In 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, Paul spends significant time laying the theological and ethical foundations for giving to the poor. You see, the church in Judea was suffering from extreme poverty.
Paul decided to spearhead a huge fundraising campaign throughout the churches he had planted. And he called the Corinthians to excel in "this grace of giving" (2 Cor. 8: 7).
Grace is a very broad term that denotes the favor that is bestowed by God on us, regardless of our merit. And, having become recipients of God's grace, we are called to become conduits through whom God's grace is administered to others. We become "stewards" of God's grace, faithfully administering it to others (1 Pet. 4: 10).
Having received God's grace by way of His abundant provision, we are now responsible to become stewards of that grace through us to others. Another name for this charisma is "generosity."
Of course, the greatest example of the administration of generosity is God Himself, giving His One and Only Begotten Son. He did it, not based on our merit, but based on our need.
Paul tells us that our generosity becomes a source of thanksgiving and praise that builds and multiplies. "This service that you perform not only supplies the needs of God's people, but overflows in many expressions of thanks to God" (2 Cor. 9: 12, slight paraphrase).
This last weekend, our little church poured out their resources in a Spirit of generosity to supply the needs of our brothers and sisters in downtown Los Angeles. I know I felt a kind of joy and thanksgiving as we gave of ourselves. And the believers in Los Angeles expressed thanksgiving as well when we delivered our gift.
We can multiply thanksgiving by becoming generous in the same way as our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (2 Cor. 9: 15).
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