glory to Christ. That’s a label I would accept any time, especially coming from Paul.

2 Cor. 8:24:
“Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.”

We might say that Paul has put into place “the perfect storm” for giving. He’s taken all the right precautions, making sure there were no signs of impropriety. Now it was time for the Corinthians to step up and make the most of a glorious opportunity.

It’s like a father who has spent countless afternoons in the backyard with his son tossing a ball, showing him how to grip it, how to throw it cleanly, how to swing a bat with confidence. Then the day comes when the boy steps up to the plate in a real game, and all those quiet moments of practice suddenly meet the moment that matters.

By the Corinthians stepping up to the plate and hitting a homerun, it becomes proof of their love, and Paul would be all over boasting on their behalf.

As we close chapter 8, let’s remember a loving church is a generous church, used by God to build His kingdom here on earth.

CHAPTER 9

We move into a new chapter, even though it’s not really needed as chapters 8 and 9 blend together perfectly. Paul’s thoughts here and subject matter remain the same, it’s about giving.

2 Cor. 9:1:
“Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you;”

We could say it was “redundant” or “unnecessary” for Paul to write to them because he knew their hearts, and that they were even enthusiastic about giving.

2 Cor. 9:2-4:
“For I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting.”

In chapter 8, we saw the build up taking place, that the Corinthian believers were ready to put their money where their mouth was. They were prepared a year ago, but the false teachers threw a stick in the spokes and derailed the Corinthians by filling their heads with lies. It was the classic case of “sin makes you stupid.” The Corinthians had many sinful issues going on, which made them vulnerable when the false teachers came into town.

Let’s hit the pause button here for a moment. God puts on display for us the misdeeds of the Corinthians for a purpose, and that is so we can learn something from them. In seeing what these believers had to deal with, what would be a good solution to prevent all this?

The answer is quite simple really, and you’ve heard it before:

Read your Bible and pray, read your Bible and pray… everyday! I say this to you, and to myself as well. It won’t stop all the troubles we find ourselves in, but it will strengthen our resolve and help us to desire to walk in obedience with God.

Lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready…

Paul had been boasting about these recommitted believers, and it would be a real shame if the Corinthians fell on their faces and let Paul down.

Lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared…

The Corinthians would not only be letting Paul down, but also the Macedonians. If all of this fell apart, Paul and the Corinthians would be ashamed of this confident boasting.

2 Cor. 9:5:
“Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation.”

Paul says, Therefore… meaning everything Paul has been talking about. Paul sent Titus and the two unnamed brethren to help with the logistics and everything that goes along with the giving. Evidently, they had promised a specific large amount, and Paul wanted to make sure they had it ready when he arrived.

Then we read, Not as a grudging obligation… the NASB translation words it with a more serious tone… “not affected by covetousness.”

John MacArthur writes; “Then Paul warned of the one sin that could keep the Corinthians from meeting their commitment: covetousness… the sin that is the greatest hinderance to giving. Since the Corinthians knew that the collection for the Jerusalem saints was God’s work, and that it was being done in God’s way, and since they had previously committed to be involved in it, to fail to keep that commitment was sinful covetousness.”

Jesus talked about it…

Mark 7:21-23:
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Acts 5:1-5 (NLT):
“But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified.”

Ananias and Sapphira were guilty of lying to the Holy Spirit, but I believe at the root of that lie was the sin of covetousness. They put up a show of giving, but then their hearts weren’t in it, and because of greed, they held back what was really God’s in the first place.

2 Cor. 9:6:
“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

Paul is reminding us that just as the universe operates by fixed natural laws like gravity, motion, and thermodynamics, there are spiritual laws that are just as real. One of them is this: if you give sparingly, you will reap sparingly; if you give generously, you will reap generously. This is a God‑established principle as certain and dependable as any physical law.

Farmers, who get their hands dirty know this principle all too well… if they don’t plant enough seed, there will a very small harvest.

Bountifully… (you-log-gee’-ah) is a very interesting word because it literally means: blessing from God.

