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
At first glance this verse could be mistaken for teaching the prosperity gospel; that somehow God wants us to be financially wealthy. So, we need to take the time to dig in and understand the argument Paul is making. His driving point in chapter 8 is to call on the Corinthians to be financially generous toward other struggling Christians. Our task, therefore, is to understand how verse 9 fits into that argument.
Paul begins chapter 8 by holding up the Macedonian churches as an encouraging example the Corinthians should follow. He tells the Corinthians how the Macedonian churches begged to give money to the relief of the saints in spite of their severe affliction and extreme poverty (verse 4). In the end, their overwhelming desire to help “overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part” (verse 2).
In verse 6, he then calls the Corinthians to join in the generosity of the Macedonians. Verse 8 says that he wants them to have a chance to show their earnestness as well (their desire to give). Then comes verse 9, our Fighter Verse for this week. In other words, we can’t avoid the fact that this verse is related to financial concerns. It would be dishonest to indicate otherwise.
Therefore, the question before us is whether or not the riches of Jesus are financial riches or something else. The short answer to the question is no, but let’s flesh that out a bit. Verse 9 begins by reminding us of the eternal riches that belong to Christ. Those riches cannot be financial or material in nature. There was an eternity past when the only reality in the universe was the triune God in fellowship with himself; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They existed in perfect joy and harmony and were wealthy beyond measure, yet they possessed not one material thing. So, the riches of Christ did not consist of things, it consisted of joy and satisfaction in the presence of the Father.
Yet, verse 9 goes on to say that for our sake, he became poor. He humbled himself and took on flesh. He laid down his life on the cross and was forsaken by the Father as the wrath we deserved was poured out on his head. Then, in a glorious display of his victory over sin and death he rose from the grave and eventually ascended to the Father’s right hand.
The good news is that Jesus became poor so that we too could become rich. The Bible says that Jesus was the firstfruit of the resurrection, which means there are more to come. All those who trust in Christ will one day join him in the resurrection. Because of his death on the cross, we will be in the presence of God for all eternity, filled with unending joy and satisfaction. Or to put it another way, we will be rich beyond measure, but only because he first became poor.
So, Paul’s point is not that we become financially wealthy through Christ. His point is that we should mirror the grace we have been shown through our financial generosity to those in need. Our giving is a declaration of the gospel we say we believe.