2 Corinthians 9:6-8 – Understanding the Spirit of Giving

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

It should not hurt us to love nor to give. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Paul teaches us how to give in a manner where our soul will be rewarded with great joy

A Season for Giving

As I’m sharing this study with all of you, I am currently preaching a series of sermons focused on living in thanksgiving. To be clear, they are not focused on the holiday but on the act of thanksgiving.  The reason I am focused on the act of thanksgiving is because we are in a season of thanksgiving.  And, I repeat, I’m not talking about being in the ‘holiday season’.

At the time of my preparing this study for all of you, there is great concern that SNAP benefits are set to run out, and many will lose the help they need to put food on their table.  This only adds to the tribulation that many are facing in this land.  I told my mom the other day that I wish I had a bigger garden so that I could give to a food pantry.

We’re living in a time and season where we have a calling that we must continue to fulfill in loving our neighbor.  So, as we enter into this giving season, I want to take a look at the kind of spirit we must move with in our giving.  In this week’s study, I am primarily going to focus on Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.  However, we must first take a look at the foundation of Paul’s teaching.

Matthew 6:1-4 – When Doing Good Deeds

The art of giving begins in the heart–the spirit.  We want to make sure that we are giving for the right reasons.  This is what Jesus taught to the disciples in His sermon on the mount.

Be genuine in the good you do

Jesus said to them in Matthew 6:1,  “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.”  This opening statement makes it clear that one should not give to make a show of it.  What good comes from that?

To confirm this thought, Jesus repeated to them in Matthew 6:2,  “When you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.”

You don’t have to broadcast to the world that you are doing a good deed!  The hypocrites that Jesus is referring to were the religious leaders.  In a recent study, we covered how the scribes and Pharisees did their good deeds so that they could be honored and recognized by the adoring public (Matt. 23:5-7).

It has become commonplace for good deeds to be broadcast all over social media.  How does it make you feel when you see a charitable deed posted on social media?  

When I come across such a post, there are times when I wonder whether something has been staged–was the charitable deed genuine?  Then, there are other times when it’s clear that a neighbor helped another neighbor without knowing they were even being filmed.  

So, does this mean that it is wrong to film yourself doing a good deed?  I believe you would have to answer the question as to whether or not you would still do that deed if you weren’t going to film it and post it online.  In other words, you would need to answer whether or not you are being genuine in your charity.

In Matthew 6:3, Jesus told the twelve, “When you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

The teaching from Christ is that when you desire to give, just do it!  You don’t have to jump around, raise your hand in the air, and shout to the world that you’re giving.  

A really good example of this is found in Acts 3:1-10, when Peter and John passed by a lame man who was begging for alms at the temple.  Scripture tells us that Peter looked on the man, told him he didn’t have any silver or gold to give to him.  Yet, he took the lame man by the hands and, through the Spirit, made him able to walk.  

You may say, ‘Pastor, that wasn’t done in secret’.  Yet, Peter didn’t shout and sound the alarms about what he had done.  Peter did not glorify himself!  Sure, when the people saw the lame man walking, we are told that they were filled with wonder.  However, what Peter did was not in service of himself, but rather, was in service of the man and God.

In this season of giving, we must move with the same mindset.  I remind you that Christianity is a service where we serve not ourselves, but we serve our neighbors and God.  In the service of giving, we must be genuine in whatever we do and give.  

2 Corinthians 9:6 – Giving Bountifully

Study question:  Why do you think Jesus teaches us to be genuine in our service of giving?  (Aside from Him telling us that the Father rewards such giving.)

In 2 Corinthians 9:6, Paul said to the Corinthians, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 

Bountiful giving means that one gives generously or liberally.  God’s children ought to be moved to give liberally because God has given to us liberally.  We must understand that God does not give to us for us to store and keep to ourselves.  

This lesson is taught in the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30).  A parable where one was given a bag of money and chose to bury what was freely given to him.  The one who chose to bury his money was rebuked harshly for not even bothering to deposit or invest it.  

God blesses us so that we may use His blessings to be a blessing to others.  Every opportunity we have to give, we ought to have the spirit to give without hesitation because the Lord does not hesitate in giving to us.

Now, some of us may think to ourselves, ‘I don’t have much if God supposedly has given to me liberally.’  Many of us will think this way because many of us consider materials, physical possessions, as the only kind of blessings.  Yet, we must come to understand that God’s blessings aren’t just physical.  

God blesses us in every facet of our living–physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  As James said, in James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach (hesitation), and it will be given to him.”  Let us not limit God’s giving, and therefore, let us not limit our giving.

2 Corinthians 9:6 – Give from a Good Heart

Let’s also point out that what Paul teaches in this scripture follows that of Christ’s teaching.  In Matthew 6:3-4, we saw where Jesus said that the deeds done in secret are rewarded openly by the Father.  

Now, what many have done with these teachings is run in a manner to make God out to be a transactional “quid-pro-quo” God.  There is a mindset that one will only do good, giving to another, because they believe that God will bless them greatly.  

