2 Corinthians 8:20-21 “We are traveling together to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gift. We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.”
At the beginning of the 8th chapter Paul is letting the Corinthians know that the churches in Macedonia were overflowing with generosity. Even though these believers were experiencing their own problems and were poor, they gave far beyond what they could afford, and they were eager to help the church in Jerusalem. Paul was encouraging the church in Corinth to give willingly and cheerfully. Now that we know some of the background, let’s get into verses 20 and 21. The “generous gift” that Paul was referring to would of course have to be delivered and he wanted to prevent any talk of funds being mismanaged. Then just as now, there were those who would like to cast suspicion especially on church leaders. And when it comes to money, those who donate want to feel confident that the money is being given to those they were seeking to help. Paul knew that having more than one person handling the money would help avoid talk of wrongdoing and give confidence to those who had generously donated. When money is collected and applied to God’s work, this is a serious responsibility because this is money that belongs to God not to men. Therefore, Paul was being careful to avoid the appearance of wrongdoing in God’s eyes, but also in the eyes of men. Paul was setting a standard for all Christians, a standard of integrity. Our integrity should not only be maintained or seen in the area of money, but in every aspect of our lives. People watch what we do, how we dress, what we say and like it or not we are often judged by the behavior of just one Christian. People often say they don’t care what others think, I myself have often said that. But the truth is we should care, because as Christians, all we do and say reflects on God. How many times have you heard someone say they don’t attend church because Christians are hypocrites? Why do you think they say that, maybe because at times we say and do things that aren’t very Christ like. Even though they may have met many who were kind, loving and compassionate, they will judge by the one that fell short. We know that there is only one that is perfect, and that is God, we represent Him here on earth. It is just as important for us, as it was for Paul, to avoid accusations of wrongdoing. In fact, I would venture to say it is more important for us to maintain integrity as we grow closer to end times. Why? Because our behavior and words could cause someone who is on the fence about their faith to fall in the wrong direction. We want to draw them closer to God not give them a reason to turn away from Him. God does not want even one to be lost, and neither do we. Until next time may God bless you and bring peace to your heart.