1560 英翻中(林後8課9章) The grace of giving part-2 奉獻的恩愛 4/5/2026
Chapter
8 THE GRACE OF
GIVING—PART II 2 Corinthians 9
It seems strange that we Christians need
encouragement to give, when God has given so much to us. God had enriched the
Corinthians in a wonderful way, and yet they were hesitant to share what they
had with others. They were not accustomed to grace giving, so Paul had to
explain it to them. Having explained grace giving to them, Paul then tried to
motivate them to get involved in the special offering; he did this by sharing
five encouragements that relate to grace giving.
1. Your Giving Will Provoke Others (9:1–5)
While
Christians must not compete with each other in their service for Christ, they
ought to “consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb.
The
interesting thing is this: Paul had used the zeal of the Corinthians to
challenge the Macedonians; but now he was using the Macedonians to challenge
the Corinthians! A year before, the Corinthians had enthu[1]siastically
boasted that they would share in the offering, but then they had done nothing.
The Macedonians had followed through on their promise, and Paul was afraid that
his boasting would be in vain.
Paul
sent Titus and the other brothers to
What
did Paul want to avoid? Embarrassment to himself and to the church if the
offering was not ready. For, after all, there were several representatives from
the Macedonian churches on the special committee (see Acts 20:4). Paul had
boasted to the Macedonians about Corinth, and now he feared that his boasting
might be in vain.
Apparently,
Paul did not see anything wrong or unspiritual about asking people to promise
to give. He did not tell them how much they had to promise, but he did expect
them to keep their promise. When a person signs up for a telephone, he promises
to pay a certain amount each month. If it is acceptable to make financial
commitments for things like telephones, cars, and credit cards, certainly it
ought to be acceptable to make commitments for the work of the Lord.
第 8 章 给予的恩典——第二部分 2 哥林多前书 9
当上帝给了我们这么多时，我们基督徒需要鼓励去奉献，这似乎很奇怪。上帝以一种奇妙的方式丰富了哥林多人，但他们却不愿与他人分享他们所拥有的。他们不习惯施恩，所以保罗不得不向他们解释。在向他们解释了恩典的给予之后，保罗试图激励他们参与特别的奉献。他通过分享与恩典给予有关的五项鼓励来做到这一点。
1. 你的付出会激怒他人（9:1-5）
虽然基督徒在为基督服务时不得相互竞争，但他们应该“互相考虑，以激发爱心和善行”（来 10:24）。当我们看到上帝在他人的生活中和通过他人的生活中所做的事情时，我们应该努力自己更好地为他服务。肉体的模仿和精神的模仿之间只有一线之隔，在这方面我们必须小心。但是一个热心的基督徒可以成为激发教会和激励人们祈祷、工作、见证和奉献的手段。
有趣的是：保罗曾用哥林多人的热心来挑战马其顿人；但现在他是在利用马其顿人来挑战科林斯人！一年前，哥林多人曾狂热地吹嘘他们会分享奉献，但后来他们什么也没做。马其顿人兑现了他们的诺言，保罗担心他的吹嘘会落空。
保罗派提多和其他弟兄到哥林多去煽动他们分享供物。比金钱本身更重要的是，当他们在生活中回应上帝的恩典时，会带给教会的属灵利益。保罗之前曾写信给教会，告诉他们如何接受捐款（林前 16:1-4），所以他们没有理由拖延。保罗希望当他和他的“财务委员会”到达时，所有的捐款都准备好，这样就不会有任何最后一分钟的募款似乎是强加给教会的。
保罗想要避免什么？如果奉献没有准备好，他自己和教会都会感到尴尬。毕竟，特别委员会中有几位来自马其顿教会的代表（见使徒行传 20：4）。保罗曾向马其顿人吹嘘哥林多，现在他担心他的吹嘘可能是徒劳的。
显然，保罗并不认为要求人们承诺给予有什么不对或不属灵的。他没有告诉他们他们必须承诺多少，但他确实希望他们信守诺言。当一个人注册电话时，他承诺每个月支付一定的金额。如果为电话、汽车和信用卡之类的东西做出财务承诺是可以接受的，那么为主的工作做出承诺当然应该是可以接受的。
Notice
the words that Paul used as he wrote about the collection. It was “ministering
to the saints,” a service to fellow believers. It was also a “bounty” (2 Cor.
