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2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 8
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2Cor 8,1-16
· (121c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Hope Ø
Expectation Ø Hope is the expectation to
receive Ø Expectation based on hope
2Cor 8,1-15
· (88a) Thy kingdom come Ø
Faith produces works Ø Relationship between
faith and works Ø Works establish your faith
· (101i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Ambition Ø Be an ambitious businessman for God Ø
Investing spiritual currency -- These verses go with verse 22
· (129c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Bearing the fruit of
evangelism Ø Feed the people with the fruit of
your walk
· (236h) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Invest in the kingdom Ø
Invest your treasures into the kingdom Ø Invest
everything you value – This chapter and the next are about giving
money; more than that, they are about cultivating a charitable heart. If your
giving never translates to money, then your giving is incomplete. Some of the
churches in the surrounding area were begging for an opportunity to
participate in the support of the saints, the saints referring to Paul and the
other apostles, that is to missionary work, and also to the poor within the
church. In almost every church today they make a weekly collection of money,
but little of it goes to missions or to help the poor, but goes to the
building project and to pay the pastor’s salary. The Macedonians were by no
means rich people; they experienced deep poverty of their own, yet they
overflowed in their wealth of liberality. So often the poor do the most
giving, while the wealthier hold on to their money, under the principle that
the more people have the more they want to keep it, but the less they have the
less they need it. The poor give because they need money less than wealthier
people, while wealthy people need lots of more money to sustain their standard
of living.
2Cor 8,1-9
· (34l) Gift of God Ø
Be generous like your Father Ø Give to your
brother
2Cor 8,1-5
· (11o) Servant Ø
Example of God’s people Ø The church
– Usually you have to beg people to give to a good cause, but the church
of Macedonia wanted the opportunity to participate in helping their own
brothers and sisters in Christ get through their ordeal, even though the
Macedonians themselves had their own difficulties. On the surface it would
seem like an act of altruism, but underneath the gears of faith, love was compelling them to help their fellow believers; they had to give or
they would bust! With these attributes fathering such an urgency to help proves that godly compassion wants to get involved in
other people’s suffering.
· (13h) Servant Ø
Support the body Ø Serve selflessly – These
verses go with verses 12-15.
· (74h) Thy kingdom come Ø
Heart is central value system Ø The heart is
what drives man’s desire -- These verses go with verses
10-12
· (94b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Perspective on wealth in this life
· (96i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Attitude Ø Positive attitude about giving
-- These verses go with verses 10-15
· (124b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Love Ø
Acts of love Ø Love takes from the rich and
gives to the poor Ø love is the act of giving
to the poor
· (130f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Unity Ø
Committed to caring for the needs of the body Ø
Committed to supporting one another -- These verses go with verses
12-15
· (189d) Die to self (Process of substitution)
Ø Separation from the old man Ø
Holy sacrifice Ø Costly sacrifice --
These verses go with verses 10-15
· (230f) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø
Partaking Ø Partaking of the ministry of the
saints
· (234j) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Invest in the kingdom Ø
Sold out Ø Relinquishing your assets to
Christ Ø Investing every asset into Christ
· (235d) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Invest in the kingdom Ø
Tithing Ø Offerings Ø
Help your weaker brother -- These verses go with verses 7-15
2Cor 8,1-4
· (23f) Sin Ø
Poverty (Oppression) Ø Rich are those who are
poor in their own minds -- These verses go with verse 9
