Can you believe it? We come now to the end of this letter to the Corinthians. You know, we’ve been reading someone else’s mail here… There are a lot of personal problems in this church that this letter talks about. I’m not sure, if I were a member of the Corinthian church, how I would feel about all those things being read and studied by someone else outside our congregation. It’s pretty embarrassing. Listen to the topics: Division over teachers, quarrels, immaturity and foolishness among them, immoral practices of a kind that even pagans would shun, taking one another to court, some are going in to prostitutes, there’s confusion about marriage, some are eating meat offered to idols and destroying the faith of other weaker members, their assemblies for worship do more harm than good as the Lord’s Supper is turned into a fiasco where one is hungry and another is drunk! There are issues about the proper role of women, abuse of spiritual gifts, and even some who are denying the resurrection of the dead! What do you do when a church has these kinds of problems? I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to imagine taking my family to a church like that at all, much less being a member. But history tells us that this church survived for many years and the words of instruction from God were heeded by them, as Paul continued to do the difficult work of building within them the spiritual life of Christ. It is encouraging to think of what God can do if we will submit ourselves to him. But in a sense this is someone else’s mail.
By God’s grace, we’ve been able to read their mail because the Holy Spirit inspired the letter that was written to them that addresses these matters. And God has preserved it for us in our New Testaments. And what key instructions has God given this church through the pen of Paul? What was it that made the difference?
First and foremost, they are called to Christ. They are reminded of the message that saves them. It is all about Jesus Christ and him crucified… for you and because of your sins. They are called to remember that the church is the temple of God and those who destroy it, God will destroy. As for correcting their immorality, they are called to remember that each of their individual bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and that the parts of their bodies are members of Christ himself. Most of the rest of the letter is about their relationships with one another and they are taught the word of Christ about marriage, idolatry, propriety in worship, the Lord’s Supper, spiritual gifts, unity in the body, the fact of the resurrection, and now today about giving.
In the course of this letter’s instruction, there have been two climactic sections: Chapter 13 where we encounter the most excellent way, which is love, and chapter 15 where we encounter the top priority message, the gospel – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised from the dead according to the scriptures, and he appeared alive again to hundreds of witnesses.
Commentators I have checked say that the real meat of 1 Corinthians concludes after chapter 15 and what is left in 16 are bits and pieces of matters that need final attention.
Well, I’ve come to see that nothing in God’s word is wasted ink. Sometimes it is these bits and pieces and matters of final attention that we discover just the instruction we need.
Here at the end of this letter, tucked away in the beginning of this chapter 16 is a small bit of instruction on giving that is of great help for us today.
Actually, Paul introduces something in this letter that he will spend two entire chapters on in a later letter that we call 2 Corinthians. Look at it again with me:
16:1 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also.
2 On the first day of every week let each one of you put aside and save, as he may prosper, that no collections be made when I come.
3 And when I arrive, whomever you may approve, I shall send them with letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem;
4 and if it is fitting for me to go also, they will go with me.
He starts off with a formula he uses several times in this letter: “Now concerning…”
(1 Cor 7:1) Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman.
(1 Cor 7:25) Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.
(1 Cor 8:1) Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.
(1 Cor 12:1) Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.
(1 Cor 16:1) Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so do you also.
This tells us that there’s already been communication between them about this. They may have asked for instructions about a gift for the poor saints in Jerusalem that many Gentile churches were gathering to send as aid. It was a free will offering that the church at Corinth promised, but later waffled on. Like other things these Corinthians had a hard time here as well.
Giving.
Whenever there is a crisis or great need our hearts are usually stirred to do something to help. Many times that help comes in the form of giving. Think about the recent Hurricane crisis. While the politicians were all pointing the fingers at whose fault it was, good people all over the place were pitching in and giving. Giving is one way to answer the inner call of the heart to help. Giving is not just a Christian, but a human response. Where did that come from?
It is an echo of our image. Look at God. Seeing us in crisis, God so loved the world, he gave. Our giving is a reflection and celebration of God’s image within us. In its highest form, giving is an act of worship and thanksgiving to God who made us and who provides all good things for us. God commands giving because we need to remember who we are as well as share in the needs of others.
Even those that don’t know God receive a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment from giving. But to those who know God through Jesus Christ, our giving is a grace and gift from God to us. When our lives and circumstances hinder our giving, it hurts us. When our attitudes hinder our giving it is much worse! Selfishness and stinginess are enemies of the Cross. Remember Anninias and Saphira in Acts 5?
Gracious giving brings great blessings, and deceptive giving brings serious consequences.
God doesn’t look kindly on worship that is mockery. But God bestows tremendous benefits on genuine humble gifts. Even a cup of cold water given in the name of Jesus is guaranteed by God to receive a reward. (Mt 10:42)
Remember the widow who gave two pennies?
Jesus happened to be there as Luke tells us 21:1 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.
2 And He saw a certain poor widow putting in two small copper coins.
3 And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;
4 for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on."
God knows if we are sacrificial in our giving or not. Let me tell you why God loves it when we give sacrificially. That’s the way he gives! Don’t forget, he gave Jesus. God wants us to be like him. He delights in seeing us strive for this. He strengthens us and stretches us and blesses us as we struggle to become more and more like him. The exercise of giving is one of the most tangible ways I can think of that demonstrates this likeness.
It is so easy to get so entangled in the things of this world that we lose out on this. This church has a lot to give and there are generous givers here, but just look at us! Look at the abundance we enjoy! What sacrifices are we making in our giving? Interestingly, Jesus said: Luke 6: 38 "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by the measure you use it will be measured to you in return."
Acts 20: 35 "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"
God told the Israelites in the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi 3: 7 "From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes, and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you say, ’How shall we return?’
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ’How have we robbed Thee?’ In tithes and offerings.
9 "You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!
10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.
Giving is a trust. It can be act of worship. When done in the right spirit and attitude, giving brings incredible blessings.
Let me just list 5 blessings and the lesson is yours:
Giving examines and exposes our hearts.
Giving extends our influence for God’s glory.
Giving expresses our thankfulness for God’s grace.
Giving experiences God’s character.
Giving expands our spiritual development into Christ-likeness.
