Shalom dear brothers and sisters, my dear friends. We are going to continue to study together the second epistle to the Corinthians and we have arrived to 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 and chapter 9 and these two chapters deal with the subject of giving to the Lord's Word.

giving to the ministry of God's work giving to the saints simply the subject of giving and so I would like to read now the chapter 2nd Corinthians chapter 8 and verses 1 to 24 and the apostle Paul is saying moreover brethren we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia how that in great trial of a filkern and abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality for to their power I bear record yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministry

to the saints and this they did not as we hoped but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God inasmuch that we desired Titus that as he had begun so he would also finish in you the same grace also therefore as he had begun so therefore as he abound in everything in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to us see that he abound in this grace also I speak not by commandment but by occasion of the forwardness of others and to prove the sincerity of your love the sincerity of your love for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus

Christ the door he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that he through his poverty might be rich and herein I give my advice for this is expedient for you who have begun before not only to do but also to be forward a year forward a year ago now therefore perform the doing of it that as there was a readiness to will so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have for I mean not that by an equality that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want that their abundance also may be a supply for their want that there may be equality as it

is written he that has gathered much has nothing over and he that has gathered little had no lack but thanks be to God which put the same earnest care into the heart of titus for you for indeed he accepted the exhortation but being more forward of his own accord he went unto you and we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches and not that only but who who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord and the declaration of your ready mind avoiding this that no man should blame us

in this abundance which is administered by us providing providing for honesty not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men and we have sent with them our brother whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things but now much more diligent upon the great confidence which I have in you for me do inquire of titus he is my partner and fellow helper concerning you or our brethren be inquired of they are the messages of the churches and the glory of Christ wherefore show ye to them and before the churches the proof of of your love and of your boasting on your behalf so beloved brothers and sisters this is

the second book of corinthians chapter 8 and in this 8th chapter along with chapter 9 the apostle Paul is writing to the corinthians concerning the subject of giving giving giving well it is very interesting how now after the first seven chapters beloved brothers and sisters that the apostle Paul was writing to the corinthians opening his heart concerning the comfort that he was comforted by the Lord and now he's moving we might say from the subject of comfort comfort encouragement and he is now moving into the subject of giving practical giving for the Lord's work for the various needs that exist among the people of God for the gospel ministry for ministering to the saints the

needs of the people of God in these two chapters 2nd Corinthians 8 and 9 the apostle Paul will present before the Corinthians the subject of giving of course it is important to realize that God has given to us everything that we have had been given to us by the Lord in fact the prophet Haggai said to Israel in days of all he said the silver the silver is mine God is speaking to the nation of Israel through Haggai in the second chapter in verse 8 Haggai 2 8 the silver is mine and the gold is mine says the Lord of hosts in other words everything here in this world belong to the Lord including that

which he had given to each and every one of his own people but really to each everything to each and every mankind everything belongs unto the Lord in fact the psalmist said that is Asaph concerning the word of the Lord that the Lord said to again to Israel in days of all for every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills I know all the fowls of the mountains and the wild beasts of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine if I were hungry I would not tell thee for the world is mine and the fullness thereof this is in Psalm 50 verses 10 11 and

12 and so God owns everything and therefore it is important for God's people to remember that he is the one that he is the one that everything belongs to him the silver is mine he said the gold is mine says the Lord of hosts and so when it comes to giving the apostle Paul is seeking to remind the Corinthians and us all of the grace of God and of the provision of God to each one that belongs to him and therefore in chapter 8 and chapter 9 of 2nd Corinthians 2nd Corinthians the apostle Paul is going to speak about the collection the support the giving but in the context specifically he is dealing with the

giving for the poor people in Judea in Jerusalem that because of their faith in the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah they have lost their possession and they therefore became poor and jerusalem that because of their faith in the lord yeshua jesus the messiah they have lost their possession and they therefore became poor and believers in macedonia and then the believers in corinth were encouraged to seek to meet the need of these jewish believers in jesus the messiah who now have entered into a challenging time in their lives in fact in act chapter 11 we do read in verse 27 28 29 and 30 we read and in these days came prophets from jerusalem unto antioch

and there stood up one of them by the name of agabus and signified by the spirit that there should be a great famine dread death throughout all the world which came to pass in the days of claudius caesar and the disciples every man according to his ability determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwell in judea which also they did and sent it to the elders by the hands of barnabas and shaul notice in saul this is so beautiful to see that while the prophet while agabus stood up and and gave a prophetic word saying that there will be a famine throughout all the world it specifically affected the jewish people even more in

