Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.
Paul was urging the Corinthians to give for the poor believers in Jerusalem, holding up the generous giving of the Macedonian churches as an example to stir them to benevolent action. To show proof means to give visible, tangible proof of love by a generous contribution, laid before the appointed messengers and before the watching churches and other people. That open act also vindicates the confidence and boasting expressed about believers, confirming it in the sight of the churches. The proof is self-denying, willing liberality given even out of deep poverty and beyond power, following Christ who became poor that others might become rich, so that abundance supplies the want of others. It requires stopping constant spending on what can be done without and wasting means in selfish gratification, and instead placing means in God's treasury for the necessity of the saints and the advancement of His kingdom. Toward neglected, destitute fields the proof must be shown in action and kept ever before the church, with funds and facilities provided rather than withheld from selfish motives or absorbed where there is no real need.
Context and Meaning
The verse belongs to Paul's appeal for the Corinthians to give for the poor believers in Jerusalem, holding up the generous giving of the Macedonian churches as an example to stir them to benevolent action. To show proof means to give visible, tangible proof of love by a generous contribution for those in need and for the needy work, manifesting the spirit of benevolence in offerings and thereby demonstrating that faith is genuine and supports the claim to follow Christ. That proof is to be laid before the appointed messengers or delegates sent to receive it and before the watching churches and other people, with blessing redounding to those who show such liberality. The chapter itself should be read in the churches to inspire this willing liberality as evidence of the Spirit working on hearts.
That visible action also vindicates the confidence and boasting expressed about believers, confirming it in the sight of the churches. Love for Christ and for new believers is proved by giving means to God through liberal offerings, as when gifts are given to build a humble place of worship, and such giving vindicates confidence in the givers. When the Spirit makes people aware of the necessities of the work they deny self and give to support the proclamation of the truth, so that the churches can see the evidence of that love and the boasting made on their behalf is confirmed.
The eighth and ninth chapters together give God's directions for giving for His work in few words, outlining the whole matter of how to gain His blessing through giving. Believers prove their love by bringing offerings and laying them before the leaders, even praying with much entreaty to be allowed to give, and when God by His Spirit stirs their hearts to see the necessities of the work there is denying of self and gifts flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message for this time. The chapters call for acting on Bible principles and taking the word of God as counsellor in sowing bountifully, and when God's people follow these directions in faithful action God is glorified in His people and blessing and glory follow, with the glory of the Lord as their rereward.
Proving Love Through Giving
The proof of love is self-denying, willing liberality, given even out of deep poverty and beyond power, after the example of the Macedonian churches who gave willingly to supply the want of the needy work. The eighth chapter should be read in the churches so they catch the inspiration of liberality and give willingly even when many calls are made upon them for means. Such liberality is evidence of the working of the Spirit upon hearts, and blessing redounds to those who show it before the appointed messengers and before the churches.
When God by His Spirit stirs hearts to see the necessities of the work, there will be denying of self and gifts will flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message for this time. God helps His people to see things in a correct light and to meet the pressing emergencies which 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. Believers prove their love by bringing offerings and laying them before the leaders, even praying with much entreaty to be allowed to give.
This giving follows Christ's example, who became poor for their sake that through Him they might become rich. It practices equality in which those who have abundance make it a supply for the want of others, acting as stewards of God's means without partiality and without hypocrisy. Such practical, generous care for those in need, bearing in mind fellow believers who need food and clothing, demonstrates that faith is genuine and supports the claim to follow Christ. To experiment in such right doing and bear much fruit to the glory of God is safer and brings God's blessing, while selfish grasping brings robbery and want to other fields.
It requires stopping constant spending on things that can be done without and ceasing to waste means in selfish gratification, appetite, conveniences and supposed wants, and instead placing that means in the treasury of God for the necessity of the saints and the advancement of His kingdom, with abundant blessing in return. Such giving is practical preaching that testifies grace has not been received in vain, and showing the proof of love is showing faith by works. Selfish living testifies to lack of genuine faith and loses the favor of God and the heavenly reward, so that teaching present truth without this proof is powerless.
