Second Corinthians Chapter 9/Commentary

Second Corinthians Chapter 9

Outline: I.

The purpose for the messengers: 9:1-5

II.

God loves a cheerful giver: 9:6-7

III.

Blessings that await the generous: 9:8-11

IV.

The unity this contribution will create: 9:12-15

“As many of the early fathers noted, there is a delightfully human touch in the background of this passage. Paul is dealing with the collection for the saints at Jerusalem. But now it becomes clear that Paul has been encouraging the Corinthians to generosity by quoting the example of the Macedonians (8:1-5), and that he has been encouraging the Macedonians to generosity by quoting the example of the Corinthians! And now he is just a little afraid that the Corinthians may let him down! It is typical of Paul that of the greatness of his heart. For the whole point is that he never criticized one Church to another; he praised one to another. He never quoted to one Church the faults and the failings of another; he always quoted the things that he could praise. It is no bad standard by which to test a man to watch whether he delights in retailing the best or the worst about others�

(Barclay pp. 258-259).

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2 Corinthians 9:1 “For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you” “For”: A continuation of the same subject as discussed in the previous chapter.

“This word shows that he is continuing the same subject, and therefore excludes the supposition that this chapter is a separate letter or fragment” (P.P. Comm. p. 218).

“As touching the ministering to the saints'”: The collection for the poor Christians in Jerusalem. “Ministering”: A term meaning “service”. A common "service" in the First Century Church was providing assistance for those members in need (Acts 2:4445; 4:34-35; 6:1ff; 11:29-30). “This charitable ministry is the duty and privilege of every Christian whose material resources make it possible for him to participate in it, in however small a measure” (Hughes p. 323). “It is superfluous for me to write to you”: “I realize that I really don't even need to mention this to you” (Tay). But all the same, he still does write. “They know that this is what they ought to do, and they also know how they should do it. So Paul states in this verse that it is superfluous for him to repeat what he has already told them (viz, in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4). The present tense of the infinitive ‘to write’ signifies ‘to go on writing’” (Tasker p. 123).

Those who claim that the Bible is too confusing overlook, among other things that many Biblical commands or instructions are repeated often (Galatians 5:21; 2 Peter 1:12-15).

2 Corinthians 9:2 “for I know your readiness, of which I glory on your behalf to them of Macedonia, that Achaia hath been prepared for a year past; and your zeal hath stirred up very many of them” “For I know your readiness”: “I know, of course, your willingness to help” (TCNT). “I know well your eagerness” (Knox). “It should be remembered that Paul, having lived for eighteen months in their midst (Acts 18:11), had a first-hand knowledge of the Corinthians” (Hughes p. 323). “Of which I glory on your behalf to them of Macedonia”: “Indeed I have told the Macedonians with some pride” (Phi). “As the present tense shows, this glorying of his on their behalf was not a thing of the past which more recent developments had caused him to abandon; he was doing it constantly, even at the time of writing this letter” (Hughes p. 323). “That Achaia hath been prepared for a year past”: “Paul even quotes what he tells these Macedonians” (Lenski p. 1160). “Prepared”: A preparedness of the will. See 8:10 “who were the first to begin a year ago”, 8:11 “readiness to desire it”. “Though they had not as yet done much to implement their plans, the apostle gave them full 2

credit for what they had done” (Tasker p. 123). “A year past”: Mot necessarily a full 12 months. “And your zeal has stirred up most of them”: “And your enthusiasm has been a stimulus to most of them” (Gspd). Paul realizes the power of example. Note: Example goes beyond the individual. Congregations do have a positive or negative influence upon other congregations.

2 Corinthians 9:3 “But I have sent the brethren, that our glorying on your behalf may not be made void in this respect; that, even as I said, ye may be prepared” “But I have sent the brethren”: Titus and the other unnamed messengers (2 Corinthians 8:19-23). “May not be made void’: “Made empty” (NASV). “May not prove hollow” (Wey). “Just in case my pride in you should prove an empty boast in this particular instance” (Mof). “In this respect”: “In the manner of actually gathering the money, as distinct from their general readiness to be liberal (8:10)” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 90). “Ye may be prepared”: That is, have all the money collected when he arrives with the Macedonians (1 Corinthians 16:2).