judea because they did not only experience the famine as the rest of the world and the rest of the people in the land of israel but also because of their faith in the lord jesus the messiah they have experienced tremendous sufferings and loss in which there was a need and the apostle paul have encouraged the believers to recognize that need and he determined paul determined that he will gather the needs to meet the need of his his own brethren in chapter 20 of the book of acts the apostle paul said in verse 35 i have showed you all things how that so laboring he ought to support the weak and to remember the words of

the lord jesus of the lord how he said and he is referring to a statement that was said in the days when jesus the messiah was healed among his own disciples where he said it is more blessed to give than to receive and so it is amazing to see the apostle paul determined to be used as a vessel to minister to his jewish brethren who were not only experiencing a famine but they also have experienced persecution and a lack of help from their brethren simply because of their faith in the lord jesus yeshua the messiah paul spoke about this when he was speaking to the roman believers in roman chapter 15 where he said to

the roman believers in the lord jesus the messiah to the brethren in the city of rome he said to them in verse 25 of romans chapter 15 he said but now i go to jerusalem to minister unto the saints for it has pleased them of macedonia and we will read about the brethren from macedonia here in the first few verses of second corinthians chapter 8 and of achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at jerusalem then notice what he adds in the next verses it has pleased them verily and their debtors they are for if the gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things their duty is also to

minister unto them in a carnal thing verse 28 when therefore i have performed this i have sealed it to them this fruit i will come by you into spain so paul is saying when therefore i have performed this and i have sealed to them this fruit i will come by you he's saying to the roman assembly and then by spain into and going through spain and so paul paul reminded the believers at corinth that he is intending to bring a relief offering to the jewish people and by doing so they will meet the believers in judea the jewish believers will be ministered unto by the people of corinth as well as by the people of

whom we are going to read from macedonia paul wanted to remind the gentiles the believers that they were debtors to the jewish believers because through the jewish people the gospel came to the world but also beloved brothers and sisters the offering that apostle paul would bring to the jewish brother would show that paul was not an enemy of his brethren the opposite he loved his jewish brethren we was willing as we read elsewhere to be even accursed for his people israel but his brethren that because he was ministering to the gentiles he became the apostle to the uncircumcision many perhaps felt that he has abandoned them and the apostle paul really wanted to show that

he does care for his a brethren we read in act chapter 20 in verse 17 we read these words notice that we read them and from miltus he sent to ephesus and he called for the elders of the church there and they came to him and as you read towards the end he ultimately beloved brothers and sisters he went as it's as we read as we read here he went to the land of israel and he eventually arrived to jerusalem as we read it in acts chapter 21 and he showed that his love for his brethren never ceased even though he became the apostle to the nations of the world so this is very important

so the corinthians needed to be reminded of the care for their brethren in judea and so in second corinthians chapter 8 specifically here in this verse 10 the apostle paul will remind them of their commitment he says i speak not by commandment but by occasion of the forwardness of others and to prove the sincerity of your love in other words he's appealing to them to fulfill promise that they had in mind to be helpful to the jewish brethren in judea well we are now entering into this important a chapter and you notice beloved brothers and sisters in verses 1 to 6 we have the example amazing example of giving that the believers in macedonia have

which is philippi and macedonia and tassanaica and others of the believers in macedonia they were so faithful what an example macedonia is north of corinth the city of philippi and tassanaica and berea then later on a little bit south you have delphi and ultimately you have corinth even further south and it's on the western eastern side of athens and and this is macedonia the macedonian believers of the assemblies were really setting an example of giving this is extremely interesting as we are looking at these verses together and so you notice in the first six verses the example of giving then for verses 7 to 15 we have a the the apostles exhortation to the believers

at corinth and ultimately as he enter into chapter 9 he is explaining to the believers at corinth concerning giving and he will continue and enter into chapter 9 and he will encourage the believers at corinth to give to give to the lord's work to give to the ministry of the gospel to give to the poor saints in the case here in judea and to meet the needs of people giving is in the heart of god and you will notice that he will present the greatest gift that was given for all mankind the gift of salvation through the grace that provided for us through the death burial and resurrection of our lord yeshua jesus the messiah

