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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
December 2
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Today's Pathway:
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In today's passage Paul continues to encourage the Corinthian church concerning the offering for the struggling believers in Jerusalem. He opens by saying that he doesn't really need to write to them, because he has already told them all this before, and he knows that they had already made up their mind to participate a year earlier. Yet he does write to them anyway. I am reminded of Peter's comments in II Peter 1:12-13:
"Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance."
Paul's focus is on making sure that the church follows through on their commitment, which they had failed to do previously. He knows that they want to participate, and that they have promised to participate, but he still feels the need to encourage them to make sure that they get the offering prepared. We often repeat messages and principles that we have taught hundreds of times before. It is easy for people to forget, or get sidetracked, and we need to continually remind them of what they are to be doing.
In verse 2 Paul states that he had used the Corinthians' desire to take part in the collection as a motivator for the Macedonians to take up their own collection. Corinth was the capital of Achaia, so when Paul mentions Achaia he is speaking of the Corinthians. Apparently the fact that Corinth started making plans to participate early on made other churches zealous to join in too. Murray Harris explained the situation this way:
"The Corinthians' eagerness in initiating the collection was appealed to by Paul as an example worthy of emulation when he was encouraging the Macedonians to make their contribution. The Corinthians' enthusiasm to participate stirred most of the Macedonians to action. On the other hand, because the Macedonians had successfully completed what they had commenced, (II Corinthians 8:1-5), their exemplary action formed the ground of Paul's appeal to the Corinthians to complete their contribution".
The Macedonians started slowly, but finished quickly. The Corinthians, who were willing in spirit, needed help in having enough character needed to finish the job.
Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 21:28-31. He asked,
"A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father?"
The obvious answer is that the first son did. He didn't go right away, but he ultimately got the job done. The second son said all the right things, but he never completed his task. It is wonderful to plan to do something for the Lord. However, it is better to actually do something. The Lord's work needs Christians who don't just talk about service, but actually serve. So, in verses 3-4, Paul tells the Corinthians that he has sent the brethren to them to make sure that they were ready. He has told the Macedonians that the Corinthians would accomplish their collection, and he doesn't want the Corinthians, nor himself, to be embarrassed by their being unprepared.
We can apply this to the Lord's return. He has given us a commission to serve Him, and while almost all Christians pay lip service to it, many do not actually do anything about it. When Christ comes back, these slackers will be thoroughly embarrassed when they have accomplished little or nothing in the years that they have been saved. John wrote that we should,
"abide in him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." (I John 2:28).
I don't want to be ashamed when I stand before the Lord. I hope you don't want to be either. So let's all do our part to serve Him.
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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