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2 Corinthians Chapter Nine

 
Chapter Nine General Review
 
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
 
1) To see how Paul had used the Corinthians' zeal to motivate the 
 Macedonians in their giving (whose sacrificial giving had been used
 in chapter eight to motivate the Corinthians)
 
2) To appreciate what kind of giving is pleasing to God
 
3) To see the relation between sowing and reaping, and what is the 
 proper use of what we have reaped
 
4) To observe what a collection like this was designed to produce
 
SUMMARY
 
As he continues his discussion about the collection for the needy 
saints, Paul confesses that his writing may be superfluous. That is
because he knows their willingness of which he boasted to the
Macedonians, who in turn were stirred up by the zeal of the 
Corinthians. Yet Paul felt it necessary to send the messengers to 
ensure that the Corinthians had their gift ready, and that it was one
of true generosity and not out of a grudging obligation. To find them
unprepared would be embarrassing to both Paul and the Corinthians 
(1-5).
 
That they might give liberally, Paul reminds them of the principle of
sowing and reaping, and that God loves a cheerful giver. He also
writes of God's ability to give them an abundance for every good work,
and prays that God will multiply the seed they have sown so they will
be enriched in all things for even more liberality on their part 
(6-11).
 
He concludes this section by pointing out the effect this collection 
will have. It not only supplies the needs of the saints, it will 
abound in thanksgiving and praise to God, and produce prayers and 
longing in the hearts of the recipients for their benefactors. This 
prompts Paul to give thanks to God, for it is He who makes these things
possible (12-15)!
 
OUTLINE
 
I. PURPOSE OF THE MESSENGERS (1-5)
 
 A. PAUL'S WRITING MAY BE SUPERFLUOUS (1-2)
 1. For he knows their willingness, of which he boasted to the 
 Macedonians (1-2a)
 2. Their zeal had stirred up the majority (2b)
 
 B. BUT PAUL STILL BELIEVED THE MESSENGERS WERE NECESSARY (3-5)
 1. Lest his boasting of them be in vain (3-4)
 2. To make sure the Corinthians were prepared with their gift
 (5a)
 3. To ensure that their gift was one of generosity, and not of a
 grudging obligation (5b)
 
II. ENCOURAGEMENT TO GIVE LIBERALLY (6-15)
 
 A. FOR ONE REAPS WHAT THEY SOW (6)
 1. He who sows sparingly will reap sparingly (6a)
 2. He who sows bountifully will reap bountifully (6b)
 
 B. FOR GOD LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER (7)
 1. Each one must give as they have purposed in their heart (7a)
 2. Not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves cheerful giving
 (7b)
 
 C. FOR GOD WILL INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO DO GOOD (8-11)
 1. God is able to give an abundance for every good work (8-9)
 2. A prayer that God will supply and increase the fruits of their
 righteousness (10)
 3. So that their enrichment will produce more liberality, leading
 many to give thanks (11)
 
 D. FOR THE EFFECT IT HAS (12-15)
 1. It supplies the needs of the saints (12a)
 2. It produces many thanksgivings to God (12b)
 3. It causes people to glorify God for the Corinthians' obedience
 to the gospel and their liberal sharing (13)
 4. It creates prayer and longing for the Corinthians by the 
 recipients of the gift (14)
 -- All this prompting Paul to thank God for this wonderful gift!
 (15)
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
 
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
 - Purpose of the messengers (1-5)
 - Encouragement to give liberally (6-15)
 
2) Why was Paul's writing to the Corinthians about this collection 
 superfluous? (1-2)
 - For he knew of their willingness, of which he boasted to the
 Macedonians
 - Their zeal had stirred up the majority
 
3) Why were the messengers being sent? (3-5)
 - Lest Paul's boasting about the Corinthians be in vain
 - That their gift might be ready, and one of generosity
 
4) What is the relation between sowing and reaping? (6)
 - As you sow, so shall you reap (cf. Ga 6:7)
 
5) What kind of giving pleases God? (7)
 - Cheerful giving, not grudgingly or of necessity
 
6) What is God able to do? (8a)
 - Make all grace abound toward us, that we might have all 
 sufficiency in all things
 
7) What is the purpose of the abundance we receive from God? (8b)
 - For every good work
 
8) Why did Paul pray that God supply and multiply the seed sown by the
 Corinthians? (10)
 - To increase the fruits of their righteousness
 
9) When one is enriched in everything, for what purpose is it? (11)
 - For all liberality
 
