The Epistle of 2 Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul and by this time, false teachers had infiltrated the Corinthian church and had challenged both Paul’s integrity and his authority as an Apostle.
Apostle Paul in this epistle made a significant statement on giving, on the ministry, the Christian hope, and the complete victory of Christ as highlighted in 2 Corinthians 2 vs 14.
The book of 2 Corinthians has several popular verses, examples are “for all the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen unto the glory of God by us, another is 2 Corinthians 3 vs 18 and we also have 2 Corinthians 4 vs 4 to 18, 2 Corinthians 5 vs 7 and verse 17 to 21.
This same book of the Bible contains one of the most quoted verses in the scriptures which is in 2 Corinthians 8 vs 9 but do we understand the meaning of this verse?
Join me in this sermon as we carefully look into what Apostle Paul meant when he made this statement, am sure at the end you will be blessed.
THE BIBLE MEANING THAT JESUS BECAME POOR SO THAT WE MAY BECOME RICH
2 Corinthians Chapter 8 begins with a call to generous giving exhibited by the Churches in Macedonia.
Despite facing numerous hardships and severe material poverty, these believers exhibited an abundance of joy that could only come from Jesus.
Their circumstances did not dampen their spirits; instead, they overflowed with astonishingly rich generosity, demonstrating a wealth that transcended their financial situation.
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Jesus said in John 16 vs 22: “That your joy no man taketh from you”. When you read through the book of Acts you will notice that joy accompanies the gospel as we can see below:
Acts 8 vs 8: And there was great joy in that city.
Acts 13 vs 52: And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2 vs 28: Thou hast made known to me the ways of Life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
You finish your course of ministry with joy, not bitterness or grudge. Acts 20 vs 24.
Because we have received atonement in Christ’s sacrifice, we have joy. Romans 5 vs 11.
Romans 4 vs 17 says; For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Galatians 5 vs 22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith which means joy is part of the character and nature of God your Father.
In verses 3 to 5, Paul emphasizes that a believer’s giving stems from voluntary choice and a generous spirit, rooted in the understanding of their new identity in Christ.
This echoes the early church’s example in Acts 2:42-47, where believers shared their possessions to meet each other’s needs.
Their generosity wasn’t born from abundance, but from the grace and love of Christ they had internalized. This divine love, once received, naturally overflowed into selfless giving.
So, Paul used the Churches in Macedonia as an example to the Churches in Corinth and by sending Titus who encouraged them to give as they were already excelling in faith, in the knowledge of Christ, love for the brethren, and in utterance.
And in verse 9, Paul started with “And you know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor so that through his poverty he could make you rich”.
Now, pay attention to this, Paul used the word “and you know” which means the Churches in Corinth have been taught the gospel of grace the sacrifice of Jesus, and who they are in him.
Therefore, the sentence “though he was rich yet for your sake he became poor” doesn’t mean Christ was a millionaire or billionaire, Christ becoming poor means when God became a man, he became sin.
In 2 Corinthians 5 vs 21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
So, Jesus becoming sin is him becoming poor because our poverty was we had no God in us.
Jesus became poor on our behalf so that through his death and identification with sin we might become rich in our relationship with God.
So, rich means the grace of God which reconciled man back to God by the death of Jesus Christ.
Rich in this context, is not about money but relationship because of the death of Christ.
This understanding, Paul explains, is what causes believers’ hearts to overflow with generosity towards one another. What a remarkable grace! It’s why Paul refers to “generosity” as the “ministry of giving.”
In all of this, we keep our focus on Christ, who exemplified the ultimate act of generosity by giving himself for us.
He is our model of selfless giving. Through him, we have received everything, and we can confidently declare that we are complete in Christ, lacking nothing.
I hope you’ve found this message enlightening and encouraging.
Am sure this sermon has blessed you, please consider sharing it with others.
May this understanding of Christ-centered generosity continue to impact your life and the lives of those around you.
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My passion lies in reaching out to young adults in communities and schools, witnessing the transformative power of faith in their lives.
This blog extends my ministry, sharing insights, encouraging believers, and exploring Christ's teachings in daily life.
Welcome, Brother James.
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