Commentary

Text: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Context of the book / letter / Gospel: In the Apostle Paul’s “second” letter to the Corinthians, he stresses ​ the importance of giving generously to the work of the Lord. Language usage suggests that he was actually being sarcastic in his tone in this text. The collection re ferred to in this passage was also referenced in and :1-4. It was an offering specifically for the church in (David Guzik; https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-corinthians-9/). ​ ​

Main Idea of The Text: Paul encourages the Corinthian church to be generous in their gifts to the Lord, ​ thereby giving believers a pattern for giving in their lives today.

Exegetical Outline of The Text (Based on Wiersbe)

I. Your Giving Will Bless You -- vv. 6-11. II. Your Giving Will Meet Needs -- v. 12. III. Your Giving Will Glorify God -- v. 13-15.

Verse by verse commentary:

6 The point is this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person ​ who sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each person should do as he has decided ​ ​ in his heart—not reluctantly or out of compulsion, since God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And ​ ​ God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work. 9 As it is written: ​ ​

He distributed freely;

he gave to the poor;

his righteousness endures forever.

10 Now the one who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will also provide and ​ multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched ​ ​ in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us.

1 In this passage, the Apostle Paul begins with the principle of sowing and reaping. Those who give more to the Lord, will be blessed more in return. The blessing of God does not extend to one materially necessarily, it comes to one spiritually. As we give to God, He will bless us abundantly (Wiersbe, 660).

Paul informs the Corinthians that their giving is a matter of the heart. The amount given is something decided upon by each individual. Guzik explains it this way:

So let each one give. Giving is for each one. Every Christian should be a giver. Because ​ ​ of small resources, some cannot give much but it is still important that they give and that they give with the right kind of heart.

As he purposes in his own heart: Giving should be motivated by the purposes of our own ​ heart. It should never be coerced or manipulated. We should give because we want to give and because God has put it in our own heart to give.

Not grudging or of necessity: God does not want our giving to be grudging (reluctantly, ​ regretfully given with plenty of complaining) or of necessity (given because someone has made us or manipulated us into giving) This is more the spirit behind taxation, not Biblical giving.

For God loves a cheerful giver. Instead of giving in a grudging way or out of necessity, ​ God wants us to give cheerfully. The ancient Greek word for cheerful (hilaros, is the root ​ ​ for our English word, hilarious. God wants us to give happily because that is how God Himself gives (Guzik, https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-corinthians-9/). ​ ​ ​ Next, giving requires a commitment on the part of the giver. The Greek word translated decided is proaireomai, which means, “to choose deliberately” or “to make one’s mind up about ​ ​ ​ something.” This is the only time this word is found in the . IVP Commentary notes here as follows:

It is a well-known fact that telethons that play on people’s emotions to solicit contributions often end up with donors who pledge impulsively but not deliberately enough to follow through on their pledge. Paul says that giving is to be based on a

2 calculated decision. It is not a matter to be settled lightly or impulsively (IVP ​ Commentary https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/ivp-nt/Results-Generous-Giving). ​ ​ Finally, giving is a private, not public decision. Christians should not be looking for any kind of public recognition for their giving. Christians should desire to give because the Lord gave us His Son, Christ (IVP Commentary).

He continues to inform the Corinthians of the benefits of giving to the giver. “Grace overflows,” as it is translated in the CSB. God grants blessing by His power. IVP Commentary notes as follows:

God’s abounding grace extends beyond the mere replenishment of resources. He is powerful not only to replace resources spent in Christian service but also to multiply them to the point that at all times and in all things we have all that we need (v. 8). Autarkeia (“all that is needed”) means to be sufficient in oneself or self-supporting. ​ Cynics and Stoics aimed at the kind of self-sufficiency that permitted indifference to other people and to circumstances. To a certain extent Paul aligns himself with this sentiment. Like the Stoic, the Christian aspires to be free from dependence on material possessions--or, as Paul puts it, “to be content in whatever the circumstances” (Phil. 4:11). To learn to be content with very little requires that one want very little: “If we have food and clothing, we will be content” (1 Tim. 6:8) And the less one wants, the greater the means for relieving the needs of others (Plummer 1915:260; IVP). ​ The difference between the Christian philosophy and Stoicism is that Christians should be free of needing possessions, but they should not be free of needing people in their lives. We should be free to use our resources to bless others (Murphy-O Connor 1991:91; IVP).