10) What four things did the administration of this service (the 
 collection) supply? (12-14)
 - The needs of the saints
 - Many thanksgivings to God
 - Glory to God for the givers' obedience to the gospel and their 
 liberal sharing
 - Prayer and longing for the givers in the hearts of the recipients

Becoming A Cheerful Giver (9:6-15)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In the NT, Jesus and His apostles call us to a high standard of
 "giving"...
 a. The teaching of Jesus - Lk 6:30,34-36; 14:12-14
 b. The example of Paul - Ac 20:33-35; Ga 2:9-10
 c. The teaching of Paul - Ga 6:9-10; Ep 4:28; 1 Ti 6:17-19
 
2. The NT is also filled with notable examples of liberal giving...
 a. Churches in Jerusalem, Antioch, Macedonia, etc.
 b. Individuals like Barnabas, Dorcas, etc.
 
3. Today, however, it is common for people to give "sparingly", and 
 even then, it is often "begrudgingly"...
 a. But Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive - Ac
 20:35
 b. I.e., giving can be a joyful experience, even when one is poor
 himself - cf. 2 Co 8:1-5
 
4. What is the secret to giving joyfully and willingly? I.e., how can
 we truly become "cheerful givers"?
 a. In 2 Co 9:6-15 Paul discusses the matter of giving to help 
 needy Christians
 b. In this passage, we find several principles and truths which, 
 when kept in mind, can help us become "cheerful givers".
 
[The first principle to remember is...]
 
I. GOD "LOVES" A CHEERFUL GIVER (2 Co 9:7)
 
 A. SINCE THIS IS TRUE...
 1. A "cheerful giver" can rest assured that God will watch over
 him and provide for his own needs!
 2. Note how God cares for the one who gives to others...
 a. As David taught in Psa 41:1-3
 b. As the LORD spoke through Isaiah in Isa 58:6-11
 
 B. SINCE THIS IS TRUE...
 1. One who gives in service to God need not worry - Mt 6:30-33
 2. For "God loves a cheerful giver", and watches over those He 
 loves! - cf. Lk 12:6-7
 
[Understanding this principle should certainly encourage us to give 
more cheerfully! Here is another principle to keep in mind...]
 
II. GOD PROVIDES SEED FOR THE SOWER (2 Co 9:6,8-11a)
 
 A. VERSE 6 IS OFTEN MISUSED...
 1. By those who teach "the gospel of health and wealth"
 2. Who seek to motivate people to give (sow) more by saying this
 passage teaches they will receive (reap) more
 3. Implying that if you give more so you can have more for your
 own consumption!
 
 B. THE CONTEXT TEACHES OTHERWISE...
 1. What's the purpose of reaping "bountifully"?
 a. Look carefully at verse 8...
 1) To have all sufficiency (what you need), yes...
 2) But then to "have an abundance for EVERY GOOD WORK"!
 -- I.e., not to spend the abundance on one's self, but to
 help others!
 b. Now consider verse 9...
 1) This quotation is from Ps 112:9; yet note the context
 - Ps 112:5-9
  2) Paul uses this verse to further confirm that the
 abundance would be for every good work (not self-
 consumption)!
 2. And so in verses 10 and 11...
 a. Paul prays that God will supply and multiply the seed sown
 1) Supply the seed to SOW to begin with
 2) And multiply (REAP bountifully) the seed
 b. Why?
 1) To increase the fruits of their righteousness (to 
 increase their good works!)
 2) To be enriched in everything "FOR ALL LIBERALITY" (so
 they can give even more to others!)
 
 C. HERE IS THE POINT...
 1. We ought to be willing to give cheerfully...
 a. Because the more we give...
 b. ...the more God will enable us to give!
 2. Now bear in mind that giving is not limited to money
 a. It may be that God may empower us to give, not financially,
 but in other ways
 b. Such as with our talents, time, etc.
 3. But the point remains the same...
 a. The more we give ourselves to others in the service of God
 b. The more He will bless us to be even more useful!
 
[Indeed, the ability to give (because we have been materially blessed)
is a gift from God, one that should be used liberally (Ro 12:6-8).
Knowing that those who give liberally will be blessed to give even more
should help us become "cheerful givers"!
 
Here is something else that ought to encourage us...]
 