· (120k) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Contentment Ø
Content with your standard of living Ø Free
from greed
2Cor 8,1-3
· (116j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Working the grace of God Ø Through giving
2Cor 8-1,2
· (125i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Joy Ø
Joy is the result of giving
2Cor 8-1
· (31i) Gift of God Ø
Grace Ø Having the ability to respond to the
word -- This verse goes with verse 9
2Cor 8-2
· (188g) Die to self (Process of substitution) Ø
Separation from the old man Ø Suffering Ø
Enduring your circumstances
2Cor 8-3
· (75c) Thy kingdom come Ø
Motives of the heart Ø Being motivated to do
the will of God
2Cor 8-5
· (247a) Priorities Ø
God’s priorities Ø God’s interests Ø
God is interested in His people Ø God is
interested in the church
2Cor 8-6,7
· (44i) Judgment Ø
Transformed Ø Fulfill your ministry Ø
Calling from God Ø Complete it -- These
verses go with verses 10-16
2Cor 8-6
· (44c) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Complete Ø
Fulfill the requirements -- This verse goes with verses 10&11
2Cor 8,7-15
· (235d) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Invest in the kingdom Ø
Tithing Ø Offerings Ø
Help your weaker brother -- These verses go with verses 1-5. Paul taught that giving is based on what a person
has, not on what he does not have. If you are ready to give a million dollars,
but you don’t have a million dollars, that doesn’t count. The joy of
giving can thrive only if everyone feels the same way about giving, but if you
have one or two cheerful givers in the church and the rest clam-up, thinking
those who give have lots of money, so they don’t have to give, this attitude
will breakdown the joy of giving in the church, so that pulling a nickel from
the congregation will be like pulling teeth. If not everyone is giving, then
eventually no one will give. There is a principle at work here. Giving does
not happen between your pocketbook and your hand; it transpires from your
heart. If you don’t give from your heart, then eventually you will quit
giving altogether.
2Cor 8-7,8
· (78f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Sincerity Ø Embracing your first love Ø
Single devotion -- These verses go with verses 16&17
· (101b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Zeal Ø For the manifestation of God’s kingdom
Ø Zealous for good works -- These verses
go with verse 16. It’s good to be spiritual, but if your
spirituality never manifests in the natural realm, then it is impotent. Part
of manifesting your faith in the natural realm is giving, and part of giving
is money. Paul’s request for money was not a command, nor was it for money's
sake, but for the Corinthians to get involved in giving to prove their desire
to help others from their abundance. Had the Corinthians not gotten involved
and given of their surplus to help the needs of the saints, those in need
would have gotten what they needed by some other means. The ones who suffer
most are the ones who don't get involved in giving. Too often they are not
aware of what they have missed. In this case no one suffered, and Paul made
sure of it; he was sincere when he described his heartfelt desire for the
Corinthians.
2Cor 8-7
· (80i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Know the word to minister to God Ø To know Him
· (85e) Thy kingdom come Ø
Words that are spoken in faith Ø Powerful when
spoken by the Spirit Ø by the anointing
· (250b) Priorities Ø
God’s prerequisites Ø Sequence of priorities Ø
In all things ... Ø Be obedient in all things
2Cor 8-8
· (156c) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of
salvation Ø Loving God is evidence of salvation
Ø Expressing your feelings toward Him --
This verse goes with verse 24
2Cor 8-9
· (12l) Servant Ø
Jesus is the servant of man – Jesus left the glory of the Father to
come live with us, trading His eternal frame for our mortality, His purity
for our grit, His heavenly existence for our struggle. He did it so when it
was all over we could trade our poverty for His riches, our sin for His
perfection, our futility for His purpose. God’s willingness to do this for
us shows infinite character and allows for complete trust in His purpose for
us.