Generous givers will reap generous blessings from God, while those who hold back on their giving will forfeit gain.

I challenge you to test God in this way (I know we’re not supposed to test God), but start giving in extraordinary ways (with a true heart), and see what happens.

2 Cor. 9:7:
“So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

You’ve heard this one before, so here’s another “flagship” verse from Paul, and the part that catches our attention is… for God loves a cheerful giver.

God is our great “heart surgeon” in heaven. God is always about the heart, whether it’s coming to Him for salvation, showing love to another, or in our giving God looks to our hearts. It’s because our heart is the very core of who we are. Everything God does through us begins with the heart, because that’s where real transformation happens.

1 Sam. 16:7:
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Ezekiel 36:26:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.”

As I’ve said before, if you give grudgingly or of necessity, you might as well not give at all, because it means nothing to God.

2 Cor. 9:8:
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

(NLT) “And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”

When people say “you can’t out‑give God,” they’re getting at a simple but powerful truth: no matter how much we give, God always gives more… both in quantity and in quality. Our generosity can never exceed His.

He doesn’t just give back money, He gives grace, strength, peace, provision, and opportunities. When we hold on to what God gives us with an open hand, we will begin to see opportunities (godly assignments if you will) to where you can do more than you ever expected to do… for every good work.

There’s a new TV show called “Marshals,” and one of the actors name is Mo Brings Plenty. It caused me to think, as God brings us Mo, we have Plenty to give. Just say’n.

Pastor Jon Courson writes; “If you invest in the kingdom, God is not going to say, “I wish I could return the favor, but I just can’t keep up with your generosity.” No, He is able to give back infinitely more than we could ever begin to even think about giving.”

2 Cor. 9:9:
“As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.”

Paul is quoting Psalm 112:9:
“They share freely and give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. They will have influence and honor.”

Paul’s doing this to point out that this is according to God’s plan, not his. He wasn’t sitting beside a stream dreaming up some radical new social welfare plan… this was all God.

It’s becoming more obvious that we live in a country of “the haves and the have nots,” which describes the wealthy and everyone else below them; but for the Christian giver, we want to do things God’s way. There will be opportunities to give to the poor, the middle-class, and even the rich.

Acts 3:2-6:
“And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us. So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

There are endless physical needs everywhere we look, but beyond that lies the spiritual. God has given us the greatest gift ever… eternal life. This is something to share with the people God puts in front of you, and it doesn’t matter who they are… yes, even the rich person needs Jesus.

One pastor says; “Paul did not suggest we earn righteousness by our giving, because the only way to get righteous is by faith in Jesus Christ. However, if our hearts are right, our giving will be used by God to make our characters righteous.”

This pertains to a person’s physical needs as well as their spiritual needs. Personally, when I see the person holding up a sign at an intersection, I know their need runs very deep.

2 Cor. 9:10:
“Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,”

Paul is referring to Isaiah 55:10-11:
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

The words “seed and bread” are talking about both the material and the spiritual… it is the Word of God and the literal harvest in the field.

Money is like a seed. When we give it with a heart shaped by grace, God can multiply it and use it to meet all kinds of needs; but if we handle it in a selfish or flesh‑driven way, we end up disappointed because the harvest never turns out the way we hoped.

2 Cor. 9:11:
“While you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.”

James 1:17:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

As believers, let’s be real… everything we have God has given us. That includes the good and the bad. For some of us that’s hard to hear, but that’s probably because we have a tendency to put God in a tiny little box, and we only open that box when we run out of options.

God gently smiles when we try to carry life on our own. Not because He’s amused at our struggle, but because He knows we’re reaching for strength we were never meant to handle by ourselves. His Word to us is the loving reminder that He’s right there ready to lift what we can’t, guide where we’re unsure, and supply what we lack. When we finally lean into Him, we will discover the peace and power that were waiting for us all along.

God blesses us with many gifts, but every blessing also carries a test. What will we do with what He’s placed in our hands? Will we respond with gentleness and a generous heart, or will we let worldly attitudes shape the way we give? Let the Holy Spirit lead you in the right direction.