_The grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia._ THE GRACE OF LIBERALITY I. True liberality is a Christian grace--as truly a grace as knowledge, diligence, and love. What light this throws upon the whole subject of church finances! 1. Failing to see that liberality is a grace, we have ma... [ Continue Reading ]
_How that in a great trial … the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty._ THE POVERTY OF THE MACEDONIANS The condition of Greece in the time of Augustus was one of desolation and distress. It had suffered severely by being the seat of the successive civil wars between Caesar and Pompey, betw... [ Continue Reading ]
_And._ .. first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. THE BEST DONATION Here we see Paul disappointed, though he was never discontented. “This they did, not as we hoped.” Paul’s disappointment was concerning money, although that was a thing the apostle never cared abou... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore, as ye abound in everything._ THE GRACE OF LIBERALITY I. WHY we ought to give a portion of our substance to the lord. It is a duty clearly enjoined in Scripture. The practice of giving to the Lord began very early, for we read that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to... [ Continue Reading ]
_For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich._ WHAT WE KNOW THROUGH KNOWING THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST I. How do we know it. “Ye know.” 1. There are records which establish the fact--the gospels, epistles, etc., the burden of all of which is, “He was rich, yet... [ Continue Reading ]
_If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath._ THE CHRISTIAN ACCEPTED ACCORDING TO HIS ADVANTAGES We are led to judge of our own merits by considering what we would do if we were in situations different from that in which we have been placed. Had we unbounded wealt... [ Continue Reading ]
_For I mean not that other men should be eased and ye burdened._ CHRISTIAN LIBERALITY I. The spirit in which Paul urged it. The apostle spoke strongly: not in the way of coercion, but of counsel and persuasion (2 Corinthians 8:8; 2 Corinthians 8:10). Note the difference between the dictatorial auth... [ Continue Reading ]
_But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus._ THANKSGIVING TO GOD FOR MINISTERIAL CARE 1. We may look up, and give thanks to God for what they are. 2. We may look back, and give thanks to God for what they were. Now these two will very much consist together--the... [ Continue Reading ]