Learning to Live Generously in an Age of Austerity

Giving Generously?

In the Second Letter to the Corinthians Chapter 8 Paul writes about obedience to the Gospel in relation to generous giving. He is obviously having a difficult time persuading the Corinthians to stay true to their initial desire of making a gift-offering to the poorer Christians in Jerusalem. So, how does he go about persuading them of their responsibility?

Paul emphasizes to them the importance of Christian generosity through the principles of:

• ·        Gift
• ·        Grace
• ·        Thanksgiving

Paul is at pains to emphasise that he cannot and would not compel or command the Corinthians to give to the Jerusalem Christians: ‘I do not say this as a command’. It is essential that Christian giving is never seen as a payment – it is always gift. In our society and theirs, no doubt, payment for goods and services was the norm. Giving freely to those we don’t know, but to whom we are linked by faith, is a radical idea. For this reason, Paul is at pains to resist any element of compulsion or command, but he links the giving to Jesus’ own voluntary acceptance of poverty, who 

though he was rich for your sakes became poor, 

so that by his poverty you might become rich.  

The grace that Jesus has shown them through his voluntary poverty is an example that Christians should follow. For if we say Jesus is Lord then we must do as he bids us to do. Paul writes that as Jesus gave freely, so they too should give freely out of their abundance- giving not what they don’t have, but what they do have: ‘

the gift is acceptable according to what one has not what one doesn’t have.

Paul stresses that their giving should be proportionate – he is not saying that they must impoverish themselves in order to help the others, but rather that there should be a fair balance:

The one who had much did not have too much

And the one who had little did not have too little.

Further on in the passage, Paul writes:

‘The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work’.

Paul roots our faith and hope in God as the provider of all good things – giving should not bring insecurity or fear. Giving, rather, should bring the greater blessings of God- a true and proper reliance on him and thanksgiving for all concerned. It is those who receive who will give thanks to God; glory is given to God through the generosity of those who give and, finally, rejoicing and freedom is given to those who give generously.

As members together of the Church of England we operate a parish share system whereby those churches who are richer support the churches that are poorer. Many churches do not operate like this – in the congregationalist model the congregation support their own church, there is no obligation to provide for other churches in poorer areas. Through our parish share system we work to ensure that there is a Christian presence in every community, regardless of ability to pay.

When we prayerfully decide what proportion of our income we offer freely to God – without compulsion and without command – we do so not only so that we can support the ministry of St Andrew’s– but so that we too can support the inner-city parishes in Coventry, for example. Our giving here supports the whole church. Our giving glorifies God; our giving means that those who have very little can give thanks to God; and our giving enables us to live freely. Giving generously out of what we have (not out of what we don’t have) frees us from greed and the consumerism that binds us to things. It is we who gain most from giving, for in it we share in the ministry of Christ:

‘You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God’.