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A Study on Giving

Posted by Tkulp , 19 December 2020 · 0 views

2 Corinthians 9:8 A Study on Giving

….God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 2 Corinthians 9:8

2 Corinthians 9:5-15 Net Bible

Therefore I thought it necessary to urge these brothers to go to you in advance and to arrange ahead of time the generous contribution you had promised, so this may be ready as a generous gift and not as something you feel forced to do.

6 My point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver.

8 And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.

9 Just as it is written, "He has scattered widely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever."

10 Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous on every occasion, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God, 12 because the service of this ministry is not only providing for the needs of the saints but is also overflowing with many thanks to God.

13 Through the evidence of this service they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing with them and with everyone. 14 And in their prayers on your behalf they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:8 A Study with Strong’s Greek Dictionary King James

And^G1161 God^G2316 is

able G1415 powerful or capable (literally or figuratively); neuter possible:

to make all G3956 all, any, every, the whole:

grace G5485

(From G5463 to be full of cheer , that is, calmly happy or well off;);

G5485 graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude

abound G4052

to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; also (transitively) to cause to superabound or excel:

G3956 all, any, every, the whole:

Toward G1519 to, into, purpose:

you;^G5209 that^G2443 ye, always G3842 every when, that is, at all times:

having G2192 to hold (such as possession, ability, contiguity, relation or condition)

all^G3956 sufficiency G841 self satisfaction, that is, contentedness, or a competence:

in^G1722 all G3956 all, any, every, the whole:

things, may abound G4052

to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; also (transitively) to cause to superabound or excel:

to^G1519 every G3956

all, any, every, the whole:

good ^G18

work: G2041 toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication an act:

2 Corinthians 9:5-15 Amplified Bible

That is why I thought it necessary to urge these brethren to go to you before I do and make arrangements in advance for this bountiful, promised gift of yours, so that it may be ready, not as an extortion [wrung out of you] but as a generous and willing gift.

6 [Remember] this: he who sows sparingly and grudgingly will also reap sparingly and grudgingly, and he who sows generously [that blessings may come to someone] will also reap generously and with blessings.

7 Let each one [give] as he has made up his own mind and purposed in his heart, not reluctantly or sorrowfully or under compulsion, for God loves (He takes pleasure in, prizes above other things, and is unwilling to abandon or to do without) a cheerful (joyous, "prompt to do it") giver [whose heart is in his giving]. [Proverbs 22:9 He who has a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor. [poor H1800 - properly dangling, that is, (by implication) weak or thin:]]

8 And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation].

9 As it is written, He [the benevolent person] scatters abroad; He gives to the poor; His deeds of justice and goodness and kindness and benevolence will go on and endure forever! [Psa. 112:9**]

10 And [God] Who provides seed for the sower and bread for eating will also provide and multiply your [resources for] sowing and increase the fruits of your righteousness [which manifests itself in active goodness, kindness, and charity]. [Isa. 55:10; Hos. 10:12] 11 Thus you will be enriched in all things and in every way, so that you can be generous, and [your generosity as it is] administered by us will bring forth thanksgiving to God. 12 For the service that the ministering of this fund renders does not only fully supply what is lacking to the saints (God's people), but it also overflows in many [cries of] thanksgiving to God.

13 Because at [your] standing of the test of this ministry, they will glorify God for your loyalty and obedience to the Gospel of Christ which you confess, as well as for your generous-hearted liberality to them and to all [the other needy ones]. 14 And they yearn for you while they pray for you, because of the surpassing measure of God's grace (His favor and mercy and spiritual blessing which is shown forth) in you. 15 Now thanks be to God for His Gift, [precious] beyond telling [His indescribable, inexpressible, free Gift]!

[Psa. 112:9**] Foot Note for: 2 Corinthians 9:9 Amplified Bible

Praise the LORD!

How blessed is the one who obeys the LORD, who takes great delight in keeping his commands.

His descendants will be powerful on the earth; the godly will be blessed.

His house contains wealth and riches; his integrity endures. In the darkness a light shines for the godly, for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just.

It goes well for the one who generously lends money, and conducts his business honestly. For he will never be upended; others will always remember one who is just.

He does not fear bad news.

He is confident; he trusts in the LORD.

His resolve is firm; he will not succumb to fear before he looks in triumph on his enemies.

He generously gives to the needy; his integrity endures.

He will be vindicated and honored.

When the wicked see this, they will worry; they will grind their teeth in frustration and melt away; the desire of the wicked will perish.