9:5), which means “a generous gift.” Was Paul perhaps hinting that the
Corinthians give more than they had planned?
However,
Paul was careful not to put on any pres[1]sure.
He wanted their gift to be “a matter of bounty [generosity], and not as of covetousness
[something squeezed out of them].” High-pressure offering appeals do not belong
to grace giving.
Our
greatest encouragement for giving is that it pleases the Lord, but there is
nothing wrong with practicing the kind of giving that provokes others to give.
This does not mean that we should advertise what we do as individuals, because
that kind of practice would violate one of the basic principles of giving: give
secretly to the Lord (Matt. 6:1–4). However, Paul was writing to churches; and
it is not wrong for congrega[1]tions
to announce what they have given collectively. If our motive is to boast, then
we are not practicing grace giving. But if our desire is to provoke others to
share, then God’s grace can work through us to help others.
2. Your Giving Will Bless You (9:6–11)
“Give,
and it shall be given unto you,” was our Lord’s promise; and it still holds
true (Luke
If our
giving is to bless us and build us up, we must be careful to follow the
principles that Paul explained in this section.
The
principle of increase: we reap in measure as we sow (v. 6). This principle
needs little explanation, because we see it operating in everyday life. The
farmer who sows much seed will have a better chance for a big[1]ger
harvest. The investor who puts a large sum of money in the bank will certainly
collect more dividends. The more we invest in the work of the Lord, the more
“fruit” will abound to our account (Phil.
Whenever
we are tempted to forget this principle, we need to remind ourselves that God
was unsparing in His giving. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him
up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Rom.
The
principle of intent: we reap as we sow with right motives (v. 7). Motive makes
absolutely no difference to the farmer! If he sows good seed and has good
weather, he will reap a harvest whether he is working for profit, pleasure, or
pride. It makes no dif[1]ference
how he plans to use the money that he earns; the harvest will probably come
just the same.
But not
so with the Christian: motive in giving (or in any other activity) is vitally
important. Our giving must come from the heart, and the motive in the heart
must please God. We must not be “sad givers” who give grudgingly, or “mad
givers” who give because we have to (“of necessity”); but we should be “glad
givers” who cheerfully share what we have because we have experienced the grace
of God. “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed” (Prov. 22:9).
If we
cannot give joyfully (the Greek word gives us our English word hilarious), then
we must open our hearts to the Lord and ask Him to grant us His grace.
Certainly God can bless a gift that is given out of a sense of duty, but God
cannot bless the giver unless his heart is right. Grace giving means that God
blesses the giver as well as the gift, and that the giver is a blessing to
others.
The
principle of immediacy: we reap even while we are sowing (vv. 8–11). The farmer
has to wait for his harvest, but the believer who practices grace giving begins
to reap the harvest immediately. To be sure, there are long-range benefits from
our giving, but there are also immediate blessings.
To
begin with, we start to share God’s abundant grace (2 Cor. 9:8). The
“universals” in this verse are staggering: all grace; always; all sufficiency;
every good work. This does not mean that God makes every Christian wealthy in
material things; but it does mean that the Christian who practices grace giving
will always have what he needs when he needs it. Furthermore, the grace of God
enriches him morally and spiritually so that he grows in Christian character.
In his walk and his work, he depends wholly on the sufficiency of God.
