Shalom, my dear brothers and sisters, we are going to continue with the study of the letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians, 2nd Corinthians, and we have arrived to chapter 9, 2nd Corinthians chapter 9, I would like to read the whole chapter, all the 15 verses that are found in 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 if you have your Bible with you please open your Bible and I'm reading beginning with verse 1. For it's touching the ministering to the saints it is superfluous for me to write to you for I know the forwardness of your mind for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal has provoked very many.

Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf, that as I said ye may be ready, lest happily if they of Macedonia come with me and find you unprepared, we that we say not ye should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. Therefore, I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren that they would go before unto you and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had noticed before that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty and not as of covetousness. But this I say, he which soweth sparedly shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully, every man according as he purposed in his heart.

So let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that he always, having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. As it is written, he has dispersed abroad, he has given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth forever. Now he that ministers need to the sower both minister bread for your food and multiply your seed sown and increase the fruit of your righteousness. Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causes through his thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplies the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgiving unto God.

Whilst by the experiment of this ministration, they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men. And by their prayer for you, which long after you, for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. Well, beloved brothers and sisters, this ninth chapter is really an extension of the previous chapter, which dealt with the grace-giving. The Apostle Paul, to remind us all, was writing the second epistle, second letter to the Corinthians. Now, after things were straightened out and Corinthians had accepted the fact that Paul wished well for them, and now that Titus of God came back and gave good report to Paul now Paul is continuing to encourage the Corinthians and especially now here in these chapter 8 and chapter 9 he is sharing with them the importance of the collection that he is intending to collect and to take with him when he is traveling to Judea to the poor Jewish believers in Judea.

Now, in chapter 8, we have already covered this interesting chapter where Paul has instructed the Corinthians concerning grace-giving. Giving in spite of circumstances. Grace-giving should be done cheerfully. Grace-giving is when we give as the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, gave. Grace giving is when we give willingly, and grace giving is when we give by faith. That's what he was saying to the Corinthians in chapter 8. Now in chapter 9, beloved brothers and sisters, he's giving an encouragement to the Corinthians to encourage them to be faithful and to fulfill the promise that they have made for the giving for the saints which were in Judea. Now notice this, in this 9th chapter, Paul encourages the Corinthians that although they were not accustomed to grace giving, Here he's giving five-fold reasons as to giving, to have this grace giving in the mind and in the heart of every believer in the local assembly in the city of Corinth.

He has explained to them already in chapter 8, if you remember, and I'll read just a few verses in 2 Corinthians chapter 8. We read, moreover, brethren, verse 1, We do you, to wit, of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, how that in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality. He had already written to them about the churches in Macedonia, how graciously they, in spite of their trials, in spite of their poverty, they were liberal in willing to send with the Apostle Paul funds for the pools in Judea. So he had already spoken with them about the fact that the people of Macedonia, the believers in Macedonia, were in such a way willing to give for the needs of their brethren.

Now in this ninth chapter, Paul motivates the Corinthians to be involved in this special offering for the saints. So Paul gives them, here, five-fold reasons for giving. Of course, in the context here, the giving would be in order that Paul and others that will be with him will carry their support for their poor brethren in Judea. But there is a principle that Apostle Paul is teaching every believer with respect to giving. And that's why this chapter is specifically 2 Corinthians 9, deal with the believer's giving. And so the first encouragement and the first reason that Paul is emphasizing here is in the first five verses. What he's really saying to the Corinthians in the first five verses of 2 Corinthians 9, He's saying to them, your giving will provoke others.

Your giving will encourage others, will provoke them to love, will provoke them to be encouraged, will provoke them to respond, will provoke others. Your example will provoke others. So in verse 1, Paul points to the advantage that the Corinthian will have by ministering to the saints in Jerusalem. He says in verse 1, for his touching, the ministering to the saints. Again, these saints, he has already spoken of in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, in the first few verses. You remember what he says in 1 Corinthians 16, in the earlier letter to the Corinthians, he said to them in verse 1 of chapter 16, Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye upon the first day of the week.

Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God has prospered him, that there be no gathering when I come. When I come, Paul is saying, he will ultimately take and bring the liberality of the Corinthians unto the city of Jerusalem, to Jerusalem. So there will be, he's saying to them in verse 1, there is an advantage that a Corinthian will have by ministering to the saints. He's saying to them in verse 1 of chapter 9, for as touching the ministering to the saints, It is over and above. It is advantageous for you that for me to write to you. In other words, I'm writing to you that it is for your advantage if you are going to be ready with promise that you have made to send a support for the need of the poor in Judea.

In other words, Paul wanted them to realize that by doing that, they will provoke others, they will encourage others. Let's remind us of the verse that is found in Hebrews 10 and verse 24. And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works by being those that are participating in the giving for the needs and for the work of the Lord, whether it is for the gospel work or whether it is for the servants of the Lord or whether it is for the poor and the needy or whether it is for any part of the ministry, there is an advantage in doing so because there is provoking one another and Paul says in this verse 1 that there is pointing to the advantage that the Corinthians will have by ministering to the saints in the city of Jerusalem the advantage it is that they will stir others to do the same they will stir others to be helping and giving graciously for the things of the Lord.

In verse 2, Paul boasted a year ago of the Corinthians to the assemblies in Macedonia. He is saying in verse 2, For I know for the zeal, the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, That Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal has provoked very many. You see, Paul's saying, already a year ago, I've already boasted to them in Macedonia of you. That you were all ready to send the funds with the delegation to the needs of the saints in Jerusalem, in Judea. He continues in verse 3, and Paul is really sent brethren to Corinth already to prepare the Corinthians before he is coming to receive the collection.

So he said in verse 3, Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf, that as I said, ye may be ready. So Paul wanted, he gave a warning ahead of time to the Corinthians. He sent some ahead of time so they will be ready with the gift support that will be taken to the needy. You notice, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to have a mindset that will be recognizing that their giving for the needs and the ministry of the Lord's work will provoke others. And so he's encouraging them to be ready to fulfill the promise that they have made a year ago when he was boasting of them to the saints in Macedonia.

In verse 4, Paul did not want the Corinthians to be unprepared with their gift for the saints. So he's saying, lest happily, if they of Macedonia come with me and find you unprepared, we, that we say not ye, should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. So, in other words, Paul is really saying here, you see, brethren, I send someone to come to you to be ready with the promised gift that I have already boasted of you to the saints in Macedonia. So, therefore, I thought it necessary to exhort, to encourage you and to send along already ahead of time those that would come and prepare you for our coming.

So if I come with others from Macedonia, they will not find you unprepared. And you see, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul never wanted that giving would be done by pressure or by manipulation. Giving has to be out of a willing heart and willing mind. And not because one is under pressure or one is being forced to. You will see if he's going to move along in this chapter that he will emphasize it more and more. Well, in verse 5, Paul wanted that their gift will be a willing gift and not by constraint. Not as if he's coveting something, but he wanted them to do it willingly.

And notice what he is saying in verse 5. Therefore, I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren that they would go before unto you and make up beforehand, notice that, beforehand your bounty. In other words, their giving is reckoned as a bounty, as a blessing, as a willing gift, as a generosity. So, that your bounty, whereof ye had noticed before, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty and not as of covetousness. So, Paul, in these first five verses of 2 Corinthians chapter 9, gave the Corinthians this very important reason for giving. And this reason is the fact that your giving, Corinthian, will provoke others.

Your giving will be a stimulation to others, stimulate them, encourage them, bless them. And it will not come out of something that is being forced upon you, not someone coveting what you have. But it will be your bounty, and it will be a matter of bounty and not as of covetousness. It will be a willing gift, a blessing gift, a generous gift, and not a gift that comes because one is coveting that which you have. This is very important. There are few verses that we can read concerning our Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, who said on the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 6, we do read in verse 1, Take heed that ye do not your arms before men, to be seen of them.

Otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore, when thou doest thine arms, do not sound the trumpet before thee as a hypocrite. Do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may have glory of men verily I say unto you they have their reward but when thou doest alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth that thine alms may be in secret and thy father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly this is what Yeshua Jesus the Messiah was sharing with the multitude who came to the mountain in Galilee to listen to his teaching and you remember in the Gospel of Matthew that the multitude went up into that mountain that was in the north of Israel and how he began to teach them and he gave them these instructions and the principle remains really the same as Shaul Paul is instructing the Corinthians concerning the believers giving your giving verses 1 to 5 will provoke other believers but he doesn't stop here the apostle Paul continue in verses 6 to 11 And he gives them, present before the Corinthians, a second encouragement, a second reason as to why they should give and a principle for giving.

