2 Corinthians 9:1-2; Forwardness of Your Mind

2 Corinthians 9:1-2 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you: For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.

Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works (Hebrews 10:24). This was the Apostle Paul’s intention when he recalled the readiness of the Corinthian church to give support to the saints in Jerusalem. As a result of their zeal to give, it has encouraged the churches in Macedonia to do likewise. And these churches have flourished in their giving. A year later, it seemed the good intention of the Corinthian church to give has not been realized. The Apostle Paul felt that he need not even mention this in his letter, knowing that the Corinthian church will be forward to complete the collection.

There is an interesting write-up by Dr. Talmage entitled “Crosslyse Family Kept Giving”

In the latter part of the 1900s, a girl in England became a kitchen maid in a farmhouse. She did much hard work.

Time rolled on, and she married the son of a weaver of Halifax. They were industrious; they saved money enough after awhile to build them a home.

On the morning of the day when they were to enter that home the young wife arose at four o’clock, entered the front door yard, knelt down, consecrated the place to God, and there made this solemn vow: “O Lord, if thou wilt bless me in this place, the poor shall have a share of it.”

Time rolled on—a fortune rolled in. One of the children, a member of parliament, in a public place declared that his success came from that prayer of his mother in the door yard. All of the family members were affluent. They built dwelling houses for labourers at cheap rents, and where they were invalid and could not pay, they had the houses for nothing.

One of these sons came to our country, admired our parks, went back and bought land, opened a great public park, and made it a present to the city of Halifax, England. They endowed an orphanage; they endowed two almshouses.

All England has heard of the generosity and the good works of the Crosslyses.¹

Thank God for the gift of giving. Amen.

¹Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.