2 Corinthians Lesson 12
First & Second Corinthians
Lesson 12 - Chapters 8-10
By Cindy Ketron
On The Edge of Eternity
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These last few chapters have been so comforting as Paul laid out the hope before us. There are parts of these chapters that I cling to in times of personal distress because I know that these times are momentary in comparison to what we have to look forward to.
We know from previous chapters that Paul had requested the Corinthian church to take up an offering for the church in Jerusalem. He planned on delivering it personally. Other Gentile churches had also taken up an offering. If you recall, back in Acts 11, there was a prediction of coming doom.
What was it? (Acts 11:27-28)
In the same manner that Joseph was told about a coming famine in Gen. 41, so was Agabus. And also in the same manner that Joseph had food stockpiled in Egypt for the days of the famine, so did the Gentile churches prepare to help the church in Jerusalem. But Paul seemed to be somewhat overly enthusiastic about this offering. I have to wonder if it had anything to do with the persecution that he had perpetrated against the Christians in Jerusalem prior to his conversion. When precious Stephen was stoned, his clothes were cast at Paul’s feet. Something tells me that Paul never ever forgot about that. Often, when we’ve hurt others, we try to make up for the pain we’ve caused them. Perhaps that is what Paul was doing with this offering.
This week, we are going to make an abrupt turn. In chapters 8-9, Paul is going to address the topic of giving. He’s already lightly touched on that in 1 Cor. 16. Now, he is going to expound on that. We discussed in this chapter that the tithe is an Old Testament concept. Giving a tenth was required of the Jewish people in the Old Testament. Giving a tenth or more is still a good principle to follow. However, we are now living in the age of grace. What does that even mean when it comes to money? We are going to find out in this chapter.
Chapters 8-9 are divided as follows:
Example of Christian giving - 8:1-6
Exhortation of Christian giving - 8:7-15
Explanation of Christian giving - 8:16-9:5
Encouragement for Christian living - 9:6-15
In chapters 8 and 9, the word “grace” is used 10 times. The application of that word in relation to the topic of giving is going to be expounded on. We talked in your homework last week that grace is God’s unmerited favor. In other words, we don’t deserve it and can’t earn it. It is given to us based on the good will of God for us. But it is more than that. Our human minds can hardly understand what God’s grace is and yet, we must at least try to grasp it so that we can cultivate a grateful heart towards Him for the grace He bestowed upon us. Here is an interesting concept related to what the word “grace” means in Greek:
Grace in the classical Greek language (charis) encompasses several concepts. This word is used 150 times in the New Testament and occurs primarily from the writings of Paul.
2. In the following verses, describe how this word is used:
Luke 1:30
Acts 7:46
What word is used here for charis?
Acts 4:33
Acts 6:8
3. What word is used here for charis?
Titus 2:11
Eph. 2:8-9
4. What is the concept of how grace is used in these 2 verses?
So, from what we have just read, grace can be God’s favor demonstrated towards us. It can be that grace encompasses the power and strength God gives us. It can be the grace that saves us from our sins. That saving grace is the biggest reason we have to be grateful. Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament defines the New Testament use of the word grace (charis) as the “spontaneous act of God that came from the infinite love in His heart, in which He stepped down from His judgment throne to take upon Himself the guilt and penalty of human sin, thus satisfying His justice, maintaining His government and making possible the bestowal of salvation upon the sinner who receives it by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who became a sin-offering for Him on the cross.” {Vol. 21, Eerdmans, 1997, pp. 138-139|
That’s a mouthful, but isn’t it beautiful?!! Grace is so much more than most of us understand. The 1st century church considered giving to be a grace. They were compelled by their love for Christ and their desire to see the salvation of as many people as possible to empty their pockets for this cause.
