Week 22 Generosity
The Bible says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” The following Scriptures give many reasons for giving generously.
1. Circle key words and phrases in the following Scriptures.
But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.
1 CHRONICLES 29:14
Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
PROVERBS 3:9–10
* One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
PROVERBS 11:24–25
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
LUKE 6:38
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 CORINTHIANS 9:6–7
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
ACTS 20:35
2. What do we learn about generosity in (answer briefly):
1 Chronicles 29:14
Luke 6:38
Proverbs 3:9–10 2
Corinthians 9:6–7
Proverbs 11:24–25
Acts 20:35
3. Do a verse study using the form on the next page.
4. Memorize Proverbs 11:24–25.
Verse Study Form
Using the suggested memory verse marked with an asterisk from the
opposite page, complete this verse study form.
1. Verse reference ____________________________________________
2. List two key words and define them.
Key Word ________________________________________________
Definition ________________________________________________
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Key Word ________________________________________________
Definition ________________________________________________
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3. What does the verse say?
(Paraphrase—Rewrite the verse in your own words.)
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4. How can you apply the truth of this verse to your life today?
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Closing (Prayer time and assignment for next week)
Next week Bible Study is on (God’s Divine Care)
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Then why bother to go through all the giving and receiving, transfering and returning, in the first place?
If I give a dollar, this passage says it will be returned to me, presumably by the original recipient, or another party such as God. If it's the original recipient, why shouldn't I just keep the dollar instead of going through the ritual? If it's another party, why don't they just give the dollar directly to the intended recipient rather than commanding me to act as a middle man? (Also, in the case of the third party, are they also insured that what they give via me is returned to them? If so, we either have an infinite stack of turtles, or the cycle essentially reduces to the first case, in which case we're all just wasting time by circular giving.)
Dr. S
Originally posted by DoctorScribblesIt is just reiterating to love your neighbor. By giving, you're justifying God's abundant giving to you. If you give more, God will give you more in return; whether it is through love, joy, material needs, etc. is up to God.
"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Then why bother to go through all the giving and receiving, transfering and returning, in the first place?
If I give a dollar, this passage says it will ...[text shortened]... es to the first case, in which case we're all just wasting time by circular giving.)
Dr. S
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Theoretical computer scientists have what is known as a Pumping Theorem, which in essence is used to help identify and avoid nonsense claims such as this.
Suppose the claim is true. Two people can be infinitely blessed by simply passing a dollar back and forth, and in fact under the truth of the claim, they must do so if they are acting rationally, for keeping the dollar once it is received is always sub-optimal. Every gift would become a hot potato if this claim were true.
Originally posted by DoctorScribblesContext. Giving the same gift over and over is not gift-giving. It is exchanging.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
Theoretical computer scientists have what is known as a Pumping Theorem, which in essence is used to help identify and avoid nonsense claims such as this.
Suppose the claim is true. Two people can be infinitely blessed by simply passing a dollar back and forth, and in fact under the truth of the c ...[text shortened]... s received is always sub-optimal. Every gift would become a hot potato if this claim were true.
Originally posted by DarfiusOK, suppose I give a dollar to you.
To the same person? Yes, once.
You believe, because the Bible tells you, that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Thus, if you want to be blessed, you would desire to immediately give the dollar back to me. However, you invoke this new clause that, once given, the dollar no longer will be blessed upon giving it back to me.
I have a couple questions. First, does the Bible support this new clause?
Second, does the invocation of this new clause explain why some evangelists who solicit donations are so extraordinarily wealthy?
Third, you do realize, don't you, that your new clause means that all blessing potential must eventually vanish, for given sufficient time of everybody following the command to give, people will have exchanged everything with everybody else at least once and there will be no more (gift, receiver) pairs with any blessing potential.
Originally posted by DoctorScribbles'More' blessed does not mean it is not blessed at all to receive. For instance, a poor person who receives help from a well-to-do person is still blessed, due to the love of Christ through His children giving the gift.
OK, suppose I give a dollar to you.
You believe, because the Bible tells you, that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Thus, if you want to be blessed, you would desire to immediately give the dollar back to me. However, you invoke this new clause that, once given, the dollar no longer will be blessed upon giving it back to me.
I ...[text shortened]... se at least once and there will be no more (gift, receiver) pairs with any blessing potential.
If you give a gift simply to get something in return, in this case blessing, you're not doing it selflessly. The point is to give selflessly, as Christ did on the cross. It is through this growing more selfless that you grow closer to Christ, and THAT is the blessing.
Originally posted by RBHILLIn brief, generosity, as portrayed by the cited verses, is a concept flawed to the core. When applied as instructed, to the extent that it even can be, it leads to undesirable states and much wasteful, unproductive thrashing.
2. What do we learn about generosity in (answer briefly):
Originally posted by DarfiusRight, I undestand that the receiver may be blessed.
'More' blessed does not mean it is not blessed at all to receive. For instance, a poor person who receives help from a well-to-do person is still blessed
But the verse says in very clear language that that reciever would be even more blessed by giving it away again. That is, one never maximizes ones blessings by accepting a gift. Thus in a rational society, no gifts will ever be accepted.