Paul, Pt. 11: “The Gift Goes On”

THE GIFT GOES ON (2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-11)
Billy Graham told the story of a strong man who was traveling with a circus. One of his most impressive stunts was to take an orange and squeeze every last drop of juice out of it. Then he would offer one thousand dollars to anyone who could manage to squeeze as much as one additional drop from it. He went from town to town making his offer, but no one was able to win the one thousand dollars from him. Then one day he came to a small town in California and made his demonstration of juice-squeezing prowess and his challenge.

A small, wizened, 98-pound weakling type man came forward and said he’d like to take a try at the challenge. He took the crushed orange and proceeded to squeeze six more drops of juice from it. The strong man was amazed. He could hardly believe his eyes. He asked how he was possibly able to do this. The man shrugged and said, “Oh, I’m the treasurer at the Baptist church and we do this all the time.”

I confess I seldom preach a sermon exclusively on giving. This is the only passage I have attempted the last ten years at my church. By God’s grace, after the hundreds of dollars monthly deficit in my first years, the next nine years at my present church were barely okay, so I did not have to give an emergency sermon. This passage’s inclusion in the “Classics of Paul” series was a tossup, but my wife was convinced it belongs.

Why are believers resistant in returning a rightful portion of their money to God? What is a tithe? How should we give?

Give Charitably, not Conservatively, to the Lord
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Cor 9:6)

Every spring I plant some seeds on the ground by the sprinkler to reap plentiful harvest. The wannabe farmer in me loves fruit from the ground. Negatively speaking, he does not want to waste the idle land on his sloping backyard. Not only is it free, it is organic. One year (2006) I transferred to the ground a budding “hairy gourd (mo-gua毛瓜)” from its small pot a friend gave me. We were so excited when harvest came. After the summer ended and midway through the fall, the harvest stopped and the fruit disappeared. By that time my wife was so sick of eating her favorite gourd that we did not buy one from the supermarket for a whole year, and sparingly since.

The next year we thought we have learned our lesson to be less grandiose, but it did not prevent my non-farmer wife from buying a pack of four small cherry tomato plants. At its height of produce, I had to pluck it every Saturday for Sunday church potluck, so as not to waste it.

One seed can do so much damage. Sowing is not an easily understood analogy in an industrial age, but it is a fitting comparison in an agricultural age. “Sow” (v 6) in Greek is more than merely planting seed; it is scattering seed. The Greek word for “sparingly” (v 6), contrasted with “generously,” occurs only in this verse and none other in the Bible. It means stingily or reservedly, to be tightfisted, money-pinching and cost-conscious. Its opposite is openhanded and bighearted giving. “Reap” is Greek for “harvesting” time (Matt 25:24) or when harvest is “reached” (James 5:4).

Unfortunately, many believers are generous with friends but not to God. A minister was asked by a politician, “Name something the government can do to help the church,” the minister replied, “Quit making one dollar bills.”

Giving is a blessing, never a burden; an offering and not an obstacle; charitable and not conservative. The word most deserving our attention is “generously” (eu-logia). “Eu-logia” (eulogy) is from the words “good” (eu) and “words” (logia). It is more than mere generosity; it literally means the art of “good words” or “fine speaking” and is widely used for “commendation” or “consecration,” “eulogy” or “benediction,” a fitting tribute and expression for the departed. It is not acceptable to speak bad about the dead when giving the eulogy. This word occurs 18 times in the Bible, translated as eight times for “blessing” (Rom 15:29, Gal 3:14, Eph 1:3, Heb 6:7, 6:14, 12:17, 1 Peter 3:9, 3:9), four times both for “generously” (vv 5, 5, 6, 6) and “praise” (James 3:10, Rev 5:12, 5:13, 7:12), and once for “flattery” (Rom 16:18) and “thanksgiving” (1 Cor 10:16).

So “generously” is more than merely giving; a spiritual blessing or benediction is attached. As you can see, Paul talks little to nothing about the material benefit, but its spiritual benediction. It is the generosity of our lips as much as the heart.

Give Cheerfully, not Compulsorily, to the Lord
7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Cor 9:7)

A pastor once addressed his small mountain congregation one Sunday. “My friends,” the pastor said, “if this church is going to get anywhere, it has to learn to crawl.” The people responded, “Let it crawl, pastor, let it crawl.”

“And after it learns to crawl, it has to learn to walk.”

The people responded, “Let it walk, pastor, let it walk.”

“And after it learns to walk, it has to learn to run.”

And the people responded, “Let it run, pastor, let it run.”

“But if this church of ours is going to run,” the preacher said, raising his voice to a fever pitch, “If this church of ours is going to run, it’s going to take money.”

And the people responded: “Let it crawl, pastor, let it crawl.” (from Fr. David McBriar, Love in a Paper Sack)

I love the Greek version of verse 7. Again, the issue of money is downplayed and not emphasized. The two translated verbs “give” are not present or stressed in the text, though our role as “giver” (v 7) is specified. The first part in Greek reads: “Each according he purposed in his heart.” More shocking is the fact that there is only one verb present in the verse - “decided” or pro-aireomai, meaning “before/prior” (“pro” as in pro-active) and the latter (haireomai). This Greek verb occurs only once in the Bible but the latter part of the root word (haireomai) is translated all three times in the Bible as “choose,” describing Paul’s choice of life and death (Phil 1:22) and Moses’ choice to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin and the treasures of Egypt (Heb 11:25). Shockingly, the “deciding” is no different from and the same for God’s “choice” from the beginning to save those who believe (2 Thess 2:13). So “decided” means a preference to offer and give “before” a church deficit arises, a pressing need transpires and an urgent sermon follows!