In one place the proof was given in hard and trying times by poor working people with large families dependent on daily labor — farmers, carpenters, quarrymen and laborers on the water works — who gave to their power and beyond their power willingly. Love for Christ and for new believers was proved by liberal offerings of one pound, two pounds, five pounds, twenty pounds, until two hundred pounds was subscribed to erect a humble meetinghouse where they could worship. Toward neglected, destitute fields the proof must likewise be shown in action and the lessons and examples of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 must be studied, heeded, and kept ever before the church. Hardness of the Southern field among ignorant and defiled fellow beings in the Southern States who need help is no excuse for doing scarcely anything for it, and funds needed in unworked foreign fields must not be withheld from selfish motives but met by emulating the liberal spirit of the Macedonians. Meeting places and facilities must be provided for destitute fields rather than absorbing means and the profits of institutions established in poverty to enlarge and enrich where there is no real need.
Diverting means the churches were told to use for bettering the condition of the Southern field, including the entire profits of the books appointed for that field which belong to it and must be used there, to fields that have had much better advantages in every way is deception that increases the wrong of neglect. Neglect of God's design, facilities from His treasury, purposes and specified methods displeases Him, will be met in the judgment, and will be rewarded according to its measure. It now requires more than beginning where work should have begun years ago, by making restitution of the diverted means.
The same principle calls for helping lift the debt of the institutions in Scandinavia through willing giving, so they can stand free. All brethren and sisters in the faith, even in poverty, are called to help provide the necessary means for a substantial, economical building for the Sydney Sanitarium for the work of uplifting people, giving open proof of love and of the confidence placed in them. It calls for denying self to support the proclamation of the truth for this time, including the work in Washington, so that the churches can see the evidence of that love and the boasting made on behalf of believers is confirmed.
Paul was urging the Corinthians to give for the poor believers in Jerusalem, holding up the generous giving of the Macedonian churches as an example to stir them to benevolent action. To show proof means to give visible, tangible proof of love by a generous contribution, laid before the appointed messengers and before the watching churches and other people. That open act also vindicates the confidence and boasting expressed about believers, confirming it in the sight of the churches. The proof is self-denying, willing liberality given even out of deep poverty and beyond power, following Christ who became poor that others might become rich, so that abundance supplies the want of others. It requires stopping constant spending on what can be done without and wasting means in selfish gratification, and instead placing means in God's treasury for the necessity of the saints and the advancement of His kingdom. Toward neglected, destitute fields the proof must be shown in action and kept ever before the church, with funds and facilities provided rather than withheld from selfish motives or absorbed where there is no real need.
Context and Meaning
The verse belongs to Paul's appeal for the Corinthians to give for the poor believers in Jerusalem, holding up the generous giving of the Macedonian churches as an example to stir them to benevolent action. To show proof means to give visible, tangible proof of love by a generous contribution for those in need and for the needy work, manifesting the spirit of benevolence in offerings and thereby demonstrating that faith is genuine and supports the claim to follow Christ. That proof is to be laid before the appointed messengers or delegates sent to receive it and before the watching churches and other people, with blessing redounding to those who show such liberality. The chapter itself should be read in the churches to inspire this willing liberality as evidence of the Spirit working on hearts.
That visible action also vindicates the confidence and boasting expressed about believers, confirming it in the sight of the churches. Love for Christ and for new believers is proved by giving means to God through liberal offerings, as when gifts are given to build a humble place of worship, and such giving vindicates confidence in the givers. When the Spirit makes people aware of the necessities of the work they deny self and give to support the proclamation of the truth, so that the churches can see the evidence of that love and the boasting made on their behalf is confirmed.
