they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.begging us with much entreaty to receive this grace and the fellowship in the service to the saints.Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of this grace and the fellowship in the ministering to the saints:
3 sermons cite this verse
… Here's verse 4. They urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing. That's the word, koinonia, sharing in this service to the saints. So we share in the body of Christ and then we share in the service of Christ. The way we serve each other is something we share together. It's a commonality that we have in the service of the saints, in the service of Christ. One more instance in 2 Corinthians. Look at the very last verse, 2 Corinthians chapter 13. Look at verse 14. These aren't all the instances of koinonia. There's tons of them in the New Testament after Acts 2. But these are some of them that give us a picture. Look at 2 Corinthians 13, verse 14. Paul is closing things out. It says, May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship, there it is, you can circle it, that's koinonia, fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. So we share in the body of Christ, the service of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ. …
… scripture teach us to give what we're going to do is we're going to read two passages one in chapter 8 and one in chapter 9 and basically the first one 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 1 through 9 is an example. Paul points to these churches in Macedonia. We're going to see him kind of lift them up as an example. And the second passage we're going to look at is 2 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 6 through 15. And what this is over here is basically some truths based on this example. So we're going to be all over the place going back and forth, just turning between these two chapters. But to try to get this picture, let's camp out on these two passages. 2 Corinthians chapter 8, verse 1. Paul writes, service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything, in faith, in speech, and knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us, Okay, go over to the next chapter. …
… And he's referring to their generosity here as he writes the Corinthians, and he says in verse 1 of chapter 8, Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, that in a great ordeal of affliction, their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. For I testify that according to their ability and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord. It was their idea. They took the initiative. Begging us with much entreaty for the favor of participation in the support of the saints. And this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God. Consequently, we urge Titus, that as he had previously made a beginning, so he would also complete in you this gracious work as well. That is, that they also in the Corinthian church might be as generous and as obedient as they were in the churches in Macedonia. …