and so we read in verses 1 and 2 giving in spite of circumstances was evident among the the believers in macedonia i'm reading verses 1 and 2 moreover the apostle paul is saying brethren we do you to wit of the grace of god bestowed on the churches of macedonia and you notice this beloved brothers and sister he's speaking macedonia this is philippi teslonica berea and he's saying look how that in great trial of affliction and abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounding unto the riches of their liberality notice verses 3 and 4 for for to their power i bear record yea and beyond their power they were willing of themselves praying us with

much entreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints you remember beloved brothers and sisters how the apostle paul is encouraging the corinthians but by setting before them the example of the believers in macedonia notice that paul remind the corinthians of god's grace the first time in this chapter that we read of the word grace which is mentioned here in 2nd corinthians 8 9 times an additional a few more times it's mentioned in chapter 9 2nd corinthians 8 verse 1 verse 4 verse 6 verse 7 verse 9 verse 16 verse 19 chapter 9 verse 8 and the grace of god you notice that moreover brethren

we do you wit of the grace of god bestowed on the churches of macedonia how and now notice that the local assemblies of macedonia this is northern greek they had much affliction yet they gave liberally for the special need that existed in judea but by doing so they became an example of giving of the lord's people for the lord's work and the lord's people's people's needs and the needs all around us pacifically mentioned in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality notice he using kind of a it seems to be like a contradiction on the one hand he's saying great trial

of affliction great trial of affliction but then on the other hand he says that is abundance unto their joy well trial and joy seems to be contradicting then he said and their deep poverty in other words they were poor and then at the same time they abounded unto the riches of their liberality notice this it seems to be kind of going one thing against the other on the one hand we have trials and affliction that the macedonian believers have experienced on the other hand they had joy which was from the lord then once again they were poor perhaps they were poor like of judea and yet at the same time they were rich in being

liberal to recognize the need that existed in judea amazing two verses he continued in verses three and four it's not only that they were giving by grace and the grace of god that was bestowed upon them as it says in verse one in verses three and four they did not do it with anger or with harshness or we have to give they've done it apparently been enthusiastic in their giving it says in verse three for to their power or to their ability i bear record yeah and beyond their power beyond their ability they were willing of themselves and notice that praying or actually supposed to be begging us they beseeching us with much entreaty they

were entreating us that we should receive the gift and take upon us that fellowship the fellowship of the ministering to the saints this is the saints in jerusalem in judea interesting beloved brothers and sisters these first four verses it's giving us it's giving us paul is giving us an example of a local assembly of believers in macedonia the example that they were to all the churches in asia minor and elsewhere what an example what an example we read in verses five onwards now their giving was not only in spite of difficult circumstances their giving was not only done joyfully but their giving according to verses five to nine their giving was done as the lord

jesus the messiah set the example before them as the one that gave himself we read in verse five and this they did not as we hoped but first they gave their own self to the lord and unto us by the will of god notice that it's this verse is beautiful because if there will ever be a proper giving an attitude of giving from the heart one must first one must first give himself to the lord notice the order here it's so beautiful paul is saying look what they did and not as we hoped but even more because first of all they gave themselves their own self to the lord and then they gave themselves to

us by the will of god in other words they first of all gave their life to the lord they committed to the lord their life everything they had they committed to the lord they committed to the lord their possession their life their gifts and they committed to the lord all what they were but then they follow up and with with the example that they had from the lord jesus the messiah they gave themselves not as dead unto us by the will of god the will of god is that god's people will learn from the person of the lord jesus and have an attitude of appreciation of the grace that he has extended unto them and

so in the next verse we read that titus with a good influence on these churches in as much we read in verse 6 that we desire titus that as he had begun so he would also finish in you the same grace also so again you notice beloved brothers and sisters that grace the word grace is a keres in the greek chesed in the hebrew grace in the english but that word for grace is also mentioned here the word gift in verse 4 praying us with much entreaty that we would receive the gift notice that word for gift here in verse 4 is the same word for grace in verse 1 and in verse 6 is

the word keres in the greek chesed in the hebrew so verse 1 the grace of god verse 4 the gift the grace gift of the grace of god in the gift that they were giving towards their fellow believers in in judea once again the same gift titus is the one that who began to work with the macedonian and now we desire titus that as he had begun so he would also finish in you the same grace also in other words he began to share the gospel with you you have heard the message of the gospel from us all now you have accepted the lord and not only that you need the gift of the grace