And the second lesson and reason for giving is that your giving, Corinthians, will not only stimulate others and provoke others to act like you in a right way, but it will also bless you yourself, Corinthians. And how true it is that God is delighted to have his people give for the things of the Lord, for the gospel's sake, for the needs of God's people, for the needs that exist around. And it produces a blessing to the giver. And so we read in verse 6, Paul pointing the Corinthians to the biblical principle. Listen to this. This is a very interesting verse in 2nd Corinthians 9 and verse 6. But this I say, he which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly.

And he which soweth bountifully or generously shall reap bountifully. Look at the principle. It is such an important principle that we have here in this verse. Now, Paul, of course, is giving us a principle that we learn from the Hebrew Scriptures, of course, because the Word of God oftentimes taught in days of old the nation of Israel those principles that apply in every generation. In Proverbs 11, in verse 24, we read, There is that scattereth, and yet increases. And there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. In other words, the one that scattereth, yet he is increasing. And the others that withholding, he is now becoming poorer and poorer.

Now, it is a principle, this is Solomon, Shlomo taught Israel in the book of Proverbs, but this is an important principle to learn. And that's why Paul is saying, he which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly. He that soweth bountifully or generously will also reap generously. There are other verses that can be read from the Hebrew Scriptures. In Deuteronomy chapter 15, we read in verse 10, Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou give unto him. He's speaking about the poor, to give to the poor, because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

In other words, here is God gave Israel a promise that when Israel will deal with their brethren and their people the poor in the right way and that their heart will do so out of love and care for the needs of the poor they will ultimately be blessed in all that thou putest in thine hand to do God shall bless thee we read in Deuteronomy chapter 15 and verse 10 In chapter 16, we read in verse 17, Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord, thy God, which he hath given thee. And so you see, the encouragement here is that when one's sowing sparingly, he will also reap sparingly.

But when one soweth bountifully, generously, the Lord promised to bless, and he shall also reap bountifully. You know, when you think about to sow sparingly, you know, God himself gave us such an amazing lesson to learn. Because he himself did not spare someone that was so dear to him. We do read, beloved brothers and sisters, in the book of Romans, in chapter 8, in verse 32. He that spared not his own son. Think about it. God did not spare the most precious person, his own son. He didn't spare him, but he delivered him up for us all. He delivered His own Son for us all, beloved brothers and sisters and dear friends.

What a lesson for us to learn and how we need the Lord's help in this matter. And so being in such an attitude, having such an attitude to sow bountifully, there will be a reward and there will be a blessing for those that sow bountifully. And so, he continues, and in verse 7 onward, the Apostle Paul is saying to the Corinthians, Giving should come from your heart, in verse 7. Every man, according as he purposed in his heart, so let him give, he's saying, not grudgingly or of necessity, For God loves a cheerful giver. In other words, beloved brothers and sisters, God wants his own people to give out of their heart.

Not by force, not to give of that which they don't have, but every man as he purposed in his heart, so let him give. Not grudgingly, or of necessity. You know, God doesn't want us to say, Oh, I have to? Do I have to? God wants His own people to see the need and to have it in their heart and to give not grudgingly and not of necessity because God loves a cheerful giver. That reminds us, of course, What we read in Acts chapter 20, when the Apostle Paul gathered around him the elders from Ephesus, from Miltus, he sent to them, and you remember what he said to them in Acts chapter 20, in verse 33 to verse 35, Paul said, I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.

