2 Corinthians 9: The Gentile Collection, Continued

Introduction

This chapter continues to develop the theme Paul began in the last chapter. Of note is that in his dealing with the gentile collection, the Apostle does not follow his usual pattern of argument and persuasion. In this section, he has “invert[ed] the usual order of his theology and ethics in dealing with [this matter]. Normally, he first presents the gospel, and then he calls his addressees to the new life that flows from it. In this case, his exhortation (chap. 8) precedes his instruction (chap. 9). This inversion is most likely due to his already having instructed the Corinthians concerning the collection. They need only a reminder of what they already know. Yet he brings a potent reminder of the meaning of giving in his concluding theological instruction (9:6–15).”¹

In chapter 8, Paul pressed for the gathering of the collection on the theological ground of “equality” (ἰσότης, isotēs), which would bind the Jewish and Gentile elements of the Church together based on mutual need, fulfillment, and friendship (8:13). In this chapter, the Apostle focuses on the need for “cheerful giv[ing]” (9:7). It seems that from his view, both aspects of this enterprise express the same spirit that he identifies as “eagerness” (προθυμία, prothymia, 8:12) to do what has been promised and is now necessary.²

Paul also picks up another theme from chapter 8, that of his “boasting” (καυχάομαι, kauchaomai). There he boasted to his Corinthian readers about the Macedonian Saints’ zeal in giving. Here he reverses it, noting that he boasted to the Macedonians of the Corinthians’ early eagerness for the enterprise. He also notes that their enthusiasm acted, at least in part, to stimulate the giving of their northern sisters and brothers (9:2). He now expresses his concern that his bragging about his current readers would be not only in vain but also of a great personal embarrassment if the delegation from Macedonia, likely bearing with them those Saints’ contribution,³ arrived in Corinth and found the project yet stalled (9:3–4).

He assures his audience that he does not expect that to happen and, thus, moves on to a new topic—namely, whether or not the collection will provide a liberal gift somewhat commensurate with the spirit expressed by the Macedonians (9:5). In this way, he is not so subtly pushing his readers to give a “generous offering” (εὐλογία, eulogia). In 9:6–7, he stresses the need to give with the proper attitude.⁴ He ends this section with the promise, backed by scripture, that donating generously will result in substantial blessings from God and thankfulness on the part of the recipients (9:8–15).

Further Instructions Concerning the Collection (9:1–5)

Greek Text

1 Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τῆς διακονίας τῆς εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους περισσόν μοί ἐστιν τὸ γράφειν ὑμῖν, 2 οἶδα γὰρ τὴν προθυμίαν ὑμῶν ἣν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καυχῶμαι Μακεδόσιν ὅτι Ἀχαΐα παρεσκεύασται ἀπὸ πέρυσι, καὶ τὸ ὑμῶν ζῆλος ἠρέθισε τοὺς πλείονας.3 ἔπεμψα δὲ τοὺς ἀδελφούς, ἵνα μὴ τὸ καύχημα ἡμῶν τὸ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν κενωθῇ ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ, ἵνα καθὼς ἔλεγον παρεσκευασμένοι ἦτε,4 μή πως ἐὰν ἔλθωσιν σὺν ἐμοὶ Μακεδόνες καὶ εὕρωσιν ὑμᾶς ἀπαρασκευάστους καταισχυνθῶμεν ἡμεῖς, ἵνα μὴ λέγωμεν ὑμεῖς, ἐν τῇ ὑποστάσει ταύτῃ.5 ἀναγκαῖον οὖν ἡγησάμην παρακαλέσαι τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἵνα προέλθωσιν εἰς ὑμᾶς καὶ προκαταρτίσωσι τὴν προεπηγγελμένην εὐλογίαν ὑμῶν, ταύτην ἑτοίμην εἶναι οὕτως ὡς εὐλογίαν καὶ μὴ ὡς πλεονεξίαν. [SBLGNT]

Translation Notes and Comments

9:1 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you / For now indeed it is unnecessary for me to write to you concerning this ministering to the saints: The conjunction γάρ (gar), “for,” acts here to turn the discussion from the commissioners (spoken of in the last chapter) back to the collection itself. The adjective περισσός (perissos) means “abundantly, superfluous,” but carries the nuance of greatly exceeding what is actually needed.⁵ Paul’s use of the term implies that he does not want the Corinthian Saints to take his action in writing as an indication that he does not have faith in them.

The verb γράφω (graphō), “to write,”⁶ found here as a present articular infinitive, carries an imperfect aspect, suggesting the sense of “to keep on writing.”⁷ Its use evidences Paul’s awareness that some might feel his continual addressing of the subject a bit tedious. He is willing to take the chance, however, because he needs to explain why he is sending the delegation.⁸

The noun διακονία (diakonia), “ministry, task,”⁹ denotes “rendering specific assistance” to someone and infers giving funds to those in need. In this instance, it also carries the added dimension of service performed “in genuine love.”¹⁰ Each of these nuances is an aspect of giving that Paul wants to connect to the charitable contribution for the needy Saints in Jerusalem.¹¹

Noteworthy is Paul’s use of the particle μέν (men), “indeed.” It signals to his readers that he is in the process of making a contrast that he wishes to emphasize. That particle’s effect prepares them to pick up on that contrast, which is noted by his use of the particle δέ (de), “nevertheless,” at the beginning of 9:3 (NR). Through this grammatical construction, they would have understood him to say, “Indeed [men], though there is no need to remind you, . . . nevertheless [de] I am sending the brethren.”¹²