of god for salvation but also the grace of god for enabling the believer to live the life of the a godly life and that enablement enablement is also grace because neither they nor you and i are able to live the life of the believer without the grace of god we cannot do it on our own we fail every time the flesh in us is no better than the flesh in the unbeliever and that's why it is the same grace that saves us is the same grace that we all need as they had approved it in their life that this is the macedonian believers that today by their behavior and attitude and grace giving have shown

this as an example and so in verse 7 paul is encouraging the corinthians to abound in grace giving also therefore as he abound in every thing in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all diligence and in your love to us see that you abound in this grace also in other words you know i'm when i when you think about this beloved brothers and sisters in the previous letter that the apostle jaul paul wrote to the corinthians it was a very harsh letter it was letter of correction but here in the second epistle to the corinthians especially in chapter 8 the apostle paul is telling the corinthians things that he graciously telling of them because

there is a change that happened with the corinthians he's saying to them in verse 7 ye abound as ye abound in notice everything now he's overlooking their failure overlooking what happened in the past in their behavior towards him overlooking the the accusation against him overlooking everything that they've actually have done by their behavior and when they have repented and turned back to the lord things change and therefore paul says as he abound in everything verse 7 in faith and in utterance and in knowledge and in diligence and in your love towards us now he's saying to them also abound in this grace giving also in other words have a change in your conduct even with

respect to giving giving to the lord's work giving to the ministry of god's work giving to the poor giving to the needy there that's the thought that we have here in second corinthians chapter 8 and chapter 9 and so in verse 8 and 9 paul did not want to command them to give but that they should do it as an act of love and that's why paul is pointing to them the example in the person of our lord yeshua jesus the messiah so in verses 8 and 9 paul is saying i speak not by commandment but by occasion of the forwardness of others and to prove the sincerity of your love for you know the

grace of our lord jesus christ here again use the word grace you know the grace of our lord jesus christ though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that he through his poverty might be rich and that's beloved brothers and sisters speaks volume because the only way that god's people will be able to abound in faith abound in utterance abound in knowledge abound in diligence abound in love towards one another also abound in grace giving is when they realize that it's not the commandment that by force to give to the things of the lord and to the need that exist around god's people it ought to be done after recognizing the grace

of our lord jesus christ the grace of our lord jesus the messiah notice that though he was rich he jesus the messiah is the eternal son the eternal son the eternal son of god he is according to the gospel of john in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god the same was in the beginning with god and then we read if you remember in john chapter 1 and verse 3 all things were made by him and without him was nothing made which was made and he was life and the light was the light of man and the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehended it

not he is that eternal one in john later on in chapter 1 verse 14 we read and the word became flesh he became flesh he became a man but not only that he became a man he is the one that was born as isaiah said well to us a child is born to us a son is given he is the one that was called to be the one that is the wonderful the counselor the mighty god the everlasting father and the prince of peace he is that eternal one who is god who is the mighty god the father of eternity and yet at the same time he became poor how he became poor he entered

into this world he become a man and as a man he humbled himself and became obedient obedient even he went all the way to the cross as we read in philippians chapter 2 as we read being in a fashion as a man he humbled himself and he became obedient unto death and that is the death of the cross this is exactly what the apostle shaul paul is emphasizing here both in uh from the fact that he the lord jesus is the eternal son isaiah 9 6 john 1 verses 1 to 3 and verse 14 who became a man and became poor and uh ultimately have gone uh to the cross where he died for the

sin of this world so you and i can become rich you remember what jesus the messiah said according to matthew chapter 8 the foxes of holes and the birds of the air have nests but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head in his life he had nothing the foxes they have holes the birds they have nests but the son of man ben ha adam he is the son of man that had nowhere to lay his head but even more beloved brothers and sisters he went to the shameful cross paid for our sins he died he was judge the just one for the unjust you and i in order to bring us to

god in order that we might become rich this is a a reminder that grace giving is given to us by the example of what the lord jesus the messiah has done when he came down to this world to give his life a ransom for many and so as the apostle paul is emphasizing these beloved brothers and sisters he is now in the next verses in second corinthians chapter 8 verse 10 to 12 he's speaking about this grace again the giving is a it has to be done willingly just to learn from the people of macedonia who although they were going through trial of affliction yet they are abundant abundant in joy although they had deep