请注意保罗在写有关该系列的文章时所用的词。这是“为圣徒服务”，为信徒同工服务。这也是“赏金”（林后 9:5），意思是“慷慨的礼物”。保罗是否可能暗示哥林多人的奉献超出了他们的计划？
然而，保罗小心翼翼地没有施加任何压力。他希望他们的礼物是“慷慨[慷慨]，而不是贪婪[从他们身上挤出来的东西]”。高压奉献呼吁不属于恩典奉献。
我们给予最大的鼓励是让主喜悦，但实行那种激发别人给予的给予并没有错。这并不意味着我们应该宣传我们作为个人所做的事情，因为这种做法会违反奉献的基本原则之一：秘密地奉献给主（马太福音 6:1-4）。然而，保罗正在写信给教会。会众宣布他们集体奉献的东西并没有错。如果我们的动机是自夸，那么我们就不是在实践施恩。但如果我们的愿望是激发他人分享，那么上帝的恩典可以通过我们帮助他人。
2. 你的奉献会祝福你（9:6-11）
“给，就给你，”是我们主的应许。它仍然适用（路加福音 6:38）。他回馈给我们的“好尺度”并不总是金钱或物质，但它的价值总是远远超过我们所给予的。给予不是我们做的事情，而是我们做的事情。给予是理解上帝恩典的基督徒的一种生活方式。世人根本无法理解箴言 11:24 这样的说法：“有分散的，反倒增多；有的人比我们所能应付的多，但它往往会导致贫穷。”在施恩中，我们的动机不是“得到什么”，而是接受上帝的祝福是附带的好处之一。
如果我们的奉献是为了祝福我们并建立我们，我们必须小心遵循保罗在本节中解释的原则。
增长的原则：我们撒种的时候要收成（第 6 节）。这个原则几乎不需要解释，因为我们看到它在日常生活中运作。播种多的农民将有更好的机会获得更大的收成。将大笔资金存入银行的投资者肯定会获得更多的红利。我们在主的工作上投入的越多，我们的账户就会越多“果子”（腓立比书 4:10-20）。
每当我们想忘记这个原则时，我们需要提醒自己，上帝在他的给予上是毫不留情的。 “既不爱惜自己的儿子，为我们众人舍了他，岂不与他一同白白地把一切都赐给我们吗？” （罗 8:32）。在自然和恩典方面，上帝都是慷慨的赐予者；敬虔的人必须效法神圣的榜样。
意图的原则：我们用正确的动机播种，收获（第 7 节）。动机对农民完全没有影响！如果他播下好种子，天气好，无论他是为了利益、快乐还是骄傲，他都会收获。他计划如何使用他赚到的钱并没有什么不同。收获可能会一样。
但基督徒并非如此：给予（或任何其他活动）的动机至关重要。我们的奉献必须发自内心，内心的动机必须取悦上帝。我们不能成为勉强给予的“悲伤的给予者”，或者是因为我们不得不给予（“必要”）而给予的“疯狂给予者”；但我们应该是“乐于奉献”的人，因为我们经历了上帝的恩典，所以乐于分享我们所拥有的。 “眼目开阔的，必蒙福”（箴 22:9）。
如果我们不能快乐地给予（希腊词给了我们英文单词 hilarious），那么我们必须向主敞开心扉，求他赐予我们他的恩典。当然，上帝可以祝福出于责任感而给予的礼物，但除非他的心是正确的，否则上帝不能祝福给予者。恩典给予意味着上帝祝福给予者和礼物，给予者是对他人的祝福。
即时性原则：我们在播种的同时也要收割（8-11 节）。农夫必须等待他的收成，但实行施恩的信徒会立即开始收割。诚然，我们的施与会带来长远的利益，但也有直接的祝福。
首先，我们开始分享上帝丰富的恩典（林后 9:8）。这节经文中的“普遍”是惊人的：所有的恩典；总是;一切充足；每一件好事。这并不是说上帝使每个基督徒在物质上都富有；但这确实意味着实行恩典给予的基督徒在需要时总会得到他需要的东西。此外，上帝的恩典使他在道德上和精神上丰富，使他在基督徒品格上成长。在他的行动和工作中，他完全依靠上帝的充足。
It is
disturbing to see how many Christians today are totally dependent on others for
their spiritual resources. Preachers cannot get sermons unless they borrow them
from a book or a other resource. Church officers are bewildered about what to
do with a problem unless they phone two or three well-known preachers for
advice. Far too many church members have to consult with the pastor once a week
or they fall apart spiritually.
The
word sufficiency means “adequate resources within” (see Phil.
We not
only share God’s grace, but we also share His righteousness (2 Cor. 9:9). Paul
quoted Psalm 112:9 to prove his point. That psalm describes the righteous man
who has no fears because his heart is sin[1]cere and obedient
to the Lord. Paul did not suggest that we earn righteousness by our giving,
because the only way to get righteousness is by faith in Jesus Christ. However,
if our hearts are right, our giving will be used by God to make our character
righteous. Grace giving builds Christian character.
We reap
as we sow, and we share God’s miracle multiplication of what we give and do (2
Cor.
