The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1909-12-02
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR DECEMBER 8,
Subject: Paul on the Grace Of Giving,
2 Cor. S:1-15 - Golden Text,
Acts 20:35-Commit Verse o.
Commentary on the Lesson.

Cor. S:1-15 - Golden Text,
Acts 2O:35-Commit Verse o.
Commentary on the Lesson.
TIME.-A. d. 81.
PLACE.--Ephesus
ENPOSI1ION.-I. The IiberaIity
Of the Churches Of Macedonia, IT.
This and the following chapters are
devoted to the very vital subject of
Christian giving. The giving in the
Apostolic church was on high plane.
and the modern church has much to
learn along this line. 1t was Paul's
method to stir up one church by re.
counting what God had done In an.
other church. He speaks of It as "the
grace of God which hath been given
unto the churches of Macedonia" be-
cause their generous giving was the
product OF Gods grace and not of
their own natural generosity (cf.
Acts 4:31-33). True generosity Is
always the product of grace. The
Macedonian Christians were being
tested by affliction, but Gin the great
tesing of affliction" the abundance of
their JOY and their poverty (down to
he very depths of it), abounded unto
he riches of their liberality. The
deeper their poverty, the more their
iberality abounded in its riches and
he more their JOY abounded. One Of
he fairest sights in the church to-day
IS the abounding Joy and abundant
iberality of God poor ones. In Ma
eedonia they not only gave up to the
measure of their power. but even "be-
rond their power" and this "of their
own accord" (there needed to be no
urging by others). Indeed Paul
seems to have been inclined to dis
courage such over-abundant giving.
and they besought him with much en-
treaty that they might exercise this
grace and have fellowship in tho min
.stry to the saints ". 4, r. W. This
was not as Paul had hoped (but far
beyond his hopes). There was some-
ming far more important than their
gifts of money; that was that they
give themselves unto the Lord. This
they did first" first in time and first
N Importance (cf. Matt. 6:33l. Not
only did they give themselves unto
he Lord, but unto Paul also as the
Lords representative They did it
by (through) the will of God" not
merely according to Gods will. but
moved thereto by Gods will (cf. Phil
s:l3). Paul was so moved by what
was done in Macedonia that he urged
Titus to go to Corinth and lead them
pn into like generosity. Titus, on his
former visit, from which he had lust
returned, had already made a begin
ming along this line and Paul ex-
horted him to return and complete
what he had done. The church in
Corinth was a church of Amounting
gifts tcf. 1 Cor. 12). They abound
I'd I'm everything" they abounded
IN faith and utterance and knowl-
'dge;' tcf. l Cor. 1:5; SID; and "in
all diligence and in love" to Paul.
Now he would have them abound In
liberallty also.
III. A Willing Mind the Thing That
God Expects, S-15. Paul did not
command them to give. If he had,
there would have been no element of
voiuntariness in 1t as there must be
In true Christian giving. Two things
moved Paul TO speak; First, the ear
nestness Or. V. or diligence) of 9TH
ers; and second, the wish to test the
sincerity of the love of the Corin-
lhians. There is perhaps no surer
test of the genuineness of love than
giving Il John 3:17, l8). But now
Paul brings in a mightier motive to
abundant giving, the example of our
Lord Jesus Christ, "Who though He
was rich yet for our sakes become
poor, that we through His poverty
might be rich" How rich was He?
All divine glory and power and riches
were His. And how poor did He be-
come? The poorest being in the uni
verse. He was stripped of every
thing tPhll 1858, Il. W. And how
rich do we become through His pov-
irty? All that God has becomes ours
tRom. SLY; Cor. 3:21, 22). Ought
we then to hesitate at the little sacri-
hces we are called upon to make for
others? Paul gave hissjudgment ",
10, X. W and his judgment was in
spired Judgment (cf. l Cor. 7:4O.
His judgment was that as a year ago
they were the first to make a begin
ming Or. W. mot only to do but to
Will Ito do heartily, they now com.
plete the doing of It ". II, r. w.
The readiness to will was good. hut
there should also be a completing of
what was willed out of their ability
Ihis strikes at an error that is all too
common in our day, viz, the great
eagerness to resolve and consecrate.
but the sad failure to carry out what
is consecrated and pledged. III there
be readiness, then 1t is accepted ac-
Sording to whatsoever a man hath.
not according to what he hath not,
what man purposes In his heart SO
should he do (cf. ch. 9:7). While
God looks at the purposes of the
heart He takes no pleasure In pur.
poses which men do not carry out ac-
cording to their ability. Paul had no
desire to distress the Corinthians that
the saints in Jerusalem might be
eased. but he wished to see things
eyened up. The abundance of the
Corinthians at this time became a
supply to the want of Jerusalem, that
at some future time the abundance in
Jerusalem might become the supply
of Corinthian need. Cod's desire for
equality among His people was Illus
trated in the wilderness ". is; CT.
Elk. 1918; Acts 2:44. AZ; ABA, 35).