III. GIVING PRODUCES THANKSGIVING & GLORY TO GOD (2 Co 9:11b-15)
 
 A. OFFERED BY THOSE WHOSE NEEDS ARE BEING MET...
 1. Not only thanking God, that their own needs were supplied
 2. But also glorifying God, because of His grace at work in the
 lives of the givers
 a. Note that "cheerful giving" is an indication the grace of
 God has been active in one's life
 b. This is point stressed by Paul repeatedly - cf. 2 Co 9:8,
 14; 8:1-2,6-7
 -- Thus the people we help will be moved to thank God and praise
 Him for His working in our lives!
 
 B. SHOULDN'T THIS HELP US TO GIVE MORE CHEERFULLY?
 1. For what disciple is there who does not want to give glory and
 thanksgiving to God?
 2. Like any good work, we can bring glory to God by our giving!
 - cf. Mt 5:16
 
[Another thing to remember to be a "cheerful giver" is that...]
 
IV. GIVING INCREASES AFFECTION (2 Co 9:14)
 
 A. ESPECIALLY WHEN GIVING TO HELP YOUR BRETHREN...
 1. They understand that your giving is a sign of God's grace in
 you
 2. And this causes them to love you and long for you even more
 3. As a case in point, consider Paul and the Philippians - Ph 1:
 3-8
 
 B. BUT IT CAN ALSO HAVE THE SAME AFFECT AMONG NON-CHRISTIANS...
 1. They see the truth of what you teach by your example
 a. We teach a gospel concerning One Who became poor, that we
 might become rich - cf. 2 Co 8:9
 b. Who would believe such a story? Perhaps those who have 
  seen it illustrated in the lives of His disciples, that's 
 who! - e.g. 2 Co 8:1-2
 2. They may be more receptive to the gospel when they hear it, 
 even though they may first ridicule you - cf. 1 Pe 2:12
 
[One last point I wish to glean from our text as to how we can become
"cheerful givers"...]
 
V. PURPOSEFUL GIVING LEADS TO CHEERFUL GIVING (2 Co 9:7)
 
 A. PLANNING ONE'S GIVING IS KEY TO GIVING CHEERFULLY...
 1. They are less likely to give "grudgingly or of necessity"
  a. Because they have already set aside what they want to give
 b. They are not caught off guard when someone asks them to
 give
 2. This is how Paul instructed the Corinthians in their giving
 a. To lay by in store on the first day of the week - 1 Co 16:
 1-4
 b. To prepare their gift beforehand, so when it was time to 
 give, the resources were ready - cf. 2 Co 9:5
 3. An early Christian apologist, Aristides, wrote of how even
  slaves were able to give cheerfully through purposeful 
 planning: "And if there is any that is a slave or a poor man,
 they fast two or three days and what they were going to set
 before themselves they send to them (Christians in prison),
 considering themselves to give good cheer even as they were
 called to give good cheer." (Apology 15)
 -- So plan your giving if you wish to give cheerfully!
 
 B. A PRACTICAL SUGGESTION FOR PLANNED GIVING...
 1. Plan your giving to help needy people the same way we plan our
 giving to provide for the collection for the saints
 2. As you prosper, set so much aside for "individual benevolence"
 a. E.g., start a separate account into which you put aside a
 certain amount each pay period
 c. E.g., or send that amount to some charitable organization
 -- However you plan your giving, it is much easier to give when
 you are PREPARED to give!
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. In our text, then, we find the key to "Becoming A Cheerful Giver";
 it involves keeping in mind that...
 a. God loves a cheerful giver
 b. God provides seed for the sower
 c. Giving provides thanksgiving and glory to God
 d. Giving increases affection between giver and recipient
 e. Giving becomes one of generosity when it is planned
 
2. I hope that I have challenged your thinking in regards to your own
 giving, and how we can become "cheerful givers"
 
3. To a great extent, what kind of givers we are depends upon what kind
 of recipients we are!
 a. For unless we receive the grace of God in our own lives, we will
 be unlikely to give gracefully to others
 b. With that thought in mind, please remember this warning:
 
 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to
 receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: "In an acceptable
 time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped
 you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of
 salvation. (2 Co 6:1-2)
 
Have we received the grace of God "in vain"? Have you received the 
grace of God "at all"? - cf. Ac 22:16

－－《Executable Outlines》

The Effect of Generous Offering

Whoever Sows Sparingly Will Also Reap Sparingly

Whoever Sows Generously Will Also Reap Generously

I. There Should be Real Action

1. Eagerness to Help

2. Ready Since Last Year

3. Stir Most People

II. God’s Abounding Grace

1. Abound in Every Good Work

2. Abound in Seeds

3. Generous in Giving

III. Indescribable Gift

1. Filled with Thanks

2. The Abundance of God’s Grace

3. Glory be to God