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Monday 20 June 2011

2 Corinthians 8:8-15 - Giving Generously

Paul was not insisting that the Corinthians give, but the sincerity of what they had said earlier. 
Christ died for so that we would become rich. Now some use this as a support for financial prosperity teaching, but we need to look at the context. What is Paul doing here? He is urging the Corinthians to be generous. So Christ is being used as an example of how we should seek to behave. 
Now I have no problems at all with financial wealth. Indeed if we live in the West and employed then most of us are among the richest people on earth. Moreover, knowing Jesus will make a difference to your finances, but if we make financial wealth the goal of faith we are mistaken.
Last year the Corinthians had expressed a desire to help the Jerusalem church, and had taken some steps towards doing that. Paul is now encouraging them to complete the work that they started.
People are very good at expressing intentions, but often not so good at fulfilling the intentions. Here we see Paul urging them to complete the task. So we too should be willing to be held to account, and should be willing to urge others to fulfill desires that they state and tasks that they start.
Now Paul is asking them only to give what they can afford to give, ie "according to what one has". So those who are financially rich should give generously. 
A repeated refrain in the Old Testament was that there should be no poor among them, and generosity on the part of people is the means of achieving this. 
Some might take this interest in equality as support for socialism, but this too would be mistaken. Look at the effects of socialism when it tries to achieve equality. It results in leveling down, an intrusive state, high taxation, wasteful spending and a loss of responsibility. God's way is much better.

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