2 Corinthians 11:5-11.        

Imagine your boss calls you in to her office and gushes over what a great job your colleague is doing. He comes in early and stays late. Everything he does turns to gold!

Or think for a moment of a coach who brags to one half of the team about how marvelous the other half is. After several minutes, the implication is clear: “You underachievers could learn a thing or two from the ‘teacher’s pets.’”

Better yet: What if a preacher wrote a letter to Church A and a good portion of it was dedicated to how generous Church B was?

This is exactly what Paul did in 2 Corinthians. As we read chapters 8 and 9, as well as our text for today, we can almost hear the apostle say, “Have you heard of the Macedonian churches? They’re amazing! Corinthians, you could learn a lot from them!” Awkward right?!

In many of our cultures today, this strategy would not go over well. Yet Paul knew what he was doing. The mission was advancing, and the world was being transformed in great part due to the generosity of others. In fact, we are the beneficiaries of the sacrifice of thousands of people we have never heard of and will never meet on this side of heaven!

Author: Scott Armstrong