Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6
“Let’s examine Paul’s teaching on the benefits of giving. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, Paul explains that there are at least three benefits to good giving.
1. We discover that God graciously enriches good givers (2 Corinthians 9:6-11). If you give generously, God will bless you generously. This is also the message of Proverbs 3:9-10 and 11:24-25. When you are generous you will have all you need so that you can be even more generous…
2. Paul teaches that our good giving supplies the needs of God’s people (2 Corinthians 9:12a). The goal according to 2 Corinthians 8:13-15 is equality — no extremes of poverty or wealth among God’s people. Most likely this is similar to what the early church experienced in Acts 2 and 4, where it says that they had everything in common. Those with wealth gave to help those in poverty.
3. Our good giving leads others to praise God (2 Corinthians 9:12b-15). The implication seems to be that as we help others, they in turn see that God is truly the One supplying their needs and so they give God the praise He deserves.”
Aubrey Malphurs and Steve Stroope in Money Matters in Church: A Practical Guide for Leaders (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007) 201.
Why explore this classic text afresh today? Someone recently asked me for texts that dismantle prosperity gospel teaching. This is one of them. Notice that “good giving” as Malphurs and Stroope call it, results in our enrichment, but not with the aim of prosperity (think: lavish lifestyle for us as compared to others) but with the aim of equality (think: those with more than enough sharing with those in need). When giving happens following this design, it supplies the real needs of people and results in praise to God.
How does our giving measure up? It’s tempting to seek after prosperity and praise, isn’t it? We must not be fooled. We must not stray to the right or to the left. Let’s trust God to enrich us and focus our giving on equality. God’s people must always “remember the poor” (Galatians 2:8-10), and the poor do not refer to those who can work and won’t work, but those in genuine need (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15). When we care for them, we will be enriched for greater generosity, their needs will be met, and God will get all the glory.