· (23f) Sin Ø
Poverty (Oppression) Ø Rich are those who are
poor in their own minds -- This verse goes with verses 1-4
· (31i) Gift of God Ø
Grace Ø Having the ability to respond to the
word -- This verse goes with verse 1
· (35a) Gift of God Ø
God is willing to Give Ø He is generous with
the flesh of His Son
· (37i) Judgment Ø
Blood of Jesus Ø He emptied Himself Ø
From equality with God to human frailty
· (57g) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø We become rich through His
poverty
· (64i) Paradox Ø
Anomalies Ø Weaknesses of God Ø
God subjects himself to human frailty Ø His
weakness makes Him small compared to men
· (64j) Paradox Ø
Anomalies Ø Weaknesses of God Ø
Foolishness of God
· (227h) Kingdom of God Ø
God’s kingdom is a living organism Ø God
working in you Ø Dependence on Jesus Ø
Depending on Jesus to impart His gifts into us Ø
To give us what we give to each other
· (249h)
Priorities Ø God’ s preeminence Ø
Wealth Ø True perception of wealth Ø
The infinite and eternal wealth of God Ø
Being rich in Jesus – This verse refers to a transfer of wealth and
poverty. Jesus took on our poverty while we took on His wealth. Jesus came
from heaven and disrobed Himself of all His glory and went from owning the
universe itself and heaven to peeling off layer after layer of power and
glory, took on human flesh and became naked like one of us, was born in a
manger and suffered with us to the point of death, even on a cross. This he
did according to God’s plan to make it possible to bless the human race
with everything He values. For Jesus to be born in a manger on Christmas Eve
was for God to approach the human race with everything He loved and
cherished and offered Him to us. We need to stand firmly on the platform of
faith to inherit this abundance through His Spirit. When Jesus emptied
Himself and became poor like us, even in the depth of His poverty He was far
richer than the wealthiest king. The one thing he retained from God was the
Holy Spirit, which was His very essence, hence the essence of heaven, so
when God took even that from Him while He was being nailed on a cross, He
cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” Through all the
hellish things that led to the cross did He ever think God was forsaking
Him, but the moment the Spirit of God left Him, He cried those words, and
then died moments later. Jesus could not live without the Holy Spirit, and
now that He dwells in us, neither could we. The Holy Spirit is God’s means
of transferring all His wealth to us through the cross. Having the Holy
Spirit dwelling in us is our ticket to heaven and our way of communicating
with God, and His way of transferring His truth to us, along with His
anointing and His spiritual gifts and fruit and the blessings ....
2Cor 8,10-16
· (44i) Judgment Ø
Transformed Ø Fulfill your ministry Ø
Calling from God Ø Complete it -- These
verses go with verses 6&7
2Cor 8,10-15
· (96i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Attitude Ø Positive attitude about giving
-- These verses go with verses 1-5. Desiring to give is just as important as giving.
He later talks about giving from a cheerful heart, not grudgingly, but to
have a proper attitude of giving. If you give grudgingly, it is the same as
not giving, because the only thing you are giving is the gift, but there is
much more to giving than the gift itself. Money does not solve problems,
people do. The attitude of cheerful giving will solve some of the biggest
problems, but the grudging attitude gives so little that he cannot even
for-give. Forgiveness is the highest form of giving. To forgive a person
means more than money. The forgiving man actually helps himself more than he
is helping the person he is forgiving, more even than a thousand dollars
could help the situation. To line up a desire to give with a cheerful heart
completes the ensemble when you finally give the gift.
· (189d) Die to self (Process of substitution)
Ø Separation from the old man Ø
Holy sacrifice Ø Costly sacrifice --
These verses go with verses 1-5
2Cor 8,10-12
· (74h) Thy kingdom come Ø
Heart is central value system Ø The heart is
what drives man’s desire -- These verses go with verses
1-5
2Cor 8-10,11
· (44c) Judgment Ø
Satan destroyed Ø Complete Ø
Fulfill the requirements -- These verses go with verse 6
· (76j) Thy kingdom come Ø
Desires of your heart Ø Desiring to do the will
of God
· (232c) Kingdom of God Ø
Pursuing the kingdom Ø Seeking the kingdom Ø
Count the cost Ø If you must count the cost,
the price is always too high
· (246j) Kingdom of God Ø
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm Ø
Demonstration of God’s kingdom Ø God
demonstrates His glory Ø Outward demonstration
of an inward work
2Cor 8,12-15
· (13h) Servant Ø
Support the body Ø Serve selflessly – These
verses go with verses 1-5.