“To suggest, as some have done, that the Apostle was craftily, and without regard to the requirements of strict honesty, playing the Macedonians and the Corinthians against each other in order to increase the size of the collection, is to show an astonishing insensitiveness to the character of Paul as it is plainly revealed in his own letters and in the Acts of the Apostles.....what he means is that it will be most regrettable if their preparedness of intention, which led to the commencement of the good work, has not been crowned with the preparedness of completion when he comes, accompanied as he may well be by a number of Macedonian Christians; for this would mean the disappointment both of his own confidence and also of the expectations of the Macedonian churches” (Hughes p. 324).

2 Corinthians 9:4 “lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be put to shame in this confidence” “Lest by any means”: Paul's confidence in the Corinthians cannot make up for the hard work and diligence that is needed from them. “If there come with me any of Macedonia”: As Corinth was to select it's own messengers to handle their portion of the contribution (1 Corinthians 16:3), apparently the same instruction was given to the churches in Macedonia. Some of the messengers from these Macedonia 3

churches are specially named in Acts 20:4. “If’: “If they come does not imply that there is any doubt about Paul's companions on this visit; the Greek conditional particle often expresses something which will certainly take place (cf. John 12:32; 1 John 2:28)” (Tasker p. 124). “And find you unprepared”: That is, the money still uncollected or gathered together (1 Corinthians 16:2). “We”: “What could Paul say in face of the poor results? Should Paul chide the Corinthians in the presence of these Macedonians and say that the fault for this lack of proper results was theirs?

Would the Corinthians want Paul to do that?” (Lenski p. 1165). “That we say not, ye”: “The Macedonians, to be sure, will soon learn what the Corinthians have or have not done as the result of the mission of Titus and the brothers. He tactfully suggests the disgrace would be more the Corinthians than his” (Tasker p. 124).

“Should be put to shame in this confidence”: “Should feel ashamed of our present confidence” (TCNT). “What a disgrace it will be to us, let alone you, after all the confidence we have shown!” (NEB) Even though it would not be Paul's fault if the Corinthians were unprepared when he arrived, because he had done all he could to motivate the Corinthians who professed a previous willingness to contribute to this cause. Yet when Christians failed, Paul felt it (2 Corinthians 11:29). Paul loved God's cause and he realized that every time a Christian or group of Christians acted unfaithfully, it hurt this glorious attempt to save souls (Titus 2:5).

2 Corinthians 9:5 “I thought it necessary therefore to entreat the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your aforepromised bounty, that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not of extortion” “I thought it necessary”: “This is my reason, then, for urging the brothers to visit you” (Phi). “The brethren”: Titus and the other unnamed brethren. “Make up beforehand”: “Note our word ‘artisan’ in the verb which is here used in the rare compound with ‘to fix up in advance’” (Lenski p. 1166). “To complete the arrangements” (TCNT). “Aforepromised”: Paul is not trying to wring this contribution from the Corinthians, for they had already promised to contribute.

“Bounty”: “Bountiful gift” (NASV). Not only had the Corinthians promised to contribute, but they had even promised a large or generous contribution. “That the same might be ready”: That this generous contribution would be ready. “And not of extortion”: “And not look as if it were being given under pressure” (TCNT). “I should like it to be a spontaneous gift, and not money squeezed out of you by what I 4

have said” (Phi). “Extortion”: “And not affected by covetousness” (NASV).

“If the contribution of the Corinthians is really to be so substantial as to be worthy of being called a ‘bounty’, it will have to be a spontaneous act of charity, an uncalculating gift of generosity, not the grudging offering of men whose primary concern is how much they can get, and how much they can keep for themselves” (Tasker p. 125). Paul has a kind heart, even towards those who had let him down.

There is no vindictiveness on the part of Paul toward these brethren. He does not want to see them embarrassed, and he is giving them the chance and time to prove themselves. “As we have already seen (8:20f.), prudence dictated that Paul should not organize the collection at Corinth in person, in order that the tongues of slanderers might be silenced” (Hughes pp. 326-327).

Barclay has some good points concerning our giving: “There are at least four ways in which a man may give a gift. (1) He may give as a duty. It may be done as a grim duty and with obvious reluctance. (2) He may give simply to find self-satisfaction.