Paul
referred here to Isaiah 55:10–11, a passage that uses “seed” and “bread” to
refer to both the Word of God and to the literal harvest in the field. There is
no such thing as “secular” and “sacred” in the Christian life. The giving of
money is just as spiritual an act as the singing of a hymn or the handing out
of a gospel tract. Money is seed. If we give it according to the principles of
grace, it will multiply to the glory of God and meet many needs. If we use it
in ways other than God desires, the harvest will be poor. Finally, as we sow,
we are enriched and we enrich others (2 Cor.
But 2 Corinthians
As a
pastor, I have watched young Christians lay hold of these principles of grace
giving and start to grow. It has been a great joy to see them trust God as
their giving is motivated by grace. At the same time, I have seen other
believers smile at these principles and gradually impoverish themselves. Some
of them “pros[1]pered”
financially, but their income was their downfall: it did not enrich them. They
had their reward, but they lost their opportunities for spiritual enrichment.
Grace
giving means that we really believe that God is the great Giver, and we use our
material and spiritual resources accordingly. You simply cannot outgive God!
5. Your Giving Will Meet Needs (
Paul
introduced a new word for the offering: service. It means “priestly service,”
so once again, Paul lifted the offering to the highest level possible. He saw
this col[1]lection
as a “spiritual sacrifice” presented to God, the way a priest presented a
costly sacrifice on the altar.
Christians
no longer bring animals as sacrifices to God, because the work of Christ on the
cross has ended the Levitical system (Heb. 10:1–14). But the material gifts we
bring to the Lord become “spiritual sacrifices” if they are given in the name
of Jesus (Phil. 4:10–20; Heb. 13:15–16; 1 Peter 2:5).
令人不安的是，今天有多少基督徒完全依赖他人的属灵资源。传教士除非从书本或其他资源中借来布道，否则无法获得布道。除非他们打电话给两三个知名传道人寻求建议，否则教会官员对于如何处理问题感到困惑。太多的教会成员必须每周与牧师商量一次，否则他们会在灵性上崩溃。
充足一词的意思是“内部有充足的资源”（见腓立比书 4:11）。借着耶稣基督，我们可以有足够的能力来满足生活的需要。作为基督徒，我们确实需要互相帮助和鼓励；但我们绝不能相互依赖。我们必须依靠主。只有他才能给我们心中的“水井”，使我们有足够的生命（约翰福音 4:14）。
我们不仅分享上帝的恩典，还分享他的公义（林后 9:9）。保罗引用诗篇 112:9 来证明他的观点。那篇诗篇描述了义人无所畏惧，因为他的心是罪恶的，并且顺服主。保罗并没有建议我们通过奉献来赢得正义，因为获得正义的唯一途径是相信耶稣基督。然而，如果我们的心是正确的，我们的奉献就会被上帝用来使我们的品格正义。施恩可以建立基督徒的品格。
我们播种时收获，我们分享上帝的奇迹倍增，我们给予和所做的（2 Cor. 9:10）。农民必须决定他将保留多少种子作为食物以及种植多少。如果收成很瘦，那么可供食用和种植的种子就会减少。但是相信施恩的基督徒永远不必担心这个决定：上帝供应他所需要的一切。总有精神和物质的“面包”供吃，精神和物质的“种子”供播种。
保罗在这里提到以赛亚书 55：10-11，这段经文使用“种子”和“面包”来指代上帝的话语和田间真正的收成。在基督徒的生活中，没有“世俗的”和“神圣的”这回事。捐钱就像唱赞美诗或分发福音单张一样是属灵的行为。钱是种子。如果我们按照恩典的原则给予它，它就会倍增荣耀上帝，满足许多需要。如果我们以上帝所期望的方式使用它，收成就会很差。最后，当我们播种时，我们就丰富了，我们也丰富了他人（2 Cor. 9:11）。农民在田间工作时立即获得了身体上的好处，但他必须等待收获。被恩典激励的基督徒会在他或她自己的生活和品格中收获个人丰富的祝福，而这种丰富会造福于他人。最终的结果是当其他人感谢他时，荣耀归于神。保罗小心地指出，施恩不会给我们带来功劳。它给上帝带来感恩。我们不过是上帝为满足他人需要而工作的渠道。
但哥林多后书 9 章 11 节教导了另一个真理：上帝使我们富足，使我们可以更加慷慨地给予。施恩的喜悦之一就是给予越来越多的喜悦。我们所有的一切——不仅仅是我们的收入——都属于神，都是献给神的，神都用它来完成他的工作。我们在每一件事上都很丰富，因为我们与祂和他人分享一切。
作为一名牧师，我看到年轻的基督徒抓住了这些给予恩典的原则并开始成长。看到他们相信上帝，因为他们的奉献是出于恩典的动机，我感到非常高兴。同时，我也看到其他信徒对这些原则微笑，并逐渐使自己变得贫穷。他们中的一些人在经济上“繁荣”，但他们的收入是他们的失败：它并没有使他们富裕起来。他们得到了回报，但他们失去了充实灵性的机会。
