The Bible Study podcast episode 724. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of the book of

2 Corinthians with chapter 9.

Welcome to the Bible study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

We continue on with Chapter 9 today, and Chapter 9 is a continuation of some of the thoughts of Chapter 8.

In fact, it really is, in some sense, the same conversation that is carried over and just whoever came in and put it in the chapter markers after Paul wrote this,

put it in the middle of his thought.

And so he was talking, you may recall, he's gathering up an offering for the Lord's people,

especially for the people in Jerusalem that are going through a difficult time.

As I recall, it was a time of famine.

And so they're raising a collection to help support

them. And he talked about that in Chapter 8. It was encouraging them to be generous and knew that they

would be, and it continues that thought here. Chapter 9. There's no need for me to write you about this

service to the Lord's people, for I know your eagerness to help, and I have been

boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you and Akea were ready

to give, and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. But I am sending the brothers in

order that are boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow,

but that you may be ready, as I said you would be, for if any Macedonians come with me and find you

unprepared, we, not to say anything about you, would be ashamed of having been so confident.

So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the

arrangements for the generous gift you had promised.

Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.

And this section brings up a couple different themes from last week, and one thing that's new.

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