In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, the apostle Paul is dealing with the generosity of the Corinthian church. While it’s true he’s primarily talking about financial generosity, the real issue is whether or not we will live with a generous spirit in all aspects of life. People who live with a generous spirit are just as likely to share a donut as much as a dollar. It’s not what they do; it’s who they are.
For Paul, believers who are sincere in their beliefs will have matching behaviors. He writes in 2 Corinthians 8:8, “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.”
When we think of a sincere person, we think of the person who does what they say they will do. Insincere people, on the other hand, may say all the right things but their actions fail to align with their words.
Rather than command the Corinthians to be generous, Paul decides to test the sincerity of their love — to see if what they say is true. “You say you love Jesus and his church. Show it.”
What if Paul tested the sincerity of our love? What would he find?
Ken thank you for this blog. I think in todays society Paul would be hard press to find sincerity. I only say this because I’m looking at the economic situation most people are dealing with. However, I wouldn’t look at someone being insincere because they fail to act on what they say. I feel that sometimes people truly want to give and help in the church. However, do to whats going in there life they are unable to keep commitments.
Hi Kelvin! I agree about the difficult economic situation many people are in. That’s why I believe generosity is about more than just giving money — it’s giving time, a smile, friendship, etc.
Thanks for reading … now I know I have at least one reader!