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Power in Weakness | Excelling in Grace

November 9, 2025
2 Corinthians 8:1-12

¹We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, ²for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, ⁴begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— ⁵and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. ⁶Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. ⁷But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

⁸I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. ⁹For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. ¹⁰And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. ¹¹So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. ¹²For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

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Purpose

To discover and experience Jesus Christ in our midst

To cultivate mutually encouraging relationships

To participate in God’s mission to the world

Opening Prayer

Responsive Prayer — Isaiah 43

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

    I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

    And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

When you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

    And the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God,

    The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

Because you are precious in my eyes,

    And honored, and I love you.

Summary

We are continuing our fall sermon series, Power in Weakness, during which we’re looking at Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians, appropriately considered Paul’s most painful, personal, and passionate letter. In this passage, the Apostle turns from reconciliation to exhortation. Having already cleared the air after a tense season with the Corinthians, he now invites them to participate in an act of grace by giving to the collection for the suffering believers in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 11:28-30; Romans 15:25-27). The famine and persecution in Judea had left the saints there in great need, and Paul had promised the apostles that he would encourage Gentile churches to supply relief (Galatians 2:10). Paul reminds the Corinthians that giving comes from a place of grace. Charity is not simply a human virtue; it is a reflection of divine mercy. As the Westminster Confession of Faith explains it, believers are “bound to maintain a holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities and necessities” (WCF 26.2). Thus, while almsgiving is a duty, it should also be a delight of redeemed fellowship as an act of worship before God.

Paul uses the example of the Macedonian churches, whose generosity overflowed in the midst of affliction and poverty (verses 1-4). They gave “beyond their means” and did so eagerly, even begging for the privilege to contribute. Their liberality did not arise out of coercion but was entirely Spirit-wrought, as they “gave themselves first to the Lord” (verse 5). Matthew Henry notes, “They solemnly made a fresh surrender of themselves, and all they had, to the Lord Jesus Christ, sanctifying their contributions to God’s honor.” True generosity, therefore, flows out of true piety. It begins in worship and ends in love for neighbor (1 John 3:16-18; James 2:15-17). The Westminster Larger Catechism summarizes this, noting that love requires “giving and lending freely, according to our abilities, and the necessities of others” (WLC 141). In other words, generosity is not measured by amount but by sacrifice. As Jesus commended the widow’s offering (Mark 12:41-44), so Paul commends the Macedonians.

Paul then exhorts the Corinthians to excel in this same grace of giving that the Macedonians had displayed (verse 7). They already abounded in faith, speech, and knowledge, but Paul urges them to complete their maturity through generosity. The theological center of the passage is verse 9: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” The incarnation itself becomes the model and motive for Christian generosity. Christ, possessing all the riches of divine glory (Philippians 2:5-8; John 17:5), emptied himself in redemptive humility, bearing our poverty to bestow upon us the riches of salvation (Ephesians 1:7-8). As Calvin observes, “Rich men owe God a large tribute, and poor men have no reason to be ashamed if what they give is small.” In light of Christ’s self-giving, believers give out of gratitude instead of obligation. This is stewardship under grace: a reflection of the gospel economy where love fulfills the law (Romans 13:8-10; WCF 16.2).

Finally, Paul encourages the Corinthians to turn intention into obedience (verses 10-12). They had previously expressed a desire to give, but that desire must become action. “If the readiness is there,” Paul writes, “it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” The Christian life resists empty words and delayed obedience (James 2:18; 1 John 3:18). As the Puritan theologian John Trapp once lamented, “This age abounds with mouth-mercy…but a little handful were worth a great many such mouthfuls.” Likewise, Robert Murray McCheyne reminded believers that Christ’s love is the pattern for our giving: “If you would be like Christ, give much, give often, give freely, to the vile and the poor, the thankless and the undeserving.” Such giving reflects the heart of Christ, who gave his life not for the deserving, but for sinners (Romans 5:8). If he gave himself for us, then surely we can give of ourselves to others. Generosity is thus an act of worship — a tangible expression of the grace that has made us rich in Christ.

Discussion Questions

1. Looking at the Bible

• From the passage, share with the group some key phrases or ideas that stood out to you.

2. Looking at Jesus

• What might Paul mean when he says of Christ, “though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor” (verse 9)? What kind of “riches” and “poverty” does he have in mind, and what does that reveal about the nature of the Incarnation?
• How does Christ’s self-imposed “poverty” help us understand the heart of God in salvation?

3. Looking at Our Hearts

• The Corinthians excelled in everything else except in the area of generosity (verse 7). The rich young ruler also lacked one thing: to be generous and giving to the poor (Luke 18:22). John Ortberg calls generosity “one of the most neglected yet life-changing disciplines.” Why is this act of grace particularly difficult for us?
  

4. Looking at Our World

• Discuss how Christian giving might be different from secular giving (i.e., purpose, source, motivation, etc.).
• Discuss how your CG could be generous in giving of your time, talents, and treasure.

Prayer

• View Study Guide Notes