· (130f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Unity Ø
Committed to caring for the needs of the body Ø
Committed to supporting one another -- These verses go with verses
1-5. Giving from your abundance is not for the ease of
others and for your affliction, but by way of equality, meaning that
everyone must desire to give. That phrase “must desire” is an oxymoron,
suggesting that this is the hard part. Instilling a desire in people to give
is a divine act of God, and is based on a vision, not so much on what their
giving can buy, but on a vision of unity in the church. Each person is one
piston in a fine-tuned engine that is helping to push out horsepower for God
to perform His will, and the pastor leading the flock is fully engaged and
overseeing the work of the ministry.
· (131g) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Unity Ø
Interdependence Ø Serving one another – There may be a day when you have given from
your abundance and now you are lacking; people have seen your giving, and
since giving is for missionary work and for helping the poor, you become a
recipient of people’s giving by way of equality. This has always been
Paul’s aim and it was something Jesus tried to instill in His disciples,
especially in the later chapters of the gospel of John where He talked about
the deeper things of His will. Jesus spoke in no uncertain terms that He
wanted unity in the body of Christ. It was His number one goal and prayer,
hence the reason it is the prime target of satanic attack. Unity has the
power to minimize Satan’s influence in the world, so he works day and
night to destroy unity in the church. Without unity for the sake of
equality, not even giving can continue in abundance, so that everyone is
benefited, both the giver and the receiver. If circumstances change and the
giver becomes the receiver, the things they need will be supplied.
2Cor 8-12
· (11g) Servant Ø
God’s standard is in proportion to our output – See Lk 21,1-4 for commentary.
2Cor 8,13-15
· (57i) Paradox Ø
Opposites Ø Less I have the more I receive / my
abundance is a Supply for their need – Paul was saying that giving is comparable to
collecting manna in the wilderness in the days of Moses, for he who gathered
much did not have too much and he who gathered little had no lack. There were
some of the Israelites who did not gather much, but there were others who
gathered more than they needed for one day, so when someone lacked, they
assisted their neighbors through their abundance. The manna would spoil over
night, so it was advantageous to give away what they wouldn’t eat that day.
God wants us thinking like the animals, one day at a time, not storing up
resources to last weeks, months and years, equating money with manna. In hard
times the option of storing is unavailable. Living from day to day from hand
to mouth is not a bad thing. It is how mankind has lived throughout the
millennia. What money you make today is spent that day. The next day you go
back to work and make more money for that day; this is the concept of manna;
God does not condemn anyone for having to live this way. If your life is
reduced to this level, there is still no cause for alarm. It has only been in
the last few centuries that we have been able to store-up sustenance for the
future, and now it seems we are returning to the old way of life.
2Cor 8-15
· (141i) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Old Testament bears
witness to the new Ø Old Testament is for our
instruction Ø Teaching from the Old Testament
2Cor 8,16-24
· (72j) Hierarchy of authority Ø
More Authority The More Responsibility Ø The
strong shall help the weak – Paul had high regard for the people who
helped him. He honored them greatly and couldn’t speak well enough of them.
Paul needed encouragement from his helpers more than he needed their help. He
needed to see that people loved God as much as he did. When people like Titus
came along and demonstrated a genuine zeal for God, and proved they were true
servants both of the Lord and of the church, he lifted them up very highly and
commanded the church to honor and respect them as they would him. The kingdom
of God is all about servanthood, and those who serve understand God and His
will like no one else.
2Cor 8,16-20
· (144a)
Witness Ø Validity of Jesus Christ Ø
Witnesses of Jesus Ø Popularity Ø
Men who follow God are popular – Paul talks about Titus as though he were
famous, and maybe he is famous now in heaven, but in the world no Christian was
famous, but among Christians perhaps he was famous. Who is famous in Christendom
today and for what? Whomever, they are probably not famous for the same reason
that Titus was popular among the saints. People in Christendom today are mostly
faithful to their unrighteous mammon. Titus was a man of God, whom Paul
completely trusted with money. Titus cared about missionaries and the poor,
which both were synonymous with Christianity back then. He cared about
allocating the money to the right people, but how do famous people in
Christendom allocate money? They generally live better than the people who give
to their ministries, which is evil. This is certainly something Paul did not do;
he ministered mostly to the poor, yet he lived poorer even than the poor. This
is the kind of sacrifice that Christianity requires to remain spiritually
healthy and its head above greed. Without nurturing the gospel to this extent,
without giving to it more than taking from it, they do more damage to the gospel
than help it, even if “the man of God” is a big mega-preacher espousing his
grandiose theories.