The eighth and ninth chapters together give God's directions for giving for His work in few words, outlining the whole matter of how to gain His blessing through giving. Believers prove their love by bringing offerings and laying them before the leaders, even praying with much entreaty to be allowed to give, and when God by His Spirit stirs their hearts to see the necessities of the work there is denying of self and gifts flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message for this time. The chapters call for acting on Bible principles and taking the word of God as counsellor in sowing bountifully, and when God's people follow these directions in faithful action God is glorified in His people and blessing and glory follow, with the glory of the Lord as their rereward.
Proving Love Through Giving
The proof of love is self-denying, willing liberality, given even out of deep poverty and beyond power, after the example of the Macedonian churches who gave willingly to supply the want of the needy work. The eighth chapter should be read in the churches so they catch the inspiration of liberality and give willingly even when many calls are made upon them for means. Such liberality is evidence of the working of the Spirit upon hearts, and blessing redounds to those who show it before the appointed messengers and before the churches.
When God by His Spirit stirs hearts to see the necessities of the work, there will be denying of self and gifts will flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message for this time. God helps His people to see things in a correct light and to meet the pressing emergencies which 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. Believers prove their love by bringing offerings and laying them before the leaders, even praying with much entreaty to be allowed to give.
This giving follows Christ's example, who became poor for their sake that through Him they might become rich. It practices equality in which those who have abundance make it a supply for the want of others, acting as stewards of God's means without partiality and without hypocrisy. Such practical, generous care for those in need, bearing in mind fellow believers who need food and clothing, demonstrates that faith is genuine and supports the claim to follow Christ. To experiment in such right doing and bear much fruit to the glory of God is safer and brings God's blessing, while selfish grasping brings robbery and want to other fields.
It requires stopping constant spending on things that can be done without and ceasing to waste means in selfish gratification, appetite, conveniences and supposed wants, and instead placing that means in the treasury of God for the necessity of the saints and the advancement of His kingdom, with abundant blessing in return. Such giving is practical preaching that testifies grace has not been received in vain, and showing the proof of love is showing faith by works. Selfish living testifies to lack of genuine faith and loses the favor of God and the heavenly reward, so that teaching present truth without this proof is powerless.
In one place the proof was given in hard and trying times by poor working people with large families dependent on daily labor — farmers, carpenters, quarrymen and laborers on the water works — who gave to their power and beyond their power willingly. Love for Christ and for new believers was proved by liberal offerings of one pound, two pounds, five pounds, twenty pounds, until two hundred pounds was subscribed to erect a humble meetinghouse where they could worship. Toward neglected, destitute fields the proof must likewise be shown in action and the lessons and examples of 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 must be studied, heeded, and kept ever before the church. Hardness of the Southern field among ignorant and defiled fellow beings in the Southern States who need help is no excuse for doing scarcely anything for it, and funds needed in unworked foreign fields must not be withheld from selfish motives but met by emulating the liberal spirit of the Macedonians. Meeting places and facilities must be provided for destitute fields rather than absorbing means and the profits of institutions established in poverty to enlarge and enrich where there is no real need.
Diverting means the churches were told to use for bettering the condition of the Southern field, including the entire profits of the books appointed for that field which belong to it and must be used there, to fields that have had much better advantages in every way is deception that increases the wrong of neglect. Neglect of God's design, facilities from His treasury, purposes and specified methods displeases Him, will be met in the judgment, and will be rewarded according to its measure. It now requires more than beginning where work should have begun years ago, by making restitution of the diverted means.
The same principle calls for helping lift the debt of the institutions in Scandinavia through willing giving, so they can stand free. All brethren and sisters in the faith, even in poverty, are called to help provide the necessary means for a substantial, economical building for the Sydney Sanitarium for the work of uplifting people, giving open proof of love and of the confidence placed in them. It calls for denying self to support the proclamation of the truth for this time, including the work in Washington, so that the churches can see the evidence of that love and the boasting made on behalf of believers is confirmed.