Psalms 112:1-10

The follow is my understanding of 2 Corinthians 9:8 with the King James Version and the Strong’s Greek Definitions:

….God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is who is powerful and capable to make you to be full of all cheer , that is, calmly happy or well off; especially through His divine influence upon your heart, which will be reflected in your life; including gratitude.

He can cause that influence to super abound or excel in you, for His purpose, that you, at all times, will hold (such divine influences as a possession, ability, contiguity (which is the attribute of being so near as to be touching), relation or condition) with such self satisfaction, that is, contentedness, or a competence in everything. That with such divine influence you may be caused to superabound or excel in ever y and any difficult struggle, effort, occupation and action.

My foot note: Grace, the divine influence that is reflected in our lives, is a free gift from God.
Like all gifts that we receive, in life, they must be opened and used in order to receive any benefit from the gift.
We must choose to sit at the feet of Jesus, and His Word, in order to experience His Divine Influences.
If we choose to sit at the feet of the world and its influences we cannot expect to know the gift of True Grace, God’s Divine Influence. We will only see and experience the consequences of the world’s influences in our lives. (Lots of anger, bad attitudes, the fruits of the flesh, etc.)

Layman363

Jan 27 2021 12:44 PM

Enjoyed reading your exegesis on the passage from Paul's writings but could I suggest that perhaps many long time Christians have heard this sermon many times. Could the example of collecting an offering for the people in Jerusalem be a bit updated. Over the centuries surely there has been many good works done by Christians that could be commended.

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Tkulp

Feb 01 2021 09:24 PM

Layman363,

Thank you so much for your comment. I don't see many of those. :rolleyes:

Especially with such big words... 'exegesis' I'm really not sure of the definition!! I only share what the Spirit shares with me! I do so want to see people come to know real 'deliverance' (salvation)

Sorry for the delay in response!!!

I had written a reply last week but was interrupted by an electronic notice that my checking account had just gone below my set level. I was at that moment having my bank account emptied by online banking deception. It had been happening for several weeks but I had not noticed until they raised the amounts taken from the hundreds to the thousands of dollars!

Thankfully it was all covered by Discover, but the account being immediately shut down meant some bounced checks and other accounts to take care of to make sure that my identity was not stolen.

During all that excitement my window with most of my reply to you was shut down and thus deleted.

It is still in my spirit... so here goes again... maybe shorter this time.

If you do not understand what I am about to share, please feel free to comment.

I believe that the emphasis of my mind and heart was not to focus on the 'giving' of believers but on the New Testament understanding of and function of 'grace' as expressed in the Strong's Greek Dictionary and my foot note.

grace G5485

(From G5463 to be full of cheer , that is, calmly happy or well off;);

I found real 'grace' very interesting, seeing the life changing results of spending continual time with Jesus.

The results of that relationship is shown in the root word for what is translated as 'grace'. An obedient, intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit brings cheerfulness, joy and true gratitude.

If we are double minded (double spirited), under the influence of the world as well as the influence of the spiritual, the life will be full of confusion.

Also, notice the difference between a type of legalistic or sympathetic social giving (under the influence of the society and the worldly system's influences) rather than the natural production of good spiritual fruit from an inner response to or from the presence of the Spirit of Christ living within a believer who is continually meditating and feeding on the Word (under the influence of the Divine Holy Spirit)! Matthew 7:15-24 especially verses 22 &23

Some American Indians taught an idea of a good wolf and a bad wolf that lived in or influenced the life's of man.

Whichever one you fed (by attention, meditation and obedience) was the one that controlled you. The one that you ignored would be starved to death.

Paul said it like this...

Rom_6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

Rom 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin (selfishness) unto death, or of obedience (self-less-ness - servant's heart) unto righteousness?

Rom_6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Real 'Grace' will radically change the life!!!

There is a difference between 'good works' and the fruit of the works of Jesus naturally produced in and through you, effortlessly as an apple growing on an apple tree naturally grows.

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Layman363

Feb 04 2021 08:18 AM

Your point is well taken and succinctly put in that last paragraph. As we have a closer relationship with Jesus as our Lord, it makes it easier and more effective to respond to the Spirit's guidance. What I like to see is testimonies of current people that have been led by the spirit in ways they had not expected and I do see some of that on this website. Another way of seeing preaching moving more current is like a local preacher here is preaching on I and II Houstonians. Now, that is a novel idea that may get some attention.

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Tkulp

Feb 04 2021 01:56 PM

I hear what you are saying, but personally do not desire to be up to date or current in what I think and speak or having some technique to get people's attention.

Ever since I surrendered all to the Holy Spirit and He took over in my life, my passion has been know everything that I can about the person, Jesus Christ. I want to be just like Him. He is my example, my highest goal.