2Cor 8-16,17
· (78f) Thy kingdom come Ø
Sincerity Ø Embracing your first love Ø
Single devotion -- These verses go with verses 7&8
2Cor 8-16
· (101b) Thy kingdom come Ø
Zeal Ø For the manifestation of God’s kingdom
Ø Zealous for good works -- This verse
goes with verses 7&8
2Cor 8-17
· (4l) Responsible to advocate God’s cause Ø
Being accountable to your brother
2Cor 8-18
· (142i) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus Ø
Having a reputable ministry Ø A reputation of
ministry in the word
2Cor 8-19,20
· (62g) Paradox Ø
Anomalies Ø Being clever Ø
Maintaining a blameless reputation
2Cor 8-19
· (72f) Transferring authority Ø
Receiving the delegated authority of men
2Cor 8-20
· (9a) Responsible to prevent being blamed for
something you did not do
2Cor 8-21
· (1d) Responsible to avoid offending God and
people Ø Maintain a good reputation
· (92j) Thy kingdom come Ø
The narrow way connects you to God Ø It
demonstrates your relationship with Him
· (127l) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Goodness Ø
Rewards for doing good Ø Honor is the reward
for doing good
· (142h) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus
Ø Reputation exposed to slander Ø
Protect your reputation – Take the acid test: does your ministry take
more from the gospel than it invests into it? One way to tell is to
determine whether the preacher has a higher standard of living than the
people under his ministry. Paul said he takes all these precautions so as
not to discredit the administration of this generous gift. He wanted to make
sure everyone knew where the money was going, and gave every opportunity for
anyone to follow the money trail from the giver to the receiver. This is
part of what makes a cheerful giver. That is, without trusting the people in
charge of the money and believing in the cause, you cannot give cheerfully.
Paul regarded not only what was honorable to the Lord, but also what was
honorable to men. He cared about what his fellow Christians thought of him.
He wanted to make sure they had every reason to believe he was an honorable
man.
· (143c) Witness Ø
Validity of Jesus Christ Ø Witnesses of Jesus
Ø The public Ø
The disciples ministered publicly
· (171i) Works of the devil Ø
Manifestations of the devil Ø Outward
appearance Ø An accurate reflection of an
inner substance Ø Materializing the inner man
2Cor 8,22-24
· (73c) Authority Ø
Respect your leaders Ø The ministry to the
saints
· (130k) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Unity Ø
Accept one another Ø Love tears down social
differences in the church
2Cor 8-22
· (5l) Responsibility Ø
The church tests the disciples
· (100d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Diligence Ø Diligence in your service to others
· (101i) Thy kingdom come Ø
Ambition Ø Be an ambitious businessman for God Ø
Investing spiritual currency -- This verse goes with verses
1-15
· (122h) Thy kingdom come Ø
Manifestations of faith Ø Confidence in
yourself as you die to sin Ø Confidence in the
church through your ministry
2Cor 8-23
· (14l) Servant Ø
Ministry of helps Ø Messengers that help in
communications
2Cor 8-24
· (84d) Thy kingdom come Ø
Words of your mouth Ø Boasting Ø
It needs to be said and no one else is saying it Ø
Boasting of my accomplishments in Christ
· (246k) Kingdom of God Ø
Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm Ø
Demonstration of God’s kingdom Ø God
demonstrates His glory Ø Demonstration of His
love
2Cor 8-24
· (156c) Witness Ø
Validity of the believer Ø Evidence of
salvation Ø Loving God is evidence of salvation
Ø Expressing your feelings toward Him --
This verse goes with verse 8
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