The men who served in the US military during WW2 were said to be “the greatest generation.” Tom Brokaw, the news commentator who wrote the book, The Greatest Generation, said that of the WW2 era of men and women. I know of so many men who lied about their age just so they could serve and fight for their country. They were fiercely patriotic. They had a strong work ethic. When they went off to war, their wives went to work in the factories to keep this country going. They lived modestly and they saved for a rainy day. But perhaps most commendable of all, they were loyal and committed to the cause.
The 1st century church was like this and Paul was getting ready to expound on this. They were loyal. They worked hard for the kingdom of God and were committed to seeing it grow. They sacrificed their time, their money, and even their lives in many cases. Giving, for them, grew out of the grace that had been bestowed upon them.
5. Read 2 Cor. 8:1-6. Which church is Paul giving kudos to in v. 1?
6. While not explicitly stated here, this church is most likely the church at Philippi. Where did the gospel begin? (Acts 1:8)
7. What do you remember from previous lessons about what was going on in this church?
For the most part, the 1st century church was a suffering church because of all the persecution and this was especially true of the church in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem was the “mother ship”. It was the hub from which the gospel was spread to the uttermost parts of the earth. Normally, the church who establishes missions and other churches sends monetary funds to get the new churches launched. It was the opposite in this case. The other churches were sending money to help the church in Jerusalem. Back in 1 Cor. 16, Paul had instructed them to take up an offering for the church at Jerusalem before he got there.
8. In 2 Cor. 8:2, how did the Macedonian Christians give?
Friends, these were not rich people. In fact, I think we can infer that they were quite the opposite. They didn’t give out of their abundance. They gave out of their poverty.
9. How did the Macedonian church look at this offering in v. 3-4?
The Macedonian church was poor and happy. You can be poor and happy, but you can also be rich and miserable. Just look at Hollywood.
10. Read Luke 21:1-4. What did this woman give?
In today’s economy, this would equal ⅛ of a penny! And this was all she had!
11. Did she give of her surplus or did she give of her poverty?
This is the very message that Paul is trying to teach the Corinthian church. Have you ever given to the work of the Lord til it hurts your pocketbook? Have you ever given out of a grateful heart and contemplated how you would cut down on your grocery bill or eating out bill for the month? Most of us (me included) give to the church and to other special offerings and we don’t even miss the money we gave. In other words, we don’t feel it. If we are not giving til we feel it, then are we really giving at all? I’ll leave you to contemplate that for yourselves.
12. In 2 Cor. 8:5, what did they give to the Lord first?
This is really the bottom line isn’t it? If we are not sold out to God, then we’re not going to be too interested in helping those we have never met and will probably never meet. I’ve heard my dad say so many times, “You can’t outgive God!” Oh, how true that is!
13. What grace is spoken of in 2 Cor. 8:6-7?
14. In 2 Cor. 8:7-15, do you think Paul is commanding them to give? Why or why not?
As Paul is laying out the fact that this church made a pledge a year ago, he gives the example of Jesus for us and that He “became poor” for us.
15. How did He do this? (Also look at Phil. 2: 6)
Just as people believe what they want to believe, they give what they want to give. We may say, “Well, I can only give (whatever amount)” and then turn around and go to the movies or out to eat or any other number of things. Have you ever known someone who gave up their wealth for poverty? I’ve known people who have lost their jobs, and their financial status changed for a period of time, but they always managed to get another job. I’ve known people who literally lost everything they had, especially with the Hurricane Helene flooding in September, 2024. So many people have helped those flood victims and I’m sure they’ll need help for some years to come. My family has a friend who stood by and watched while her house, barn, and her farm animals floated down the river. Her test has turned into her testimony because people far and wide have shown up to rebuild a home for her and her family. I don’t think I’ve ever known someone who had a lot and purposely gave it up to become poor. Is that even a thing? It was a thing with Jesus Christ.
16. According to John 17:5, what did Jesus have before the world existed and before He came to earth?
We know that Jesus was born in a lowly borrowed manger amongst the animals and the shepherds. After Jesus was born, His parents, Mary and Joseph went to the temple to make an offering. Because they were poor, they couldn’t afford the offering of a lamb. They had to bring 2 turtle doves.
