THIRD QUARTER 2026
SABBATH SCHOOL INSIGHT #11
SEPTEMBER 12, 2026
"STEWARDSHIP AND MISSION".

 

Our focus in this lesson is on 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9. The memory text which thrills our souls is one we all know well. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 2:8 NKJV). This text will be the context for our study of stewardship and mission.

 Paul and the Corinthians had agreed to help the saints in Judea who were suffering financial hardship. He had in addition appealed to the Galatian brethren who had also agreed to help the church in Judea. “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem” (1 Corinthians 16:1-3 NKJV). Unfortunately, issues had developed in the Corinthian church such that the believers suffered spiritual decline and with that a failure to fulfill their obligation. Paul sent them a “severe” letter of which we have no written record but which is alluded to in 2 Corinthians chapters 1-7. After a year had passed, Titus paid a visit to the church and  in chapter 7 we see that he brought back a message that the believers had experienced a deep repentance. “Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus….For even if I made you sorry with my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it. For I perceive that the same epistle made you sorry, though only for a while. Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7, 8-10 NKJV). With this repentance, Paul was ready to remind them of their commitment to help the brethren in Judea. To do this he employs as a backdrop what the Lord Jesus Christ did for humanity as motivation to service. 

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 2:8 NKJV). Rightly, the author of the quarterly notes on Sunday’s lesson, “This is the story of redemption but in only one verse. Even more impressive is that this story is told through financial language.” We are studying stewardship in parallel with the plan of redemption which had at its foundation, “planned to give.”

Many passages in Scripture speak of what Christ has done for us, but this particular text takes us from eternity past to eternity future, telling us the story of God’s work on behalf of humanity, as the author mentioned, all in one verse. Several texts affirm the concept that “planned giving” is part of the plan of redemption. “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began” (2 Timothy 1:8,9 NKJV). “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Ephesians 1:3,4). “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, emphasis supplied).

The plan for our redemption was not an afterthought, a plan formulated after the fall of Adam. It was a revelation of “the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal.” Romans 16:25, R. V. It was an unfolding of the principles that from eternal ages have been the foundation of God’s throne. From the beginning, God and Christ knew of the apostasy of Satan, and of the fall of man through the deceptive power of the apostate. God did not ordain that sin should exist, but He foresaw its existence, and made provision to meet the terrible emergency. So great was His love for the world, that He covenanted to give His only-begotten Son, “that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.

This was a voluntary sacrifice. Jesus might have remained at the Father’s side. He might have retained the glory of heaven, and the homage of the angels. But He chose to give back the scepter into the Father’s hands, and to step down from the throne of the universe, that He might bring light to the benighted, and life to the perishing. 

Nearly two thousand years ago, a voice of mysterious import was heard in heaven, from the throne of God, “Lo, I come.” “Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me.... Lo, I come (in the volume of the Book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God.” Hebrews 10:5-7. In these words is announced the fulfillment of the purpose that had been hidden from eternal ages. Christ was about to visit our world, and to become incarnate.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 22-23.

The quotes above tell us that Jesus Christ was rich, but His riches were far greater than we can even comprehend. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4). Jesus Christ was and is God of the universe. He is the Creator God, the eternal One, The Almighty God. He was on the throne of the universe. He received the adoration and worship of all the heavenly host. Jesus said, “Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5 NKJV). But He stepped down and gave, in fact He gave all. “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8). He came here to tabernacle with us, living a life of poverty. Jesus said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58 NKJV). Besides His earthly poverty, He was rejected by those who saw in Him no stately form, no splendor, no beauty by earthly standards. “For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Isaiah 53:2,3 NKJV).

A favorite text of many Christians is John 3:16. However, it is a far more profound text than recognized. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). There are two operative words here: “so” and “gave.” The word “so” means “in truth” which intensifies the thing it is about to describe. Additionally, it is used to introduce a logical conclusion. Going back to the text, looking at the phrase, “God so loved the world that He gave,” tells us that there is an important thing that love does, and that is to give. The author of the lesson tells us in Monday’s lesson, that “the language of giving pervades 2 Corinthians 8 and 9,” and gives us examples: “Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia” (2 Corinthians 8:1 NKJV); “And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5 NKJV); “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV); “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NKJV).

Why do we give? What motivates us? I heard a preacher on the Christian radio station say that tithes and offering are not mandatory—it’s an old testament thing and the New Testament makes no mention of having to pay tithe. He is right about only one thing. We can’t pay tithe! We own nothing!

“For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is Mine, and all its fullness” (Psalm 50:10-12 NKJV).

King David said, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; for all that isin heaven and in earth is Yours; Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, and of Your own we have given You” (1 Chronicles 29:11-14 NKJV ,emphasis supplied). Did you catch that? David in effect says, “Who are we that we give You anything? We cannot because  everything comes from You and it’s Your stuff that we are giving back to You!” That is profound. God has given us the privilege and the responsibility of stewardship. Only as we appreciate “the indescribable gift,” can we give cheerfully. 

The Lord does not need our offerings. We cannot enrich Him by our gifts. Says the psalmist: “All things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee.” Yet God permits us to show our appreciation of His mercies by self-sacrificing efforts to extend the same to others. This is the only way in which it is possible for us to manifest our gratitude and love to God. He has provided no other.—Ellen G. White, Counsels on Stewardship, pp 18,19.

Our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world as the unwearied servant of man’s necessity. He “took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” that He might minister to every need of humanity. Matthew 8:17. The burden of disease and wretchedness and sin He came to remove. It was His mission to bring to men complete restoration; He came to give them health and peace and perfection of character—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 17.

In Tuesday’s lesson (paragraph one) the author says, “In 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, planning is an essential theological principle that concerns the act of giving.” This is born out in 2 Corinthians 9, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV). The word “purposes” denotes a well-considered decision. Our giving grows out of a deliberate choice. Many people give on the spur of the moment without much thought. It was not so with God’s great gift of love as recorded in John 3:16. He “so loved that He gave.” Christ so completely emptied Himself, that He retained nothing of the riches that were once His. He took upon Himself the nature that needed redeeming, made Himself of no reputation, and humbled Himself. Christ came to deliver humanity from the poverty of sin and make us rich in Christ. This is the result of the planned giving of the Godhead. It was a well-considered decision, not spur of the moment.

The last phrase in 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” The spirit of liberality is the spirit of Christ. 

Those whose hearts are filled with the love of Christ, will follow the example of Him who for our sake became poor, that through His poverty we might be made rich. Money, time, influence—all the gifts they have received from God’s hand, they will value only as a means of advancing the work of the gospel. Thus it was in the early church; and when in the church of today it is seen that by the power of the Spirit the members have taken their affections from the things of the world, and that they are willing to make sacrifices in order that their fellow men may hear the gospel, the truths proclaimed will have a powerful influence upon the hearers.—Ellen G. White, The Acts of The Apostles, p. 71.

How great was the gift of God to man, and how like our God to make it! With a liberality that can never be exceeded He gave, that He might save the rebellious sons of men and bring them to see His purpose and discern His love. Will you, by your gifts and offerings, show that you think nothing too good for Him who “gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in should not perish, but have everlasting life”?—Ellen G. White, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, May 15,1900.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

 - Lyndi Schwartz