He thinks far more of the pleasant feeling that he has when he gives the gift than of the feelings of the person who receives it. There are people who will give a penny to a beggar rather because of the glow of satisfaction they get out of it than from any real desire to help. Such giving is in essence selfish. People who give like that give the gift to themselves rather than to the other person. (3) He may give from motives of prestige. The real source of such giving is not love but pride. The gift is given not to help but rather to glorify the giver. In fact the chances are that it would not be given at all if it were not known and seen and praised. It may even be that the giving is done in order to pile up credit with God, as if any man could put God in his debt. But the only real way to give is to give under love's compulsion. It is Paul's great desire here that the gift of the Corinthians should be ready and should not have to be collected and prepared at the last moment. There is an old Latin proverb which says, ‘He gives twice who gives quickly’. The finest gifts are given, not when they are demanded, but before they are asked for” (pp. 259-260).

Principles of Acceptable Giving 2 Corinthians 9:6 “But this I say, He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully” “But this I say”: “Remember this” (Amp). “He that soweth”: “Scanty sowing, scanty harvest” (TCNT). “Sparingly”: Stingily. 'Paul insists that no man was ever the loser 5

because he was generous. Giving is like sowing seed” (Barclay p. 261). “The important lesson which Paul is urging upon the Corinthians at this point is that to give is to sow. What is given is not lost, but, like seed sown by the farmer, contrary to all appearances it possesses the potency of life and increase” (Hughes p. 329).

“The same law which pertains to the physical world (reaping what you sow) pertains with equal effect in the moral and spiritual realm” (McGarvey pp. 216-217). “This is a law of nature which applies in every experience of life. One who scatters but a little seed reaps but a small harvest. Charity is thus not a casting away, but a sowing.

It is in the truest sense an investment. It is certain to secure returns” (Erdman p.

97). See Ecclesiastes 11:1. Reaping what you sow is a common theme in the Bible (Galatians 6:7-8; Proverbs 11:18; Hosea 8:7; 10:12). “Shall reap also sparingly”: Note the word "shall". This is not necessarily a monetary reaping, but rather, a reaping of God's blessings (including spiritual blessings), present, future or both. For an accurate description of the misery of the miser see Ecclesiastes 4:8-11.

“And he that soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully”: “Plentiful sowing, plentiful harvest” (TCNT). “And he who sows generously will reap a generous harvest” (Mof). “Bountifully”: “Lit., with blessings” (F.F. Bruce p. 226). Many Old Testament passages contain the same truth. See Proverbs 11:24-25 “The generous man will be prosperous, And he who waters will himself be watered”; 22:9). “Shall reap also bountifully”: Giving is a way of laying up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20). The reaping here is not necessarily monetary in nature. Blessings will come upon the generous man (Luke 6:38 “Give, and it will be given to you”; Matthew 10:42). There is a wonderful passage in Proverbs which says, “He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord” (19:17).

Barclay points out some of the non-monetary blessings which come upon the generous man: “It does not promise the wealth of things; but it does promise the wealth of heart and of the spirit. What then, when we think of it, can a generous man expect? (a) He will be rich in love. It is always true that no one likes the mean man. Men will always prefer the warm heart. (b) He will be rich in friends. ‘A man that has friends must show himself friendly’. An unlovable man can never expect to be loved. (c) He will be rich in help. The day always comes in life when we need the help which others can give to us (d) He will be rich towards God” (pp. 261-262). I would also add that the generous man will be rich in wonderful attitudes. He will be rich in contentment (Philippians 4:12). He will be full of trust in God and thus free from the anxiety and worries of the time (Matthew 6:25).

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2 Corinthians 9:7 “Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver” “Let each man”: Giving is individual in nature. “Do”: True religion "does" something (James 1:22-27; 2:14-17). “According as he hath purposed in his heart”: “What he has made up his mind to give” (Gspd). “Purposed”: “Paul is simply encouraging each one to give what he has already decided to give” (F.F. Bruce p. 227). “The true measure of a gift is not its external magnitude but the internal state of the giver's heart. There must be real freedom in Christian giving, each individual making the decision in his own heart how much he ought to give. It is far from Paul's intention that a ‘quota scheme’ or a ‘means test’ should be imposed upon the Corinthians” (Hughes p. 330). “Not grudgingly”: “Not reluctantly” (Gspd). “And not with pain or constraint” (Wey). “There should be no reluctance” (NEB). “Lit, ‘out of pain’” (F.F. Bruce p. 227). “Of sorrow, that is, from a heart made sorrowful at the thought of parting with money” (Hughes p. 330). “That is, not reluctant that he has to part with so much” (Tasker p. 126). “Or of necessity”: “No sense of compulsion” (NEB).

