Paul’s conception of giving is a very lofty one. To him, giving is a grace, a ministry, a personal experience. This is something God-given. This is a bestowment by the Holy Spirit. Many of the churches Paul had planted were renowned for their charity and liberality. The evidence is that Paul taught the importance of stewardship frequently. Right here to the Corinthian believers he says, “If you want to know whether or not giving comes from heaven, if you want to know whether or not giving is the grace of God himself, then behold the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).