For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
Ministering to the saints is the practical provision of food, clothing and money for fellow believers in need, especially the poor at Jerusalem, and not preaching alone. Writing about it was superfluous because the Corinthians were already ready to give, their zeal having stirred very many, yet brethren were sent to have their promised bounty ready beforehand so boasting would not be made vain if those from Macedonia found them unprepared. When the Holy Spirit shows the needs of God's work, those who have more than enough deny themselves and give willingly according to their means as purposed in the heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. Whoever sows sparingly reaps sparingly and whoever sows bountifully reaps bountifully, and God is able to make all grace abound to give all sufficiency for every good work, multiplying the seed sown and enriching in everything to all bountifulness. This service both supplies the wants of the saints and abounds in many thanksgivings to God, and in its fuller sense it is sowing beside all waters by continually imparting in word and deed the gifts and truths received from God.
Meaning and Setting
Ministering to the saints is the material provision of practical help for fellow believers in need, especially the poor saints at Jerusalem, including food, clothing and money and not preaching alone, and such support is a matter of Christian ministry. The matter of giving set out in 2 Corinthians 8-9 is that when the Spirit moves believers to recognize the needs of God's work they deny themselves and give so that the message for that time can be proclaimed and blessings may come to God's people, supplying needs in advancing the work of saving souls. Its lessons call for faithful, purposeful giving rather than neglect of those in need, as when the churches' resources and the profits from books were meant to aid the destitute field and funds diverted elsewhere must be restored, and the same ministry applies to giving funds for the work in foreign fields.
Further writing about this ministry is called superfluous because the Corinthians were known to be ready to give, for Achaia had been ready a year before and their zeal had encouraged and provoked very many. Paul presented the example of the churches in Macedonia to kindle their zeal further and stir them to benevolent action. Even so, brethren were sent to make the promised bounty ready beforehand as bounty and not as covetousness, lest boasting about them be made vain and all be put to shame if those from Macedonia came and found them unprepared.
In its fuller sense, ministering to the saints means sowing beside all waters by continually imparting the gifts received from God. It needs the light of heaven in the heart and constantly imparted grace in order to abound in every good work and minister the truths of the gospel in word and deed in simplicity. This is talking the truth and praying the truth, and the Lord then enriches in every good work.
Principles of Giving
When the Holy Spirit leads people to recognize the needs of God's work, they deny themselves and give so that the message and truth for the time can be proclaimed and the work of saving souls advanced. Giving in this way brings blessings to God's people. Relieving the necessities of poorer brethren with liberal bounty belongs to those who have more than enough, and true conversion imparts freely. This ministering is a grace in which Christians are to abound, giving willingly according to their means and working together with God to help others. Each is to give as purposed in the heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Giving and reaping are proportionate, so believers are to give generously rather than sparingly, for one who sows sparingly reaps sparingly and one who sows bountifully reaps bountifully. God is able to make all grace abound to give always all sufficiency in all things for every good work, ministering bread for food, multiplying seed sown, increasing the fruits of righteousness, and enriching in everything to all bountifulness. This service both supplies the wants of the saints and abounds in many thanksgivings to God. Recipients are led to glorify God for subjection to the gospel and for liberal distribution, and to pray with longing for the exceeding grace seen in the givers, so generous service shows submission to the gospel and gives evidence of sincere, unselfish faith.
Believers, especially in America, are to stop constantly spending money for things they can do without, practice self-denial, and put means wasted in selfish gratification into the treasury of God to meet need on missionary soil amid poverty, and the Lord will bless them abundantly in return. Acknowledging God as the Giver of entrusted gifts to whom account must be given brings watchfulness in spending and wise investment of means with an eye single to the glory of God. It brings a will brought into conformity to the will of God, rejection of the habits and customs of the world as the standard, and rejection of extravagance from personal inclination. It brings conformity to Christian principles so that spending is of greatest benefit and usefulness to others.
Applications to Needs
Ministering to the saints calls everyone to do what can be done with donations for a school that is heavily in debt and greatly crowded and still needs other buildings erected to accommodate students, and even poor believers can obey this call with generous giving. The same teaching applies to giving means for a meetinghouse, where newly believing members gave and those who gave from poverty were liberal. It applies also to a timely gift that helped provide a place of worship, in connection with which the instruction of the chapter is to be read and followed.
Its call for practical support for people in need reaches the destitute Southern Field, for the resources of the churches and the profits from books were meant to aid that field and funds diverted elsewhere must be restored. Faithful, purposeful giving is required there rather than neglect of those in need. The surrounding instructions on how to give such help apply to lifting the debt of the institutions in Scandinavia. Support for those in need as Christian ministry applies likewise to giving funds for the work in foreign fields.