Yea, ye yourself know that these hands have ministered unto my necessity and to them that were with me. I have shown you all things, how that so laboring ye are to support the weak. And then he said that to remember the word of the Lord Jesus, how he said, Notice, he's reminding the Corinthians who were not there when the Lord Jesus the Messiah was alive here. But he's pointing them to be reminded, apparently Paul mentioned it much more than once. He says to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, of the Lord Yeshua. How he said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Interesting, this expression that we have. The apostle Shaul Paul may refer to Luke chapter 14, verses 12, 13, and 14, where we do read in verse 12, Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors, lest they also be thee again, and recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, and the maimed, and the lame, and the blind, and thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee, for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Paul may have a reference, although he was not there to hear these words of the Lord at that time in Luke chapter 14, but he may refer to it of a statement that was said by the Lord, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

And the thought is that when Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, was instructing, if you remember, He heals on that Shabbat day when He was among His people. And when He taught these amazing lessons, parables, He said, When you're making a dinner or supper, don't call your friends, or the brethren, or the kinsmen, or your neighbors, your rich neighbor, because they will say, oh, he's inviting us now, so we will invite him later on. In other words, he wants something in return. But no, when you make a feast, you call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, and you shall be blessed. Why? They cannot recompense you, they cannot give you back what you gave them, but God will reward you.

You will be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. What a lesson to learn from these verses, beloved brothers and sisters, of 2 Corinthians chapter 9. The The believer's giving, the believer's giving, verses 1 to 5, will provoke others. The believer's giving, verses 6 to 11, will not only provoke others, but will bless the person, will bless the giver when he does so, when he's sowing bountifully, when he's sowing generously, when he is a cheerful giver. Every man, according as he purposed in his heart, so let him give, verse 7 says, not grudgingly of necessity, but because God loves a cheerful giver. In verse 8 and 9, the right kind of giving is blessed by God.

We read in verse 8 and 9, And God is able to make all grace, notice that, He's able to make all grace abound towards you. That you always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work. As, and he's quoting Psalm 112 and verse 9. As it is written, he has dispersed, he has given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth forever. This is amazing how the apostle, Shaul Paul, oftentimes quoted the Hebrew Scriptures when he was ministering and sharing the word of God. Because that's the only word of God, the only Scripture that he has in his hand to be able to share the word of the Lord with the new established assemblies in Asia Minor in Europe.

When he was preaching and sharing the Word of God with the believers that came to be part of the church, of the assembly of the living God. I'm reading Psalm 112, and there we read in verse 9. He has dispersed. This is God. He has given to the poor. This is God. His righteousness, this is God's righteousness, endures forever. His horn shall be exalted with honor. God's horn, God's power, God's strength will be exalted with honor. In other words, what Paul is really saying in verses 8 and 9, that the right kind of giving is blessed by God and producing righteousness in the lives of those that practice this with the right attitude and right heart.

And so these beautiful verses, verses 8 and verse 9. In verses 10 and 11, Paul is really, he prays for blessing upon the Corinthians and their giving. We read in verse 10, Now he that ministers seed to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increases the fruits of your righteousness, Being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causes through us thanksgiving to God. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, in a sense, ministering seed, serving God, giving, is producing a blessing, is producing, as he's saying, the thanksgiving unto God. So it is enriching the believer in everything and in a sense what we have here in verses 10 and 11 as Paul is writing to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 9, he is mentioning to them as if it were in prayer.

He said, now he that ministers seed to the sower, if you are going to be sowing, if you are going to participate in the giving, Corinthian, well, the one that ministers seed to the sower, he both ministers bread for your food. In other words, God will bless you. He will multiply your seed sown. And he will increase, notice that, multiply, increase the fruits of your righteousness. You see that? He continues, he says, being in reach in everything. To all a bountifulness which causes through us thanksgiving. So, he's using the word multiply. He's using the word increase. He's using the word enrich. In other words, in a sense, he's wishing and praying and saying, It's producing us thanksgiving to God.

We give thanks to God for you. And when you do so, when you participate in the gracious grace giving and do it out of your heart as a cheerful giver, you will ultimately be blessed by God. The one that ministered sowing seed, he will ultimately be blessed. He, as it says here, multiply your seats on, God will increase the fruits of your righteousness, and He will enrich you in all things, into all bountifulness, which causes through us thanksgiving. Interesting words multiply increase enrich bountiful it's up and up and up and up is the blessing of the Lord and the blessings are not necessarily always materially spiritually speaking as well so spiritually the one that give will ultimately be blessed and so the second encouraging statement that the Apostle Paul seeks to teach and to encourage the Corinthians with respect to giving is that your giving will not only provoke others to do the same but your giving will also bless you yourself, Corinthians.