9:2 I know the forwardness of your mind / I know your willingness: The noun προθυμία (prothymia), “eagerness, desire,”¹³ is “characterized by action as well as willingness,” ¹⁴ and, based on the force of the related adjective πρόθυμος (prothymos), “ready, willing, eager” (see 8:12), stresses the eagerness that drives that willingness.¹⁵

for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia / concerning which I boast about you to the Macedonians: Because the verb καυχάομαι (kauchaomai), “to be proud of, boast,” is in the present tense, it suggests that Paul continues to feel the same enthusiasm for and confidence in these people as he did when he was among them.¹⁶ He defines his act of boasting with the phrase ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν (hyper hymōn), “about you.”¹⁷ The tense also shows that Paul is writing from Macedonia.¹⁸

that Achaia was ready a year ago / that Achaia has been ready since last year: The verb παρασκευάζω (paraskeuazō), “to prepare, be ready,”¹⁹ found here in the perfect tense, translates literally as “has been ready”²⁰ and suggests that the collection was completed months before Paul’s writing. Yet it is obvious from the present context that such is not the case. It seems likely that Paul is using the idea of “being ready” in two ways. The first denotes the Corinthians’ “readiness of intent,” referring to their initial “eagerness” for the project, and the second denotes their “readiness of completion,” which they still lack. In sum, “consistently the apostle has [both] celebrated [and bragged about] their readiness in terms of eagerness, not in terms of thoroughness in the task itself.”²¹

The adverb of time, πέρυσι (perysi), that Paul uses denotes both “a year ago” and “last year.”²² Its lack of precision allows for the collection to have begun anytime from just a few months to more than a year earlier.

Paul’s reference to the Saints living throughout the province of Achaia rather than just to those in Corinth is arresting because it shows an initial widespread support for the project while bypassing any Corinthian hesitation.

and your zeal hath provoked very many / and your zeal has roused most of them to action: The noun ζῆλος (zēlos), “zeal, ardour,” denotes “intense positive interest in something,”²³ in this case the challenge accepted by the Achaeans to raise money for the Jerusalem needy. The verb ἐρεθίζω (erethizō) means “to cause someone to react in a way that suggests acceptance of a challenge, arouse,” and although it often carried a negative connotation, it could also express a positive sense of “giving an encouraging example,” which it does here.²⁴ The KJV’s use of the verb “provoke” is based on its archaic meaning “to arouse to a feeling or action.”²⁵ Thus we have translated it as “roused . . . to action.” At that time, it carried none of the negative inferences that it has in modern English. The adjective πολύς (polys), “much,” is found here in a nominalized comparative form, πλείονες (pleiones), denoting “the majority, most,”²⁶ and amplifies the information Paul supplied in 8:1–5 concerning those who gave. Its use suggests that not every Macedonian Saint felt stirred by the Corinthian enthusiasm for the project, yet a great many did.²⁷

9:3 Yet have I sent the brethren / Nevertheless, I am sending these brothers: The conjunction δέ (de), “yet, but, nevertheless,”²⁸ acts as a marker of contrast indicating that despite what Paul has said about his audience, he is still sending the envoys. As noted above, it plays off the de, “indeed,” in 9:1. The noun ἀδελφός (adelphos), “brother,” denotes a male kinsman but can also refer to one engaged with others in a common interest or cause.²⁹ Here it is found as a masculine plural, thus “brethren.” The reference is to at least the two men who are acting as Macedonian delegates but likely also includes Titus.³⁰ The verb πέμπω (pempō), “to send,” is found here as an epistolary aorist in which a writer puts himself in the position of his audience, who would view a present action as past (see 8:18, 22). Since Titus and the other delegates have not yet left Macedonia, we have rendered the tense as “am sending.”³¹

lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf / so that our boasting about you would not prove empty in this matter: In this verse, Paul gives two reasons why he is sending the delegation, each of which he signals with the purposive conjunction ἵνα (hina), “in order that,” or more simply “that.”³² Here he lists the first. The noun καύχημα (kauchēma) can have two senses in Greek. In a negative sense, it refers to “bragging,” but in a positive sense, “boasting, having pride in.”³³ It is the second sense that Paul uses here. The point of the Apostle’s boasting is, as in 9:2, to hyper hymōn, “about you.”

The verb κενόω (kenoō), “prove empty,” means “to render void” or “empty”—that is, “to no effect.”³⁴ It is found here as a passive aorist subjunctive, and therefore we have rendered it as above. The noun μέρος (meros), “matter, affair,”³⁵ refers to the collection for the Jewish needy.

that, as I said, ye may be ready / so that you would be ready, just as I kept telling them: This phrase gives the second reason for Paul’s sending the delegation, which he again signals with the purposive ἵνα (hina), “so that.”³⁶ On the verb παρασκευάζω (paraskeuazō), “to prepare, be ready,”³⁷ found here as a middle perfect participle, see 9:2 above. The verb λέγω (legō), “to say, tell,”³⁸ found here in the imperfect tense, reflects Paul’s repeatedly expressed confidence that the Corinthians would be eagerly engaged in the collection. He seems to be hoping the collection would be nearing its completion when the delegation arrived.³⁹

9:4: This verse presents a number of translation challenges due to the rather complex sentence structure Paul uses. It begins with the two particles μή πως (mē pōs), “so that perhaps . . . not.” They introduce a purpose clause that expresses misgiving.⁴⁰ However, Paul places the verb that it governs near the end of the phrase. This verb, καταισχύνω (kataischynō), found here as a passive subjunctive aorist, translates as “to be humiliated.”⁴¹ The phrase suggests that due to the possible inaction of his readers, Paul could find himself highly shamed.

