Copr. 1998, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. All Scripture references are to
the New International Version (NIV), copr. 1973, 1978, 1984
International Bible Society, unless otherwise noted. Quotations
from the NIV are used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Suggested answers are found within parentheses. The lesson assumes
the teacher uses a blackboard.
INTRODUCTION: This week we continue our study of Paul’s message to
the Corinthian church about giving. I chuckled when I first read
our text for this week. Let’s get into our study and see what we
can learn about “fundraising,” generosity and humor!
I. SENDING THE ADVANCE MEN
A. Read 2 Corinthians 8:16-21. Is Paul
not going to Corinth?
If Paul and Titus “have the same concern”
for the Corinthians
(v.16), why is Titus going and not Paul? (You
will recall from
our earlier study of 2 Corinthians that Paul
changed his
travel plans about coming to Corinth right
away. In the first
two chapters of 2 Corinthians he says he intended
to come, had
plans to come (in connection with a trip to
Macedonia), but
decided not to visit then. Paul said it would
be too
“painful.” (2 Corinthians 2:1) He will be
coming in the
future, but apparently not now. (2 Corinthians
12:14))
1. So why is
Titus coming in the immediate future?
2. What does
Paul mean (v.17) when he says Titus
“welcomed our
appeal?”
a. Does Paul mean he appealed to Titus to go to
Corinth? (No. Verse 17 says Titus went on “his own
initiative.” What Paul means is that Titus welcomed
Paul’s appeal to collect money for the poor in
Jerusalem.)
B. We discussed last week how Paul made his
appeal to the
Corinthian church for funds for the poor in
Jerusalem. What
does Paul mean when he says (in the context
of this appeal for
funds), “we are taking pains to do what is
right not only in
the eyes of the Lord, but also in the eyes
of men?”
1. If collecting
money for the poor is “right in the
eyes” of God,
how could there be any question of
propriety “in
the eyes of men?”
a. Would men be more critical than God?
b. What view would men have that is different than
God’s point of view God? (Men would not see as
clearly. Their vision of what is in the heart might
be especially poor.)
2. Notice in
vv.18-19 Paul talks about a “brother” who is
coming with
Titus. Why is this brother coming? (This is
a “layman” who
has the trust of the churches. Paul is
not content
to just say “trust me,” or “trust Titus.” He
goes the extra
mile to insure things look right “in the
eyes of men.”)
3. Do you have
any suggestions on how your local church
can be sure
its financial affairs appear “right in the
eyes of men?”
a. What do you currently do to avoid any questions?
4. Do you have
any suggestions on how the “higher” levels
of the church
administrative structure can be sure its
financial affairs
appear “right in the eyes of men?”
5. Many years
ago I was asked for two years in a row to
sit on an “audit
committee” composed of three laymen who
would review
the financial affairs of the local
conference.
Both years, over my vigorous objections, we
were not given
any financial information in advance of
the meeting
and were not provided with the actual audit
of conference
funds. I do not think there was any
financial wrongdoing
(because they asked me back at least
once), but consider
how this type of thing looks “in the
eyes of men!”
6. How about
your life? Is there something that you do
that you feel
is right with God, but could be
misinterpreted
by others? What have you done to avoid
that possibility?
II. FUNDRAISING STRATEGY
A. Read 2 Corinthians 8:22-24. Paul says two
things in these
verses about the Corinthians. In v.22
he says he is sending
another unnamed brother who has “great confidence
in you.” In
v.24 he says, “show these men … the reason
for our pride in
you, so that the churches can see it.”
1. Why does Paul
write about “confidence” and “pride?”
2. Last week
I visited my son’s academy and saw, as I
am sure you
have at virtually every educational
institution,
the names of contributors to the institution
on a plaque.
How do you feel about prominently posting
contributors’
names?
a. To what emotion does the listing of contributors’
names appeal?
b. How do you feel about it in a Christian
institution?
c. Does this promote pride among givers?
(1) If so, should a Christian institution be
promoting pride?
(2) What about this idea that we studied last
week in 2 Corinthians 8:12 of giving
“according to what one has…?” They just
give absolute amounts in these plaques and
reports, not how much it “cost” the giver.
Does it falsely promote pride to just post
absolute amounts?
(a) Would you like your name on a list
entitled “Dirt-poor graduates who gave a
lot?” Perhaps your annual income should
be listed along with the amount of your
gift?
d. Consider Matthew 6:1-4 “Be careful not to do your
‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by
them. If you do, you will have no reward from your
Father in heaven….[D]o not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, so that your
giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees
what is done in secret, will reward you.”
e. How do you reconcile Matthew 6:1-4 with 2
Corinthians 8:22-24: “[S]how these men the proof of
your love and the reason for our pride in you, so
that the churches can see it?”