“Not having as his main motive the consideration of what others will think about him if he refrains from giving” (Tasker p. 126). “From a feeling that one is forced to give” (Lenski p. 1171). “To contribute under compulsion, whether of superior authority or of public opinion, is likewise no act of Christian giving” (Hughes p. 330).

“Grudging or sorrowful giving manifests itself in a variety of ways. One particular instance had occurred in the Jerusalem church itself, when Ananias and Sapphira resorted to a subterfuge, their hearts were intent not on bringing blessing to others but on fabricating a reputation for themselves, and so they acted a lie. Their object was getting rather than giving. Genuine, free, unremorseful giving is distinguished by the mark of cheerfulness” (Hughes p. 331). “Let no one give as if half crying to part with his money, and let no one feel constrained such as popular applause, or to keep up with his neighbors, or to be rid of the solicitations of some urgent collector” (McGarvey p. 217).

“Paul wants nothing but voluntary gifts for this great collection. A large number have had no faith or too little faith in complete voluntariness. They fear that this will not bring the needed and desired sums. So they devise substitutes, all kinds of systems, schemes, and methods that seem to promise more than the giver's own entirely free volition” (Lenski p. 1171). The end does not justify the motive or means. We 7

must adopt an attitude of, “We shouldn't worry about the motives behind why people give, just as long as they give, that's the most important thing”. Long before this letter, Jesus Himself pointed out, that giving from unworthy motives, completely cancels out any blessing from God coming upon that giving (Matthew 6:1-4).

“For God loveth”: God is not cold and unfeeling. God is said to specifically embrace a certain type of giver, this necessarily implies that He rejects all other types of givers. “Cheerful giver”: “God loves a man who is glad to give” (Gspd). See Proverbs 22:8; Romans 12:8 “he who gives, with liberality”. “It is not the amount given which determines his approval, but the spirit of the one who gives; and one can safely trust in God” (Erdman p. 98) (Deuteronomy 15:7-11). The cheerful giver is also an intelligent giver. A generous man wants to give to those causes which God approves. We are strictly forbidden to give to the man who refuses to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in everything, may abound unto every good work” “And God is able to make all grace abound unto you”: That is, unto Christians who give cheerfully and generously. “God is able”: See Luke 1:37; Matthew 19:26. “To make all grace abound”: “To shower all kinds of blessings upon you” (TCNT). “Every gift, temporal as well as spiritual” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 93). “Generous giving for those who have little to give seems very hazardous; but the risk tends to be forgotten when the greatness of God's power is kept steadily in mind. All our resources, great or small, come ultimately from God; and God is able, Paul insists, to increase those resources” (Tasker p. 126). We should note what Paul is not teaching. Paul is not advocating that the Corinthians should give everything they have and God will take care of them. Never do we find in this collection the challenge to "test God, give everything you own and see if God doesn't bless you with many material possessions." Rather, the instruction was, "put aside and save, as he may prosper" (1 Corinthians 16:2). In addition, besides benevolence towards Christians, the child of God also has the responsibility to pay his or her bills (Romans 13:8), taxes (13:7) and to provide for his or her family (1 Timothy 5:8).

“Having always all sufficiency in everything”: “So that you may always have quite enough for any emergency of your own” (Mof). “So that you may always have sufficient both for yourselves and for giving away to other people” (Phi).

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“Sufficiency”: See 1 Timothy 6:6. “The word in the Stoic philosophy was used for the perfect independence which enabled a man to stand alone. The term is here softened and Christianized to express the contentment which arises from the full supply of all our needs by God. They express that the man who places all his trust upon God will be ‘perfect and entire, lacking in nothing’ (Philippians 4:11,19)” (P.P. Comm. p. 219). “May abound unto every good work”: “You may have something to spare for every work of mercy” (Knox). “With enough to spare for every good cause” (NEB).