17. When He began His public ministry, where did He live? (Luke 9:58)
Even in His death, He had to use a borrowed tomb. The God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills had to borrow a tomb! We all need a place called home. Home is where we hang our hat and home is where we hang our heart. Jesus did not have such a place on this earth. My youngest son is now married and has children. But as long as his dad and I are living, our house will always be his home. I’m not quite sure that Paul is even speaking of material wealth in these verses. The fact that He became financially poor is not the point. The fact He became a man is the point. That was His poverty. He left the paradise of heaven and stepped into the skin of a human baby and grew up. He chose to do this and He chose to go to the cross for our sins. That is really the ultimate poverty. And I want you to think about this, it is one thing for someone to choose to be poor, it is quite another for someone who has vast amounts of wealth and power and chooses not to access that in order to do something for creatures like us who are filled with sin.
18. Why did Jesus make this choice? (2 Cor. 8:9)
19. His choice to be impoverished meant that we gained the wealth of heaven!
Jesus had to pay taxes, just like we have to pay taxes, but since He didn’t have a paying job, He didn’t have any money.
20. Read Matthew 17:24-27. How did Jesus get the money to pay His taxes?
My husband fishes multiple days a week. He has never found money in the mouth of a fish! I wish he would. That would be great!
21. Read 2 Cor. 8:10-15. What is Paul reminding them of in v. 10?
Do you ever make a promise to do something and when you made it, you meant it, but with the passage of time, you forgot it? I think we’ve all done that. Paul is reminding them again of the pledge they made. He didn’t forget it and he wanted them to know that he didn’t forget it. When I was a little girl, the church I attended decided to build a beautiful new sanctuary. It was a big deal and the whole church was involved. We sold bonds and made pledges so that we could be assured that when the building started, the money would be there. In v. 11, Paul imitates the old Nike slogan, “Just Do It”. He didn’t command them to make the pledge, but if they had made one, he expected them to follow through with it.
22. In vs. 12-14, how should we give?
A clear principle arises from these verses, and that principle is proportion, not portion. God is much more concerned about the proportion of what we give rather than the portion.
Proportion - “A part, share or number considered in comparative relation to the whole.” (Not a set amount. If I have more, then I give more. If I don’t have, then I can’t give what I don’t have.)
Portion - “A part of the whole.” (A set amount like 1/10)
23. This brings us back to the widow’s mite. Was she required to give all she had?
The Pharisees and Saducess would have her believe so, but Paul is clearing making the case against this. In 2 Cor. 8:15, Paul is quoting from an Old Testament Scripture.
24. For context, read Exodus 16:1-7 and 19-21. What was the principle here?
25. What happened if they took too much manna and decided to hoard it up?
26. Why do you think that God wouldn’t allow them to take more than they needed?
Friends, we want to have assurance of where our next meal will come from and our next car payment and house payment. That is why we work. But these people had to be completely reliant on God for their daily sustenance. There have definitely been times in my life that I have been stressed out over money (or the lack of it) and my faith that God would see that my needs were met was always tested in those situations. He wants us to have faith in Him.
27. What does Matthew 6:28-30 say about this?
The early church pooled their resources. They had everything in common in relation to their finances.
28. Read 2 Cor. 8:16-21. Did Paul have to beg Titus to go to Corinth to collect this offering?
Titus stepped up and took this task on himself. He didn’t have to be asked. He didn’t have to hear someone say, “There’s nobody else to do this. Why don’t you do it Titus?” How many times do people step up to take upon themselves the duty that should have belonged to someone else, but the someone else was MIA (missing in action) and never volunteered to do it. In 1 Corinthians, we talked about the gifts that God has bestowed upon us as believers. Most of us in this class are old enough by now to know what our gifting is. If we see a need and we have the desire, God will generally make a way for us to fulfill that need.
