9
📚For concerning this service to the saints, it is unnecessary for me to write to you. 2 📚For I know your readiness of mind, about which I speak with pride concerning you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago. And your zeal has inspired most of them. 3 📚Yet I have sent the brethren, so that our speaking proudly about you would not be in vain in this regard, but that, as I said, you may be ready, 4 📚thinking that if the Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to say, you) would be ashamed about this confident boasting.9:3-4 See 2 Cor 8:13, 22-24. The Christians at Corinth earlier had shown eagerness to give a generous offering, but it seems that later on they had become careless in actually getting the collection ready (2 Cor 8:10-11). Unfortunately, many Christians are like this. In the beginning they show enthusiasm for a work, but with the passage of time their enthusiasm cools and they do not bring the work to completion. This is a mark of immaturity and instability.⚜
5 📚Therefore I thought it necessary to urge the brethren to go in advance to you, and prepare your generous gift, which you previously promised, that it might be ready, as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging duty.
9:5 Verse 7. When it comes to giving, believers should not want to keep as much as they possibly can for themselves, should not give merely because it is expected of them and they see no way to escape from giving.⚜
Wonderful results of generous giving
6 📚But this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows abundantly will also reap abundantly.
9:6 Compare Prov 11:24-25; 19:17; 22:8-9; Luke 6:38; Gal 6:7. Mark this principle down as sure. Some people are poor and will remain poor both in material and spiritual matters because they have no heart to give to God and others.⚜
7 📚Everyone should give as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly, or from compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
9:7 Verse 5; 2 Cor 8:8. If our giving is to please God it must come willingly from the heart, must be an act of love for God and for His people, must be a happy thing, not something done with a sad face. If we have love, giving is as natural as breathing to us.⚜
8 📚And God is able to make all grace flow to you in abundance, so that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may have an abundance for every good work.
9:8 Those who give generously and cheerfully to others will not be the losers. Just the opposite is often true – Prov 11:24-25. God loves to give to those who love to give. God is the ruler of the universe. Men’s plans and projects, lands, weather conditions, the state of an economy, and all the many factors which can make or break a person financially, are all in His hands. He can make all circumstances to work for the good of those in whom He delights. He can even work miracles for them if He pleases – 1 Kings 17:10-16; 2 Kings 4:1-7.
But usually He blesses them in more ordinary ways, using men and circumstances to increase their prosperity, and protecting them from disasters which could bring poverty. He knows how to pour out His grace in such a way that they will always prosper both spiritually and materially (if material prosperity is in His plan for them).
Observe that the reason He does so is that those whom He blesses “may have an abundance for every good work”. If they do not behave like this when God blesses them, they should remember that He can just as easily withdraw His blessing as give it.⚜
9 📚As it is written,
He has dispersed abroad;
he has given to the poor;
his righteousness remains for ever.
10 📚Now may he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, multiply the seed you have sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 📚while you are richly furnished in everything for complete generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.
9:10-11 Verse 8 says God can do such things. Now Paul tells them that God will bless them if they are cheerful and generous givers. Of course, this is not a sweeping promise that God will make everyone rich who gives generously. There are many poor people who are cheerful givers who remain poor (but probably not as poor as they would have been otherwise).
In any case, we should never seek to be rich, or to have material prosperity for our own sake (see 1 Tim 6:6-8). If we want prosperity it should be only because it will enable us to do more for God and His work and His people. To give only because of the hope of getting back more than we gave is not the kind of giving in which God delights. In fact, it is only selfishness in disguise. It is a big mistake to think of it as merit which will make us worthy of God’s grace. And we should always remember that Jesus pronounced a blessing on believers who were poor, and He warned against riches (Luke 6:20, 24).⚜
12 📚For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also overflows in much thanksgiving to God, 13 📚while, because of what this service proves, they glorify God for your obedience which accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generous sharing with them, and with everyone.
9:13 Their generous giving proved their love and obedience. Lack of giving will, of course, prove the opposite of this.⚜
14 📚And in their prayers for you, they will feel strong affection for you because of the overflowing grace of God in you.
9:9-14 Paul gives some results to believers of generous and cheerful giving. The results are both in this life and in the life to come (v 9). The results are as follows.
God will never forget what they have done (v 9. Compare Heb 6:10).
God will bless them materially (vs 10,11).
The needs of God’s people will be met through them (v 12).
They will be giving proof of their obedience to Christ’s gospel (v 13).
Others will remember them warmly and lovingly in their prayers (v 14).
And because of them thanksgiving and praise will be given to God (vs 11,12,13).
This last result, thrice repeated, was of the highest importance to Paul. See also 2 Cor 1:11; 4:15. The glory of God was his chief concern in everything (1 Cor 10:31), and God is glorified when His people behave as they should and when they thank and praise Him as they should.⚜
15 📚Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.
9:15 God’s gifts to men are many and great (Ps 68:35; 127:2-3; 146:7; Prov 2:6-7; Matt 7:11; John 14:27; Acts 5:31; 14:17; 15:8; 17:25; Rom 5:17; 6:23; 1 Cor 7:7; 12:7-11; Eph 2:8; Phil 1:29; 2 Tim 3:16; Jam 1:5, 17). But no doubt Paul has in mind here the greatest and most indescribable gift of all – John 3:16; Rom 8:32; Isa 9:6. And he refers to this gift so that believers might better understand what giving is all about and learn to give as God gives. Here is a brief summary concerning the truth about the giving of believers.
Being able to give is a gift of God, God’s grace working in their hearts and lives (2 Cor 8:1; Rom 12:6-8).
Giving is a privilege believers should seek (2 Cor 8:4).
Giving is a test of the sincerity of our love and obedience – no giving indicates no love, little giving, little love, much giving, much love (2 Cor 8:8).
Giving is the nature of God (2 Cor 8:9).
Even very small gifts are acceptable to God, if the heart is right (2 Cor 8:12; Mark 12:41-44).
Giving helps to bridge the gap between those who have plenty and those who are in need (2 Cor 8:13).
Giving is service to God’s people (2 Cor 9:1).
Giving is a source of thanksgiving and praise to God (2 Cor 9:11-13).
Here are some other references on giving to God and to others – Ex 35:5-9; Lev 7:12-13; 27:30; Num 18:21, 24; Deut 14:28-29; 15:10; 2 Sam 24:24; 1 Chron 29:3, 5, 9, 14; Ps 37:26; Prov 11:24-25; 19:17; 22:9; Eccl 11:1-2; Mal 1:7-8, 14; 3:8-10; Matt 6:1-2, 19, 20; 19:21; Luke 6:38; Acts 20:35; Rom 12:13; 1 Tim 6:18-19; Heb 6:10; Jam 2:15-16; 1 John 3:17.⚜