2 Corinthians 8
Outline:
I. \\#2Corinthians 1:1-5:21\\ Paul’s Explanations
A. \\#2Corinthians 1:1-2\\ Paul’s Introduction
B. \\#2Corinthians 1:3-11\\ Paul’s Suffering
1. \\#1:3-7\\ Truths about All Suffering
2. \\#1:8-11\\ Truths about Paul’s Suffering
C. \\#2Corinthians 1:12-14\\ Paul’s Rejoicing
D. \\#2Corinthians 1:15-2:17\\ Paul’s Itinerary
1. \\#1:15-16\\ Paul’s Purpose
2. \\#2:17\\ The Corinthians’ Charge
3. \\#1:18-2:13\\ Paul’s Answers
4. \\#2:13-17\\ Paul’s Praise
E. \\#2Corinthians 3:1-5:21\\ Paul’s Ministry Facts
1. \\#3:1-5\\ Our Converts Are Our Credentials
2. \\#3:6-18\\ We Are Empowered through the Spirit
3. \\#4:1-18\\ We don’t quit.
4. \\#5:1-11\\ We have heavenly longings.
5. \\#5:12-21\\ We are driven by the love of Christ.
II. \\#2Corinthians 6:1-7:16\\ Paul’s Commands
A. \\#6:1-10\\ Don’t Waste God’s Grace
B. \\#6:11-18\\ Don’t Be Joined to the Lost
C. \\#7:1-16\\ Don’t Reject Us.
1. \\#1-3\\ We Do Right.
2. \\#4-12\\ We Care For You.
3. \\#13-16\\ We Are Blessed.
III. \\#2Corintihains 8:1-9:15\\ The Collection for the Saints
A. \\#8:1-15\\ Fulfill Your Pledge
B. \\#8:16-24\\ Trust the Laborers
C. \\#9:1-15\\ Take the Offering
I. \\#2Corinthians 1:1-7:16\\ Paul’s Explanations
II. \\#2Corintihains 8:1-9:15\\ The Collection for the Saints
A. \\#8:1-15\\ Fulfill Your Pledge
1. Details of the offering:
a. It had been prophesied years before:
Acts 11:27 And in these days came prophets from
Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus,
and signified by the Spirit that there should be
great dearth throughout all the world: which came
to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
29 Then the disciples, every man according to
his ability, determined to send relief unto the
brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
30 Which also they did, and sent it to the
elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
b. Paul and Barnabas took an offering to Jerusalem at
that time.
c. Paul continued to collect money from the Gentile
churches.
1Cor 16:1 Now concerning the collection for the
saints, as I have given order to the churches of
Galatia, even so do ye.
2 Upon the first day of the week let every one
of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered
him, that there be no gatherings when I come.
3 And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve
by your letters, them will I send to bring your
liberality unto Jerusalem.
4 And if it be meet that I go also, they shall
go with me.
d. When Paul wrote to the church at Rome, he spoke of
delivering the offering received throughout Macedonia
and Achaia (Corinth was in Achaia).
Romans 15:25 But now I go unto Jerusalem to
minister unto the saints.
26 For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and
Achaia to make a certain contribution for the
poor saints which are at Jerusalem.
27 It hath pleased them verily; and their
debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been
made partakers of their spiritual things, their
duty is also to minister unto them in carnal
things.
28 When therefore I have performed this, and
have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by
you into Spain.
e. As Paul wrote 2Corinthians, he was encouraging the church to
collect the offering as they had promised to do more than a year
before.
2. \\#8:1-6\\ The Example of Macedonia
a. \\#8:1\\ "to wit of the grace of God"-Paul wanted
Corinth to know of God’s working in Macedonia.
Macedonia is north of Achaia where Corinth was
located.
b. \\#8:2\\ Although these Christians were "in a great
trial of affliction… and… deep poverty," they had
"abounded unto the riches of… liberality." That is
they had given generously despite their troubles.
c. \\#8:3\\ "beyond their power"-They had given beyond
their ability to give.
d. \\8:4-5\\ The heart of the Macedonian churches
(1) \\#4\\ "Praying us with much intreaty"-It appears
that Paul might have been hesitant to take their
gift, knowing how badly they needed it; but the
believers insisted.
(2) They wanted to be a part of "the fellowship of
the ministering to the saints."-They wanted to
be a part of those who helped care for the
people of God.
(3) \\#5\\ "And this they did"-And they were part of
that ministry, giving of "their own selves to
the Lord, and unto us…."
e. \\#8:6\\ "we desired Titus"-Paul had told Titus to
address the offering while he was at Corinth. He was
to encourage them to "finish… the same grace," that
is to do the Macedonians had done.
3. \\#8:7\\ "as ye abound in every thing… abound in this
grace also."
a. Paul pointed out areas in which God had gifted in the
Corinthian church as.
b. All of these graces are areas in which God must work
in our lives either to enable us to do them or to
enable us to do them as He would have us.
(1) faith - The ability to see things as God sees
things.
(2) utterance - The ability to speak forth,
especially the Word of God.
(3) knowledge - The ability to know and remember
truth.
(4) diligence - The ability to stay with a task until
it is complete.
(5) "love to us" - The ability to love Paul and his
team. This is an ability that the Corinthians
were still working on.
c. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to excel in the giving
as they had in all other areas. While this church
was far from perfect in morality, they had members
who loved God, walked with Him, and served Him.
