Oct 23, 2017
Integrity. It’s a long-lost art. And sadly to say, even within the church, in some instances. And nowhere does a lack of integrity show up more regularly or egregiously than when it comes to the handling of money. And the same was true in Paul’s day. That’s why he takes time to assure the believers in Corinth that he is a man of integrity, who can be trusted to care for their financial gifts for the needy believers in Jerusalem. He had gone out of his way to ensure that their donations to the cause were going to get where they belonged. No skimming of funds for personal gain. No mishandling or cooking of the books. For Paul, this was about the integrity of the gospel more than anything else. Any mismanagement of the funds given to aid the church in Jerusalem would end up harming the cause of Christ and bring shame to the name of God. So, in 2 Corinthians 8:16-24, we will see Paul assuring the Corinthians that he can be trusted. But, in a way, he is teaching them a valuable lesson on personal integrity. All that we do reflects either positively or negatively on the Kingdom of God. How we handle ourselves when it comes to the affairs of the church is vitally important to the reputation of the church.