“It (sufficiency) does not describe the sufficiency of the man who possesses all kinds of things in abundance. It means independence. It describes the state of the man who has not directed life to amassing possessions but to eliminating needs. It describes the man who has taught himself to be content with very little and never to want anything, the man who has learned to do without things. It is obvious that such a man will be able to give far more to others because he wants so little for himself. It is so often true that we want so much for ourselves that there is nothing left to give to other people” (Barclay pp. 262-263). We fail to forget that God is still in control of this world. Without even working a miracle or overruling any natural law, God can cause many good things to come our way. Paul had learned this lesson in Corinth (Acts 18:10-16). Paul believed that God would enable the generous man or woman to always have something to give. Note: It might not be a lot, but it would be something that could help with the need at hand. Unfortunately, some of us get discouraged because we don't have the personal resources to meet the whole need. But, God never intended that one member of the church be so blessed that they could meet all the benevolent and financial needs of the congregation.

God wanted every member to contribute simply what they could.

The Psalmist understood the same truth mentioned here by Paul: Psalm 37:25 “I have been young, and now I am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Or his descendants begging bread”. No contribution is too small, if given with the right motives (Mark 12:42-44). “Every good deed”: We must have the confidence that God's word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and the very fact that God rules, makes us adequately prepared to tackle the good deeds that we encounter (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:14; 3:8,14).

2 Corinthians 9:9 “as it is written, He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness abideth for ever” 9

“As it is written”: See Psalm 112:9. “Paul now produces Scripture proof for the truth that the giver shall be provided with the means of giving” (Tasker p. 127). “He hath scattered abroad”: “He has given freely to the poor” (NASV Psalm 112:9). “As in sowing” (Vincent p. 335). “He has been a large and generous giver” (P.P. Comm. p.

219). Psalm 112 is a description of the blessing which come upon the man who fears the Lord (112:2). The man who fears the Lord, who truly has a respect and love for God is also a generous man. He has 'given freely' to those in legitimate need. “He hath given to the poor”: But not all classes of the poor (2 Thessalonians 3:10). “His righteousness abideth for ever”: “His uprightness will never be forgotten” (Gspd).

“His benevolence stands fast for ever” (NEB). Even though God's righteousness does last forever, it seems that the Psalmist is speaking about the righteousness of the generous man. See Psalm 112:6. The generosity of the sincere man is never forgotten by God. Such is rewarded. “The verdicts of men's judgment disappear as being valueless” (Lenski p. 1176). Being generous is a practical expression of righteousness (Matthew 6:1). Righteousness is demonstrable. “Liberality is not a means to but rather an outward expression of righteousness”. Generosity is an important and vital part of the changed life (Ephesians 4:28).

2 Corinthians 9:10 “And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness” “And he that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food”: See Isaiah 55:10.

God is the universal provider, even for unbelievers (Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17).

Paul's point seems to be, that the same God who enables the farmer to survive and have enough seed for next year's harvest, and ensures that the vast majority of mankind has enough food to survive, is the same God who so works behind the scenes so that the generous man can always have enough resources to do some "sowing". In other words, if God can enable the vast majority of the world to have enough to eat, how much more can God enable Christians to have enough to contribute towards the needs of their own brethren!

“Shall supply and multiply your seed for sowing”: “This is a definite statement that those who give liberally may usually expect that their opportunities and their means for charity will be increased” (Erdman p. 98). “And increase the fruits of your righteousness”: “And will increase the benefits wrought by your almsgiving” (Wey).

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“And enlarge the harvest which your deeds of charity yield” (Wms). “The product of the charitable actions you have sown” (F.F. Bruce p. 227). What is true in the natural realm, that is, what is reaped is much larger than what is actually sown. Is also true in the spiritual realm. God seems to be telling us, that you may think that your honest contribution is small, but it results in much good. We often forget and lose sight of what great things money given to true spiritual causes can accomplish.