Inserted between the particles and verb is a clause introduced by the conjunction ἐὰν (ean), “if,” that introduces a present general condition in which “there is no implication as to the fulfilment of the action.”⁴² The conjunction governs two verbs in the subjunctive mood, ἔλθωσιν (elthōsin), “should come,” and εὕρωσιν (heurōsin), “should find,” referring to the Macedonian delegation. The subject of clause is the plural pronoun ἡμεῖς (hēmeis), “we,” but its focus is actually on Paul himself. The force of the conditional phrase shows that Paul does not expect his readers to put him in an embarrassing position.

Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me / so that even if some Macedonians should come with me: This verse continues the sentence begun in 9:3 and gives a third reason why Paul wants the Corinthians highly involved in the collection. The plural noun Μακεδόνες (Makedones), “Macedonians,” does not refer to the delegation headed by Titus but to one that might come later with Paul. The verb ἔρχομαι (erchomai), “to come,”⁴³ found here as a plural subjunctive aorist (thus “if they come”), suggests the possibility (albeit in this case slight) that no one will come with Paul.

and find you unprepared: The adjective ἀπαρασκεύαστος (aparaskeuastos), “not ready, unprepared,”⁴⁴ refers to not having the collection well in hand nor finished.

we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting / we (not to mention you) would not be humiliated in this undertaking: The phrase ἵνα μὴ λέγωμεν ὑμεῖς (hina mē legōmen hymeis), literally “that we might not mention you,” is parenthetical.⁴⁵ It reflects the idea that not just Paul but the Corinthians may also find themselves humiliated, as discussed above.

The noun ὑπόστασις (hypostasis), “plan, project, undertaking,”⁴⁶ refers to the Gentile collection.

The noun καυχήσεως (kauchēseōs), “boasting,” found in the KJV, does not appear in the best manuscripts, and therefore we have omitted it from our Rendition.⁴⁷

9:5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you / Consequently, I considered it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you: The conjunction οὖν (oun), “consequently,”⁴⁸ refers back to Paul’s point in the previous verse (his concern that he and these Saints could find themselves in a very embarrassing position) and reveals the motive for the actions he now describes.

The verb ἡγέομαι (hēgeomai), “to consider,” found here in the aorist tense, denotes the act of thinking carefully about something. The adjective ἀναγκαῖος (anangkaios), “necessary,” denotes something that meets a need.⁴⁹

That “need” Paul identifies with the verb παρακαλέω (parakaleō), “to encourage,” found here as an aorist infinitive. The term also carries the nuance of the earnestness by which a request is made.⁵⁰ The context suggests that Paul urged not only Titus to the task but the other two brethren as well. He pushed them to do two things. The first he expressed with the verb προέρχομαι (proerchomai) in the form of an aorist infinitive, meaning “to go on ahead.”⁵¹

And make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before / and prepare in advance the generous gift that you had previously promised: The second task that Paul urged the delegation to do he expressed with the verb προκαταρτίζω (prokatartizō), “to make arrangements in advance.”⁵² Their work is specifically to help the Corinthian members in gathering the contributions for the Jerusalem Saints so that all will be ready when he arrives.

The noun εὐλογία (eulogia), literally “good language” (thus “praise”) has several extended meanings, including “a blessing” and “a generous gift.”⁵³ It is this latter sense that is at play here. The noun is modified with the perfect passive participle of the verb προεπαγγέλλω (proepangellō), “to promise beforehand.”⁵⁴ Thus we have rendered the phrase τὴν προεπηγγελμένην εὐλογίαν ὑμῶν (tēn proepēngelmenēn eulogian hymōn), literally “the previously promised gift of yours,” as above to better express the sense in English.

that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness / so that this would be ready as a generous gift and not as one given grudgingly: The demonstrative pronoun ταύτην (tautēn), “this,” refers back to εὐλογία (eulogia), the “generous gift,” and is modified by the adjective ἕτοιμος (hetoimos), “ready, prepared.” We have taken the infinitive εῖναι (einai), “to be,” as expressing purpose,⁵⁵ thus “so that this would be.” The noun πλεονεξία (pleonexia) describes “the state of desiring to have more than one’s due,” thus “greediness, avarice,” but here the context “calls for the pregnant [meaning] ‘a gift that is grudgingly granted by avarice.’”⁵⁶ Thus we have rendered the phrase as above.

Analysis and Summary

In this chapter, Paul continues to express his confidence that the Achaean Saints will finish what remains of the funds gathering for the poor Jewish Christians suffering in the Holy Land. “In many ways this was a radical call to discipleship and a test for the Gentile converts who may have felt marginalized by some Jewish-Christians. It was also unprecedented in its scope—collecting a charitable donation from around the Mediterranean world for a specific group in Judea.”⁵⁷

Though he is confident that his readers will respond to his encouragement, he still sends Titus and two associates to push forward the work. That Paul includes the Christians living not just in Corinth but in the whole province of Achaea is telling. The Christian community, so far as we know, had not yet begun to construct and gather in church buildings. Thus they were yet meeting in individual house churches. That being the case, opposition to Paul may have been rather selective, mostly affecting some of those Christians living in the city but not those in the country. If that is the case, then his high praise for the Saints in the general region and his expressed concern for some individuals and congregations in specific areas can be easily understood. By being thus quite inclusive, Paul does protect himself from any tension between him and those less-than-friendly branches of the Church in Corinth.

