2 Corinthians, 8:21-24
Bob Eckel · Feb 27, 2005
2 Corinthians (2004-05), No. 35
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/48262321235631

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

This reminds us of kind of the the travels of Paul that related to his second journey and the churches presumably representing this area that we're reading about here in 2nd Corinthians. So we're going to move on to the last four verses today of chapter 8, and again the topic before us is giving, parenthesis, of oneself and financially, and I think It's really relevant to think about that. Early in the text, remember, Hal pointed out that in verse 5, it says, And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave themselves to the Lord.

So, you know, this isn't a work that we're about here. If it doesn't begin by us showing up in the right relationship to our Heavenly Father, these gifts are meaningless. And again, I think I mentioned this when Hal was teaching, just as a comment or a question, is the, I think Holly Hills really does this right. You know, we have no offering plate that's being passed. You know, and boy, that really allows us to be giving because the Spirit moves us to give. There's no accountability. There are no pledges.

The Lord, I wasn't here Friday night, but presumably the finances of this church are where the Lord wants them to be right now. And, you know, one thing I might just say parenthetically, and this is kind of a little tangential to the lesson this morning, is that, Wayne, I think when there's a need here, we need to know about it, though. I mean, it's not a matter of just keeping secrets that the Lord just, through his magical powers, you know, enlivens us to give. I mean, if there's a need, I think we need to know about it. I think the body's in a position to give in the right way. without the pressure that the world system puts on us in terms of our financial giving.

And actually, I think that's what Paul's expectations were here with the church. And we're going to read about that this morning in terms of what his expectations were of the church in terms of the way in which they should respond to the needs that were in Judea. All right, verse 21. This is the interlinear Greek. You're going to see about three or four different Bible versions here this morning in terms of the verse itself.

For we provide good things not only before the Lord, but also before men. When you think about providing something, there's a bit of anticipation that's built into that, isn't it? Providing, I mean, the verb entails an anticipation or a desire and a careful consideration. So in the Greek, the term is shown there is best translated to care about beforehand or to plan. So the idea here is the providing of good things not only before the Lord but also before men is something that we should be anticipating.

So we think about and plan to carry these things out in a way that ultimately is manifested as a good quote-unquote thing before the Lord and before men. Good is the same as honest, which is the same as honorable. Let's turn to Titus a second, chapter 2. you go back to the gospel count remembering what things, you call me good, what is good, right? Jim, could you read that for us? Sure. Titus 2, 5 through 8.

Please. To be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored. Likewise, urge the young men to be sensible. In all things, show yourselves to be an example of good deeds, with purity and doctrine, dignified, sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. All right, thank you.

And 1 Peter 2.12, let's just turn there a second, too. Jim, it looks like you're ready for action there, too. Go ahead. keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may, on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation."

Alright, a couple of points from that verse is that having your behavior honest among the Gentiles, that term honest is the same thing we're talking about here in 2 Corinthians 8, good. So honest, good, honorable, are all really, I think, a representation of that life in us that's of the Lord that's lived out. I mean this is purely the life of the Lord Jesus Christ lived out for the believer. When Paul talks here about providing good things not only before the Lord but before men, it's important I think to look at the Lord.

This is the term curious which implies yielding authority or power. And it's interesting, if you look at the scripture, typically the Greek word curious is used for the Lord Jesus Christ, but there are other examples where it's not. It's used for the Heavenly Father. So God the Father can be referred to as curious. But in context, when we think of curious here, it takes us back to verse 19, which we studied last week. And that's an important verse.

And not that only, but who was also chosen, we're talking about this brother now, of the churches, to travel with us with this grace which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, Kyrgios. And there, the term implies the Lord Jesus Christ. And, you know, if you take a Vines and you go through Vines and you look at all the examples by which this word is used, about 60% of the time it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, and about 30 to 40% of the time to the Heavenly Father. And exactly how you partition that apart and make sure you know to whom it refers is sometimes a little tricky, but here I think in context it probably refers to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now the term men is anthropos, which is generic man. It's not man versus woman. This is the generic human race which we're all a part of. So let's think about in context what this verse intends for us. It says that We're as accountable before men as we are the Lord. Wow.

