“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” –2 Corinthians 8:9
I heard some dude the other day using this verse to encourage his congregation to pursue wealth in Jesus. Did you know that Jesus was rich? According to Paul Jesus was wealthy but he gave up that wealth so that we might become rich. Pretty clear, isn’t it?
From this, the fancy-suited leader-man went on to teach how God wants us wealthy. “It’s clear from Scripture”, he said. In fact, according to this cat we aren’t living out the full gospel if we live in poverty. It’s even insulting to Jesus that he would die for your wealth and you still be living in poverty scraping by paycheck to paycheck. He died for your abundance, you’d better walk in it. He gave up his wealth so that you could be wealthy—not so that you could keep on living in poverty.
Before you make that down-payment on the new house boat you probably ought to consider the Scriptures and their context. Paul’s argument in 2 Corinthians 8:9 is the exact opposite of what this fella was laying down. He writes this to the Corinthians to encourage them in giving to the relief of the poor saints in Jerusalem. He uses not only the churches in Macedonia as a model and example for giving but also the Lord Jesus.
Paul’s reference to the wealth of Christ doesn’t mean that he was riding in the backseat of Joseph and Mary’s Lexus, as if he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Nor is it saying that he was bringing home the jack as a carpenter making Ron Swanson worthy tables, but he gave all that up to become a missionary. He didn’t have a place to lay his head. Nor did his parents even have the requisite sacrifice at the time of his birth. He wasn’t rolling in money. But he was rich in the way it mattered. Jesus Christ left the eternal glory of heaven and humbled himself during the incarnation. Do you see the model? Sacrifice your own comfort/wealth so that others might benefit.
The problem, then, with this teaching is that this is a call to follow Christ and not to receive from Christ. There are myriad places where we are told to receive the benefits of Christ. We are told that we have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Yes, Christ purchased this wealth for us. But to take 2 Corinthians 8:9 as a call to be wealthy in material things? That’s poppycock. It’s a call to give up your wealth. Not roll in it.
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