恩典给予意味着我们真的相信上帝是伟大的给予者，我们相应地使用我们的物质和精神资源。你根本无法超越上帝！
5. 你的捐赠会满足需要 (9:12)
保罗为奉献引入了一个新词：服务。它的意思是“祭司的服务”，所以保罗再一次把祭物提升到最高水平。他将这些收藏视为献给上帝的“精神祭物”，就像祭司在祭坛上献上昂贵的祭品一样。
基督徒不再将动物作为祭品献给上帝，因为基督在十字架上的工作已经结束了利未人的制度（来 10:1-14）。但是，如果奉耶稣的名献上，我们带给主的物质礼物就变成了“属灵的牺牲”（腓 4:10-20；来 13:15-16；彼得前书 2:5）。
But the
emphasis in 2 Corinthians
When a
Christian starts to think of excuses for not giving, he automatically moves out
of the sphere of grace giving. Grace never looks for a reason; it only looks
for an opportunity. If there is a need to be met, the grace-controlled
Christian will do what he can to meet it.
“As we
have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them
who are of the household of faith” (Gal.
However,
we are not the ones who get the glory; it is the Lord who is glorified (Matt.
It
might be profitable here to notice Paul’s use of the concept of abundance as he
wrote this letter. He opened the letter with abundant suffering that was
matched by abundant comfort (2 Cor. 1:5). He also mentioned abundant grace (2
Cor.
Our
giving ought to provide for necessities, not subsidize luxuries. There are
needs to be met, and our limited resources must not be squandered. It is true
that the need itself is not the only reason for giving, for there are always
more needs than any one Christian or church can meet; but the need is
important. Some needs are greater than others, and some needs are more
strategic than others. We need accurate information as well as spiritual
illumination as we seek to meet the many needs that are pressing on us today.
5. Your Giving Will Glorify God (
“Let
your light so shine before men,” said our Lord, “that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt.
但哥林多后书 9 章 12 节的重点是，他们的奉献将满足犹太贫穷圣徒的需要。 “因为这项服务的管理不仅满足了圣徒的需要，而且还因对上帝的许多感谢而变得丰富”（2 Cor. 9:12）。外邦信徒可以给出许多不给的借口。 “他们饥荒贫穷，不是我们的错！”可能是其中之一。或者，“靠近犹太的教会应该帮助他们。”或者，“我们相信给予，但我们认为我们应该首先照顾好自己。”
当一个基督徒开始想借口不施舍时，他自然而然地离开了施恩的范围。格蕾丝从不寻找理由；它只寻找机会。如果需要满足，受恩典控制的基督徒会尽其所能满足。
“所以我们有机会，就当向众人行善，特别是向信仰之家的人”（加 6:10）。保罗告诫富有的基督徒“他们行善，行善，乐于分发，愿意交流[分享]”（提前 6:18）。我们大多数人不会认为自己“富有”，但世界其他人会。
然而，获得荣耀的不是我们；得荣耀的是耶和华（马太福音 5:16）。许多人会因为我们分享他们的需要而感谢上帝。我们今天在地上可能听不到感恩，但当教会聚集在一起时，我们会在天上听到。
在这里注意到保罗在写这封信时使用了丰富的概念可能是有益的。他以丰富的痛苦打开这封信，伴随着丰富的安慰（2 Cor. 1:5）。他还提到了丰富的恩典（2 Cor. 4:15）和丰富的喜悦和慷慨（2 Cor. 8:2）。由于上帝丰富的恩典，我们可以在每件善事上总是多多做事（林后 9:8）。使徒认为基督徒的生活是丰富的，因为耶稣基督可以使我们适应各种情况。
我们的捐赠应该提供必需品，而不是补贴奢侈品。有需要，不能浪费我们有限的资源。确实，需要本身并不是给予的唯一理由，因为总是有比任何一个基督徒或教会都无法满足的需要。但需求很重要。有些需求比其他需求更大，有些需求比其他需求更具战略性。当我们寻求满足当今紧迫的许多需求时，我们需要准确的信息和精神启迪。
5. 你的奉献会荣耀神（9:13）
我们的主说：“你们的光要这样照在人前，好叫他们看见你们的善行，就归荣耀给你们在天上的父”（太 5:16）。这是教会奉献的美好之一：没有人能得到只属于上帝的荣耀。
For
what would the grateful Jewish believers give thanks? Of course, they would
praise God for the generosity of the Gentile churches in meeting their physical
and material needs. But they would also praise God for the spiritual submission
of the Gentiles, their obedience to the Spirit of God who gave them the desire
to give. They would say, “Those Gentiles not only preach the gospel, but they also
practice it!”