Paul quotes the Psalms, and points his readers back to the Old Testament, and the principle of sowing and reaping (Ps. 112:9). The farmer is scattering generous seed, and pictures the wealthy individual who is blessing the average income person, not someone who is extremely destitute in this case. The Old Testament gleaning laws provided for the widow and the orphan. Additional support for the needy had to come from a generous

3 heart, which the Lord encouraged with the promise of good favor (Ps. 112:5) (IVP Commentary).

God’s promise to the farmer is His promise to the generous giver. He will provide what they need and the seed for next year’s harvest. He will increase our material “seed” so that we can use it to bless others--the more we give, the more we get. The more we get, the more we give. The world thinks this is foolish, but Paul knew it was reality to the Christian (IVP Commentary).

In Matthew 19:29, Jesus promised that those who give would reap a hundred fold. His promise was not a promise of material wealth per se, but one who gives to God will never lose out in the end. Whether spiritual or material, blessing is promised (Guzik).

12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the ​ saints but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

Paul is not saying in these verses that wealth or surplus will be a result of one’s giving. Rather, he is encouraging a life of generosity which flows from the believer with a giving heart. God will provide for the needs of those who generously give to the needs of others. He will give so they can continue to bless others.

The “needs of the saints” are those things which the Jerusalem church genuinely needed to make ends’ meet. Paul was calling upon the Corinthians to provide for the needs of their brothers, and watch what God did to bless them.

As a result, God would receive thanks and praise for what He provided for the Corinthians and the saints in Jerusalem. He would ultimately get glory from the Corinthians’ generosity (IVP Commentary).

4 13 Because of the proof provided by this ministry, they will glorify God for ​ your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone. 14 And as they pray on your behalf, ​ ​ they will have deep affection for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! ​ ​ The IVP Commentary gives us the following notes on v. 13:

Paul's point is that to be vital and living, profession of faith must issue in works. The Corinthians' willing contribution to the Jerusalem collection shows that they possess a faith that accepts the claims of the gospel and obeys its dictates as well. Phillips's "that you practise the gospel . . . that you profess to believe in" captures the sense exactly. Paul is not alone in closely linking profession and practice. James similarly states that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (2:17, 26) and "useless" (v. 20).

The Judean recipients will praise God, second, for the Corinthians' generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else (v. 13). This is the last of three occurrences of haplotes ​ ("generosity") in chapters 8--9. In all three cases the noun denotes simplicity of intent with respect to one's finances ("openheartedness"; 8:2; 9:11, 13). It is generosity of the heart, not the pocketbook, that counts. The recipients will praise God not merely for a gift of money but also for the fellowship in Christ that the gift expresses (Dahl 1977:35). Koinonia ("sharing"), found four times in 2 Corinthians, refers to that which is held in ​ common. In the New Testament it comes to denote the close union and caring concern of the members of Christ's body, the church (6:14; 8:4; 9:13; 13:13). It is a union that is forged by the Spirit (13:14) but that finds concrete expression in the contributions of the Gentile churches to meet the physical needs of their fellow believers in Judea.

Paul enlarges the scope of recipients to include not only the Judean believers but also everyone else (v. 13). At face value the comment is obscure. The most reasonable construal is that with them refers to the Jerusalem church, which, in turn, would distribute the funds to everyone else in need. Alternatively, kai eis pantas may be Paul's ​ ​

5 way of pointing out to the Corinthians that what benefits the Judean believers benefits the whole body of Christians (Plummer 1915:267).