The central message of this paragraph (9:1–5) deals with Paul’s “pride and boasting” in the matter of these Saints’ readiness to complete what they had begun some time earlier—namely, the Gentile collection (see 9:12–13). Paul’s confidence that they would fulfill their pledge is central to his discussion here. As he notes, he has already boasted about the Corinthians’ enthusiasm for the project, and that continues to stand at the heart of the Apostle’s concern in 9:3–5.⁵⁸ The rub is that their enthusiasm has not produced the results he expected. He reports that his boasting about their initial enthusiasm motivated many among the Macedonians to give, but it is now obvious that the Corinthians do not have the funds ready. If that condition continues, as he notes, he and they will suffer acute humiliation.

A broad look at Paul’s confidence in these southern Greeks (and their partnering with him in this and other activities in the Aegean area), as seen in both chapters 8 and 9, is the key to understanding his primary point.⁵⁹ Everything looks to the need for Christian union.

Also linking the two chapters is Paul’s use of the phrase “for now indeed” (περὶ μὲν γάρ, peri men gar) in 9:1. These words “connote a close connection” between what he has just stated in chapter 8 and the broader discourse that he now further develops.⁶⁰ In sum, he previously addressed the “who” he is sending and now (9:1–5) turns to “why” he is sending them.

Paul describes the spirit that drives the enterprise as “eagerness” (προθυμία, prothymia), a key term with three aspects. First, it is the foundation of his appeal to his audience as inferred in 8:4. Indeed, any current lack of “eagerness” would cast shame on the Apostle due to his boasting about the Achaeans to the Macedonian Saints. Second, it plays an essential part in the Apostle’s determination to see the task completed (8:16). And third, these people had zealously expressed this trait months before (8:10–11), and he now wants them to again exercise it in bringing the offering to a close.

Although in 9:1–2 he assures them that his confidence in their completing the collection makes his writing to them on that subject superfluous, in 9:3 he gives two reasons why he is doing so. The first reason (and his main concern) is the possible negative outcome of his boasting about the Achaeans to the Macedonians in light of Titus’s very positive report on how the collection was advancing. If, however, the delegation arrived only to find the work unaccomplished, Paul’s confident boasting about these people would become vacuous (κενόω, kenoō).⁶¹ Indeed, it would undercut the original enthusiasm for the collection and spoil the Apostle’s reputation thereafter. He immediately moves on to the second reason he is writing, “that you might be prepared” with everything ready when the delegation arrives. It is only in this way that Paul’s continued boast about the Corinthians will be fully justified.

In 9:4, the Apostle further explains why it is important for him that the Macedonian delegation find the Corinthian Saints well on their way to finishing the collection. It is so that he can avoid being humiliated (καταισχύνω, kataischynō). Given the Greco-Roman culture’s concern with face, members of all levels of society were highly concerned about their honor and, therefore, went to great measures to avoid shame. In the broader Greek culture, authorities would publish in the Athenian Agora the names of those who defaulted on loans or pledges and thus bring public shame upon them. Given this background, we can see that the verb Paul uses connotes much more than the modern idea of “embarrassment” and looks more at public humiliation.⁶² For the Apostle, such a position would be untenable, for it would undercut both his authority and effectiveness. Further, as Paul notes parenthetically and thus kindly, the humiliation would be borne by the Corinthian Saints as well.

In 9:5, Paul states the third reason he is sending the delegation. While doing so, he makes clear three items: the reason for their trip, what he wants the delegates to accomplish, and his hope that the Saints will give what they promised and with the correct attitude.⁶³ His purpose also appears to prepare his audience for the instructions that he will give in 9:6–15.

Significantly, at this point he gives his message a theological spin. As he has already indicated, though he has encouraged (παρακαλέω, parakaleō) Titus and those with him to take up this mission, they have willingly assumed the task and, as a result, acted somewhat as independent agents. Their task is to prepare, in advance of Paul’s arrival, “the generous gift” (εὐλογία, eulogia; 9:15, NR). The noun nuances the idea of a divine blessing that a righteous person calls down upon someone in need.⁶⁴ By using this term, Paul ties the gift to Deity. Thus he puts the Corinthians in the position of acting as God’s agents, a task not only heavy with responsibility but also potentially abounding in delight, as they act in a godly way by sharing in the abundance that the Divine has given them.

Hebrew ethics made alms giving an important duty to be done without grudge.⁶⁵ As noted in the introduction, the Christians continued to emphasize the practice. The Apostle will teach this same principle to the Roman Saints (Rom. 12:8) in addition to those whom he now addresses.⁶⁶ Noteworthy, however, is that his insistence on personal action went against the Jewish norm. That norm dictated that one’s social obligation ended with the giving. Because administering such funds was considered, in general society, a lowly service, many of the middle and upper class viewed it as too menial and undignified for them to be involved in (note Luke 21:1). Paul’s teachings counter this idea by showing that Christian giving must involve the whole community in the temporal salvation process under the direction of apostolic authority.⁶⁷

By asking his audience to act in a godly way, Paul put them in a compromising position if they did not respond. The coming delegation could interpret these Saints’ delay as an unwillingness to give due to a stingy or greedy (πλεονεξία, pleonexia) determination to hold on to their earthly goods.⁶⁸ The Apostle assures his readers that he does not want them to be seen in such a negative and unflattering light and therefore asks them to willingly live up to their promise before he gets there so that no one would think that they gave only because Paul wrung the money out of them.⁶⁹

On Sowing Generously (9:6–15)