For the past few months, my husband has been deeply burdened for the young adults in our church. It’s not like he’s not already got a full plate, he does. But when he couldn’t stand it any longer, he stepped forward and decided to begin a young adult Sunday School class. God made a way. You see, in the same way that God put the earnest care into the heart of Titus, He put the earnest care into the heart of my husband.
Paul had a few great men of God who volunteered and did their part to spread the gospel. In 2 Cor. 8:20-21, Paul wanted this church to know that all of this money stuff was above-board. He did not ever want to give an opportunity for anyone to wonder if he was honest. There needs to always be transparency when it comes to money and 1 person should never be completely in charge of handling the money. Whenever funds are misused in a church:
1. It causes the church’s reputation to be tarnished. If a church has a tarnished reputation, then that casts a bad light on the gospel and on Jesus Christ.
2. It can erode the trust of the members of that church. People might leave or if they stay, they may no longer feel comfortable with giving. 3. It can negatively impact the church’s impact and ability to serve the community.
Paul knew all of this and he wasn’t taking any chances. Churches who foster financial integrity and responsible stewardship allow their members to relax and focus on the spiritual growth of its members and advance the church’s mission. I refuse to give to any organization that is not fiscally responsible.
29. What 2 things can you pull out of 1 Tim. 3:3-5 that pertain to those who have control of the money in a church?
30. Read 2 Cor. 8:22-24. What is Paul asking them to show proof of?
Remember an earlier lesson when we studied about “the proof is in the puddin”? If you love someone or something, your actions will show. If you don’t, your actions will show.
Chapter 9 is really a continuation of what we just read in chapter 8.
Remember the following:
Macedonia is the northern province of Greece. Philippi was a city there. Achaia is the southern province of Greece. Corinth was the main city there.
Read 2 Cor. 9:1-4. I’m not sure why Paul gave the directions for this offering for the saints in Jerusalem a full year before he collected it. Perhaps because the church at Corinth more than any of his other church plants was carnal. The more spiritual a church is, the more generous it is. And sometimes, the poorer it is, the more generous it is. When I was in college, I spent my spring break one year on a 10 day mission trip to Puerto Rico. I’m sure that there were rich people who lived there, but we didn’t see any. In fact, every person and family we met were poor. In one particular small Baptist church we ministered at, I noticed that they were taking up an offering for home missions. This church was a fraction of the size of my church at home and they gave out of their poverty. Their offering goal was 4 or 5 times the amount of my home church’s offering goal. They were so thrilled to be able to give to the work of the Lord.
Paul was writing this letter from Macedonia, probably Philippi. He told them that he might be bringing some Macedonians with him when he visited them. He’d been bragging about the Corinthians to the Macedonians and the Macedonians to the Corinthians. He didn’t want his bragging to be in vain. In other words, “make sure you have that offering taken up by the time I get there because I do not want to spend my time doing that.”
There is an interesting offering taken up in Exodus 25:1-9 and 35:20-29. Moses had just finished explaining to the children of Israel what items needed to be made for the tabernacle.
31. Who gave to the offering to make sure these items were made? Whose contribution did they bring?
Apparently, they didn’t consider these items to be theirs, but instead, they considered them to be God’s.
32. What items were brought and who brought them?
33. In Exodus 36:6, you will see something that perhaps has never happened in the history of taking up an offering! What happened?
Can you imagine giving so much that you had to be restrained from giving anymore? Yeah, me either, but that is exactly what happened here. There is always one more ministry item that could be funded. We never run out of them. Imagine having a congregation that was so generous that the pastor had to finally put the kabbash on the offering! Something tells me that if we could ever look at everything we have as belonging to God, that would totally transform not only what we give, but how we give it.
34. Read 2 Cor. 9:5-8. What is this gift called in v. 5?
This word indicates that whatever gift is going to be taken up, it will be a generous one indeed. In v. 9, Paul lays out a principle in giving.
