Cheerful Giving – 2 Corinthians 9

Monetary Charity (love-filled financial giving) is a hallmark of Christian faith. When my wife and I were in school and poor as church mice, one of our chapel speakers had the temerity to speak on giving. He was speaking to a crowd, most of whom were just scraping by, and teaching us to give as Christians should. I was convicted by that message and my wife and I shaped up our giving, even though we could have reasoned that we needed every penny for ourselves. We learned the spiritual discipline of cheerful giving, and oh, how we’ve been blessed through it.

Paul knew the blessing of giving and the importance of it for the Corinthians.

Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! (2 Corinthians 9 ESV)

Paul doesn’t want to be embarrassed that his boasting about the Corinthians’ readiness to give to this endeavor proves to be wrong. And he doesn’t want to come and find he has to exact this gift from them.  God loves a cheerful giver, one who realizes that, like sowing seed in the field, the one who sows sparingly will have a sparse crop and the one who sows liberally will harvest a liberal crop.  This kind of giver also realizes that God is able to help us give like this so our needs are still met and what we reap is a harvest of greater righteousness in our lives.

God will even multiply our ability to give and to be generous in “every way” and it will result in great gratefulness from those who receive our generosity.  God will be glorified for His inexpressible gift in Christ and the givers will create a bond with those to whom they gave and have their prayers ascend to God on their behalf.  Why would we not want to give?!

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you?
2. What fears do you think the Corinthians might have been dealing with when it came to participating in this offering Paul was collecting for the Jerusalem saints?
3. How has fear been a factor in the way you give?
4. Is Paul teaching here that if you give you will be financially rewarded?
5. Does God love a grudging giver?
6. What would have to take place for you to become a more cheerful giver?