Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7
“Many years ago a Jewish Rabbi by the name of Moses Maimonides listed the 8 degrees of giving.
1. Giving grudgingly.
2. Giving willingly but less than one should.
3. Giving only when asked.
4. Giving what one should give without being asked.
5. Giving when the recipients know who gave but the giver doesn’t know who receives.
6. Giving when the giver knows who the recipients are but the recipients don’t know who the giver is.
7. Giving when neither the giver nor the recipient know each other.
8. When the giver helps the receiver give to others.
The last he called ‘service in the eighth degree’.”
Moses Maimonides (1135-1204) as cited by Selwyn Hughes in Divine Mathematics: A Biblical Perspective on Investing in God’s Kingdom (Surrey, UK: CWR, 2004) 79.
Where do you see yourself on the scale? I find that lists like this challenge us and stretch us. Sit with the Holy Spirit and think of ways you can practice service up to the eighth degree.
And take a minute to pray for me. I will travel and serve in Vietnam, China, and the Philippines from 22 January to 5 February 2026 as part of my sabbatical growth to deepen my faith.
I can think of no way to grow deeper in my faith than to spend time with the persecuted church. So, when I got invited, I prayed and discerned that I should go.
This is not a GTP trip. I have had affiliate faculty status at Kairos University for a decade. I go as Professor of New Testament. I wrote a paper in 2024 which has been translated into Chinese.
It is entitled “Advice from the Apostolic Fathers on Christian Social Engagement in a Hostile World”. Click here to download it English and here for Chinese.
Pray this paper, written at the request of Chinese brothers and sisters two years ago, and my physical presence encourages those I serve. I appreciate your prayers for my safety and spiritual growth.