poverty yet they're they were rich in liberality and so in the next verses second corinthians chapter 8 and here in verses 10 11 and 12 we read and herein i give my advice paul is giving the advice now to the corinthian believers for this is expedient for you who have began before not only to do but also to be forward a year ago one year ago now therefore he's saying to them in verse 11 now therefore perform the doing of it in other words they were promising in the past that they will do so they began before to do so they began to do so but now he's saying to them in verse 11 now

therefore a completed perform the doing of it that as there was a readiness to will so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have in other words beloved brothers and sisters the corinthians needed to fulfill their commitment in other words already in verse 6 we have read in as much that we desired titus as he had begun in other words in they began when titus came to there they began to assure that they will give and be part of the special a gift that was given to the believers in judaea and there paul is saying to them now in verse 10 that they need to fulfill their commitment why he's saying

to them notice there is a different beloved brothers and sisters between promises and a fulfilling the promises as we read here in verse 11 now therefore perform it do it yes you have promise but follow through and so you notice that he is encouraging them to follow through with their promise of giving to the needs of the believers in judaea and to follow through with their promise and to do it with a willing heart and willing mind that's what we read in verse verse 12 for if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not you notice that paul is

not forcing of them to give what they don't have but in verse 12 he said it is you know accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to what he does not have so paul in these beloved brothers and sisters in this verse 12 he's emphasizing the fact that one is to give as according to what he hath doesn't it remind us the willing giving of what happened when the tabernacle was built years ago in the um in the wilderness you remember what we do read in the first a few verses of exodus chapter 25 when moses have asked the nation to bring for the building of the tabernacle the nation of

israel it said that the lord speak unto moses saying speak unto the the children of the children of israel that they bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly notice that the word for willingly come from the hebrew word in other words in other words it's following these words what he has willingly what he has in his heart with his heart ye shall take my offering and he gives us the list and so on and you can see later on we read that the people brought willingly that he had to stop them from bringing any more because they have given too much and that is so interesting that in this portion of

second corinthians chapter 8 paul says in verse 12 for if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man has to what a man has and not according to what he has not you see god is not going to force anyone but it has to come out of a willing mind in second corinthians 8 verse 12 willing mind in exodus 25 verses 1 and 2 willing heart it has to come from the heart and from the mind beloved brothers and sisters and so as the apostle paul continues to speak about this grace giving in verses 1 and 2 giving in spite of difficult circumstances in verses 3 to 4 grace

giving should be done with joy verses 5 to 9 grace giving is as an example from the grace of god that was shown to us as an example in in the person and the work of the lord jesus the messiah and then grace giving is when we give willingly giving has to be done willingly out of the heart and so the remaining portion of 2nd corinthians chapter 8 in verses 13 to verse 24 grace giving must be done by faith trusting that god will use the the giving for the ministry of the work of the lord so in these next verses the apostle paul continues here in verses 13 to 24 and you notice what

he's saying for i mean not that other men be eased and ye burdened in other words when you give it's not an order that you will have burden and others will just have an easy time and will not work will not take responsibility of course not that is not the purpose of giving in fact the giving is in order that the ministry of the lord the needs of the lord will be met then he says in verse 14 but by an equality that now at this time your abundance may be be a supply for their wants or their need that their abundance also may be supplies for your need that there may be equality as

it is written verse 15 he that has gathered much has nothing over and he that has gathered little had no lack and so in these verses 13 14 and 15 beloved brothers and sisters paul is emphasizing the fact that it's not giving so somebody will be eased and you burdened but that at time there is a need that they had that others have but the times of life you will be in need and you would appreciate others who help you during a time of need and he's very interestingly quoting a verse from exodus chapter 16 and in exodus chapter 16 if you remember beloved brothers and sisters this 16th a chapter deal with the man

the manna that came down from heaven to meet the need of the children of israel in the wilderness and you remember what we do read in verse 16 this is the thing that the lord has commanded gather of it every man according to his eating and omel for every man according to the number of your person take he every man for them which are in his tents when they were gathered the manna this amazing bread that came from heaven everyone would gather according to the need of his family then he says if you remember beloved brothers and sisters in these verses in these verses he does say in this verse it said that the children

of evil did so and they gathered some more some less and when they did met it with an omel he that gathered much had nothing over and he that gathered little have no lack they gathered every man according to to his eating and so we learned from these verses that god wanted him to trust him and to a gather just as they needed and to do it by faith and so in verse 16 the apostle paul points to god's grace he gave titus the heart for the corinthians but thanks be to god which put the same earnest care unto the heart of titus for you you see titus cared for the corinthians somehow god gave

