Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us: Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 2 Corinthians 8:20-21
In our verse this morning Paul is pleading with the church at Corinth to put legs on their prayers in their portion of the collection for the poor and needy saints in Jerusalem. We see the lengths that Paul goes through to make sure that the way he handles the collection is above reproach. Thus, to ensure that the gracious gift of the Gentiles to the Jewish saints in Jerusalem was delivered decently and in order, he brings along with him two other men who were highly regarded by the body of Christ.
So many biblical principles are tucked away beneath the surface in this section of Scripture that are often missed when simply reading to get through my daily “devotions.” Paul is doing more than just avoiding the appearance of evil in the way he is handling this matter of money. He is also making sure that other men accompany him because this had to have been a temptation for Paul to be carrying around this sum of money when he himself had personal and ministry needs.
Paul is giving us a wonderful example of what it means to walk in integrity and accountability. He knew that not only were others keeping track of him, but most importantly, so was our Lord Jesus. “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (Hebrews 4:13)