Greek Text

6 Τοῦτο δέ, ὁ σπείρων φειδομένως φειδομένως καὶ θερίσει, καὶ ὁ σπείρων ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις καὶ θερίσει. 7 ἕκαστος καθὼς προῄρηται τῇ καρδίᾳ, μὴ ἐκ λύπης ἢ ἐξ ἀνάγκης· ἱλαρὸν γὰρ δότην ἀγαπᾷ ὁ θεός.8 δυνατεῖ δὲ ὁ θεὸς πᾶσαν χάριν περισσεῦσαι εἰς ὑμᾶς, ἵνα ἐν παντὶ πάντοτε πᾶσαν αὐτάρκειαν ἔχοντες περισσεύητε εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν·9 (καθὼς γέγραπται· Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκεν τοῖς πένησιν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα·10 ὁ δὲ ἐπιχορηγῶν σπόρον τῷ σπείροντι καὶ ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν χορηγήσει καὶ πληθυνεῖ τὸν σπόρον ὑμῶν καὶ αὐξήσει τὰ γενήματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ὑμῶν·)11 ἐν παντὶ πλουτιζόμενοι εἰς πᾶσαν ἁπλότητα, ἥτις κατεργάζεται διʼ ἡμῶν εὐχαριστίαν τῷ θεῷ.12 ὅτι ἡ διακονία τῆς λειτουργίας ταύτης οὐ μόνον ἐστὶν προσαναπληροῦσα τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν ἁγίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ περισσεύουσα διὰ πολλῶν εὐχαριστιῶν τῷ θεῷ.13 διὰ τῆς δοκιμῆς τῆς διακονίας ταύτης δοξάζοντες τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ὑποταγῇ τῆς ὁμολογίας ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἁπλότητι τῆς κοινωνίας εἰς αὐτοὺς καὶ εἰς πάντας,14 καὶ αὐτῶν δεήσει ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐπιποθούντων ὑμᾶς διὰ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐφʼ ὑμῖν.15 χάρις τῷ θεῷ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνεκδιηγήτῳ αὐτοῦ δωρεᾷ. [SBLGNT]

Translation Notes and Comments

9:6 But this I say / Now the point is this: The demonstrative pronoun τοῦτο (touto), “this,” is here used as an adverbial accusative that can be translated as “in respect to this.”⁷⁰ With the conjunction δέ (de), which here expresses a simple continuation of the narrative,⁷¹ the pronoun forms a verbless interjection calling attention to what follows.⁷² To better express this in contemporary English, we have rendered the phrase as above.

He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully / one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and one who sows bounteously will also reap bounteously: Paul is obviously expressing an aphorism, but one that is not found in any surviving contemporary literature of the New Testament period. It echoes Old Testament agrarian imagery of sowing and reaping grain and expresses the results of doing so either inadequately or abundantly (see, for example, Prov. 11:24).⁷³ The adverb φειδομένως (pheidomenōs) denotes “in a scanty or meager manner, sparingly.”⁷⁴ The noun εὐλογία (eulogia), as noted in 9:5, usually refers to “a gift” or “a benefit” that one bestows upon another.⁷⁵ However, the prepositional phrase in which it is found here (ἐπʼ εὐλογίαις, ep’ eulogiais) forces it to take on a different and more abstract nuance.⁷⁶ This nuance refers to what is large or abundant and, by extension, generates the adverbial sense of “generously” or, in agricultural terms, “bounteously.”⁷⁷

9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give / Each person should give as much as he has decided in his heart: This phrase begins with the adjective ἕκαστος (hekastos), “each,” acting in the place of a substantive; thus we have rendered the phrase as “each person.”⁷⁸ By placing the adjective there, Paul puts stress on the duty of each person individually. The phrase “let him give” or “should give” is not found in the Greek text, but it is understood from the context and is added for clarity in both the KJV and our Rendition.

The verb προαιρέω (proaireō), “to decide,” found here in middle perfect form, denotes determining a course of action beforehand.⁷⁹ In the middle voice it means to choose or decide for oneself, and with the perfect tense it carries the force of a previous decision still being active.⁸⁰ The perfect tense suggests that the Achaean Saints had decided to give at some point in the past and that this decision continued into the present.⁸¹

The adverb modifying the verb προαιρέω (proaireō) is καθώς (kathōs) and means “just as.”⁸² The phrase can indicate either of two conditions. One is that of “comparison” or “accordance,” which translates as “just as he has resolved.” The other is that of extent or degree,⁸³ which translates as “as much as he has decided.”⁸⁴ In accordance with the context, we have rendered the passage with the latter nuance.

The noun καρδία (kardia), “heart,” metaphorically refers to the inner self or core of the individual⁸⁵ and suggests the private and personal form that the giving should take.⁸⁶

not grudgingly, or of necessity / neither reluctantly nor out of compulsion: In this phrase, Paul notes two conditions that should not motivate charitable giving. He does so by using the preposition ἐκ (ek), “out of, from,” acting as a marker of cause, reason, or motive,⁸⁷ with the negative particle μή (mē),⁸⁸ “not,”⁸⁹ thus, “not from.” The phrase modifies both the following nouns. We have rendered the phrase as “neither . . . nor.”