Fourth and finally, the church as a whole benefits from generous giving. Here is the key to the urgency of Paul's appeal. For the most part, the recipients were conservative Jewish Christians who still regarded the Gentiles with a certain amount of fear and suspicion. For them the collection proves the Gentiles' profession of faith (v. 13). Dokimes (the noun behind the verb proved here) connotes a test in order to verify ​ someone's or something's genuineness or worth. In this case the collection serves as the test by which the Gentiles' faith is shown to be genuine (https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/2Cor/Results-Generous ​ -Giving). ​ The IVP Commentary gives us the following exegesis of vv. 14-15:

Paul anticipates that the offering will impact the church in too additional ways: prayers for the Corinthians will be offered, and a closer relationship between the Jewish recipients and the Gentile donors will be forged (v. 14). Because of the surpassing grace God has given the Corinthians, one expected result of the collection is that the recipients will pray for them (their prayers for you). N. P. Willis once said, "Gratitude is not only the memory, but the homage of the heart rendered to God for his goodness." It is not enough to feel grateful for what others do for us. Heartfelt gratitude issues in prayer on the person's behalf. Prayer, in turn, has a way of bringing us into a closer relationship with those for whom we intercede. This is the second expected result that Paul anticipates. As the recipients pray, Paul says that their hearts will go out to the contributing churches (v. 14). Epipotheo, ("go out to, yearn after") is another word that turns ​ ​ up a number of times in chapters 7--9 (7:7, 11; 9:14). As the Jewish recipients pray for their Gentile patrons, their hearts will be warmed toward them, and they will long to see and have a closer relationship with them (M. J. Harris 1976:378).

6 Paul caps off his appeal with what in form is a thanksgiving but in fact is a reminder of the supreme example of giving: Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (v. 15). We can never outgive God, for he gave beyond all human imagining. In fact, he gave what Paul calls an indescribable gift. The term anekdihghtos, found only here in the Greek Bible (and only once outside the New ​ Testament), denotes something that is beyond human description ("ineffable"--Liddell, Scott and Jones 1978). What, then, is this indescribable gift? Some suppose that this is Paul's final attempt to motivate generous giving by labeling the expected Corinthian gift as beyond all imagining. Others believe that Paul is describing the miracle of Jew-Gentile unity (for example, Plummer 1915:267-68) or the universal gospel (Martin 1986:295). Most, however, identify God's indescribable gift with Jesus Christ. We can give without loving, but we cannot love without giving. God so loved us that he gave the ultimate gift, whose cost can never be matched: the gift of his only Son.

Was Paul's appeal successful? Acts 20:2-3 would suggest so. Luke tells us that Paul made his announced third visit to Corinth and stayed three montes. The length of his visit suggests that he received a ready welcome and that matters were in order regarding the Corinthians' contribution to the relief fund. Paul admits as much in Romans 15:26-27, when he states that "Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem." Yet Luke lists no delegate(s) for the Achaian churches. It may be that there was not sufficient time to arrange for a delegate to accompany the funds to Jerusalem. Or the Corinthians could have decided to forgo representation as a way of demonstrating their belated trust in Paul's integrity.

Paul and the delegates arrived at Jerusalem and were received "warmly" (Acts 21:17). Not a word is said, however, about the collection itself. Some conclude from Luke's silence that the offering was not well received. But arguments from silence are precarious ones at best. Moreover, the difficulty that captures Luke's attention is not the Jerusalem church's response to the collection but the trouble

7 that unbelieving Jews from Asia caused Paul: "Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, `Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place' " (Acts 21:27-36). Paul anticipated encountering problems in Jerusalem and asked the Roman church to pray that he be rescued from unbelieving Jews in Judea (Rom 15:31). But the collection was far too important to deter him, for it symbolized, as it were, the very nature of the church--a community called out from many backgrounds to be "in Christ" (Craddock 1968:170) (https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/2Cor/Re ​ sults-Generous-Giving). ​ Theological Application:

In 1 Corinthians 9:6-15, we see the blessings promised when believers give to God with happy, generous hearts. The text is applied to the life of the learner as the following objectives are practiced in the life of the believer:

1. Believers claim the promise of God’s Word that they will be blessed for their generosity. 2. Believers obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit and meet the needs of others with their generous hearts. 3. Believers thank God for His provision which both causes and comes from generous hearts. 4. Believers give God glory for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Walking Points

1. Believers claim the promise of God’s Word that they will be blessed for their generosity.

Read vv. 6-11; Pro. 3:9-10; 11:24-25. See also Ps. 112:9 for the context of the Old Testament quote in the text.

The Bible doesn’t promise material wealth because of generosity, but it does promise provision when believers give with generous hearts. How have you used what God has blessed you with for the furtherance of His Kingdom on earth?

Think About It: How have you seen God bless when you stepped out in faith and gave to the work of the ​ Kingdom? Have you benefited from the generosity of fellow believers? Have you given to God’s cause with joy? Have you been a cheerful giver? Share how God has blessed you when you have blessed others.

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2. Believers obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit and meet the needs of others with generous hearts.

Read v. 12.

The historical background of the passage helps us to understand something. The Corinthians had been blessed financially. The church there had money (MacArthur, 318). Paul is writing this letter and ultimately, the Holy Spirit is using these words to stir up generosity in the hearts of those who had been blessed financially. The same is true today. When we read the Word of God, the Holy Spirit stirs the hearts of the believer to respond in obedience.

Think about It: Has God blessed you in some way financially? Do you need to ask Him what He might ​ want you to do with what He has blessed you with to bring honor to Him? Of course, this is Harvest Day, and this is why we have been asked to give generously to the work of the Lord. What does the Lord want you to do to bless His people and thereby, receive a blessing from His hand?

3. Believers thank God for His provision which both causes and comes from generous hearts.

Read vv. 13-14. See also 1 John 2:10; 3:17-18; 4:20-21.

The believer’s response for God’s provision and blessing should always be thanksgiving. As the holiday season begins, the Lord may provide circumstances where we need to be thankful or bless others and cause them to be thankful to God for providing their needs through the generosity of others. We should look for opportunities to be conduits of the blessings of God in the lives of others, and be thankful to Him for how He has used us for His glory.

Think About It: Do you have a thankful heart? Or do you take for granted what God has given you? ​ When we work for what we earn, we have the tendency to forget that everything we have been given comes from the Lord. Have you thanked the Lord today for all He has provided for you?

4. Believers give God glory for the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Read v. 15. See also :57-58.

The Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthian church that the Greatest Gift they have been given by their generous God is the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of this, Thanksgiving and Christmas following behind each other in American culture is most appropriate, but believers must capitalize on the calendar’s schedule. We should be thankful, most of all, for the gift of Jesus Christ! The gift of Christ gives us victory, and enables us to serve the Lord and use what He has given us for His glory!

9 Think About It: How will you make this Christmas more about Jesus, the Greatest Gift? As the holiday ​ season begins, Christians must do all they can to not allow the materialism of our American culture to push out the Reason for the Season, Jesus! How will you make Him the center of your celebration this year more than you have before! Will you pack an Operation Christmas Child shoebox? What about giving to another project of Samaritan’s Purse? Will you give more to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering? How will you give a birthday gift to your Savior that His name would be known more throughout the world?

Resources / Articles / Sources:

David Guzik, “2 Corinthians 9: How God wants us to Give.” Available online. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/2-corinthians-9/. ​

InterVarsity Fellowship Commentary. “The Results of Generous Giving.” Available online. ​ https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/2Cor/Results-Generous-Giving. ​

John MacArthur, 2 Corinthians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody ​ ​ Press, 2003.

Warren Wiersbe, Matthew through Galatians: The Bible Exposition Commentary. Colorado ​ ​ Springs: David C. Cook Publications, 2008.

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