titus a heart for the believers at corinth and he sought to minister unto them and to help them to grow in appreciation of the things of the lord to remind us that we read of him already in verse 6 of this chapter we desire titus that as he had begun so he would also finish in you the same grace also just like the macedonian have shown the grace of god it was evident in their life in their giving so the corinthians are exalted to do the same and titus was used by the lord to minister to them and to develop this in their hearts as well and so we read beloved brothers and sisters in

verses 17 18 and 19 titus and another brother together with paul traveled with the grace gift that was given to minister to the saints notice there is a brother that is mentioned here that is unnamed it says beloved brothers and sisters verse 17 for indeed he this is titus accepted the exaltation but being more forward of his own accord he went unto you titus went to the two coins to receive from them the grace gift for the believers in judea and not there and he continued said and we have sent with him the brother this is unnamed brother who's praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches this particular unnamed brother apparently was a

faithful brother to preach the gospel message and not only that only but who was also chosen of the the churches to travel with us with this grace which is administered by us to the glory of the same lord and declaration of your ready mind so notice the titus the unnamed brother and other other brethren including the apostle paul with these brothers they were chosen by the churches to travel and to to take this a grace gift and to bring it to the believers to the poor in judea so nice to see that there is a brother here that there is a brother that there is a brother that is not even named uh just call

a brother he is apparently was faithful in preaching the gospel and the lord used him to go with titus and others and paul to go to minister the gift to the needy in judea so as the apostle concluding these eight chapter beloved brothers and sisters paul wanted to avoid any blame so he said in verse 20 and 21 he said avoiding this that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us providing for honest thing not only in the sight of the lord but also in the sight of men so paul and all the others went together to show that they are together working and ministering these needs to the saints

in judea to avoid any blame and therefore in verse 22 the the the unnamed brother another one that is so interesting here it says in verse 22 and we have sent with them our brother whom we have oftentimes approved diligently diligent in many things but now much more diligent upon the great confidence which i have in you it seems to be that in that the brother in verse 22 is distinguished from the brother in verse 18 it seems to be that we have here two unnamed brothers seeming to be insignificant but faithful brothers and they were used to go to administer to bring that a grace gift that was given to them to carry over

to the believers in judea and finally beloved brothers and sisters in verses 23 and 24 as we are going to kind of conclude with chapter 8 and in the next time we'll continue with chapter 9 to deal with the with the grace giving as well continuing with the grace giving not only now an exhortation but also in chapter 9 there will be an explanation and encouragement to give to the things of the lord in chapter 8 we have a summary comment about these men that have gone notice that it says in verse 23 and 24 whether any do inquire inquire of titus he is my partner and fellow hell helper concerning you or our brethren

be inquired of they are the messengers of the churches and the glory of christ and here beloved brothers and sisters in this eight chapter the apostle paul is emphasizing the grace giving and he said number one he said the person of the lord jesus christ the lord jesus the messiah as the one that was rich who became poor that through his poverty we might be made rich at the same time he began that eighth chapter by setting the example of the believers in the local churches in macedonia and specifically philippi tessalonica perea the believers there he set them as an example that they were the one who though they've gone through trials and affliction and

though they were poor yet their joy was evident and they were liberal in their giving and their support of the things of the lord and they have done it willingly and they have done they besieged as it says in verse 4 in the beginning of chapter 8 they praying us they am a besieged us with much entreaty that we would receive from them the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saint what an example beloved brothers and sisters we have a in the believers in the churches in the assembly of macedonia thank god for such an example a beloved brothers and sisters and above all the greatest example that we

all need always to be reminded of even when trials coming our way or when there are things that are good in our life always to remember this amazing truth and to know of the grace of our lord jesus christ jesus the messiah and though he was rich yet for our sake paul saying for your sake he became poor that ye that you and i my dear friend through his poverty when he became poor we might be rich and the richness that he's speaking here beloved brothers and sisters the wealth that we receive here according to this text is not so much the physical the material wealth that we receive but the spiritual and eternal wealth

that we receive is the forgiveness we received forgiveness from the lord who forgave our sins and gave us spiritual wealth eternal wealth that we will eat in eternity will be with the lord jesus the messiah the savior and the redeemer who gave himself for us so beloved brothers and sisters with this we conclude second corinthians chapter 8 may the lord encourage our hearts and help us because we need the help of the lord in every area of our life which is including the area of grace giving god bless you until the next time we say שלום שלום