2 Corinthians 8:8 Commentary and Bible Study

The subject is gifts, stewardship, monetary gifts, and all gifts of time and energy given in Christian service. These principles could apply to all these things, but the immediate context is the relief of the poverty in Jerusalem at the time of the apostle Paul.Compassion must be voluntary. Paul says, ‘I speak not by commandment’ – I wouldn’t command you to do this. The Lord doesn’t command you to give but he appeals to your heart. It is an entirely voluntary thing. We can never have a system which puts pressure or forces people to give. This compassionate giving is a mark of sincerity; it is love in action. The same is true of all that we do for the Lord. The voluntary principle is very precious to Christians. No true religion can be compulsory, forcing people to serve God against their wills, for if we serve God outwardly and not from the heart, we only give part of what we have to him and we hold back another part which we do not really want to give. Our bodies are his as much as out possessions, and our hearts are his as much as our bodies.