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What does 2 Corinthians 9 10 15 mean?

Paul was saying that the Corinthians' financial generosity was about more than just meeting the material needs of the Church in Jerusalem. It was about submitting to God by caring for his people. It was about expressing fellowship and unity with other believers in the name of Jesus Christ (v.

fpclw.org - Thankful: 2 Corinthians 9:10-15 – fpclw.org

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Promotion

Thankful

2 Corinthians 9:10-15

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! – 2 Corinthians 9:15

We conclude our study of grace-based generosity by considering 2 Corinthians 9:10-15 this week. Paul had urged the Corinthians to give bountifully to the believers in Jerusalem from cheerful hearts, knowing by faith that God, the Giver who has an eternal supply of every blessing, had enriched them so that they could sow generously by grace and reap a harvest of righteousness. One of the key “crops” in the harvest of righteousness would be the “many thanksgivings to God” (v. 12) that the Church in Jerusalem would make because of Corinth’s sowing generously in Christ. May we sow in such a way that it produces many thanksgivings to God in and amongst others. When we are the recipients of God’s surpassing grace through the ministry of others, may we be thankful, abounding in thanksgivings to the Lord.

Generosity Produces Many Thanksgivings

In v. 12, Paul wrote, “For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.” The “ministry of this service” is a key phrase. In the Greek, it bears religious connotations. Paul was saying that the Corinthians’ financial generosity was about more than just meeting the material needs of the Church in Jerusalem. It was about submitting to God by caring for his people. It was about expressing fellowship and unity with other believers in the name of Jesus Christ (v. 13). Such generosity comes from hearts that are transformed by the surpassing grace of Christ. Such cheerful giving encourages thanksgiving to God from the hearts of its recipients. God has always been after hearts not bank accounts. We see that, for example, in the Old Testament laws about gleaning (Leviticus 19:9-10). In those laws, the Israelites were told not to harvest all the way to the corners, or margins, of their fields but to leave them for the needy and the stranger. Interestingly, Israel was not told how wide those margins should be. The command was there to care for the needy but room was left for the application of the law to be either conservative or liberal, giving opportunity for a field owner to either be reluctant or cheerful in leaving margins for the poor of his community. In Ruth 2, Boaz proved to be a cheerful giver to Ruth, initially through the ministry of gleaning. His generosity produced many thanksgivings from both Ruth and Naomi. Even more so, his actions led to countless thanksgivings because of God’s eventual provision of King David (Ruth 4) to Israel and of Jesus (Matthew 1:5) to the world through Boaz’ and Ruth’s offspring. When we celebrate Thanksgiving we usually focus on those things we have been given for which are thankful. There is nothing wrong with that for we are certainly the recipients of much for which we should rightly give thanks. But, take some time as well to consider how your generosity to the Church and others has produced, and can continue to produce, many thanksgivings to God from the hearts of others. In fact, give thanks that you have been given his grace to be a means to bless others that they might offer thanksgiving and praise to the Lord!

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Promotion

Gratitude and Thanksgiving

We saw last week that generosity flows from a humble heart, for the humble person knows God is the giver of all good things and she rejoices in his grace. The generous person also rejoices in being used by God to bless others. The giver’s heart matters but so too does the recipient’s heart. A humble recipient knows by faith that all blessings flow from God. Humble recipients will therefore be grateful in their hearts and will express their gratitude with words and actions of praise and thanksgiving to God. Paul knew this would be the case for the Church in Jerusalem even before they had officially received the collection from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. Their gratitude would flow from their approval for the service, whereby they would understand that the gift was a genuine display of Gospel love and fellowship in Christ from Corinth and Macedonia to them (v. 13). Additionally, they would “give back” to the Corinthians by longing for them and praying for them to God (v. 14). Gratitude in the heart should not be taken for granted. Apart from Christ people usually feel entitled to life in general, material provisions, an absence of suffering, spiritual blessings, etc. for any number of reasons. Such people do not see these things as blessings given freely by grace but as inalienable rights owed to them by God (or the universe, or the government, etc.) or perhaps as wages merited because of their good works or special worth. If in your heart you have a sense of entitlement then you will not be grateful for who you are and what you have. You may be able to go through the outward motions of expressing thanksgiving to God or others but it won’t be because you recognize your position as a humble recipient of grace. It’s the Gospel at work in us that helps us to cultivate a humble, healthy gratitude in our hearts for all that we are and have received by the grace of Christ.

The Inexpressible Gift

This is what Paul was getting at when he gave thanks to God for his “inexpressible gift!” Most simply, that gift is Jesus Christ – incarnate, crucified, risen, ascended, and soon to return. More fully, that gift is all the benefits that come with receiving Christ. The Church in Jerusalem would know the benefit of God’s material provision through the generous fellowship (“contribution” in v. 13) of his people in Corinth and Macedonia. That’s just one example among many of the ways in which the surpassing grace of Christ is expressed and experienced presently in the lives of his people. It is those who have received the inexpressible gift of Christ by grace through faith who are able to be grateful and truly express praise and thanksgiving to God.

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Promotion

Consider the encounter Jesus had with ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19. Jesus sent them to see the priest, in keeping with Old Testament law (Leviticus 14). Along the way they were healed. One of the ten, upon realizing he had been made clean, turned back in order to praise God and give thanks to Jesus. The other nine presumably went on to the priests in order to begin the cleansing rituals and sacrifices prescribed in Leviticus. Their failure to return to Jesus showed their lack of understanding and gratitude. They had been healed of leprosy but they had not been healed of their spiritual condition in sin. Only one returned with faith in Christ, giving praise to God with gratitude.

Have you personally received Jesus Christ, the inexpressible gift of God? If so, are you making it a practice to give loud praises to God because of the salvation he has given you? In what ways are you regularly falling at his feet to give him thanks for his surpassing grace and for all his many blessings to you?

Discussion and Application

1. Share some ways that the Lord has used you to show his cheerful generosity to others. What are some examples of the direct and indirect praises and thanksgivings to God that have come from your giving of time, talents, and treasures in Jesus’ name?

2. Pray for God to humble you so that you grow in gratitude to him for all his blessings to you. In what areas of life does entitlement still have purchase in your heart? Make repentance now. 3. Christ may be God’s inexpressible gift but that shouldn’t stop us from making many thanksgivings to him. Share with your group, family, a neighbor, etc. some aspects of the surpassing grace of God for which you’re thankful.

fpclw.org - Thankful: 2 Corinthians 9:10-15 – fpclw.org

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