Now, is that what Jesus taught?  Is that why Paul encouraged one to sow bountifully?  There are a couple of passages I want to cross-reference to answer these questions.

In Acts 20:35, Paul said to the Ephesian elders, “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support (help) the weak.”  Then he reminded them of the words of Christ, who said, “It is more blessed (happy) to give than to receive.”  

You won’t find this quote of Jesus in scripture, but apparently, He said this phrase often.  Not only did He say it, but His teachings and His actions were this quote. He commanded us to love our neighbor, to help, and to support in our charity.  One ought to do good, not to boast about it, but because it makes them happy in their soul.

Then, in Luke 17:10, Jesus told the disciples, “When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”  So, in other words, Jesus taught the disciples not to be as ‘profitable servants’ who would only do good for profit in return.  

Jesus’ teachings for the twelve are also true for us.  When we give, we ought to give with a spirit of goodness and generosity.  So, you and I shouldn’t look for anything in return from those we give to because our giving was generous.  You and I shouldn’t even look for anything in return from God because giving is our duty, and God is not transactional.

2 Corinthians 9:7 – Give Cheerfully As You Purpose

When we give, God’s children ought to be cheerful (happy) in their giving.  In 2 Corinthians 9:7, Paul wrote, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”  To me, this verse is key to one truly being able to give in the spirit of giving that the Lord desires for us to give in.  

God does not desire for us to ever give grudgingly.  To give grudgingly means that one gives, but they did not desire to give; they gave unwillingly or reluctantly.  

When we give, the Lord desires for us to give from the heart, but if your heart is filled with reluctance in your giving, God says to keep it.  If you’re going to give, but you think you’re going to regret it, God says to keep your giving.  If you’re going to give, but you’re going to hate that you gave, God says, don’t bother to do it.

There is a difficult truth that many believers struggle with because we live with the idea that we must give all the time.  Some of us feel like even if we don’t have to give, we must give something because we will regret it if we don’t.  Some of us feel like we don’t give, then that is a sin.  

The Spirit dwells in the hearts of all of us believers, which means His giving Spirit dwells within our heart.  The Spirit has manifested the gift of giving inside many of us, which is why it hurts some of us more than it does others when we are unable to give.  

Yet, the difficult truth is that there are going to be times when you simply won’t possess what another needs.  For example, you may have knowledge that could help, but one doesn’t need knowledge; they need something material.  Does this mean that you should still try to give them something that you don’t possess?

Absolutely not.  In such a scenario, if you gave something that you didn’t have to be able to give, then you would hurt yourself.  God does not desire for you to hurt yourself.

Another difficult truth is the fact that we are still human and we have a human nature.  There are going to be times when you are going to be unable to give because your heart may not be up for giving.  It is not a sin for you to care for your soul, and I believe that many believers need to hear that today.

In the chapter prior, 2 Corinthians 8:12-14, Paul wrote, “For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.  For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.”

You are not to burden yourself when you give!  That is not what the Lord desires for you.  Let us keep in mind that God has blessed others to be able to help at certain times.  In such times, you will be the one receiving the blessing of help from another whom God has blessed to help you.  We are to work in fellowship with one another, which is to say we are to work together to profit each other.

So, let us also learn to give with the spirit of giving what we can, when we can, and however we can – don’t feel pressured to give.  God wants you to be cheerful (happy) in your soul when you give.  Such giving is the kind of giving that not only uplifts your soul, but it uplifts the souls of those who have received.

When you give grudgingly, such kind of giving can be felt in the souls of those on the other end of receiving such giving.  How often have you received anything from someone who didn’t want to help?  How did that make you feel?  Such a feeling is what God does not want anyone to have when you, His child, gives to them.

As James said, any heart that is not filled with goodness does not produce the righteousness of God (Jas. 1:20).  God desires for you to bear fruit that will give life to the soul of another.

2 Corinthians 9:8 – God Will Give to You Sufficiently

So, let’s end out on this note from 2 Corinthians 9:8, where Paul tells us, “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

Now, some of us may take this to mean that God is going to bless us greatly, and we will never go broke.  I do believe its true that God’s children will never live in need as the Lord supplies all of our needs.  Now, many of us will want, but we will never need.

I want to touch on points that I made earlier in this study when it comes to God supplying our every need so that we may have in abundance.  Paul is not saying that all of your blessings will be material.  Just because you are a child of God, that does not mean that you will be made wealthy in material possessions.

God will supply your needs so that you can be a blessing to the soul of another.  Now, if it is a material blessing, blessed are you in the material blessing.  However, if the blessing is a spiritual blessing, don’t you think any less of your blessing.  If God blesses you with knowledge and emotional stablility, don’t you think any less of your blessings.

God’s desire is for you to be a blessing.  Yes, the Lord will bless you, and yes, He will bless you so that your soul is content.  However, we must keep in mind that the Lord also gives us abundantly for every good work.  In other words, He has blessed you so that you may be a blessing to somebody, somewhere.

Let us move in this spirit of giving.