2 Corinthians 8:16-24 Study Guide: Making Generosity Personal

Community Group Study Guide — Making Generosity Personal

2 Corinthians 8:16-24

Study Information:

If a few thousand dollars left your bank account today how would you feel? Likely your mood would depend heavily on why that money left your account. If it went to unexpected car repair, taxes or identity theft you’d probably feel pretty bad about that. If it went towards a family vacation, new golf clubs or a dress for your daughter’s wedding you’d likely have some excitement. When it comes to generosity and giving, do you feel like it is an obligation or are you excited about what God is doing through your giving? Jesus taught that there was a connection between what we love and our money when he said “where our treasure is there your heart will be also (Matt 6:24).” There are many unexpected places our money can go that will cause us sadness, like who loves to pay their taxes? However we should remember as followers of Christ, when it comes to generosity we should be excited when the financial resources that God has given us flow towards his work because his work is all about his glory and blessing people. We may be tempted to view generosity as a loss or a duty, but what Paul taught is that it is a sure investment and a proof of love for God and his people.

Generosity is Personal

2 Corinthians 8:16-19, 22-23

Paul sent his protege Titus to minister in the City of Corinth in the wake of their being taken advantage of by false teachers and their growing accusations against Paul’s leadership. Titus did a good work of helping them respond and repent and change their views of Paul, but another task he had was to help them participate in the Macedonian Offering. This offering started about a year before this letter was written and it appeared to have stalled out. Titus was sent to bring their attention back to this gift because of the great need in Jerusalem. This offering was a multi city, multi church work meant to bless suffering Christians in Jerusalem who were being persecuted. Notice in verses 16-17 that Titus was described as “earnest,” this earnestness was in love for the Corinthians and the saints in Jerusalem. Likewise he went of his own free will and was not tricked or convinced to go serve the Corinthians. Titus’s enthusiasm was for the Corinthians and not their cash. They were not objects or a means to an end, but he was excited about what God was doing in this church.

Notice also that this generous gift was meant as a show of goodwill for the church in Jerusalem and it was carried personally by representatives of the churches who contributed (2 Cor 8:19). Generosity is more than writing a check, it is meant to be personal. This team of people included someone named as “famous for preaching the gospel” and another brother who had been “tested” (2 Cor 8:18, 22-23). Their task was to protect and carry the gift and to act as “messengers” or representatives for all the churches. God utilized their money to help people, but it was more than that; this was a show of solidarity, goodwill and love.

Generosity is Protected

2 Corinthians 8:20-21

We are not to be naive about money; Paul made it clear that there is an inherent spiritual danger to money. Part of Paul’s regular teaching on money was a warning about loving money. He taught that the love of money was the root of all kinds of evil and that spiritual leaders should be free from a love for money. In our text Paul recognized the danger of generosity and entrusting others with money and that is why he implemented certain safeguards. First, he removed himself from the administration of the gift. Second, he entrusted a team of people with the safekeeping of the offering. These men each represented a different church and were people who were tested and found out to be “honorable.” No on is fully beyond the capability of falling into temptation, but these kinds of safeguards helped keep this offering secure. When we consider where to give and how to be generous it would be wise to consider how organizations and institutions are securing the funds.

Many in our world today have a rising distrust of institutions, and often for good reason. For many of us the world has gotten smaller and we hear about every misuse of money or embezzlement of funds, something that we likely would not have experienced 30-40 years ago. This easy access to info and awareness can make sin around money feel common and close to us even if it takes place across the country. Many can dismiss institutions for this reason, however, before we dismiss giving to an institution like the local church or a mission agency we should remember that there is a lot of good we can do when we collectively pool our resources together and a trusted group administers those funds. Strive to be wise and investigate where you give and demand accountability, but also don’t overreact and cease to give generously because of bad examples out there; wisdom and generosity are not mutually exclusive.

Generosity is about Blessing People

2 Corinthians 8:24

Finally, remember the goal of our giving is that we participate in God’s work and prove our love for God and God’s people. God is at work through the local church and there is much we can be excited about. When we have baptisms, discipleship in Sunday school, counseling, facility improvements and even things like church bulletins, it is all for the blessing of people and if you give financially you are participating even if you are not physically teaching or partaking in those activities. Our aim is love, our goal is to bless people and help them draw near to God so they can exalt him and follow the teachings of Christ. We are grateful for things like a church building where we can meet, air conditioning during the summer so we aren’t falling asleep in the warm sanctuary, pastoral training so we can be built up, benevolence funds so we can help the hurting in our community and even things like craft supplies and gold fish crackers in our kids ministry because all of it is for the service of love for people and to bless them so they may know and follow Christ more deeply this week than they did last.

Giving today can feel impersonal, but we want to challenge you that when we celebrate ministry in the church, if you give, you can think “I am part of that!” You get to participate in what God does in and through the ministry of the church even if you are not physically present. Likewise, we want to challenge you to not only give to your local church but to also consider setting aside some money so that you can personally bless people as needs arise. Draw deeper into community, open up your home and consider doing what the church did in Acts 4, when one among you has a need consider how you can personally meet that need. This requires intentionality and time together and for you to know others well, but it can go a long way in helping giving to feel personal.

At your community group:

Take 15-20 minutes to share about how God has been at work in your life, prayer concerns and pray for one another.

How did God speak to you through the scripture and the sermon this week?

Discussion Questions:

2 Corinthians 8:16-24

What are some ways that giving and generosity can feel impersonal in our current cultural moment? How did Paul express the personal side of generosity in 2 Corinthians 8:16-18?

How did Paul include each of the churches in the generosity to the Jerusalem church (see 2 Cor 8:20-24)?

Paul talked about the spiritual danger of money, how did Paul give the Corinthians an understanding of how they were going to protect their generosity?

How can you take steps this week to make your generosity more personal?