2 Corinthians 8:1-7 - Homilies By E. Hurndall

The charity commended is that of the Macedonian Churches.

I. THEY GAVE UNDER VERY UNFAVOURABLE CIRCUMSTANCES .

1 . They were in much affliction . ( 2 Corinthians 8:2 .) This might have suggested special care of themselves rather than of others. Suffering often produces selfishness. Our pain often prevents us from realizing the pains of others.

2 . They were in deep poverty . ( 2 Corinthians 8:2 .) How could they give? Charity must begin at home, and does not "deep poverty" demonstrate that it must end there? How inconsiderate, and indeed absurd, to ask them to give! Was it not their duty to be provident? to hold some reserve in store against possibly worse times? No people talk more of duty than those who intend to violate it . The Macedonians saw the high duty of charity, and nobly performed that duty.

II. THOUGH AFFLICTED AND POOR , THEY GAVE LARGELY . ( 2 Corinthians 8:3 .) Their danger was not that they might give too little, but that they might give too much. "Beyond their power." Affliction and poverty combined could not cramp their large heartedness. Many ask how little they can give; the Macedonian Christians asked how much. A modern curse of the Church is small giving. There are too many threepenny-bit Christians.

III. THEY GAVE VOLUNTARILY . ( 2 Corinthians 8:3 .) Compulsory kindness is of little worth. And there are other compulsions than physical, "Voluntary offerings" are often anything but voluntary.

IV. THEY GAVE WITHOUT URGENT APPEAL . They gave "of their own accord." They did not require the importunities of a "collection sermon." They required only to know of the need; the charity was spontaneous.

V. THEY BEGGED FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF GIVING . ( 2 Corinthians 8:4 .) They longed to help, and supplicated for a share of the good work. Giving, to them, was a privilege—a gain, not a loss. Giving was not a thing to be avoided, but a thing to be sought. Perhaps they remembered the words of the Lord, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." Had they given in an assembly it would not have been necessary to have the collection in the middle of the meeting to avoid a stampede and empty plates at the close. Much giving of today is not an illustration of charity, but a burlesque of it.

VI. THEY GAVE WITH MUCH JOY . ( 2 Corinthians 8:2 .) They reaped the firstfruits of charity at the time of the seed sowing! Such are the wonders of spiritual agriculture. The grudging giver defrauds no one so much as himself. To miss the joy of giving is to miss how much! There are few luxuries so sweet as the luxury of charity,

VII. THEY GAVE THEMSELVES AS WELL AS THEIR MONETARY CONTRIBUTION . ( 2 Corinthians 8:5 .)

1 . To the Lord . They solemnly dedicated themselves and their belongings to the Most High. 'Twas easy for them to surrender a part when they had surrendered the whole. We give haltingly because we do not believe the Scripture which saith, "Ye are not your own." Our gifts cannot be acceptable to God if we withhold ourselves or parts of ourselves.

2 . To the apostle . As to a servant of their Lord. For service. When they surrendered themselves to God they did not surrender themselves to idleness, but to activity. Many present to God a mass of indolence. Some consecrated people seem consecrated to do nothing. The Macedonian conduct exceeded the apostolic expectation, not the Divine. This was what God expected, and what he expects from us. It was "by the will of God" ( 2 Corinthians 8:5 ).

PRACTICAL .

1 . Here is an example for us. Though we abound in faith, utterance, knowledge, earnestness ( 2 Corinthians 8:7 ), yet if we have not this practical love we are no better than "sounding brass" ( 1 Corinthians 13:1 ).

2 . We can attain to this only as the Macedonian Christians attained to it, by "the grace of God" ( 2 Corinthians 8:1 ). We do not want more money in our pockets, but more grace in our hearts. God can work this work in us. Let us commit ourselves into his hands, that this miracle may be wrought in us also.—H.

2 Corinthians 8:9 - The great Example of benevolence.

Consider—

I. HOW RICH THE SON OF GOD WAS .

1 . In possessions . All things were made by him. All things were his. Not this world only, but all worlds. Not one race of creatures, but all races and orders.

2 . In power . Omnipotence untrammelled and unrepressed.

3 . In homage .

4 . In the love and fellowship of the Father .

5 . In purest happiness .

II. HOW POOR HE BECAME .

1 . In condition .

2 . In circumstances .

3 . In surroundings .

III. THIS MARVELLOUS TRANSFORMATION AND ITS CAUSE .

1 . It was purely voluntary . He gave himself. "No man taketh it from me .. I lay down my life" ( John 10:18 , John 10:15 ).

2 . It was prompted by love . "Ye know the grace, " the spontaneous, unmerited love. The compulsion was the compulsion of compassion and affection.

3 . It had for its object the enrichment of men .

(a) Always dependent.

(b) Through sin, had forfeited all title to things bestowed by God, all title to the Divine favour, all title to brighter prospects.

(c) Thus were poor deservedly.

(a) Gain holiness.

(b) Become partakers of the Divine nature.

(c) Receive the adoption of children and become heirs of God.

