Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:
Paul guarded against any accusation of mishandling the large collection for the poor believers in Jerusalem by refusing to carry it alone and arranging for Titus and delegates chosen by the churches to transport and administer it with him as joint trustees. Abundant offerings entrusted for God's work must therefore be handled carefully and honestly so that no one can justly blame those who administer them. The appeal urges generous giving after the example of the Macedonian churches, who gave willingly beyond their power despite deep poverty, showing love for the Jewish believers and desire for harmony with them. Means are to be devoted to God as well as self, so that even a small gift given in deep poverty is liberal and blessed, and when His people deny self to meet pressing needs, gifts flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message. The chapter is to be read in the churches as an inspiration to liberality in supporting His work, for when God's people follow these directions on generous giving God is glorified in them.
Setting and Precaution
The verse belongs to Paul's appeal for a contribution for the poor believers in Jerusalem, an appeal that urges generosity by holding up the Macedonian churches as an example because they gave willingly despite their own deep poverty. The gifts gathered from the Gentile churches expressed their love for the Jewish believers and their desire for harmony with them. In gathering and carrying this relief, Paul was fulfilling his earlier promise to remember the poor.
He took deliberate precautions so that no one could accuse him of mishandling the large contribution entrusted to his care. He arranged for Titus and his companions to transport the money rather than taking personal charge of it, since money could not be transported safely in his own hands alone. To guard against suspicion about how the gifts were handled, delegates chosen by the churches accompanied him as joint trustees in administering the large collection.
The verse therefore requires that abundant offerings and contributions be administered carefully and honestly. Those entrusted with abundant gifts for God's work must manage them so that no one can justly blame or accuse them of mishandling.
Generous Giving and Faithful Stewardship
The chapter teaches that means are to be devoted to God as well as the giving of self to His service. It applies to poor believers called to provide a house in which to worship God, teaching that giving is to their power and beyond their power of their own willing minds. Even a small gift given in deep poverty is liberal and is blessed by the Lord. Chapters 8 and 9 together outline how to gain God's blessing through giving: when God by His Spirit stirs His people to see the necessities of the work, they deny self and press to give. They bring their offerings to those carrying the work and pray with much entreaty that the gift be received, so that gifts flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message for this time.
The chapter is to be read in the churches and held up as an inspiration to liberality. It teaches the liberal spirit needed to give generously of the Lord's entrusted means to support His work and fields ready for advance. God helps His people see things in a correct light and meet the pressing emergencies that arise in aggressive warfare by giving liberally of entrusted means. As they impart they receive, for God gives to them that they may give to others. The chapter gives the work of the Lord and His directions on generous giving to be taken as Bible principles with the word of God as counsellor. When God's people follow those directions God is glorified in them and His glory is their reward.
Faithful handling of offerings given to support the proclamation of the truth belongs with the call to give through self-denial and self-sacrifice, bringing blessing to God's people. Abundant gifts for God's work must be administered carefully so that no one can justly blame those entrusted with them. Applied to a needy and destitute field, abundance administered for that field must be handled with responsible care so honestly that no man can blame those who administer it. The entire profits of the books designated for that destitute Southern field should have been used there, and diverting that means to fields that already have much better advantages is deception and neglect of God's specified methods. That wrong is increased after light and warning have been given.
Such unfaithful management will be met in the judgment, where God will reward according to the measure of neglect. Those responsible must make restitution of the diverted means and do more than merely begin where they should have begun years ago. The design for the work originated with God and the facilities are His from His treasury.
Paul guarded against any accusation of mishandling the large collection for the poor believers in Jerusalem by refusing to carry it alone and arranging for Titus and delegates chosen by the churches to transport and administer it with him as joint trustees. Abundant offerings entrusted for God's work must therefore be handled carefully and honestly so that no one can justly blame those who administer them. The appeal urges generous giving after the example of the Macedonian churches, who gave willingly beyond their power despite deep poverty, showing love for the Jewish believers and desire for harmony with them. Means are to be devoted to God as well as self, so that even a small gift given in deep poverty is liberal and blessed, and when His people deny self to meet pressing needs, gifts flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message. The chapter is to be read in the churches as an inspiration to liberality in supporting His work, for when God's people follow these directions on generous giving God is glorified in them.
Setting and Precaution
The verse belongs to Paul's appeal for a contribution for the poor believers in Jerusalem, an appeal that urges generosity by holding up the Macedonian churches as an example because they gave willingly despite their own deep poverty. The gifts gathered from the Gentile churches expressed their love for the Jewish believers and their desire for harmony with them. In gathering and carrying this relief, Paul was fulfilling his earlier promise to remember the poor.
He took deliberate precautions so that no one could accuse him of mishandling the large contribution entrusted to his care. He arranged for Titus and his companions to transport the money rather than taking personal charge of it, since money could not be transported safely in his own hands alone. To guard against suspicion about how the gifts were handled, delegates chosen by the churches accompanied him as joint trustees in administering the large collection.
The verse therefore requires that abundant offerings and contributions be administered carefully and honestly. Those entrusted with abundant gifts for God's work must manage them so that no one can justly blame or accuse them of mishandling.
Generous Giving and Faithful Stewardship
The chapter teaches that means are to be devoted to God as well as the giving of self to His service. It applies to poor believers called to provide a house in which to worship God, teaching that giving is to their power and beyond their power of their own willing minds. Even a small gift given in deep poverty is liberal and is blessed by the Lord. Chapters 8 and 9 together outline how to gain God's blessing through giving: when God by His Spirit stirs His people to see the necessities of the work, they deny self and press to give. They bring their offerings to those carrying the work and pray with much entreaty that the gift be received, so that gifts flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message for this time.
The chapter is to be read in the churches and held up as an inspiration to liberality. It teaches the liberal spirit needed to give generously of the Lord's entrusted means to support His work and fields ready for advance. God helps His people see things in a correct light and meet the pressing emergencies that arise in aggressive warfare by giving liberally of entrusted means. As they impart they receive, for God gives to them that they may give to others. The chapter gives the work of the Lord and His directions on generous giving to be taken as Bible principles with the word of God as counsellor. When God's people follow those directions God is glorified in them and His glory is their reward.
Faithful handling of offerings given to support the proclamation of the truth belongs with the call to give through self-denial and self-sacrifice, bringing blessing to God's people. Abundant gifts for God's work must be administered carefully so that no one can justly blame those entrusted with them. Applied to a needy and destitute field, abundance administered for that field must be handled with responsible care so honestly that no man can blame those who administer it. The entire profits of the books designated for that destitute Southern field should have been used there, and diverting that means to fields that already have much better advantages is deception and neglect of God's specified methods. That wrong is increased after light and warning have been given.
Such unfaithful management will be met in the judgment, where God will reward according to the measure of neglect. Those responsible must make restitution of the diverted means and do more than merely begin where they should have begun years ago. The design for the work originated with God and the facilities are His from His treasury.