8:5
The Macedonians are lauded with praise for their giving. Note that the starting point is that they gave themselves to the Lord. This is the starting point for all change and for true religion. Many times we can try to get people committed to a substitute for God, this may seem to yield more immediate and visible results, but in the end will produce nothing. Commitment to the Lord has to be our goal. They also gave themselves to Paul and his co-workers. Ie the openness that Paul has been urging on the Corithians was there.
8:6,7
So Paul now urges the Corinthians to “excel in the grace of giving”. Giving is a gift! However, it is not one that is often sought! If a preacher in charismatic church offered the gift of prophecy or healing no doubt he would get many respondents. The same appeal offering the gift of giving might not be quite so successful. However, we should all ask God that we might “excel in the grace of giving”. Our God is a giving God, so we should desire to be giving people.
No comments:
Post a Comment