The
little phrase and unto all men at the end of this verse (2 Cor.
It
might be good for our churches to take inventory to see if anybody is giving
thanks to God for our obedience and generosity. No amount of evangelistic zeal
or worship activity can compensate for lost opportuni[1]ties in serving
others and meeting their practical needs. It is not a matter of choosing one
and ignoring the other. There must be a balance of sharing the gospel and
meeting practical needs, if our light is to shine brightly and steadily. It has
well been said that it is dif[1]ficult
to preach the gospel to a hungry man (see James
I
recall reading about a wealthy Christian who daily, at family devotions, prayed
for the needs of the missionaries that his church supported. One morning, after
he had concluded family prayers, his little boy said, “Dad, if I had your
checkbook, I could answer your prayers!” A discerning lad, indeed!
6. Your Giving Will Unite God’s People (
This,
of course, was one of the major purposes that Paul had on his heart when he
challenged the Gentile churches to assist the Jewish believers. The extreme
legalists in the church had accused Paul of being anti-Jewish and even
anti-law. The Gentile churches were removed from the “mother church” in
In what
ways would this offering bind the Jewish and Gentile congregations more
closely? For one thing, the offering was an expression of love. The Gentiles
were not obligated to share (though Paul did see the offering as the payment of
a “spiritual debt,” Rom.
Another
spiritual bond would be prayer. “And in their prayers for you their hearts will
go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you” (2 Cor.
I have
had the experience of visiting several mission fields and hearing believers
there say, “We are praying for you.” I recall chatting with a fine Christian
from eastern Europe, who said, “We are praying for you in the
Both
the Jewish and the Gentile churches would be drawn closer to Jesus Christ.
“Thanks [grace] be unto God for his unspeakable [indescribable] gift” (2 Cor.