(1) Is there a difference between identifying
generous individuals and identifying generous
groups?
(2) Is it “OK” to say, “If they want to put my
name up in lights, let them?” (And you give
just enough to qualify for the “name up in
lights” list!)
B. Read 2 Corinthians 9:1-2. Who was Paul pointing
to last
week as being the prime example of those who
are generous
givers? (2 Corinthians 8:1-4: the Macedonians!)
1. Who do we
find in our text today that Paul told the
Macedonians
was a good example for them? (The
Corinthians!)
2. What do you
call this strategy? “Playing both sides
against each
other?” (This is the part I found to be most
humorous!)
3. Did this strategy
work? Were the extremely poor
Macedonians
inspired to give because of the Corinthians?
(Yes! Verse
2: “your enthusiasm has stirred most of them
to action.)
C. Read 2 Corinthians 9:3-5. What is the potential
problem
here? (The Macedonians might come with Paul
to Corinth and
find that they had not given generously!)
1. Is Paul afraid
of being exposed as not telling the
truth?
2. Do Paul’s
fundraising tactics leave a lot of leeway
for fundraisers
today? Do Paul’s tactics seem
questionable?
3. How would
Paul’s fundraising tactics be rated when it
comes to the
“eyes of men” test we discussed earlier? (On
first reading,
this account made me chuckle because it
sounded like
a bit of a scam. However, I do not think
Paul is doing
anything improper. Look again at 2
Corinthians
9:2 to see exactly what Paul said about the
Corinthians:
I told the Macedonians “you in Achaia were
ready to give
[enthusiastically].” Paul only said they
were ready.
After starting out right, something happened
along the way
(a painful letter, maybe) and now Paul
simply wants
the Corinthians to do what they promised
(v.5).)
4. Paul says
in v.5, “give what you promised.” This will
result in a
generous gift and not a grudging gift. Do you
agree that telling
someone to keep their word makes the
gift “generous”
and not “grudging?” (I think Paul is
saying that
the Corinthians, once upon a time, had
voluntarily
decided to give generously to the poor in
Jerusalem. Having
once made that decision out of a
generous heart,
Paul’s pressure to keep their promise
does not transform
the promise into a “grudging” gift.)
III. THE RESULTS OF GENEROSITY
A. Read 2 Corinthians 9:6-11. In verse 6 Paul
reminds the
Corinthians of Proverbs 11:24-25 that links
generosity to
greater wealth and stinginess to greater poverty.
1. Have you seen
this principle operate in life? Is
“giving” really
“getting?” When you give something away,
is it like planting
or making an investment? (Consider
the impact of
the McKee family (“Little Debbie” brand
desserts).
That family has obviously been tremendously
blessed financially.
At the same time consider how that
family has blessed
Christian education by building
factories and
recycling centers near schools to provide
employment to
young people who desperately need to work
to pay for a
Christian education. This is clearly an
example of giving
that results in getting.)
a. If you really believed that you could get more by
giving, would you be more generous than you are
now? Is it possible that our actions show that we
do not really believe this principle?
(1) And if we do not believe the principle,
does that account for our relative lack of
wealth?
2. What attitude
is God looking for in those who support
His program?
(Cheerful giver)
a. What does that say about God? (He is not a
tyrant, He is a lover. He is looking for people who
want to serve Him, who love to serve Him — not
those who obey Him out of fear.)
3. When we are
talking about “reaping” or “getting,” are
we necessarily
talking about money? How do you understand
the statement
in v.10 that God will “enlarge the harvest
of your righteousness?”
(Verse 11 says that we “will be
made rich in
every way.” This has to mean that we are not
simply talking
about money.)
B. Read 2 Corinthians 9:12-15. Paul says that
when we give to
the poor among the believers that we not only
supply their
needs, something else happens. What is that?
(They will praise
God for you.)
1. What gift
does v.15 say that we get as a result of our
generosity?
(The hearts of those we have helped will go
out to us and
they will pray for us (v.14). Paul calls
this a gift
beyond description!)
C. Lord, give us a generous heart, a cheerful
attitude in
helping those around us!
IV. NEXT WEEK: “ARMED FOR MINISTRY” Study 2 Corinthians 10:1-18.
or among the believers that we not only
supply their
needs, something else happens. What is that?
(They will praise
God for you.)
1. What gift
does v.15 say that we get as a result of our
generosity?
(The hearts of those we have helped will go
out to us and
they will pray for us (v.14). Paul calls
this a gift
beyond description!)
C. Lord, give us a generous heart, a cheerful
attitude in
helping those around us!
IV. NEXT WEEK: “ARMED FOR MINISTRY” Study 2 Corinthians 10:1-18.