35. What is that principle?
If I plant a little flower seed, then a flower will come up. But if I plant a whole handful of seeds, I’ll get a big bouquet of flowers. If you want a bouquet, then plant a handful of seeds! This doesn’t mean that if you give $10, then you will get back $20. It means that if you give to the work of the Lord, God will bless you in some way. The giving could be money, time, energy, and skill. 2 Cor. 9:6 is a spiritual law as well as a physical law:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
In what manner are we to give and in what manner are we not to give?
Did you know that the word cheerful in v. 7 means hilarious. Don’t you just love this?!! Have you ever known anyone who has gone bankrupt because of their giving to the Lord? Yeah, me either. While God never promised us
material wealth, He has promised us spiritual blessings and He does take care of us. Read 2 Cor. 9:9-15. Verses 9-10 are quoted from Psalm 112.
36. Why do you give to the work of the Lord?
1. Out of duty?
2. Because you need others to know that you give?
3. Because it makes you feel better?
4. Out of love?
Only 1 of these ways is the way that God would have us give. There are some things I give out of duty; taxes and certain gifts (for people that I only see 1x or 2x a year). And periodically, if someone gives my kids gifts and I hadn’t planned on getting the giver a gift, I’ll sneak and write a check and stick it in a card to the giver because I surely don’t want someone to give my kids something (even though they’re 30+ years old) if I didn’t get them (the giver) anything.
Scripture says that when you give, don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing (Matt. 6:3). There are people who give and want others to know not only that they gave, but how much they gave.
I think we’ve all from time to time given to others because it makes us feel better. It makes us feel better about ourselves. There’s nothing bad about feeling good about yourself, but when it comes to giving, there is a much more nobel way to give and that is out of love. When you have a heart for God and for others, giving out of love is the way that God wants us to give.
Friends, giving is a grace. God does not force any of us to give a tithe. There are some who are able to give far more than a tithe, while others may not be able to give anything due to their life circumstances.
Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. (2 Cor. 9:15)
I don’t care if you gave every penny you have, every material item you have, and even obligated your children to the work of the Lord, you could still not give God more than He has given to you. It simply isn’t possible. Not only did God send His perfect Son to die on the cross for our sins, but He did it in a way that I don’t think any of us would ever agree to do.
37. How did He do this (Heb. 12:2)?
This verse is mind-blowing to me! Paul is going to switch gears now and focus on something else. In chapter 10, he is going to defend his apostleship. Remember that there were those in this church who had been bad-mouthing him and stirring up strife against him. He didn’t have to defend his apostleship because the Lord chose him as the apostle to the Gentiles, but he wanted to do it in order to set straight everything else he’d instructed this church to do. Read 2 Cor. 10:1-5. Paul starts out by telling them that he knows what some of them have been saying behind his back. Have you ever known that someone was gossiping behind your back and have you ever let that someone know that you know? Shew, that can make for an awkward but interesting situation! This is exactly what Paul is alluding to in the first 2 verses.
Since the advent of the smart phone and texting, lots of bad things have happened. People have been bullied privately and on social media. Periodically, you hear of some kids committing suicide because of online things that have been said about them. When you text or write something on social media, you have time to get your thoughts together and you can edit your messages. It reduces the pressure of immediate reactions. Face to face conversations require immediate responses and can be far more stressful. Paul did not want them to think for a minute that he was timid of saying to them in person what he said to them in this letter. But he recognized that they thought he was being big and bold in writing and being a little mealy mouse in person.
Beginning in 2 Cor. 10:3, Paul starts to break down exactly how this spiritual thing works and how we are to fight spiritual battles.
38. In the following verses, what else does he say regarding spiritual warfare?
Gal. 2:20
Eph. 6:10-12
What he is speaking of in these verses and in 2 Cor. 10:3-5 is a cosmic battle that is fought in the heavenlies. V. 5 gives us an indication of another location for such a battle.
