| DON'T FORGET THE POOR |
| A fund-raising letter from Paul himself. |
| Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 9:7 |
| Every day in millions of mailboxes across the United States, letters with special "non-profit" postage stamps appear, stuffed among catalogs, magazines, and flyers from retail stores. Fund raising through the mail is big business, for Jews, Catholics, Protestants, and a passel of charitable organizations. The apostle Paul assuredly never engineered a million-piece charity appeal - the empire's postal service and the cost of papyrus made such an idea unthinkable. But 2 Corinthians does present a direct appeal for funds (chapters 8-9). Jewish Christians near Jerusalem were reportedly on the edge of starvation. Paul seized on the crisis as a perfect change for Gentile Christians to reach out in compassion and demonstrate their spiritual unit with Jewish Christians. Practicing What He Preached In these two chapters, Paul outlines a philosophy of Christian giving, holding up Jesus Christ as a model. He explains the goal of such giving and the proper attitude of the givers. He even applies a little pressure by citing examples of Christians less well-heeled than the Corinthians (8:1-6; 9:1-5). This brief passage on giving shows Paul's holistic concerns. While still recuperating from personal trauma, he had agreed to head up a major fund-raising drive on behalf of the needy in Jerusalem. Later, working on that very project, he paused to write the profoundly theological book of Romans (Romans 15:25-26). His scholarship didn't dampen a zeal for practical Christian love; his concern for souls didn't crowd out concern for their hungry bodies. Life Questions: Compare Paul's appeal for funds with those you see in the mail and in the media. Is there different emphasis? |