4. \\#8:8-9\\ "I speak not by commandment" - Paul acknowledged
that God had not told him to collect the offering or to
encourage others to give to it. Instead, he spoke
because:
a. \\#8\\ Of the "forwardness of others" - The outpouring
of the other churches made Paul think that this was
something to which other believers would want to
give.
b. "to prove the sincerity of your love" - It was an
opportunity for the members at Corinth to prove their
love for others in the body of Christ.
c. \\#9\\ Christ is our Example
(1) "though he was rich… he became poor" - Jesus
gave all for us!
(2) "that ye through his poverty might be rich"
That we might enjoy the benefits of His wealth.
(3) It is hard to be selfish in any commodity when we
realize what Jesus did for us.
5. \\#8:10-15\\ Paul’s Advice to Corinthians
a. \\#10\\ The Corinthians had "begun before… a year
ago" - They had started with determination, a
"forwardness," a year before but had not completed the
offering.
b. \\#11\\ "Now therefore perform the doing of it" - So
finish it. They had a ready "will," but they needed
to follow through.
c. \\#12-15\\ Paul then seemed to caution them on giving
more than they could afford.
(1) \\#12\\ "it is accepted according to that a man
hath" - Paul seemed to say that a willing heart
is only as good as one’s ability to give.
(2) Perhaps Paul wondered if the church had made a
pledge that they could not keep. Although he
was encouraging them to fulfill their promise to
take an offering, he did not want them to hurt
themselves by giving more than they could.
(3) \\#13\\ "I mean not that other men be eased and
ye be burdened"
(a) It is not God’s desire for us to give to the
place that it hurts us.
(b) That is not to say that we should excuse a
wasteful lifestyle and use our debt as an
excuse not to give to God. That is not us
giving to God to the place that it hurts
us, but our giving to ourselves to the
place that it hinders our ability to give
to God.
(4) \\#14-15\\ "But by an equality"
(a) God does desire that we share what we have
with those in need.
(b) To what extent? That our "abundance may be
a supply for their want" - God distributes
to some more than they need so that they
can have a part in sharing it with those
who have to little.
(c) Does God in ANY WAY support socialism? NO.
God desires people to CHOOSE to give. If
man is to have no choice, the wealth would
stay with those to whom God had already
given it.
(5) Paul gave us an Old Testament example of how God
wants us to share our surplus with those who
lack.
(a) \\#Ex 16:18\\ When Israel came out of Egypt,
God gave them, manna every morning; but no
matter how much the people collected, they
all had the same amount.
(b) So God desires the body of Christ. No
matter how much some may have, God desires
all to have what they need.
B. \\#8:16-23\\ Trust the Laborers
1. \\#16-17\\ Titus Cares for You
a. Titus was the disciple who took Paul’s last letter to
Corinth and brought back the good word that the
church had repented.
(1) \\#2Cor 3:13\\
(2) \\#2Cor 7:6-17\\
b. \\#16\\ "God… put… care" - God had burdened
Titus’ heart for the Corinthians.
c. \\#17\\ "of his own accord he went unto you" - So
much so, that by his own desire, he went had
volunteered to visit the city.
2. \\#18-19\\ A Brother
a. "we have sent with him the brother"
(1) The name of the other brother is not mentioned.
No doubt there was a reason for that but we do
not know what it was or who the man was that
accompanied Titus.
(b) Why send more than one? It is always best for
God’s people to serve in teams not only for
company and safety’s sake, but also for
testimony’s sake, that we might not be tempted
and that no one might accuse us of doing a thing
we did not do.
b. "whose praise is… throughout all the churches"
Whoever this man was, he was well known and had in
good reputation throughout the churches of that
region.
c. \\#19\\ "who was also chosen of the churches" - This
brother was selected by churches to accompany Paul.
d. "with this grace" - Paul had already referred to
giving to Jerusalem as a "grace" \\#2Cor 8:7\\. This
man was likely selected to help with the offering,
allowing Paul more time to follow his calling of
preaching.
e. "which is administered by us" - Paul was over the
collection, but this brother took care of the
details.
f. "your ready mind" - Not only was the offering under
the direction of Paul, but it was due in part to the
Corinthians eagerness to participate, although they
had proven slow in actually completing their pledge.
3. \\#20-21\\ The Men’s Purpose
a. \\#20\\ "that no man should blame us" - These two men
were helping with the Corinthians’ offering to insure
that everything was done righteously.
b. \\#21\\ "also in the sight of men" - The goal was that
everything was honest before God and to anyone that
cared to check into it.
4. \\#22\\ Another Brother
a. "sent with them our brother" - And with Titus and the
first brother, another was being sent.
b. "proved diligent" - This brother had also proven
himself faithful.
c. "the great confidence which I have in you" - But he
would be proven even more so seeing how the
Corinthians now sought the Lord’s will.
5. \\#23\\ Paul’s Recommendations
a. "any do enquire" - If any wanted to know about them.
b. "they are messengers of the churches, and… of Christ"
These three men were God’s servants.
6. \\#24\\ So shew…
a. "the proof of your love" - Show you love the Lord.
b. "our boasting on your behalf" - And that Paul’s
boasting was accurate.
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