The “heart” (v 7) is important in its context. It is not giving “from” the heart but deciding “in” the heart. The former is emotional, the other is purposeful. One is subjective and shifting, but the latter is steadfast and serene. The former is reaction or a reflex but the latter is a resolve and a ruling.

“Reluctantly” (lupe) is understated; this word occurs 16 times in the Bible, the only time translated as such in this verse. It is translated seven times for “sorrow” (Luke 22:45, 2 Cor 2:7, 7:10, 7:10, Rom 9:2, Phil 2:27, 2:27); three times each for “grief” (John 16:6, 16:20, 16:22) and “pain” (2 Cor 2:1, Heb 12:11, 1 Peter 2:19); and once for “anguish” (John 16:21) and “distressed” (2 Cor 2:3). So “grudgingly” means giving out of sadness, wretchedness and heaviness of heart, perhaps crying in secret, beating one’s chest and cursing one’s luck, the emotional damage from giving.

“Compulsion” (ana-gke) is the psychological pressure. The word literally means “repetition” (ana) and “arm” (agkale), as good a Greek version as twisting one’s arm, pulling one’s teeth, requiring one’s arm and leg, not preparing to give but painful to give.

The contrast to reluctance and compulsion, on the other hand, is only one – “hilaros,” Greek for hilarious, which Dictionary.com defines as “(1) arousing great merriment; extremely funny: a hilarious story; a hilarious old movie, (2) boisterously merry or cheerful: a hilarious celebration, and (3) merry; cheerful, and American Heritage Dictionary defines as “characterized by or causing great merriment.” Our giving is out of love, joy and peace, thanking God for the opportunity to give. Every time I complain about restaurant prices and home maintenance, I should thank God I can afford it. In the same way, thank God for the opportunity to give.

Give Confidently, not Conditionally, to the Lord
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” 10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Cor 9:8-11)

Have you seen the bumper sticker that says “Honk if you love Jesus”? Another sign counters: “Tithe if you love Jesus! Anyone can honk!”

After my parents’ divorce when I was five, my mother moved abroad, later my father lived with my stepmother and much later my grandmother died when I was 12. I was literally and practically self-raised much of my teenage years. In those days, I had $5 a day for food, or $150 a month, since my father advanced us the money by the month. At that time, lunch and dinner was $1.50 each, bus was 50 cents one way, and the last dollar was for breakfast and miscellaneous. Etched in my sister’s but not mine is one embarrassing instance of me crying due shortage of money for food.

Tithing was a challenge when I accepted the Lord as a student in the later 70s. At first, I was reluctant, resistant and even resentful. Giving $15 tithe per month or 50 cents a day means I do not have a dollar but 50 cents left a day – just enough for breakfast, which was 50 cents. I do not know why I innocently tithed as a poor student, but I know if I did not start as a student, I could not continue while an adult, when the sum and stake is much, much more than a 50 cents a day or $15 a month struggle. For many believers, money is the first and last barrier holding them back and stunting their growth. I often joke believers can afford one or two cars’ monthly installment with their tithe.

Have you ever wondered why God does not state unequivocally that He will double or triple your income and investment when you give to Him? That would be enticement and entitlement, not encouragement; a bribe and a bargain and not a blessing, a “favor” and not in faith. God has clothed his promise in subjective but sound terms and principles so that His people do not lose sight of the joy in giving.

My wife was shocked when she discovered that teens today do not know what a “tithe” is and means? Dictionary.com defines it as “the tenth part of agricultural produce or personal income set apart as an offering to God or for works of mercy, or the same amount regarded as an obligation or tax for the support of the church, priesthood, or the like.”

To some believers, tithing is tantamount to slashing a pound of flesh from them. Tithing, however, is not about giving but about growing, not about offering but about obedience, not about percentage but priority.

What did God promise believers in return? Not goods, but grace, (v 8) – the affluence, beauty and composure in one’s character, not the amount, bonus or cost in compensation.

There are six “all” in verses 8-11: all grace, all things at all times, all that you need, every good work (v 8), every way and every occasion(v 11). Abound (v 8, 8) means better than ever, enough to spare, over and above.

“All grace” is the strength and depth of the giver; “all things” is the scope and category involved; “all times” is the occasion – more than one occasion; “all that you need,” or “sufficiency” in KJV and NASB, is the contentment of heart and peace of mind– appears one other time for “contentment” in 1 Timothy 6:6; “every good/agathos work” is the quality and value of the work; “every way” (ploutizo) is the resources/riches in Greek; and “every occasion” (haplotes) is not occasion but manner - sincerity, singleness and simplicity in Greek, used twice by Paul to urge slaves to obey their masters with sincerity of heart (Eph 6:5, Col 3:22).

The next contrast is even more impressive; man sows but God scatters or disperses (v 9).Yes, God is a clutter, wasteful and liberal in giving, never stingy, selfish and self-serving. He is a spender and a supplier not a saver; a squanderer and not a spoilsport. Another translation for scatter is “abandons” (John 10:12)

Finally, the first “supply” is different from the second “supply” in the same verse 10, which is “multiply” in Greek, not merely “supply.” God will not only supply and multiply seed, He will also enlarge the harvest – seed (singular) is contrasted with harvest, or crops (plural) in Greek. Rich and generous is contrasted in verse 11, noting that some are rich but not generous. Many studies found that the poor are more giving than the rich.

Conclusion: Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:21) Is your heart invested in earthly or eternal things? Do you care more about beautifying your house or building God’s house? Do you give offerings or leftovers, a treasure or a tip, the best or spare change?