The noun λύπη (lypē) usually denotes a state of regret, sorrow, or pain due to something one has done.⁹⁰ However, in the prepositional phrase where it is found (ἐκ λύπης, ek lypēs, literally “out of sorrow”), it denotes reluctance.⁹¹ For the sake of flow, we have rendered it as an adverb.⁹²

The noun ἀνάγκη (anankē) denotes an act done “through compulsion by forcible means.”⁹³

for God loveth a cheerful giver / for God loves a cheerful giver: The conjunction γάρ (gar), “for,”⁹⁴ acts as a marker pointing to the reason why the Corinthian Saints should give neither due to reluctance nor to outside pressure.⁹⁵ To explain why yielding to these forces will not do, Paul paraphrases LXX Proverbs 22:8.⁹⁶ Its focus is on the attitude of the giver coupled with God’s response thereto.⁹⁷ The verb Paul uses, ἀγαπάω (agapaō), “to love,”⁹⁸ expresses the strong positive feeling that liberal giving generates in God. It is not, however, the word found in the LXX. That scripture uses the verb εὐλογέω (eulogeō), “to bless,” thus that scripture indicates that God “blesses the cheerful giver.” Paul may have made his substitution to avoid using a cognate of εὐλογία (eulogia) so that his thought had a better flow. Whatever the case, the change in wording does not affect Paul’s point. for it is love that motivates God to give blessings.⁹⁹

The adjective ἱλαρός (hilaros), “cheerful,”¹⁰⁰ also carries the nuances of “merry, glad, happy,” and echoes the ideas of “kindness” or “graciousness.”¹⁰¹ Paul’s use of the scripture suggests that what makes the act of giving Christian is not the act itself but the motivation that stands behind it.¹⁰² Such giving denotes a state of mind that produces a joyous readiness to supply what is needed generated by an “inner freedom of generosity.”¹⁰³

9:8–14: These verses make up an extraordinarily complex single sentence in the Greek text that contains some areas of vagueness. Our Rendition breaks it up into several sentences in order to communicate its meaning more clearly in English. In doing so, we have translated a number of participles as verbs.

9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you / God can provide you with every grace in abundance: The verb δυνατέω (dynateō), “to be able, can,”¹⁰⁴ denotes not just capacity but “great ability.”¹⁰⁵ It stresses the power that either Deity or an individual has to bring about the indicated result. The noun χάρις (charis), “grace,”¹⁰⁶ in this context, refers to a divine benefaction or blessing of a temporal or spiritual nature that God bestows in the present world. The verb περισσεύω (perisseuō) means “to cause something to exist in abundance.”¹⁰⁷ Paul’s phrase emphasizes God’s inexorable capacity to richly bless temporally and spiritually those who do his will.

that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work / so that you will always have enough of everything and ample means for every good work: The conjunction ἵνα (hina), indicating purpose, “so that,” points back to the absolute ability God has to provide temporal blessings for those who follow his ways. Paul looks at two categories. He delimits the first by the use of the noun αὐτάρκεια (autarkeia), “what is sufficient.”¹⁰⁸ The word describes having an adequate or sufficient supply of something. What that is the Apostle identifies with the phrase ἐν παντί (en panti), “everything,” meaning “temporal goods.” The second he does not delimit but refers to with the verb περισσεύω (perisseuō), found here as an aorist subjunctive, denoting having a superabundance or an ample amount of whatever is needed.¹⁰⁹ Both apply to doing ἔργον ἀγαθόν (ergon agathon), a “good work”—that is, what God wants done. The present context points to the collection for the Judean poor.

There are in this sentence two stylistic devices by which Paul gives emphasis to his appeal. The first is his excellent use of alliteration. Here he uses three different forms of the adjective πᾶν (pan), “all, every,”¹¹⁰ and the related adverb πάντοτε (pantote), “always,”¹¹¹ as well as repeating the verb περισσεύω (perisseuō)—ἐν παντὶ πάντοτε πᾶσαν αὐτάρκειαν ἔχοντες περισσεύητε εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν (en panti pantote pasan autarkeian echontes perisseuēte eis pan ergon). The second is his arrangement of the words in a chiastic form:¹¹²

God can provide you

Through this arrangement, he emphasizes that God always blesses the cheerful giver with whatever he or she needs to do God’s work.

9:9 As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever / As it is written, “He distributed; he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures forever”: To bolster his point, Paul again appeals to scripture. Here he quotes LXX Psalm 111:9 (Ps. 112:9, KJV). The noun “he” does not appear in the Greek text but is inferred by the context and refers to the giver. The verb σκορπίζω (skorpizō) means “to cause a group or gathering to go in various directions, scatter, disperse,” and also “to distribute.”¹¹³ It is the translation of the Hebrew verb פִּזַּר (pizzar), which has the sense “to distribute freely, to lavish.”¹¹⁴ On that basis, we have rendered it as above.

The object of the liberal giving is the πένης (penēs), “the poor.”¹¹⁵ The noun refers to that class of people who, due to necessity, must do menial work to sustain themselves. It does not generally nuance those reduced to begging.¹¹⁶

The final clause identifies the result of a person’s generous giving. The noun δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), “righteousness,”¹¹⁷ when applied to humankind generally, denotes “religious, moral, and compassionate activity.”¹¹⁸ In Judaism, righteousness was equated with and expressed through alms giving. The term, however, connotes an outward token of a person’s right relationship with God.¹¹⁹ Thus some viewed such charitable acts less as expressions of benevolence or kindness and more as signs of a godly nature. The context here, however, looks to a divine state of righteousness. It expresses God’s “covenantal rule in fellowship with his people” as exemplified in his generous and continual giving.¹²⁰ Thus the giver, in emulating God’s ways, takes on a godly attribute. Describing the result, the scripture uses the verb μένω (menō), “to stay, remain, persist,” with the connotation of continuous existence.¹²¹ Since the English word “endure” means “to continue in the same state,” we have chosen that as the best rendering. The noun αἰών (aiōn), “forever,” denotes the never-ending nature of this remarkable and kindly attribute.¹²²

Paul actually repurposes the scripture such that it points not to the generous giver but to God.¹²³ He uses the phrase to highlight the idea that God will never cease to give because his righteousness as expressed in his volitional giving will last forever. The implication is that God ever blesses those who willingly and generously give to the collection.