Different standards. But yet, and some things that came to my mind are just the following points. Number one, it's not enough for one's financial accounts, keep in mind in context, you know, we could expand this to every good work. But in context, we're talking about the financial issues that are being addressed by the need in Judea. But it's not enough for one's financial accounts to be honorable as God sees them. We're always accountable to God. But they should be so kept that men can understand them also.

How about your home? Your business? The IRS has always got an eye on us, don't they? I mean, we are accountable here. But in a sense, if you think about the accountability to our fellow man, in fact, that's God imposed, isn't it? We go back to the Genesis and the legal system that's been established.

I mean, in a sense, what a perfect opportunity to be very transparent. Some of you know I'm active in the American Heart Association. I just got back from Dallas, actually, Saturday, yesterday. And, you know, the books are opened up. And, you know, being able to look at, you know, the $600 million that the AHA gets a year and looking at how that's, you know, received and partitioned out in terms of all the programs the AHA supports is really revealing. and it's really honest and honorable.

Now that's an earthly thing, but nevertheless I think as believers we're particularly accountable to our fellow man in terms of our resources. That doesn't mean we have a stranger walk into our home and ask to see our checkbook and savings accounts and all our mutual funds, but nevertheless I think that the purpose here appealing to the Church at Corinth was to have our financial position really honorable and honest and good, if you will, before the Lord and fellow man. Second point, for when we have once lost our credit, I think this is relevant, and reputation among men, our ministry is really hampered, isn't it?

I mean, just think about that a little bit. If we have a home that's not financially honest and or a business, what kind of a witness is that to our children? Or to our fellow workers? Or to the body? or to government if we cheat on our income tax. I mean, we keep in mind we all, if you're like me, we all try to find every possible deduction that we can get on our income tax.

But nevertheless, we do that in transparency because we need to be honorable before not only God, but before our fellow man. Yeah, go ahead, Hal. In 1 Peter 2, which we just read, in terms of having behavior, honest purpose, that the Gentiles, that they might behold the glory of God in us, through us.

Right, as we continue through this chapter, near the end, we're going to get back to the glory of God. Because, think about that, I mean, that's our entire purpose for being here, isn't it? That the glory of the Lord would be revealed? And that's why I kind of went back to verse 19 again. Remember, this is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord and to show a ready mind.

Now, our financial status by law must be honest and honorable, but it's neat to see that, in fact, it begins with our accountability to the Lord. The believer is accountable only to man or the government as he or she is accountable to the Lord. I mean it starts with our heavenly relationship and ultimately that transcends our human experience. Neat. And the third point here is concerned less any weak person by their conduct should be stumbled and fall.

Keep in mind if we, again I mentioned and alluded to that in the first point, that if we in fact are not financially open and honest, it's picked up by our brother or sister or our children and it's picked up by our fellow workers. So there's really an accountability here financially that is there for each and every one of us as believers. Any comments on that? Further comments?

My financial principles, I can't spend more than I make, right? So anyway, it's always a good finance. It's very simple, but it tends to work usually anyway. You know, if you think about back in your own lives, the times where you had a little less were sometimes some of the very best times too, wasn't it, where you're not distracted by a little extra cash on the side.

All right, 2 Corinthians 8.22, this is the inner linear Greek again, and we sent with them the brother of us, whom we proved in many things, many times diligent being, or being diligent. now and much more diligent and confidence much, and that confidence is towards you.

Now, this brother, if we go back to 2 Corinthians 8.18, this is the issue that came up last week.

Who is this brother? Well, some have suggested this is Luke, as I mentioned last week. There is some support for this being Luke. But then others suggest this is Apollos. By the way, in my search for the people who were potentially representative of this brother, these are the names I came up with in various commentaries and things. Luke, Apollos, Timothy, Sosthenes, Sopater, Aristarchus, we mentioned Aristarchus last week, Secundus we mentioned last week, Eponetus, Silas, Zenos the lawyer, that's in Titus 3 someplace. I mean, Zenos is mentioned once in scripture and how he got into this mix, I don't know. Tychus and Trophimus, all these people had been mentioned in a variety of commentators' mindsets that these could be the brothers.

But I think what's underlined and hyphenated and also bolded is we have no idea who this was. And it's not relevant. We really don't care who it was. The purpose is that this brother really shared a fellowship with Titus and with Paul in terms of the mission that they were accounted to. And whoever this brother was, he's a godly one.