感恩的犹太信徒会感谢什么？当然，他们会赞美上帝，因为外邦教会慷慨地满足了他们的物质和物质需求。但他们也会赞美上帝，因为外邦人在属灵上顺服，他们顺服了上帝的灵，上帝赐予他们奉献的渴望。他们会说：“那些外邦人不仅传福音，而且还实行！”
这节经文末尾的小短语和对所有人来说（2 Cor. 9:13）很重要。犹太信徒会感谢其他人也得到外邦教会的帮助。每个接受援助的小会众都会感谢这种援助以及对他人的援助。而不是说，“为什么我们没有得到更多？”他们会赞美上帝，其他有需要的人也得到了帮助。这就是施恩的方式。
我们的教会最好盘点一下，看看是否有人感谢上帝的顺服和慷慨。再多的传福音热心或敬拜活动都无法弥补失去为他人服务和满足他们实际需要的机会。这不是选择一个而忽略另一个的问题。如果我们的光要明亮而稳定地发光，就必须在分享福音和满足实际需要之间取得平衡。众所周知，向饥饿的人传福音是很困难的（见雅各书 2：15-16）。
我记得读过一个富有的基督徒，他每天在家庭灵修中，为他的教会支持的传教士的需要祈祷。一天早上，他完成家庭祈祷后，他的小男孩说：“爸爸，如果我有你的支票簿，我可以回答你的祈祷！”真是个有眼光的小伙子！
6. 你的奉献将使上帝的子民团结起来（9:14-15）
这当然是保罗挑战外邦教会帮助犹太信徒时的主要目的之一。教会中的极端律法主义者指责保罗反犹太人，甚至反法律。外邦教会因距离和文化而与耶路撒冷的“母教会”相去甚远。保罗想阻止 529 III。保罗执行他的权柄 (10-13) A. 战士，攻击反对派——10 2 哥林多前书 9-10 教会中的分裂，而“救济祭”是该预防计划的一部分。
这种奉献会以何种方式更紧密地结合犹太人和外邦人的会众？一方面，奉献是爱的表达。外邦人没有义务分享（尽管保罗确实将祭物视为“属灵债务”的偿还，罗马书 15:25-27），但他们这样做是因为上帝的恩典。反过来，犹太人会觉得自己与他们的外邦兄弟姐妹紧密相连。
另一个属灵的纽带是祈祷。 “在他们为你祈祷时，他们的心会向你倾诉，因为上帝给了你超凡的恩典”（2 Cor. 9:14 niv）。外邦教会是否“购买”了犹太教会的祷告支持？一点也不！保罗在犹太地分享奉献时，设想了一种自发的爱、赞美和祈祷的表达。
我曾访问过几个宣教区，听到那里的信徒说：“我们在为你祈祷。”我记得和一位来自东欧的优秀基督徒聊天，他说：“我们在美国为你祈祷，因为在某些方面，你比我们更难成为属灵的基督徒。”当我请他解释时，他笑着说：“你的生活比较安逸，舒适是精神生活的敌人。在东欧，我们知道我们的敌人是谁，我们知道我们的朋友是谁。你住的地方，很容易上当。是的，我们在为你祈祷！”
犹太人和外邦人的教会都会更接近耶稣基督。 “感谢 [恩典] 上帝赐予他难以言喻的 [难以形容的] 礼物”（林后 9:15）。在耶稣基督里，所有人类的区别都被抹去，我们不再将彼此视为犹太人或外邦人、富人或穷人、给予者或接受者。 “因为你们在基督耶稣里都成为一了”（加 3:28）。
It is
sad when our giving becomes a substitute for our living. A church officer once
complained to me, “I’ll give any amount of money you want for missions. Just
don’t make me listen to a missionary speak!” When a Christian practices grace
giving, his money is not a substitute for either his concern or his service. He
first gives himself to the Lord (2 Cor. 8:5) and then he gives what he has. His
gift is a symbol, as it were, of the surrender of his heart. You cannot
separate the gift and the giver when your giving is motivated by God’s grace.
当我们的付出成为我们生活的替代品时，这是可悲的。一位教会官员曾经向我抱怨说：“我会给你任何钱用于宣教。只是不要让我听传教士说话！”当一个基督徒实行施恩时，他的钱不能代替他的关心或他的服务。他首先将自己献给主（2 Cor. 8:5），然后将他所有的献给他。他的礼物可以说是他内心投降的象征。当你的奉献是出于上帝的恩典时，你不能将礼物和给予者分开。
I
suggest you read 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 again, and that you note the emphasis on
the grace of God. If our churches and other ministries would get back to grace
giving, there would be fewer high-pressure offering appeals, fewer gimmicks to
raise funds, and fewer complaints from the people of God. Instead, there would
be plenty of money available for the ministries that truly magnify the grace of
God. And I think that the unsaved people in the world would sit up and take
notice!
You and
I are saved because God believed in grace giving.
How
much do we believe in grace giving?
我建议你再读一遍哥林多前书 2 章 8 章和 9 章，注意对上帝恩典的强调。 如果我们的教会和其他事工能够恢复施恩，那么高压奉献的呼吁就会减少，筹款的噱头也会减少，上帝子民的抱怨也会减少。 取而代之的是，真正彰显上帝恩典的事工将有大量资金可用。 而且我认为世界上未得救的人会坐起来注意！
你我都得救了，因为神相信恩典的赐予。
我们在多大程度上相信恩典给予？
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