Key Text: Ye know that the race of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
When Christ sat at meat (the Lord’s Supper) with His disciples, He promised that God would send them His Spirit v 8, which indeed was the grand promise of Acts and the New Testament. And, how properly do we still pray, and how necessary is the prayer,“Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.” – Communion Service. Jesus also promised that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit “not many days hence.” But, the disciples asked “ Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” v6. Even though the apostles knew that Ezekiel and Joel connected the coming of the kingdom with the outpouring of the Spirit, they expected the Messiah’s kingdom to be at least in part, secular. Even after the Resurrection Ministry of our Lord, the disciples were yet confused about His true purpose in coming to live among them. They thought whether the time was now fully come in which the Romans should be thrust out and Israel made an independent kingdom. “He said to them: It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” v 7. But, Jesus did promise them something far more
important, “ye shall receive a new dimension of power of witnessing…after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. V 8. And, “Ye shall be witnesses unto me” to tell the truth about Christ in Jerusalem, in Judaea, in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. This made known the grace of God given to the Macedonian churches of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Beroea which had demonstrated extreme liberality in their giving. “They were willing of themselves” meant that they did not need to be coerced; and, their giving was strictly voluntary. The Macedonians, though they were both poor and persecuted for their faith, rejoiced that an opportunity afforded them of doing good to their more impoverished and more persecuted brethren. Rome had impoverished the country by exacting from it most of its natural wealth, including its minerals and its timber. Through what they had endured they had discovered the reality of God’s love and power. Paul suggests that their values tend to be found in personal relationships, not in the position or comfort that money brings. They had an overflow in real wealth of liberality. That is, man is rich or poor according to the width of his sympathy and the depth of his love. Paul mentions all their strong points and then suggests that they add this one more. Paul emphasizes the fact that true wealth is of the spirit (II Corinthians v 9). It consists in faith, in love, in peace with God, and in the power of the indwelling spirit. They reconcile us with God so that we are made one with Him. AMEN!
Leave a Reply