2 Corinthians 9:11 “ye being enriched in everything unto all liberality, which worketh through us thanksgiving to God” “Ye being enriched in everything unto all liberality”: “Liberality, in accordance with the simile of sowing and harvesting, is an enriching activity for the giver as well as for the recipient” (Hughes p. 336). “The more you are enriched by God, the more scope will there be for generous giving” (Phi). “The effect of their enrichment will be opportunity for even more lavish giving” (F.F. Bruce p. 227). “Unto all liberality”: Here we find that generous and pure giving does something for the giver. When we give from the heart and with pure motives, we are spiritually enriched. Generous giving is the conscious decision to open up our hearts to unselfish living, kindness, sacrifice, love for others, and compassion. “Which worketh through us thanksgiving to God”: “Causing thanksgiving to God from those to whom I bear your gifts” (Con). This thanksgiving is further illustrated in 9:12-13.

2 Corinthians 9:12 “For the ministration of this service not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints, but aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God” “For the ministration of this service”: That is, this collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. “Not only filleth up the measure of the wants of the saints”: Does more than meet pressing physical needs. “But aboundeth”: “Overflows beyond it” (Con).

“But also results in” (TCNT). “It yields, besides, a rich harvest of thanksgiving in the name of the Lord” (Knox). “Which keeps working out (producing)” (Lenski p. 1180).

“Many thanksgivings unto God”: “It does something for others. It relieves their need. Many a time, when a man was at his wit's end, a gift from someone else has seemed to him nothing less than a gift from heaven itself. It restores faith in their fellow men. It often almost inevitably happens that, when a man is in need, he grows embittered and feels himself neglected and forgotten. It is then that a gift restores his faith in his fellow men. It shows him that love and kindness are not yet 11

dead” (Barclay p. 263).

2 Corinthians 9:13 “seeing that through the proving of you by this ministration they glorify God for the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution unto them and unto all” “Through the proving of you by this ministration”: “While they praise God for the proof thus given of the obedience wherewith you have consented to the Gladtidings of Christ” (Con). “Through the evidence afforded by the service thus rendered, you cause men to praise God for your fidelity” (TCNT). “The meaning is that the service rendered by the Corinthians will afford an occasion for testing the sincerity of their religion” (Tasker p. 128). James taught the same truth (James 1:2627). This contribution gave the predominate Gentile congregations, like that at Corinth the chance to demonstrate to their Jewish brethren in Jerusalem that they are sincere.

“This was a matter of deep concern to the apostle. He wished the latter to be convinced of the genuineness of Gentile believers, and he wished both Jews and Gentiles to realize and to express their unity in Christ” (Erdman p. 99). “No doubt the Jerusalem Church, which was almost entirely Jewish, still regarded the Gentiles with suspicion and wondered in its heart of hearts if Christianity could be for them at all. If a man is generous it enables others to see that he has turned his Christianity not only into words but into deeds as well” (Barclay pp. 263-264). Congregations are put to the test. This contribution was a test for the Gentile Churches. Could they look past race and see the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem as beloved brethren?

Would proclaimed love for brethren move them to actually do something which proved such love, and were such Christians really intent upon serving God, even if it cost them something?

Lenski makes a good point we he says: “It is a mistake on the part of the Corinthians to think that, as far as their participation in it is concerned, this collection means no more than that they are only adding something to fill up the deficiencies of the saints which were caused by their poverty. They are, of course, doing this, but they are doing vastly more by doing this, they are causing an overflow of many thanksgivings to God” (p. 1182). “Paul brings out the distinctive feature of Christian charity. Worldly charity is at best happy only in relieving human distress. Pharisaic and work-righteous charity thinks it is acquiring merit with God. By relieving distress 12

Christian charity delights in the multiplied thanksgivings that will rise to God from the hearts and the lips of those whose distress is thus relieved” (Lenski p. 1182).

“They glorify God”: When we do good works, God is the one who needs to get the credit (Matthew 5:16). “For the obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ”: “It is possible also that reports of disorders in worship and doctrine at Corinth had caused Christians in Jerusalem to doubt the reality of the profession of the church members there. This collection would help to silence these suspicions and to establish their genuineness and sincerity as fellow-believers” (Hughes p.

