The Givers Who Gathered Much or Little 2 Corinthians 8:15

When it came to giving to the gospel of Jesus Christ, Paul the apostle told the church members in Corinth, “now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality”, and in chapter eight and verse fifteen of Second Corinthians, Paul shares an Old Testament example as he tells the Corinthian church members what “he that has gathered much” and “he that has gathered little” are to do where we read:

As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over;

and he that had gathered little had no lack.

The verse begins, “As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over;” Paul began with the word, “as it is written” which means “in the way it is delineated on a tablet, parchment, paper or other material”, “He that had gathered” or “the person who had accumulated and gained” “much” which means “large and great amounts” “had nothing over” or “superabounded, existed in abundance, increased and augmented not one thing”. Paul employed an Old Testament example of the children of Israel as they were fed in the wilderness where it was stated, “he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating” (Exodus 16:15).

The verse continues, “and he that had gathered little had no lack.” Paul added the words, “and he that had gathered” which means “the person who had accumulated and gained” “little” which means “small or few in quantity or size” “had no lack” or “were not less, inferior or diminished”. Paul continued his example as he referred to those who had very “little” in the wilderness but were amply supplied.

When we think through these words of Paul, we see how he referred to the children of Israel in the wilderness as he showed how they fully supplied one another. Paul wanted the Corinthian church members to be givers according to their “much” or “little” gatherings, and as they followed Jesus in their relationships with Him, they would be willing to help others who were in need or receive help if they were. This is the manner in which Jesus' church was to work, and we would do well to think through this example and follow the directive of Paul.

Next time Paul tells , “thanks be to God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.