Let's look at some of the characteristics that are mentioned about this brother. We're told that he's diligent. And how would you define diligent? Well, diligent is one with great earnest. It's one that has a zeal. And I think a good way to think about it might be passionate. Someone whose enthusiasm and desire is evident by the way they express themselves or how they carry themselves.

Let's turn to 2 Peter chapter 1. By the way, let me remind you, interrupt at any time if you have any points or questions. questions are too hard I'll refer them to somebody else but so 2nd Peter chapter 1 and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity." What precedes diligence in verse 5 in terms of the expression of that attribute? Verse 4. What do we see as a prerequisite of being diligent?

My goodness. I mean, so diligence can be misplaced. I mean, the foundation of our diligence is that we're partakers of the divine nature. Speaks to the right source. It really does. And diligence, again, can be well used as an adjective about worldly performance. The zeal and earnestness and passion people have, you know, without the Lord in their lives.

But what I read, I'm going to kind of read in between the lines here a little bit. The divine nature is not a passive existence. And it says here that when we are protected of the divine nature, we've escaped the corruption that's in the world. That's kind of in parenthesis.

That's a positional truth and hopefully it's a conditional experience, but then we give all diligence adding to our faith virtue and virtue knowledge and knowledge self-control and da-da-da-da. This is a platform that's based on our diligence in pursuing our earnestness and zeal to allow that divine nature to work out in us. And this isn't a list of things to do. This is not a refrigerator list. This isn't a representation of what the Christ life really should be looking like in each one of us. This is something we're excited about and really willing to be zealous in terms of the ability to express and to share and to represent.

The other thing this brother has is confidence and the idea of confidence that this is entrusted and the question is to whom is this confidence related? My King James says, it has an italics, that upon the great confidence which I have in you. So according to the King James Version, this would be Paul's confidence in the body. But most of the other versions that I looked at, I just listed some of them, the New American Standard, the NIV, the Amplified, the ASV, other versions would indicate that that confidence is of the brother.

So again, this is picking hairs a little bit in terms of which it is. It could be either, really, and not really misrepresent the verse. But I think the italics in the King James is probably not the best translation. Keep in mind, it's in italics, so it's not in the interliterary Greek. If we go back to the last one, it doesn't give us any hint.

Barrett says, now in much more diligent and confidence much towards you. It doesn't really give any idea who has the confidence. Whether it be Paul or whether it be the brother, I think is unclear, but probably doesn't make that much difference. And why is the confidence in the Corinthians? I'd say because of the price of them. who's their source and who's their hope. Knowing the Christ is looking in their eyes, thus someone can be confident in the Corinthians. Okay, how do you think the Corinthians would have perceived this in the epistle? In other words, let's say you're reading Paul's epistle and he's stating that the brother and or himself has great confidence in them. What's our response as believers when we see something like this?

Thanks. Right. Right, and think about this for a time, the Corinthian Church is a body of believers now, and there's... I look at it as kind of an encouragement, and it's kind of an enhancement of the faith, and I think we all need a little bit of that.

I mean, we carry ourselves on earthly bodies. We have emotions and things that impact our life on a day-to-day basis, and here we're being encouraged by a brother, and it's good, and we never receive that as the confidence is in us. It's the confidence in our faith being played out in a diligent way, right? So that's, I think, an encouragement to the body.

And by the way, this trust and confidence that's exemplified in this verse is really that same trust or confidence that we are to have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 3 to take a look at that trust that's bequested of us in terms of our relationship to God, the Heavenly Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wayne, I've got you on this one. declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not within, but with the spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God's will, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiencies of God, who also have made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. But if the ministration... We're fine there, thanks. Now if we go back to verse 5, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God.

And what precedes that, in such trust have we through Christ towards God. So this confidence and trust is not for the Corinthian church to get their act together. The trust is that the foundation that Paul has built in that church now is being exemplified in the response to the request. It's a whole different Paul game. It's such a different scenario, isn't it, than influencing us through legal principles that we must give.

Boy, I'm not sure whether you or Jim are going to be teaching this, but in the next chapter, one of my favorite verses is verse 7. Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver. Boy, what a principle that is. And I think that's what Paul's looking for here. Cheerful givers.