339). Obedience to the gospel is what glorifies God! And actions speak louder than words. “And for the liberality of your contribution unto them”: “The Jerusalem saints will glorify God particularly for the signs of sincere Christian fellowship shown to them by the Corinthians in making their contribution” (Tasker p. 129). “And unto all”: Some churches of Christ have tried to use the expression "unto all", to prove that some of this money went to non-Christians in Jerusalem. Therefore, the church can help non-Christians with money collected on the first day of the week. But we should note: All the passages leading up to this verse, which deal with this collection specify saints as the recipients (1 Corinthians 16:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:4; 9:1,12), and even those after it (Romans 15:25-27).

If "unto all" refers to non-Christians, then this passage creates some serious theological problems.

“Now, in 2 Corinthians 9:12, the ‘ministration of this service’ does two things. It (1) ‘not only filleth up the wants of the saints’, that is, satisfies their physical needs; but it (2) ‘Aboundeth also through many thanksgivings unto God’, that is causes the recipients to praise and thank God. Verse 13 expands this last thought by saying the recipients ‘glorify God for’ two things: 1) “The obedience of your confession unto the gospel of Christ; and 2) “For the liberality of your koinonias (contribution-means ‘fellowship’). This fellowship is unto 1) ‘them’ and 2) ‘unto all’” (Plain Talk 13/6/7.

Robert Turner). Are non-Christians glorifying God? Are non-Christians rejoicing that these Corinthians are obedient to the gospel of Christ? And do these Corinthians have "fellowship" with non-Christians? It is clear that Paul is saying that this contribution is a manifestation of the fellowship that Gentile Christians have with Jewish Christians.

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“Some debaters tell us that ‘unto all’ is found five times in the N.T., and that it always refers to non-saints. One need not know Greek to see this is illogical. How could ‘unto all’ in and of itself refer to saint or non-saint? That must be determined by the context in which "unto all" is found” (Plain Talk 13/6/7). See 1 Thessalonians 3:12 and Acts 2:45. Even denominational commentators shy away from this view: “The Corinthian's contribution is for the poor saints at Jerusalem only; but the fellowship which was expressed in it was, the apostle assumes, felt for all other Christians” (Tasker p. 129). If the Corinthian congregation was willing to help out their Jewish brethren in Jerusalem (if they could overcome prejudice), then certainty this same congregation would be willing to help out any other congregation in need.

2 Corinthians 9:14 “while they themselves also, with supplication on your behalf, long after you by reason of the exceeding grace of God in you” “With supplication on your behalf”: “And as they join in prayer on your behalf” (NEB). “And they will intercede, too, on your behalf” (Knox). “Long after you”: “The recipient of the gift will create in the recipients a sense of intense affection towards the givers and will stimulate them to prayer on their behalf” (F.F. Bruce p. 228).

What an accomplishment! Christians from a Jewish background praying for and longing for Christians from a pagan, Gentile background! The religion of Christ can change those who want to change (Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 2:11-22). “Exceeding grace of God in you”: God's grace is available to all men (Titus 2:11), and God's grace can be received in vain (2 Corinthians 6:1). God's grace is abundant in our lives, when we are responding to the love of God displayed in the sacrifice of Christ.

When we forgive as God has forgiven us, when we generously give, when we live unselfish lives, then we don't argue with God or the Scriptures, then the grace of God bestowed upon us has not been in vain.

2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift” “Thanks be to God”: Because it was God how had through the gospel opened the eyes of these formerly selfish and self-centered individuals, who were now Christians. God had given the increase (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). “His unspeakable gift”: “Indescribable generosity” (Phi). “Inexpressible” (RSV). “Gift beyond words” (NEB). “Inestimable” (TCNT). “Gift that cannot be adequately expressed in words” (Tasker p. 130). “Finally, Paul turns the thoughts of the Corinthians to the wonder of 14

the gift of God in Jesus Christ, a gift whose wonder can never be exhausted and whose story can never be fully told; and in so doing, he says to them, ‘Can you, who have been so generously treated by God, be anything else but generous to your fellow men?’ (Barclay p. 264) (1 John 4:11). Without the gift of God's Son, none of the above would of have been possible. Jew and Gentile would of have never been reconciled and fellowship would have never been established. “This passage gives eloquent witness to the great faith which Paul placed in his Corinthian converts: he speaks of their generosity not as a problematical possibility of the future but as a present reality” (Hughes p. 341). “His gift” could also refer to this bounty coming from Corinth, yet it can be described as “His gift”, because it was the gift of His Son which has motivated such generosity.

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