9:10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food / Now he who provides seed to the sower and bread for food: Paul here paraphrases LXX Isaiah 55:10 (compare Hosea 10:12). This sentence begins with a definite article that functions as a demonstrative pronoun, meaning “the one who,”¹²⁴ and refers to God.

The verb ἐπιχορηγέω (epichorēgeō), “to provide,”¹²⁵ found here as a present active participle, connotes the idea of providing necessities at one’s own expense and also has connotations in the broader Greco-Roman empire of providing generous public service.¹²⁶ We have rendered the participle as the finite verb “provides” for the sake of flow.

The noun σπόρος (sporos), “seed,” refers to both the process of sowing and to what is sown—namely, kernels of wheat, barley, and other crops. ¹²⁷

The verb σπείρω (speirō), “to sow,”¹²⁸ is found here as a masculine participle and thus means “the one sowing”; we have rendered it as the noun “sower” for flow in English.

The noun ἄρτος (artos), “bread,” usually refers to any product made from cereal grains but can also designate any type of food.¹²⁹

multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness / will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness: The verb χωρηγέω (chōrēgeō) denotes defraying “the expenses of something” and thus “to provide, supply.”¹³⁰ It is the latter generalized sense that we use in our Rendition.

The verb πληθυνω (plēthynō), “to multiply,” carries the nuance of causing something to greatly increase in number,¹³¹ while the verb αὐξάνω (auxanō), “to grow, to increase,”¹³² denotes the idea of becoming greater not only in number but also in quality.¹³³

On the noun δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē), “righteousness,” see Translation Notes for 9:9. Here it denotes an uprightness based on divine standards.¹³⁴

In using these verbs, Paul identifies the two actions that cheerful giving promotes in God: He provides and multiplies the seed (connoting temporal blessings), and he also increases the harvest (connoting a spiritual blessing). That harvest is a greater increase in “righteousness.”

9:11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness / You are enriched in every way, resulting in generosity of every kind: The adjective πᾶς (pas) is used twice in this phase. At the beginning of the phrase, though it can mean “in all things,” the context does not look at the amount of something but at the means by which something is done; thus we have rendered the phrase as “in every way.”¹³⁵

The verb it modifies, πλουτίζω (ploutizō), found here as a present passive participle, would normally be translated as “to be made rich,” but in this phrase it is used circumstantially and thus carries the nuance of “being enriched” in temporal and spiritual matters.¹³⁶ For clarity, however, we have translated it as a finite verb, added the implied “you,” and used it to begin a new sentence.

It is important, however, to recognize that the verse continues Paul’s thought as begun in 9:6. Further, his use of the passive voice should not obscure his recognition that God is behind the act. The phrase carries the idea that it is divine power that enables its receivers to give freely and fully and that, as his readers realize this power in their own lives, they will give gratitude to the source of their ability.

At the end of the phrase, where πᾶς (pas) is used the second time, it refers to “a totality”¹³⁷ and is thus rendered “every kind of.” The noun the adjective modifies, ἁπλότης (haplotēs), denotes “generosity.”¹³⁸ The word nuances a giving without reserve and thus without ulterior motive.¹³⁹ The whole phrase points to a full and unhindered generosity that is God inspired but acts in response to the person’s will.

which causeth through us thanksgiving to God / that through us produces gratitude to God: The phrase ἥτις . . . διʼ ἡμῶν (hētis . . . di’ hēmōn), “that . . . through us,” identifies Paul and his fellow workers as those through whose efforts the divinely inspired generosity has taken effect.

The result of that effort is caught by the verb κατεργάζομαι (katergozomai), “to bring about” or “produce” something,¹⁴⁰ in this case εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), a noun denoting a state that combines “thankfulness” and “gratitude.”¹⁴¹ This state is tied to and inspired by the recognition of divine favor.¹⁴² Though the term can be rendered “thanksgiving,” the nuance here suggests “a proper sense of favors received,” and thus “gratitude” works better.¹⁴³ The Apostle’s point is that the Corinthian Saints’ recognition that their service is God enabled produces feelings of gratitude to him.

9:12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints / because the performance of this service is not only fully providing for the needs of the saints: The conjunction ὅτι (hoti), “because,” acts as a marker of causation and explains why an abundance of gratitude will be generated by the generosity of the Achaean Saints.

The phrase οὐ μόνον (ou monon), “not only,” draws attention to the first product of their generosity. In this phrase, Paul uses two nouns; the primary meaning of both is “service.” Each, however, has unique nuances that give it a specific meaning in the present context. The first noun, διακονία (diakonia), “performance, service,” denotes both “service that is rendered in an intermediary capacity” and also the performance of such service.¹⁴⁴ Though in secular Greek it carried the idea of performing certain duties that were “often of a humble or menial nature,”¹⁴⁵ the Christians gave it a more exalted nuance, referring to “any ‘discharge of service’ [done] in genuine love.”¹⁴⁶

The second noun, λειτουργία (leitourgia), “service, help, assistance,” found here in the genitive case, would generally denote either regular or formal service, but in the New Testament, it carries a religious connotation along with an “aura of high status” for those who render such service.¹⁴⁷ Thus we have translated the phrases ἡ διακονία (hē diakonia) as “the performance,” and τῆς λειτουργίας ταύτης (tēs leitourgias tautēs) as “of this service,” that service being, of course, the charitable contribution for the Judean poor.

