The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-11-30

6ADJSCCs Faul ON TIC OFdCS Oh 0lVln8y
2 Cor. 8:1-15 - Golden Text.
Acts 2O:35-C Commit Verse g.
Commentary ON the Lesson.
TINIE.-A. d. 81.
PLACE.-Ephesus
EXPOSIIION.-I The LiberaIitY
of the Churches of Macedonia. IL.
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 affiiction, but Gin the great
testing of affection the abundance of
their joy and their poverty (down to
the very depths of it,, abounded unto
the riches of their liberality. The
deeper their poverty, the more their
liberality abounded in its riches and
the more their Joy abounded. One of
the fairest sights in the church to-day
is the Astounding joy and abundant
liberality of God S poor ones. In Ma
cedonia they not only gave up to the
measure of their power, but even be
yond their power" and this "of their
own accord (there needed to be no
NY Oita Nv al
seems to have been inclined to dis
courage such oyer-abundant giving.
and they besought him with much en-
treaty that they might exercise this
grace and have fellowship in the min
istry to the saints ". 4, r. w. This
was not as Paul had hoped (but far
beyond his hopes). There was some
thing 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
in Importance (cf. Matt. 6:33). Not
only did they give themselves unto
the Lord, but unto Paul also as the
Lords representative. They did Id
by (through) the will of God" not
merely according to Gods will, but
moved thereto by Gods will (cf. Phil.
z:l3). Paul was so moved by what
was done in Macedonia that he urged
Titus to go to Corinth and lead them
on into like generosity Titus, on his
former visit, from which he had Just
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 (cf ! Cor. 12). They abound
ed lin everything" they abounded
in faith and utterance and knowI-.
edge" (cf. L Cor. LIS; SID; and lin
all diligence and in love" to Paul.
Now he would have them abound in
liberality also.
III. A Willing Mind the Thing That
God Expects, 8-15. Paul did not
command them to give. If he had,
there would have been no element of
voluntariness in it as there must be-
in true Christian giving. Two things
moved Paul to speak: First, the ear
nestness (R. v. or diligence) of 9TH
ers; and second, the wish to test the
sincerity of the love of the Corin-
tnlans. There is perhaps no surer
test of the genuineness of love than
giving (l John 3:17, 1S). But now
Paul brings in 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 He3
All divine glory and power and riches
were His. And how poor did He be-
come? The poorest being in the uniI
verse. He was stripped of every,
thing (Phil 1858, r. W. And how
rich do we become through His pow
erty? All that God has becomes ours
from. SIT; / Cor. 1921, 22). Ought
we then to hesitate at the little sacrf-
ices we are called upon to make fori
others? Paul gave his judgment W.
10, r. V.) and his Judgment was i'm
spired Judgment (cf. / 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 1t ". IL, r. w.
The readiness to will was good, but
there should also be completing of
what was willed out of their ability.
This strikes at an error that is all too
common in our day, viz, the great
eageTness to resolve and .consecrate,
but the sad failure to carry out what
is consecrated and pledged. If there
be readiness. then it is accepted acI
cording to whatsoever a man hath,
not according to what he hath noe.
What man purposes in his heart so
should he do (cf. Oh. SD. While
God looks at the purposes of the
heart He takes no pleasure in pur.
poses which men do not carry cut 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
evened up. The abundance of the
Corinthians st this time became q
supply to the want of Jerusalem, that
at sonic future time the abundance in
Jerusalem might become the supply
of Corinthian need. Gods desire for
equality among His people was illus
trated in the wilderness ". Is; CT.
Ex. 1918; Acts 2:44, As; 4:34, 35).
Loyalty to Church.
Loyalty to church should not be
~ I.