Now, in the last verses, the Apostle Paul provides additional three-fold reasons or threefold encouragement for giving and he's saying them in the next verses in verse 12 he's saying to the Corinthians your giving will meet people's need and it will be produce a thanksgiving to God because now he's saying in verse 12 for the administration of this service not only supplies the want of the saints or the needs of the saints but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God Corinthians he is saying to them he is saying when you are giving when you are going to participate in the giving towards the saints in Judea and Jerusalem the poor saints in the context of our chapter here and of course this is a principle that applies to the Lord's work in the giving to any aspect of the work of God here upon the face of this earth your giving will not only provoke others your giving will not only bless you but verse 12 your giving will meet needs and will bring about a thanksgiving unto God.

You see what happens? When somebody's needs are met, he or she, if their hearts are right, will turn to God and say, thank you. Thank you. Thank you, God, for your provision, because after all, every good thing and every perfect thing came from above. And although God delighted to use his own people, but in actuality, beloved brothers and sisters, it is all from God. And that's why when Paul was writing to the Thessalonians, he said to them in 1 Thessalonians 5, 18, In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you, in the Messiah Yeshua concerning you. In other words, in everything give thanks.

And those whose needs will be met, they will turn about, as we read in verse 12. And they will ultimately be thankful unto God. We read in verse 12, for the administration of this service not only supplied the needs of the saints, but is abundant also by many things giving unto God. Can you imagine when someone's need is met and when he or she was in a special need and another believer from somewhere supported and helped and met the need and that person is appreciative, he or she will give thanks to God. It says, abundant also by many thanksgivings. Not once, but many thanksgivings unto God. To give God thanks.

To praise God for His provision. This is such an important thing in the life of God's people. So, Corinthians, your giving will meet needs and will cause and will produce many thanksgiving to God by those that receive your gift that's what Paul is saying here to the Corinthian believers in verse 12 so as we are seeing that list of the encouragement of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians with respect to giving the believers giving he is building up in this chapter 2 Corinthians chapter 9 verses 1 to 5 your giving will provoke others to give and therefore God's work will continue on the needs of God's people will be met the work of the Lord can be spread the gospel can be sent the preacher can be preaching the work of the Lord can be multiplied secondly if you are giving your giving will bless you yourself because he mentioned of the importance for verses 6 to 11 if you sow sparingly you will reap sparingly if you sow bountifully you will reap bountifully God loves a cheerful giver and he's blessing the cheerful giver there's a blessing from the Lord that's why Paul quoted Psalm 112, he he's saying, that disperse abroad.

He's saying in verse 9 and 10, he's saying, as it is written, he that disperse abroad, he has given to the poor his righteousness remains forever God will ultimately bless those that do his bidding And so, now in verse 12, Corinthians, your giving will meet needs which will produce much thanksgiving to God. It will produce, it will cause through us thanksgiving unto God. And it will bring many thanksgiving to God as we have here in verse 12. Now notice that as we move towards the end of this chapter, in verse 13, Paul is emphasizing the fourth reason as to why it is important to have this grace giving. Another reason, and he says in verse 13, Corinthians, your giving will actually glorify God.

Verse 13 we read, While by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ and for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all men. You notice that, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul is emphasizing the fact that it's not only meeting people's need, the poor's need, and the work of the Lord's need, and bringing about thanksgiving to God, but it also glorifies God. God is glorified by the behavior of his people and in the context of 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 is the believer's giving for the work of the Lord. We read again in verse 13, while by the experiment of this ministration, they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ.

You see, the Corinthians, when they subjected themselves unto the gospel of Christ, they have accepted the Lord Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah, and by giving and by administrating, by sharing in the giving for the ministry, in a context here, of course, for the poor in Judea, well, it is causing glorifying God. It is causing the fact that many will glorify God, and God is being honored by that. And then he said at the end, And for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all men. What you are doing, you are glorifying God. Others will glorify God. Not only even those that you're giving to, but also unto all men.

And here, beloved brothers and sisters, we learn that sincere and proper giving does honor God and glorify God. And so Paul will conclude this chapter in verses 14 and 15, and he will give the fifth reason here to the Corinthians. He says, your giving will help to unite God's people together. This is the last two verses of 2 Corinthians chapter 9. And so we read. And by their prayer, this is the Jewish believers in Judea who will receive the gifts, the monetary gifts of the Corinthians along with the people from Macedonia and all the churches that were ready to send for their need in Jerusalem, in Judea. He is saying, by their prayer, then on day in Judea, I will pray for you.