Boy, and when we give in that manner, there's no looking back. And so the question I would ask you is, can we apply this to our day-to-day lives? This confidence that we have in things that relate to the body, particularly of a financial nature, does it really tie into our trust and confidence of our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ? And God owns all the cattle on a thousand hills, right?

Or whatever, something like that. All right, verse 23, and this is in the amplified version. I really like this because it was really succinct and to the point. As for Titus, he is my colleague and shares my work in your service. And as for the other brethren, they are the messengers of the churches, a credit and glory to Christ. So Paul endorses Titus to the hill. I mean, first of all, he calls him his partner. And Philemon 117 is just kind of an example of that.

If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself. So, I mean, this is really a close relationship. You know, it doesn't make any difference who shows up. If they're partners, they're exchangeable in terms of their mission. So that's really a great confidence that Paul has in Titus. Secondly, he's a colleague or fellow worker. Fellow workers, what the interlinear Greek would translate this as, and the Amplified, it's colleague. They both, I think, fulfill the same interpretation.

2 Corinthians 12.18, I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? Walk we not in the same spirit? Walk we not in the same steps? Paul might as well have been there. I mean, he's looking at his relationship with Titus as one, as the relationship that we should share as a body of Christ in terms of our goals and intents to glorify the Lord.

And then the second part of the verse, and it's for the other brethren, they are the messengers of the church as a credit and glory to Christ. These individuals are chosen and sent forth by the churches. And when we think of a messenger or missionary, or an apostle, if you will, that's not only to preach the gospel, but also there's a mission here that relates to the poverty of the saints in Judea. So the messenger can have multiple purposes, all representing God's purpose enacted in their life, but I think we have to keep in mind that the messenger or missionary is not simply there to share the gospel, then they have other purposes connected to their mission. Now, the key to this is to the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. I mean, it's not to bring glory unto ourselves.

Anonymous donors are always those that, we're always curious, aren't we, whenever you see a big gift being made by someone who's not willing to have themselves identified. Boy, doesn't that say something? I mean, think about it in the world system. You know, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra gets a $100,000 gift from an anonymous donor.

Somebody really cares about music. really cares about the symphony, but we don't need to know who that is, and that really reflects that glory not need be brought to themselves. Now, I'm not saying that gift is a glory to Christ, but as believers, you know, it really does reflect to whom we belong, doesn't it? The churches were or are, keep in mind, we're going to make this present tense, the glory of Christ in whom he's glorified, where his glory is seen and his presence enjoyed. And just a couple of verses to speak to that, what we read last time, and not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord.

And then I love Ephesians 3.20 and 21. Now unto him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. Doesn't say our power, it says the power that works in us. unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout the ages, world without end. Amen." List ways that you think that this glory is portrayed. Let's just dialogue for a little bit. Two reasons. We have plenty of time. And secondly, as I intended it. All right. Thank you.

How is the glory portrayed in the body? If I get back to the earlier part of this, the idea there of partnering and working together, I think that brings glory to the Lord. Think about the elders here. and the partnering and the fellow working that they have here with the body. And so I think as body we observe that even as other servants of the Lord here, messengers of the Lord within this church as we're co-working together and partnering together. I have to think that that brings glory to the Lord. And then especially when when people come into the church here, that they're able to see that, boy, there's unity, and these guys are in harmony with the Lord, thus they're in harmony with each other, and they're co-laboring, they're partnering, I think that really, that's the work of the Lord a lot. Okay, Jim, let me put you on the spot a little bit.

How is that unity exemplified? How do you know, how do you sense that? Personally, my experience plays into this a little bit. Well that's okay. I think it is exemplified because they're all saying the same thing. So the uniformity of the message, is this kind of the doctrine? Or does it go beyond the doctrine? It's both. It's the doctrine and it also goes beyond the doctrine.

And so when people come into the fellowship here, they're not sent some mixed messages. talking with one person and getting one bit of advice and then talking with somebody else and getting another bit of advice. But there's, I think, that true partnership and fellow worker. I think that really speaks to the unity and thus I think that glorifies the Lord.

If that answers your question. Yeah, that's very good. Yes, thanks Jim. Other opinions or comments there? I think that we uphold each other in prayer. Okay. That's kind of the teamwork that I think the Lord is talking about here in this verse. Other thoughts? How the glory is portrayed in the local body, specifically Holly Hills, but it could be another body. All right. Good, Marilyn. And what do you think about when you think about God's gifts to the body of Christ?