Ministering to the saints is the practical provision of food, clothing and money for fellow believers in need, especially the poor at Jerusalem, and not preaching alone. Writing about it was superfluous because the Corinthians were already ready to give, their zeal having stirred very many, yet brethren were sent to have their promised bounty ready beforehand so boasting would not be made vain if those from Macedonia found them unprepared. When the Holy Spirit shows the needs of God's work, those who have more than enough deny themselves and give willingly according to their means as purposed in the heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. Whoever sows sparingly reaps sparingly and whoever sows bountifully reaps bountifully, and God is able to make all grace abound to give all sufficiency for every good work, multiplying the seed sown and enriching in everything to all bountifulness. This service both supplies the wants of the saints and abounds in many thanksgivings to God, and in its fuller sense it is sowing beside all waters by continually imparting in word and deed the gifts and truths received from God.
Meaning and Setting
Ministering to the saints is the material provision of practical help for fellow believers in need, especially the poor saints at Jerusalem, including food, clothing and money and not preaching alone, and such support is a matter of Christian ministry. The matter of giving set out in 2 Corinthians 8-9 is that when the Spirit moves believers to recognize the needs of God's work they deny themselves and give so that the message for that time can be proclaimed and blessings may come to God's people, supplying needs in advancing the work of saving souls. Its lessons call for faithful, purposeful giving rather than neglect of those in need, as when the churches' resources and the profits from books were meant to aid the destitute field and funds diverted elsewhere must be restored, and the same ministry applies to giving funds for the work in foreign fields.
Further writing about this ministry is called superfluous because the Corinthians were known to be ready to give, for Achaia had been ready a year before and their zeal had encouraged and provoked very many. Paul presented the example of the churches in Macedonia to kindle their zeal further and stir them to benevolent action. Even so, brethren were sent to make the promised bounty ready beforehand as bounty and not as covetousness, lest boasting about them be made vain and all be put to shame if those from Macedonia came and found them unprepared.
In its fuller sense, ministering to the saints means sowing beside all waters by continually imparting the gifts received from God. It needs the light of heaven in the heart and constantly imparted grace in order to abound in every good work and minister the truths of the gospel in word and deed in simplicity. This is talking the truth and praying the truth, and the Lord then enriches in every good work.
Principles of Giving
When the Holy Spirit leads people to recognize the needs of God's work, they deny themselves and give so that the message and truth for the time can be proclaimed and the work of saving souls advanced. Giving in this way brings blessings to God's people. Relieving the necessities of poorer brethren with liberal bounty belongs to those who have more than enough, and true conversion imparts freely. This ministering is a grace in which Christians are to abound, giving willingly according to their means and working together with God to help others. Each is to give as purposed in the heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Giving and reaping are proportionate, so believers are to give generously rather than sparingly, for one who sows sparingly reaps sparingly and one who sows bountifully reaps bountifully. God is able to make all grace abound to give always all sufficiency in all things for every good work, ministering bread for food, multiplying seed sown, increasing the fruits of righteousness, and enriching in everything to all bountifulness. This service both supplies the wants of the saints and abounds in many thanksgivings to God. Recipients are led to glorify God for subjection to the gospel and for liberal distribution, and to pray with longing for the exceeding grace seen in the givers, so generous service shows submission to the gospel and gives evidence of sincere, unselfish faith.
Believers, especially in America, are to stop constantly spending money for things they can do without, practice self-denial, and put means wasted in selfish gratification into the treasury of God to meet need on missionary soil amid poverty, and the Lord will bless them abundantly in return. Acknowledging God as the Giver of entrusted gifts to whom account must be given brings watchfulness in spending and wise investment of means with an eye single to the glory of God. It brings a will brought into conformity to the will of God, rejection of the habits and customs of the world as the standard, and rejection of extravagance from personal inclination. It brings conformity to Christian principles so that spending is of greatest benefit and usefulness to others.
Applications to Needs
Ministering to the saints calls everyone to do what can be done with donations for a school that is heavily in debt and greatly crowded and still needs other buildings erected to accommodate students, and even poor believers can obey this call with generous giving. The same teaching applies to giving means for a meetinghouse, where newly believing members gave and those who gave from poverty were liberal. It applies also to a timely gift that helped provide a place of worship, in connection with which the instruction of the chapter is to be read and followed.
Its call for practical support for people in need reaches the destitute Southern Field, for the resources of the churches and the profits from books were meant to aid that field and funds diverted elsewhere must be restored. Faithful, purposeful giving is required there rather than neglect of those in need. The surrounding instructions on how to give such help apply to lifting the debt of the institutions in Scandinavia. Support for those in need as Christian ministry applies likewise to giving funds for the work in foreign fields.