Here is a book that is free to download, I think, which gives light on what the secular world looked like when Jesus was alive.

https://archive.org/...nnalsOfTheWorld

In reading the history of the world at that time I find that only one of the New Testament writers appears to have been influenced by current events in his preaching, that would be Paul.

Jesus' attitude toward being understood by the world seems to opposite of the modern church's efforts to get people "saved".

"Then the disciples came to him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He replied, "You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: 'You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend. For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'"
Matthew 13:10-15

Most of what I have written on the C&MA forums and blogs are in obedience to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I was lead to this site by the Holy Spirit and AB Simpson's devotionals that I was prompted to read from the C&MA web site. That lead me to Tozer's devotional which lead me to the Deeper Life Forum, etc.

So, I believe that God's will regarding witnessing or ministry is that individuals be moved or drawn by the Holy Spirit not the articulate, talented speech of a charismatic speaker.

I believe that if you look, you may find that Paul dealt with this very issue in the church where good talkers were leading people away from the truth of the gospel.

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Layman363

Feb 10 2021 09:41 AM

You are correct on your points and I agree the word is sufficient but Paul was preaching in a different culture and the use of I and II Houstonians is a series on I and II Corinthians and I think he is trying to relate the lives then to how the secular world, at least in Houston is now. We really need to relate the gospel to the current world. I don't think we disagree but see things in a different way perhaps.

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Tkulp

Feb 10 2021 12:40 PM

Thank you for your continued dialoging!!!!

I do not have criticism for those that use different presentation methods, only a concern for those that deviate from the Spirit of the Word of God, in their teaching.

Some want to negate the Old Testament in order to introduce deviant teachings. Most people set aside the fact that when the New Testament was being written, in the form of letters, the Old Testament was what they were talking about when they referred to the 'Scriptures'.

Today if we have a spirit that puts something other than that which is taught in the Old Testament into the mind we should be very alert and cautious to know the Truth from the Holy Spirit of Truth.

If we have an active belief in Jesus Christ we are adopted into the family of God. We may be at various levels of maturity. Paul wrote in one of his letters that those he was talking about were very immature when they should have been teaching they were still learning.

As most followers of Christ, I initially wanted to be good and escape punishment. Now I know that I can not do anything without Jesus living within this shell of clay, influencing all my thoughts and actions.

Check out the following verses to the Corinthians:

1Co_3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co_3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co_3:4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
1Co_9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
2Co_10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

The word 'carnal' is the Greek word G4559 meaning; "pertaining to flesh, that is, (by extension) bodily, temporal, or (by implication) animal, unregenerate:"

The word 'unregenerate' means (Noah Webster Dictionary) "Not regenerated; not renewed in heart; remaining at enmity with God."

From this teachers have coined the phrase "carnal Christians". This phrase is an impossibility as it is impossible to be at enmity with the Father while at the same time be Christ-like. Jesus' passion was to do the will of the Father, only doing what the Father showed Him and told Him to do.

Most believers that refer to 'carnal' Christians are teaching that the carnal Christians are 'saved' which means "delivered, protected" in the Greek. That is another contradiction. If someone is carnal, by definition they are still under the control of the flesh/the senses. That is not being delivered, that is to still be living in bondage, or being double-minded.

And so the ideas and opinions go on and on. What is "Truth"?

I believe that it is each individuals responsibility to live in "Grace" which is; "especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude" according to Strong's Greek Dictionary.

As adults we choose the influences that we live under. Each of us will have to answer for that which God has placed in our hands and hearts. What have we obeyed?

This is what I am responsible to live and share with those that have ears to hear and receive. Jesus did not come to condemn, He came to deliver from the control of self and the senses.

What spirit do we submit to; the spirit of the world or the Holy Spirit, of the Word of God?

PS Did you read any of the Ussher's History?

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Tkulp

Mar 03 2021 10:38 AM

Layman,

I haven't heard from you in awhile.

Some one sent me a video from about 40 years ago. This morning, thinking about you and something you said.

"What I like to see is testimonies of current people that have been led by the spirit in ways they had not expected and I do see some of that on this website."

This video was what encouraged me and my walk with the Lord when I was young. Corrie Ten Boom was delivered from many things by the power of God at work in her and her family during their life in Hitler's Germany.

These were current testimonies in my lifetime that encouraged me to grow closer to God, It is fun to listen to a good orator but I want the relationship with the Holy Spirit more.

A.B. Simpson's thoughts:

https://www.cmallian...mpson?mmdd=0302