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 2 Corinthians 8 and 1 Corinthians 16:1-4. It was an offering specifically for the church in Jerusalem (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 New Testament. 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, Jesus 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).