“Children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.”
2 Corinthians 12:14
Allow me to lift a principle from the Apostle Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians concerning what our attitude should be toward the next generation. In Chapter 12, verse 14, Paul writes, “Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.”
Paul related to the church at Corinth as a “spiritual father,” for it was through his ministry that the Corinthians had come to faith in Christ. You can read the record of the founding of the Church at Corinth in Acts 18 and compare Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 6:13, when he declares, “I speak unto you as unto my children.” This truth is also the foundation of his admonition in 1 Corinthians 4:15 where he writes, "For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”
We can track the Corinthian Church’s spiritual development by considering Paul’s writings. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, he speaks of them as “babes in Christ;” those who needed to be bottle-fed and were not yet ready to handle the meat of God’s Word. In 1 Corinthians 13:11, Paul beckons them on into maturity by encouraging them to put away their childish ways, saying, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” The Apostle’s intent and desire was to see the church grow in the Lord and become completely devoted to Christ. Listen to Paul’s passionate appeal in 2 Corinthians 11:2: “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
As 2 Corinthians 12 opens, Paul is assuring the Church that in his return to Corinth, he will not allow himself to become a burden to them in any way and that he desired to care for the Church without any cost to them. As he makes this point, he reveals a most important principle that we must also embrace: “children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” 2 Cor. 12:14
As a spiritual father, Paul recognizes a self-evident truth; that children are not obligated to save up and provide for their parent’s needs, but rather, parents for their children. This is simply a natural order of life; that parents are to support their children, and not vice versa. In v14, when Paul says that the children “ought not” lay up for the parents, he is not saying that children should never help their parents. He is not making an exclusive rule, but instead, he is stating the accepted norm; that is, that parents are expected to help their children. This is simply a statement of life as we know it. When Paul states that “children ought not to lay up for the parents,” he is not commanding that a child couldn’t or shouldn’t, but rather, that the children are not commanded or demanded to support and provide for their parents. The obligation is placed squarely on the shoulders of the parents. The natural law in Greek culture was that sons are the inheritors of their fathers and not fathers of their sons.
Biblically, parents, and especially fathers, are under obligation to provide for their children. Along these lines, the word “parents” in this text is a masculine noun that might be better translated as “begetters” or “fathers.” How important is it to note that just because someone is able to father a child does not mean that they will be able to fulfill the obligations of a true father. Becoming and being a father carries with it the taking of responsibility for another person’s life! The goal is to have within yourself, enough of a deposit of the truth of God that your children can come and make continuous withdrawals from your life. The role of fatherhood is not only one of great privilege, but perhaps, even more so, it is one of even greater responsibility! It speaks of possessing a great maturity and wisdom in God. As a father, the demand is placed upon you to assure that your children are perfected in love, protected in life, prepared for life, and above all else, provided with a rich, spiritual inheritance through the successful passing on of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Again, Paul states, “for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” The word “lay up” that is used here has to do with “a saving up” rather than “a handing out.” In other words, it speaks of a reserve; an account where the child can feel free to come to make periodic withdrawals. It is important to take this out of the realm of finances and lift this truth to a higher level. When Paul spoke about parents “laying up” for their children, he was focused upon far more than money. He was talking about something greater than handing our kids some cash. The words “lay up” are often used in the Scripture in a non-material sense. For instance, in Matthew 6:19-20, Jesus taught, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal" In the same way that Jesus was clearly referring to more than a physical or material or financial inheritance, so too, spiritual fathers need to give their attention to providing, or “laying up,” a spiritual reserve that will be passed to the next generation.
There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that states, “One generation plants the trees and the next gets the shade!” Today, we aresitting in the shade of trees that have been planted by the former generation - those who were uncompromising in their commitment to Christ and were willing to lay down their very lives for the advancement of the Gospel. Now the spade is in our hand! Now we have been handed the shovel and we must determine to plant some tress that will provide shade for the next generation. What are we planting that will cover our children? How deep are we willing to dig? How dirty are we willing to get? Are we willing to plant the kind of trees that will provide the future generations with protection from the blistering heart of a sin dominated world? How are we going to shield them from the scorching rays of this godless culture? True fathers do not just sit idly by and think that their children and the next generation are going to turn out alright on their own - because they are not. Let us ask ourselves: What are we “laying up” for the next generation? Personally, I have determined to hand the next generation a Kingdom that is more fully developed, more fully enhanced and more fully advanced than the Kingdom that I was handed. But this will not happen unless we are willing to pay the price!
Notice Paul’s commitment as a spiritual father in 2 Corinthains 12:14, 15, where he writes “For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you…” Here Paul informs us that laying up a spiritual inheritance for others will be very costly! We know from the Biblical record that Paul invested his life in others. He didn’t just fling his life away; but instead, he deliberately laid himself out that he might lay up treasures on behalf of others! Notice further that Paul says that he does this “gladly!” In fact, “very gladly!” He delighted to spend himself for God’s interests in other people and he did not care what the cost was to him personally. Many of us approach the Throne with calculators in our hands. We pray, “Lord, I believe You are calling me to do this or that…, or to go here or there…” But then we begin to ask, “I wonder how much I’ll be paid and what the benefits are?” “I wonder if I’ll be treated well and if all of my needs will be met?” Questions like these indicate that we are serving God with a caution and with a reserve. Our commitment to God is actually a “conditional surrender.” We are willing to do the will of God, “if…” The Apostle Paul exercised no caution in this regard and had no reserve. He had made an unconditional surrender to the will of God and was willing to spend and be spent for his spiritual children.
The word that Paul uses here means “to expend resources until nothing is left. It is found in Mark 5:26 describing the woman with the issue of blood who “spent all she had” on medical treatment but was none the better. It is also used in Luke 15 with regard to the Prodigal Son who “spent all” (v14). Notice that Paul says, “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you!” He will not withhold any resources he has, including himself. Paul said, “I’ll spare nothing; I’ll spend all that I have, and more importantly, all that I am!” Like a candle, which consumes itself to give light to others, Paul declares his intent to gladly pay the bills that will bring others to Christ and into the fullness of His will! The Apostle was willing to extend himself to the uttermost limits of his capacity, doing anything and everything he could, exhausting all of his resources and energies – and he was willing to do it unconditionally!
If we consider ourselves to be spiritual fathers, then we must be committed to giving the next generation what they need no matter what the cost is to us! Like Paul, we must choose to invest our lives preparing our children to live. We must determine to dig deep and plant the tress that will shade our children and position them to move forward in life with strength and purpose! We must decide to give a gift that is greater than money – we must give ourselves; and in doing so, we will be laying up a rich inheritance for the next generation by setting them up for success in the will of God!
By: Pastor Jim Ruddy, Bethel Assembly; Littlestown, PA
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Laying up for our Children
