The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1909-12-02
The
Sunday School
INTERNATIONAL LESSON CON-
AIENTS FOR DECEMBER 8.


bIENTS FOR DECEMBER s.
Subject: PanI on the Grace Of Giving,
Cor. S:1-15 - Golden Text,
Acts 2O:35-Commit Verse o.
Commentary on the Lesson.
TIME.-A. D. 81.
PLACE.-Ephesus.
ExPOSIIION.-I. The Iibernlity
Of the Churches OF Macedonia, 1t.
This and the following chapters are
devoted to the very vital subject of
Christian giving. The giving in the
Apostolic church was on q high plane,
and the modern church has much to
learn along this line. 1t was Pauls
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 in
always the product of grace. The
Macedonian Christians were being
tested by afhiction, but "in the great
testing of affiiction" 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 it's riches and
the more their Joy abounded. One of
the tairest sights in the church to-day
Is the abounding Joy and abundant
liberality Of God 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
| 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 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 II
by (through) the will of God" not
merely according to Gods will, but
moved thereto by Gods will (cf. Phil
I2:13l. 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 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
lCOr1nth 81
gifts (cf. 1 Cor. 12). They abound
ed lin everything" they abounded
In faith and utterance and knowl-
cage" tcf. 1 Cor. 1:5; SD; and I'm
all diligence and in love" to Paul.
Now he would have them abound I'm
liberality also.
III. A Willing Mind the Thing That
God Expects, S-15. Paul did not
command them to give. II he had.
lhere 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 Il John 3:17. 49,. But now
Paul brings In a mightier motive to
aDundant giving, the example of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who thou gh He
was rich yet for our sakes become
poor, that we through His poverty
might be rich" How rich was Hea
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
.nihg .iah Sphil EOS. r: W. And how
rich do we become through His pov-
erty? All that God has becomes ours
lRom. .: II; Cor. 1921. 22). Ought
we then to hesitate at the little sacrf-
fees we are called upon to make for
others? Paul gave his Judgment ~.
10. r. VI and his Judgment was in
spired judgment (cf. / Cor. 7:4O).
| HIS Judgment was that as a year ago
tney were the first to make a begin
ming (R. W, mot only to do but tn
Will Ito do heartily, they now COM
plete the doing of it ". II. r. w
Ihe readiness to will was good. but
there should also be q 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.
put the sad failure to carry out what
IS consecrated and pledged. II there
oe readiness, then 1t Is accepted ac-
cording to whatsoever a man hath
not according to what he hath not
what man purposes In his heart no
should he do (cf. ch. 9:7). While
God looks at the purposes of the
heart He takes no pleasure I'm 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 saa thin aa