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•8我说这话，并不是命令你们，而是藉着别人的热忱来考验你们爱心的真诚。9你们知道我们主耶稣基督的恩典：他本是富足，却为你们成了贫穷，好使你们因他的贫穷而成为富足。
请注意保罗并没有以任何方式命令哥林多信徒。有趣的一点是保罗花了两章的篇幅谈论基督徒奉献，可能除了称义和信心这两个主题之外，这是保罗写的最多的一个主题。保罗在这里并没有提到旧约十一奉献的诫命。我认为在新约中，当我们谈到奉献和十一奉献时，我们必须非常小心。我一直认为十分之一是我应该奉献的最低水平，但我从不对其他任何人说他们也必须奉献十分之一。我拒绝这样的说法：“如果他们在旧约中这样做，我们就应该在新约中这样做”。因为我们奉献的动力来自十字架，而不是律法。
这正是保罗在这里竭力要指出的。看看耶稣为你做了什么。他本来富足，却为你们在各方面成为贫穷。这个贫穷确实是字面意思上的。狐狸有洞，天空的飞鸟有窝，人子却没有枕头的地方。为了你，耶稣成了无家可归的人！
当然，他以一种更重要的方式成为贫穷。他放弃了自己的荣耀和尊荣，却背负了我们的羞耻。他放弃了自己的圣洁，却替我们成为了罪。他放弃了天上的冠冕，却戴上了荆棘冠冕。他成为了仆人，好让我们成为君王和祭司。
我是世界上最富有的人。我比比尔·盖茨和杰夫·贝佐斯加起来还富有。生活中没有什么是我真正需要或想要的，因为我已经拥有了满足我内心和灵魂所需的一切。我拥有耶稣，我拥有赦免，我拥有永生。在我生命的每一方面，都有无比丰盛的恩典浇灌在我身上。我不需要律法强迫我奉献。我奉献是因为这是我心里愿意的，我的心里充满了耶稣丰盛的恩典。
祷告：主耶稣，我真的一无所缺，因为你成了贫穷，叫我成为富足。请接受我发自内心的奉献，这反映出我对你的爱和敬拜。阿们。
2 Corinthians 8: 8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. (NIV)
Notice that Paul does not command them in any way. I think that it is interesting that in two chapters on Christian giving, perhaps more ink than any single subject other than justification and faith, Paul never points back to the Old Testament commandment of tithing. I think we have to be ever so careful when we talk about tithing and giving in the New Testament. I’ve always felt that a tenth is the least that I should give, but I would never tell anyone that they must tithe. I refuse to say, “If they did it in the Old Testament, we should do it in the New Testament.” Because our motivation for giving must come from the cross and not from the law.
That’s what Paul points to so eloquently. Look at what Jesus did for you. Though he was rich, he became poor for you in every way. He became poor literally. Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man had no place to lay his head. Jesus became homeless for you!
And he became poor in a much more significant way. He gave up his glory and honor to take on our shame. He gave up his holiness so that he might become sin for us. He gave up his heavenly crown to wear a crown of thorns. He became a servant so that we might become kings and priests.
I am the richest man who ever lived. I am richer than Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos together. There is nothing in life that I really need or want, because I have everything I will ever need to satisfy my heart and soul. I have Jesus. I have forgiveness. I have eternal life. I have grace upon grace poured out in my life in every way. I don’t need the coercion of the law to motivate my giving. I will give according to my heart’s desire, which overflows with Jesus’ abundant grace.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I truly want for nothing, because you became poor that I might be rich! Accept the gifts I give from my heart as tokens of my love and adoration. Amen.