I mean, the fact that each of us are not thumbs or noses or toes, that we all have different... that's good. I mean, I think that... Yeah, we really see that here in this church because since we don't have a paid maintenance staff, a paid this and that, everybody just jumps in. And I think it's pretty obvious if you come here, even to all of us who've been here for a while, that it's really fun to see and wonderful how people just... I mean, we don't even know what's happening, like all the redoing of all the wiring that happens, you know, behind the scenes, all of that kind of stuff that's taking place.

And no one's saying, look at me, look what I did. That's not, it's all part of the body. Well, and in context, this is really dealing, in particular, with financial issues. We mentioned that a little earlier, is the needs that we have have been met, and if they're not, we need to know about them and let the Lord meet them. I mean, there's no sense of pressure here to sustain the body in terms of the financial needs of the body. And I think that's to the glory of the Lord, is it not? I mean, we can't say that any of us take credit for that. That's to His glory, right?

The term being rooted and grounded in love is what's the motivating force behind it. That love comes from the Lord. Okay, good. Alright. You know, remember Christ said in several Gospels, I think, his great commandment was that we love others as we love ourselves. But then he put in very strong words, as I have loved you.

And so this love for the brethren is not something we work on. Isn't that neat? Ian takes the pressure off that a little bit. you know, you don't work at love. I mean, it doesn't mean a marriage just happens, but the issue is the godly love is one that's lived by faith, and it's his love for one another.

So that, I think, is another potential application to the body of believers here at Holly Hills. That's the Lord being manifested through you. Okay, good. Thank you. That's good. Alright, now verse 24, wrapping up the chapter, and I think the theme is going to continue into chapter 9. I mean, we don't close the door on this issue because we're going to see more about this whole thing there. Back to now the King James Version, wherefore show ye to them and before the churches the proof of your love, here's Jack, the love, verse 24, and of our boasting on your behalf.

Show is an aorist imperative, and usually we think of aorist tense in the Greek as something that's historic and happened once. But here, the intent has to be futuristic. And I'll turn to more of the Greek scholar, Hal. I mean, aorist can imply future, right?

It's one point in time, right? The aorist just summarizes an action, the action could occur in a point in time, or it can occur over a period of time, to where it's a constantive heurist, where, you know, it's a thing that's constantly being done, but it's just summarized in a point in time.

So like, for example, when I said that the temple was built in 57 years, or whatever that number is, Well, it was built over a period of time, but it's very tense. It wasn't built in a point in time. But it was only built once, right? It was built once, and it was over a period of time, but the heiress just summarizes the fact of it.

Now, the showing them the proof of your love, I think, is represented very well by your comments, right? I mean, we think about it one time, but it's kind of... that love is, in fact, a constant love happening once in a continuing sense. And by the way, it's imperative. That means it's a command. Now, let's go back to the conversation we had five minutes ago.

Love is not something that's commanded, is it? So what's really being commanded of here? As we think of God's love being portrayed through our lives, what is the command? Although what you just quoted, what Christ said, that we're to love So if it's a command, is that something we respond to kind of by getting our act together? No. You know, faith is something we work at, though, isn't it? I mean, the issue is that love is manifested by our faith, right? And the faith is his life. I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, but not I, but he liveth through me, right? I mean, paraphrasing. So what that love, the command to love is, is to getting to know the Lord Jesus Christ and allowing his love to be portrayed through us.

And this is before the churches, actually means in the presence of the churches. And I think a great host is pictured as watching how the how the Corinthians will treat these duly accredited agents in the collection. So we think about the fact that the Church at Corinth is really kind of on the spot here, if you will. I mean, they've been requested to support this ministry in a very particular way. And it requires great courage to stand by such people of great causes before the stingy saints. In other words, they have to be in a position to really trust that the monies that they would give, the financial opportunities they have are going to be played out to the glory of the Lord. And that's an exemplification of their love, proving them of their love. You know, they and we're on a platform of sorts in terms of responding to the needs that are before us.

