Saints Alive! Living Generously ~ Lesson Two

A Cloud of Giving Witnesses

Prayer: O God of specific people, in specific places, in specific times, we thank you for Jesus Christ, who has shown us what abundant life looks like. For all those people who demonstrate generous ways of living, we give you thanks. Amen.

Scripture: "Now concerning the collection for the saints: you should follow the directions I gave to the churches of Galatia. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn, so that collections need not be taken when I come. And when I arrive, I will send any whom you approve with letters to take your gift to Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also, they will accompany me." ~1 Corinthians 16:1-3, NRSV

Lesson: Paul was clear about who "you" is in this letter. This child of God was writing to "the church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (1Corinthians 4:14). Yet he was also free to admonish them when needed.

He turned his attention to Corinth, a specific place on the map. A Roman colony in Greece, the city featured two harbors on two seas. Social, cultural and religious diversity fostered a cosmopolitan way of life. An economic center, Corinth was a prosperous environment. It is believed that 150 to 200 followers formed the Christian community that gathered in house churches. The congregations reflected the wider community. There were the wealthy, trades people, shopkeepers, servants, slaves, and former slaves. This is also the "you" Paul addressed.

Paul wrote to an articulate people in a specific time and place. And yet the Corinthians  open the door to us, as Paul's message is also for "all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:2).

Concerning this offering, to be collected from among a specific people in a specific place, Paul gives clear direction. The people are not left to guess the why and how of the offering, but Paul gives guidance. Christian communities are in their infancy; many are separated from more familiar routines, traditions, and expectations. Many of the Jewish converts in the house churches would have been familiar with temple taxes and Roman taxes. Paul gives direction as the people move along a new path.

(The direction Paul offered is addressed more fully in the third Bible study.)

Finally, Paul brings other followers of Jesus Christ into the conversation. Across the Aegean Sea, the congregations of the region of Galatia (Lystra, Derbe, Antioch, and Iconium) would likely have been familiar to the Corinthian church. It is possible the letter to the Galatians was written while Paul was in Corinth.

While he helps unify congregations in a common mission of relief, Paul also holds one congregation up as a model for another. The Galatians are offered as an example to the Corinthians and the Corinthians are held up to the Macedonians (2Corinthians 9:2), while the Corinthians and Macedonians are put forth as examples for the Romans (Romans 15:26). Paul is creative in the ways he unifies diverse congregations in a common mission of relief and witness.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. As a part of "all those in who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," how do you hear Paul's letter? What general lesson do you draw from 1 Corinthians 16:4?

2. What is the nature of the community in which you live? Does the makeup of your congregation reflect the wider community in terms of age, racial/ethnic background, gender, or economic status? Who is the "you" addressed in the passage?

3. To what degree is there clarity in your congregation about how finances are received, administered and dispersed for ministry and mission?

4. Who are your models for generosity as an individual or as a congregation? Why do you personally give?