39. Where is it?
The entire world is imprisoned in certain belief systems. If you do not hold to a biblical worldview, then you are also imprisoned in a belief system that is anti-God. There is a raging battle for the mind. Most people think that strongholds are demons. They are not. Strongholds are ideologies. Now granted, they might be brought on by demonic forces, but in and of themselves, they are not demons. Let me give you a new definition of spiritual warfare:
A battle for the truth in the mind.
Paul was obviously a brilliant man. Nobody could read all of his writings and come to any other conclusion. But to look at him and to read his writings were 2 different things. Do you ever judge a book by its cover? I think all of us do this from time to time. There are books in the Apocrypha that did not cut the muster for inspiration and thus, they are not included in the Bible. That does not mean that they aren’t historically accurate. It does mean that they are not God-breathed. One of these books is the Acts of Paul. In this book, the Apostle Paul is described as being a small man, bald-headed, bow-legged, having eyebrows that touched (unibrow), and a long hook nose! I am laughing as I type this because in my mind, I’m picturing the Penguin from Batman! Needless to say, Paul would not win any beauty contests! And on top of that, he was a laborer making tents who got sweaty and stinky in his work. This is hardly the picture we have painted in our minds of the great Apostle Paul.
Paul came to them in gentleness and humility, just as he came to all the churches he founded. But make no mistake, gentleness and humility and meekness does not equate to weakness. All of this physical stuff that others might have focused on were not the things he focused on.
40. He had a singular desire. We read about this in 1 Cor. 2:2. What was it?
41. In 2 Cor. 10:5, how do we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ? Use the verses below to help you.
2 Tim. 2:15
James 1:5
Phil. 4:4-8
Proverbs 3:5-6
When Paul tells us to “take every thought captive”, this is not a one and done thing. It is a continual process that requires us to be intentional and diligent. I want to call your attention to the Philippians verse above. Anxiety and chronic worry are at an all-time high in our country. There are more narcotics (pain killers) and benzodiazepines (worry killers) sold in our country than at any other time in our history. Worry is the most prevalent of joy-stealers. Anxious in Greek means “to be pulled in 2 different directions and strangled”. Do you know how many of the things we worry about can be helped by God? 100% of them!
42. Read 2 Cor. 10:6-12. For what reason does Paul say he has been given apostolic authority in v. 8?
43. What do you think Paul is saying in v. 11-12 about how other people might judge?
He is not wrong, you know. Paul knew all too well what he looked like and how some people perceived him. He wanted them to know that he was aware of this.
44. If we are not wise when we compare ourselves to ourselves and measure ourselves by ourselves, then what is the wise way to compare and measure ourselves?
2 Cor. 13:5
Psalm 139:23-24
2 Pet. 3:17-18
45. Continuing on with the idea of measurement, 2 Cor. 10:13-16 and Eph. 4:13 both give us an idea of why God has apportioned to each of us a certain sphere of influence. Why is that?
46. Read the last 2 verses of chapter 10. Does God have the same job for each person?
It doesn’t always matter that others don’t approve of the job God called you to do. It matters whether or not God approves of the job He called you to do. Expectations can be the kiss of death! Sometimes I will hear a child in counseling say, “My dad (or mom) is not supposed to tell me what to do!” When I ask why, they generally say something like, “Because it’s mean of them!” That’s when I have a little chit-chat with them about what a mommy’s role and a daddy’s role is. The role of a parent is to protect and to train and to nourish a child. There is nowhere in that role that speaks to the child telling the parent what his/her job is and what they expect and deserve. Paul was not about to let those who stirred up strife in this church in Corinth tell him what his job was. He knew what it was and he also knew that he was being obedient to that call.
Do you know what job God has called you to do? If you don’t, then ask Him. If you do know, then follow through with the work that is required of that job. God has called me to teach. Right now, that is my job. I have no doubt about it. And I may not always do it perfectly, but I do pray that I do it in and through His strength. There may be a day when He calls me to do another job.
LIVE FOR THE TRUTH!
BE FAITHFUL TO THE TRUTH!
Blessings.
© Cindy D. Ketron. All Rights Reserved