(d) Become inheritors of the heavenly kingdom.

(e) Obtain present and future joy.

(f) Become sharers in the glory which Christ for a while set aside. "The glory which thou hast given me I have given unto them" ( John 17:22 ).

IV. CHRIST IS HERE OUR EXAMPLE .

1 . If Christ did this for us, how ready we should be to do what lies in our power for others! In doing it to them, we show our love to him.

2 . How small our sacrifice must be compared to his!

3 . Self-sacrifice makes us like Christ. He not only said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive;" he himself tasted this blessedness. And he gave what? He gave himself for us.—H.

2 Corinthians 8:10-15 - Things that belong to charity.

I. TO WILL .

1 . Charity must be voluntary . No one can make us will. We can be made to give, but such giving is morally worthless. God loveth a cheerful giver, because a cheerful giver is in all certainty a voluntary giver. The "voluntary system" is not one form of charity; it is the only form. Unless we willingly give, the less said about our charity the better; for we have none !

2 . The " willing " must be rightly prompted . True charity means heart love. The coin is base unless it bears this stamp. Though it may pass current amongst men, God will arrest and condemn it. Motives in giving should be carefully studied; not others' motives, but ours!

II. TO DO . Some are charitable in intention, not in action . Fruit trees are sometimes destitute of fruit, but to those thus symbolized there is but little encouragement in the fate of that barren tree which confronted Christ as he walked from Bethany to Jerusalem. Charity must be spiritual, but it must be practical also. Our love will never feed' the hungry nor clothe the naked; and if our love does not prompt us to do, it is of less value than a mote in the sunbeam. Faith without works is dead, and charity without works is dead, buried, and rotting in its grave.

III. TO GIVE ACCORDING TO OUR ABILITY . ( 2 Corinthians 8:12 .) Not according to what others give. We are apt to give according to the ability of somebody else. Perhaps when we judge of our own ability we had better ask God to help us. There are two occasions when a man's possessions are apt to dwindle—the one when he makes out his income tax return, and the other when he is asked for a subscription. We need much grace rightly to estimate our own resources. Charitable appeals are apt to derange the laws of arithmetic and to lead to astonishing results.

IV. TO GIVE JUDICIOUSLY .

1 . The needs of any case should be carefully considered . Not to make them less than they are, but to know them as they are . To give to undeserving cases is not only to waste our substance, but to do a vast amount of mischief.

2 . We are not required to impoverish ourselves that others may be enriched . ( 2 Corinthians 8:13 .) Though, if we had tendencies in this direction, perhaps we should not be travelling away from our Master's example ( 2 Corinthians 8:9 ). Our danger probably lies in being content with the impoverished condition of others. But the object of charity is not that the poor should be made rich and the rich poor.

3 . An equality is to be aimed at . ( 2 Corinthians 8:14 .) As to believers especially we should remember that they are members of the same faith, and should seek to make their condition equally healthy with our own. But our charity should not be restricted by the limits of "the household of faith." One has well said, "Our luxuries should yield to our neighbour's comforts, and our comforts to his necessities." This seems Paul's conception, who explains what he means by " equality " in the expression following: "Your abundance being a supply at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become a supply for your want" ( 2 Corinthians 8:14 ); and he illustrates it by reference to the manna given to Israel in the wilderness ( Exodus 16:18 ). How far from approach to this equality is the giving of many!

4 . We must not so give as to check the exertions of those whom we help . Paul does not apprehend that so undesirable a result will follow the charity which he recommends; he anticipates that the poor may become so rich as to help those now helping them. Unwise charity hinders, not helps, the recipient, Pauperism is a poor harvest to reap. Still we must see that this argument is not unduly pressed. It is to be a protector, it is not to be a murderer, of charity.—H.

2 Corinthians 8:18 - An enviable reputation.

I. A GREAT CHARACTER IS BETTER THAN A GREAT NAME . The brother referred to here is unnamed; a better mark than a name is put upon him. A great name may be inherited; may be won by a merely fortunate conjunction of circumstances; may be unmerited; may have no moral excellence associated with it. A great character must be earned. A great name blesses one's self; a great character, others.

II. THE APPROBATION OF HOLY MEN IS VERY PRECIOUS . The applause of a fallen world may be reckoned at a cheap rate. Mere popularity is quite in contrast with the praise of all the Churches. That men who love Christ, and who thus have corrected tastes, can see in us what is lovely should cause us to be deeply thankful to God, who has wrought this good thing in us. When the approval is widespread and general among such, it becomes correspondingly precious. The praise of God, indeed, is what we should strive after; but this may be expressed by the lips of his children.

III. REPUTATION " IN THE GOSPEL " IS MOST TO BE DESIRED . This was the reputation of the brother alluded to by Paul. It was in the sphere of the gospel that he had obtained his renown. And this is the very highest sphere. How can we make known the gospel? How can we exalt it in the estimation of men? How can we show forth its excellences in our lives? These should be supreme questions with us. Reputation in arms, art, science,—what are these compared with reputation in the gospel? What can arms do for men, or art, or science, compared with the gospel? The gospel presents the most magnificent arena for human life and achievement.