The question I would have, who's the audience? If the Corinthian church was on a platform to respond as they were encouraged to respond, who's the audience? Well, back to verse 21, the Lord and fellow man. There's the audience, right? Both. And I think the order needs to be appropriate. The Lord and then fellow man. That's the audience. So how the Corinthian church would respond to these needs was really I think the issue before them.

I guess you can bet that fellow man is just ready to find out one little area or one problem and just come down on it now so that the word would not be clarified. That's why they give the caution in verse 20. They caution that no one should discredit you because they're just waiting to find reason that there can be a scandal with the money. Haven't we seen that even today over and over again?

Yeah. I mean as soon as a church, a big ministry or whatever, has any sin that's evident, everybody just jump on that. But you're right, it's to bring disglory to the Lord. It does. And keep in mind that audience is not only the body itself, but in fact it extends far beyond the body. The world's very critical of those kinds of mistakes. So this is really an atmosphere wherein our behavior really is very accountable.

So the proof of their love, again, their love here is agape, which is appropriate, and that's the love that God gives and sustains to Christ and his poor members, how hardy and sincere it was. And an ill reputation would not only reflect upon the churches, but actually on Paul himself. So the verse ends with the fact, you know, here's Paul boasting about the Church of Corinth in terms of how they're going to respond. And goodness, if they don't respond, Paul gets some heat too. Now, I don't think Paul's writing this from his own selfish perspective, but I think Paul is accountable to the Lord of continuing the task that God has given him about bringing this need to this church.

And so it's God's credibility. Of course, God ultimately cares about his credibility, but it's been harmed before and he's made it through that. But God is working through the life of believers, specifically here, Paul. But many other examples are there throughout history in terms of people being responsible to the Lord in terms of the financial needs of the local body and or a larger body.

Chapter 8, verse 8, I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. And in 7.14, for if I boasted anything to him of you, this is again Paul of the Corinthian church, I'm not ashamed. But as we spake of all things to you in truth, even so our boasting which I made before Titus is found a truth. So Paul has approached the Church of Corinth with great confidence that their response would not make his encouragement vain.

And I think that there's kind of a message here that maybe is not intended is that, you know, an atmosphere of threatening and or demand is not really what the Lord's all about. The encouragement we have for one another is really what the Lord's about. And that's true in giving as it is in every other aspect of the Christian existence.

So the final point here is, what proof of their love is Paul really requesting? Just think through that, and what are your thoughts here? And how does that occur? So it says, show ye to them and before the churches the proof of your love. What kind of proof is that? Yes, Steve?

Financial resources to meet the need at that time. love that's being demonstrated. The Lord said that if we love one another as far as the world is concerned, that's how they will see that he is of the Father. So that's a pretty major burden that our love to one another demonstrates to the world who Christ really is. Do you think the world sees the love we have for one for the other within the body?

We would hope so. Yes. Because it turned the world upside down. Okay. Somewhere in X. Only if your faith is lived out beyond these walls. A lot of people I work with that claim to be Christians, but you can't see that as a lifestyle they live. Love lived out. Let me just cut to the point. Let's say the body of believers at Holly Hills responds to a need that Steve Dupuy has in Moscow. He's one of our missionaries.

Does the world see that? The world could see that. But what I'm trying to point out, do we need to care? No, because when we do things in the Spirit of the Lord, He's in control of what subsequently occurs, is He not? And all we're to do is be called by the faith and respond to prove our love through these very kind of you know, specific and or simple examples. Here it's finances, but it could be in any other dimension that we would be called to. Any other thoughts about Chapter 8, particularly the last part here before we close the door on this chapter?

Who's teaching next week? Hal? Okay. How far are you going to get next week, Hal? How far are you planning on getting? You know, Hal, you know, this is kind of aside, but Hal gives us a schedule, you know, but anyway, that schedule is potentially capable of being violated. It has been. It has been. Do you remember how far? You're going down to seven next week? I've got one through seven and we're going to do it in two weeks. Two weeks, okay, great.

All right, let's close in prayer. Father, we're grateful for the time that you've given us together. We're really impressed by the way that very specific needs can be brought to our attention. You know, they could be financial, as we've been talking about here in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, or they could be other needs, but yet the Spirit is true to making us responsible to the love that proves our relationship to You. So, Father, guide us and direct us and have us approach You in rest and truth that Your will will be enacted in our lives as we give You the glory for all we do. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.