By their prayer, for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Now notice he used the word you three times here. They're going to pray for you, because they long after you, because they see the grace of God that happened in you. You notice that? Paul is now showing to us, and in the context, of course, here, the Corinthians were not Jewish, but the believers in Judea and Jerusalem were Jewish. So what happened here, your giving Corinthians will produce, will assist, will increase the unity among the Jewish and Gentiles believers in Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. This is very interesting, beloved brothers and sisters.

I want to read a verse in Romans chapter 15, at the end of the book of Romans, in verse 25. In Romans chapter 15, in verse 25, Paul said, and this is of course in connection with what we are studying here in 2 Corinthians, chapter 9. Paul is saying in verse 25 but now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints in other words he was going to go to Jerusalem to minister to the Jewish believers to the poor in Judea and in Jerusalem for notice that it had pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia this is including the Corinthians to make a certain contribution for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem then he continued to remind the Roman believers and of course the Corinthians also 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 carnal things you see it's so interesting because Paul always reminded the non-Jewish believers they have entered into the blessings that God have given to the spiritual blessing that God have given to the nation of Israel and that they have been grafted in and therefore he says to them for if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things their duty is also to minister unto.

Them in carnal things and what happened when these show of love and care for the needs the needs of all God's people Jewish and Gentiles everyone has a need that someone else can help in meeting it. But the important lesson that we learn here from 2 Corinthians chapter 9 in verses 14 and 15 is that it produces the gifts that the Corinthians will send along with Paul along with the same gifts coming from the saints of Macedonia will be a blessing and will produce harmony and unity in the body of Christ and what the body of Christ is is a composition of Jewish believers in Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah and Gentile believers in Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah who are united together in this one body in this present day of the church age the ecclesia, the called out ones is a composition of Jewish and Gentile believers, true believers born of the Spirit of God, born again individuals.

Well, while there is a positional unity of all true believers, oftentimes this positional unity is not practiced and enjoyed practically. Here is evident that Paul is emphasizing, he says their prayer, you see, They will be praying for you. They long after you. And they see that God's grace was done in you. And that will bring a practical unity among the people of God. And Paul never sees for a moment to remind, as he closed the chapter here, He never ceased to remind believers everywhere of the greatest gift that was ever given and to all, to mankind. Notice what he says in verse 15, the last verse of 2 Corinthians chapter 9.

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. That gift can be applied to both. Number one, the gift is the Son. For God so loved the world, John 3.16, that He gave. He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. The gift of the Son, of the Messiah Yeshua, Jesus Himself, is a gift that is unspeakable. There is nothing to be compared to that greatest gift that's why Paul said in Romans 1 in verse 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah what is the gospel of the Messiah is that Christ the Messiah came to this world he died according to the Scripture he was buried and he rose again on the third day according to the Scripture The news that he was willing to give himself to be a gift of God.

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. But at the same time, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul elsewhere said in Romans 8 and verse 32, which we have already pointed to, he said in verse 32, he that spared not his own son but delivered him he gave him he delivered him up for us all God gave his son who took union humanity with his divine nature who became the man of sorrows the Messiah of Israel the Savior of this world who came to die for the sin of this world and so this unspeakable gift applies to the person of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the work that he had accomplished but what is the gift that we receive because of his death, burial and resurrection it is the gift of salvation and eternal life again John 3.16 the second part of this verse for God so loved the word that he gave his only begotten son but then the second half that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life beloved brothers and sisters everlasting life everlasting life my dear friends and dear brothers and sisters.

The gift of eternal life thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift how grateful are we all to be for the gift that God had given unto you and unto me and unto mankind this gift is the gift of his beloved son the Messiah, the Mashiach who came in order to provide salvation for sinners such as we by nature well beloved brothers and sisters 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 presents before us five fold reasons and encouragement as to giving your giving will provoke others to give your giving will bless you your giving will meet needs and produce thanksgiving to God your giving will glorify God your giving will assist in uniting God's people together practically well my dear friend thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift God bless you and until the next time we say Shalom Shalom