IV. OPINION IS TESTED BY TRUST . Here is a test of men's words. Will those who praise us put confidence in us? It was so with the brother in question ( 2 Corinthians 8:19 ). The friends who praised him trusted him with money, and this is an extreme form of trust with most men. They praised him for a piety which extended to the secularities of life. His gospel ruled the money bag. We want more pounds-shillings-and-pence religion. If our piety does not make us uncorrupt in practical life, we had better cast it to the dogs, for it is only fit for them.—H.

2 Corinthians 8:20 , 2 Corinthians 8:21 - Ministerial carefulness in money matters.

I. STRICTEST HONESTY IS , OF COURSE , ESSENTIAL . How can a man preach this common Christian virtue if he lacks it himself? How can his ministry in spiritual things be blessed if he is tainted with the slightest dishonesty in things carnal? What peace of conscience can he possess if he knows that herein he is faulty; and without peace in his own conscience how can he minister in the gospel of all peace? Those who bear the vessels of the Lord must be clean. What a fearful condemnation will be theirs who, whilst expatiating upon the preciousness of heavenly treasure, are all the while dishonestly grasping the treasure which perishes!

II. STRICTEST HONESTY IS NOT SUFFICIENT . A servant of God may be perfectly innocent, and yet by carelessness may give occasion to some to denounce him as guilty. It is not only needful to do right, it is needful to appear to do right as well. Whilst no man should be content with satisfying men apart from God, a wise man will not rest content with satisfying God and his own conscience, but will recognize the importance of not giving a handle for reproach to those amongst whom he lives. Prudent, indeed, was the apostle when he resolved to "take thought for things honourable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" ( 2 Corinthians 8:21 ). Through lack of such wisdom on the part of ministers:

1 . Many a ministerial reputation has been wrecked . The lie has been believed, and has been believed because it has been corroborated by unwise conduct. A lie thus strengthened is very attractive to many minds. Lies need no help on our part. It is often easier to make a man believe the barest lie than to make him believe the barest truth. It has been quaintly said, "A lie will travel round the world before truth has finished putting on its boots."

2 . Powerful ministers have been rendered impotent .

3 . Churches have been greatly injured . The shadow falling upon the minister has spread its darkness over the Church.

4 . Many have become prejudiced against the gospel .

5 . Much dishonour has fallen upon the Name of Christ . Christians dare not be careless; they carry with them the honour of their Master. It is not a question about being careless of our own name; the matter affects his Name. No man can afford to despise popular opinion in such a matter as this. If a false accusation has been brought without occasion given, that accusation will have the elements of weakness in it, and may generally be successfully repelled; but if occasion has been given, the honest man furnishes evidence of his own dishonesty, he forges the chain wherewith he is bound, he signs his own condemnation. Public men have many enemies. Ministers are the targets of the devil, and often of the devil's children. Great wisdom do they need to walk so that they shall not unwittingly furnish their adversaries with a weapon against themselves and their cause. This applies, of course, not only to money matters, but to all matters. 'Tis the utmost folly to present our own sword to the foe. If we fall, let it be by our enemy's weapon, not by our own.—H.

2 Corinthians 8:23 - What true Christian workers are.

I. THEY ARE THE GLORY OF CHRIST .

1 . They are the monuments of the triumph of Christ . They are "saved" to some purpose. Many assert that they are "saved," but they cannot discover, neither can any one else, unto what they are saved. They seem to be saved unto nothingness, and in this sense to have experienced a singularly complete redemption. But the active, devoted Christian proves the reality of his faith by works following. Christ has not only triumphed over the judgment and heart, but over all powers, which are now willingly dedicated to his service.

2 . They resemble Christ . Christ was pre-eminently a worker . He "went about doing good;" they seek to do so. He practised self-denial and endured suffering that others might be benefited; they strive to imitate him.

3 . They exalt Christ . They desire that his kingdom may be extended over the earth. Whilst they labour for others, they do this out of their love for him. He is first, all else second. The exaltation of Christ is their supreme wish. Their mission is to speak well of his Name wherever they go.

4 . Christ delights in them . They are the fruitful trees which he loves. He cursed the barren tree, but these he blesses. They are the faithful servants of the absent Lord. He loves not idlers who filch the name of "servant;" but those who are servants indeed his soul rejoices in. He glories in these, for they show forth his praise.

II. THEY SHOULD SEEK FULLY TO REALIZE THEIR HIGH CALLING .

1 . The dignity of Christian work is not always perceived as fully as it should be. It is infinitely superior to all other work.

2 . Nor its privilege. Were this adequately realized, what alacrity there would be in entering upon Christian service! As it is, alas! almost force has to be employed in some cases.

3 . Nor its responsibility.

4 . Nor how much the work done is affected by the life lived.

III. THEY SHOULD BE HIGHLY ESTEEMED . They are the instruments through which God works. They are the means employed by him for the building up of the kingdom of Christ. They are the special representatives of Christ upon earth. They should be