November 28 Click on verses for Full Scripture

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Today's Pathway: II Corinthians 8:3-7 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also. Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

Yesterday Paul spoke to the Corinthians concerning the gift that the Macedonian churches gave for the relief of the believers in Jerusalem. He said that they gave even though they were suffering affliction and deep poverty. In verse 3 he adds that they gave "to their power" and "beyond their power". They gave what they were able to give, and they went beyond that. In other words, they gave sacrificially. Because of their deep poverty, even giving what they could was probably a sacrifice, but they went far beyond that. And please note that they did it "willingly of themselves". No one put a gun to their head and demanded that they give. They did it completely voluntarily, and did it out of love for their Jewish brethren.

Verse 4 is interesting. We know from Acts 11:30 that Paul and Barnabas had been given the responsibility to take the financial gift to Israel. However, the Macedonians had to beg Paul to accept the money that they wanted to send with him. Paul certainly knew of their dire conditions, and apparently he was reluctant to take their money because he knew that it would only impoverish them further. But they pleaded with him to do so because they want to participate in aiding the suffering saints in Judea. What a challenge this is to the Corinthians and to us! How often have we been in a situation where we could be of help to some brother in Christ, but have chosen not to give it? We have perhaps blamed our own financial condition, and given that as an excuse. But the Macedonians begged Paul to take the money that they could not afford to give because they wanted to help others.

Verse 5 gives the key as to how the Macedonians could have this kind of benevolent spirit. Paul first says that they gave in an unexpected way. This is not a negative statement. Paul is not writing that the Macedonians should have done better; he is stating that they did far more than he could have anticipated. They were able to accomplish this because they first gave themselves to the Lord. When a person decides that he belongs to God, and that therefore everything he has belongs to God, it becomes much easier to use his possessions to further the work of God. In addition, they gave themselves to Paul. They understood how Paul had willingly been used by the Lord to make a difference in their lives, and they appreciated it. Thus, out of love for him and trust in him they were willing to hand him their sacrificial gift. And all of this was done in accordance with the will of God.

Because of this, Paul is sending Titus to collect their offering. Remember that the Corinthians had been instructed about this in his first epistle (I Corinthians 16:1-4), and they had considered contributing (II Corinthians 8:10), but had not yet done so. Thus Paul is sending Titus to encourage them to exhibit the same grace that the Macedonians did by taking up the collection, and sending it with Titus. Albert Barnes wrote,

"The sense of this passage seems to be this: "We were encouraged by this unexpected success among the Macedonians. We were surprised at the extent of their liberality. And encouraged by this, we requested Titus to go among you and finish the collection which you had proposed, and which you had begun. Lest you should be outstripped in liberality by the comparatively poor Macedonian Christians, we were anxious that you should perform what you had promised and contemplated; and we employed Titus, therefore, that he might go at once and finish the collection among you."

The challenge for us today is this: have we given ourselves completely to God, including our material goods? Have we then given ourselves to others? Are we thus willing to make personal sacrifices in order to meet their needs?