The Truth comes to Corinth Part 2 Volume 33

Paul’s final Plea to the Corinthians to Give and do so Generously

2 Corinthians 9:1-15

We often times like to think of the Apostle Paul as this great man, but Paul’s greatness (as he would be the first to tell you) came from God the Holy Spirit’s work in him. There are many moments (if we do not pay close attention we miss) that we find Paul speaking out of and acting out of his own humanity as we see here that Paul was nervous or uneasy about the Corinthians making good on their pledge to him a year earlier. Paul was so eager to provide help to the suffering believers in Jerusalem that it caused him such excited anticipation it made him wonder and even worry about whether the Corinthians would come through or not (2 Corinthians 9:3-4).

Paul also being a Jew himself but having been given a ministry primarily to the Gentiles wanted so much for the Jewish believers in Jerusalem to see the work of grace by God in the people known to all unregenerate Jews as pagans or heathens. Paul was therefore, so worked up with nerves for both reasons and this is why he sent the brother Titus and the others to spur them on and encourage them to make good on their pledge and be generous with their gift (2 Corinthians 9:5). Paul now reminds them that with our Lord Jesus Christ no sacrifice is unseen by Him as He himself declared with these words, “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:2-4).

This is a solid, strong, and sure fact from our Lord Jesus Christ and therefore, Paul wants to exhort them and inspire them one final time to give freely, plentifully, and liberally with an open heart big for those believers in Jerusalem who have been devastated by the Romans, understanding that they too might one day be in desperate need and that their giving to our Lord Jesus and for Him will never go unnoticed by Him (2 Corinthians 9:6-9). Paul again reminds them that God will not allow their sowing to be without a bountiful harvest for them to continue to be the fruitful and cheerful givers that so pleases the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 9:10-12). The brothers and sisters in Jerusalem will bring glory to God by humbly receiving His gracious gift from the saints in Corinth and by in turn praying for them and giving thanks to God the Father for the work of grace He alone wrought in their hearts to motivate them to be so generous to their horrible condition in Jerusalem. For as it is written, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Proverbs 11:25 The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered. NKJV

Proverbs 22:9 He who is generous will be blessed, For he gives some of his food to the poor. NKJV

My own personal note: If we give out of any kind of duty or obligation it matters not the amount or the cause, that giving is frowned upon by our Lord Jesus Christ.

“There could be no greater evidence of the transforming power of the gospel than that it should obliterate the strongly-marked differences between East and West, between Jew and Gentile, and make it clear that Christ is all in all Paul does not, therefore, urge and entreat the Corinthians so much as he reminds them of his confidence in their response. No motive is so potent as the sense that a worthy response is expected of us by one whom we revere and love.” F. B. Meyer

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…