The verb προσαναπληρόω (prosanaplēroō), “to fill up or replenish besides, supply,”¹⁴⁸ denotes supplying something fully or completely. The emphasis is on the abundance of what is supplied.¹⁴⁹ The verb, as found here as a present active participle and with the verb ἐστίν (estin), “is,” expresses a periphrastic present tense¹⁵⁰ that corresponds to the English present continuous tense, yielding the rendering “is . . . fully providing.”

The phrase looks to the temporal effect that the Achaean gift will have on the receivers—namely, meeting the needs of the Judean Saints. The noun ὑστέρημα (hysterēma), “need, want, deficiency,” denotes items that are essential needs and not just desired or wanted.¹⁵¹ As such, the word suggests the depth of the lack that these people are facing and the motivation that pushes the Apostle to work in their behalf.

but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God / but is also overflowing in many expressions of gratitude to God: The phrase ἀλλὰ καί (alla kai), “but also,” points the reader to the second product of the Corinthians’ contribution to the Judean collection.

The verb περισσεύω (perisseuō) “to abound, be extremely abundant, overflow,”¹⁵² found here as a participle with the verb ἐστίν (estin), “is,” as noted in the phrase above, expresses a periphrastic present tense¹⁵³ that corresponds to the English present continuous tense, yielding the rendition “is . . . overflowing.”

The noun εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), as noted above, means “gratitude for benefits or blessings.”¹⁵⁴ In this case, the effusive expression of gratitude will be from the recipients of the Corinthians’ generosity.

The direction of that gratitude, however, is not to the Corinthians, as Paul views it, but to God. For an explanation as to why, see the next phrase.

9:13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration / Because of having experienced this service: The preposition διὰ (dia), “because,” in the genitive case as here, can generally mean “through,” indicating agency or means, but in the present context it carries a causal sense pointing to the reason why an action is taken.¹⁵⁵

The noun δοκιμή (dokimē), “experience,” refers both to “a testing process” and “the experience of going through a test with special ref[erence] to the result.”¹⁵⁶ The phrase carries the idea that the ministry of charitable giving has proven its effectiveness and that this proof has come through the positive experience of those who have been affected by it.¹⁵⁷ Thus the phrase can be rendered literally as either “because of the proof of this service” or “because of the experience of this service.” We felt “experience” better captures Paul’s idea, and so we rendered it as a participial phrase to better convey the sense in English.

they glorify God / they will glorify God: In this phrase, Paul notes the third product that the generous giving of the Corinthian Saints will have on those in Jerusalem. He expresses it with the verb δοξάζω (doxazō) “to praise, honor, glorify,”¹⁵⁸ found here as a present participle used circumstantially with an understood subject being the Holy Land Saints. For clarity and flow, we have translated it as a finite verb in the future tense.

The object of the praise is τὸν θεόν (ton theon), “God.” The phrase shows that Paul understands that the immediate givers are the Achaean Saints, but the ultimate giver is the One who inspired and enabled the giving. Recognizing this, the Judean Saints give glory to God.

for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ / for your obedience to the covenant you made in accepting the gospel of Christ: This and the following phrase present translation difficulties because they house an anacoluthon (that is, a segment of a text that does not follow the proper and therefore expected grammatical sequence¹⁵⁹) with the disruption in the flow being most obvious here.¹⁶⁰

Compounding the challenge are the words that Paul chooses to use. The noun ὑποταγή (hypotagē) can refer to “subordination, subjection,” or “obedience,” and here it especially nuances the idea of following “established norms of obedience.”¹⁶¹ The noun ὁμολογία (homologia) denotes an “expression of allegiance as an action, professing, confessing.”¹⁶² More broadly it connotes an open or public expression of one’s allegiance to a person or system, translating as “the confession” or “profession” of an acknowledged truth.¹⁶³ As one scholar notes, “The term is a response to the Gospel of Christ, obedience to its message, acceptance of its claim and expression of commitment.”¹⁶⁴ Classical authors often used the word to describe a “covenant, pact,” or “agreement.”¹⁶⁵ It is this nuance that we have used in our Rendition because accepting Christ is expressed through the covenant of baptism. Putting this all together produces a somewhat literal translation of “for the obedience of your covenant to the gospel of Christ.” For the sake of flow in English, we have rendered it as above.

and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men / and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else: With this phrase, Paul expresses the second reason why the Judean Saints will give glory to God. The noun ἁπλότης (haplotēs), as already discussed in the Translation Notes on 9:11, means “generosity.” The pronoun “your” is not in the Greek but is understood from the context.

The noun κοινωνία (koinōnia), “sharing,” denotes a close association that results in mutual interest and participation.¹⁶⁶ Because the word connotes the enjoyment coming from a deep fellowship, some early writers used it to express the common experience and interests of the members of the various Christian communities (Acts 2:42; Gal. 2:9) as well as their mutual participation in the power and blessings of the Divine (1 Cor. 1:9; Philip. 2:1; 1 John 1:3).

The adjectival phrase εἰς πάντας (eis pantas), “with everyone else,” though a masculine plural (thus, “all men” in the KJV), can include women, and therefore we have translated it as above. The phrase is arresting because it suggests that welfare collecting was not unique to this instance but a regular practice of the Church.¹⁶⁷ What is likely unusual about this event is its multiprovincial breadth.

9:14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you / And by their prayer for you they yearn for you: The noun δέησις (deēsis), “prayer,” in the dative case as here expresses an instrument, thus “by, by means of,”¹⁶⁸ indicating the means by which the Judean Christians will demonstrate their appreciation and love for their Gentile brothers and sisters.

The verb ἐπιποθέω (epipotheō), “to yearn,” generally means “to have a strong desire for something or someone with implication of need,” ¹⁶⁹ but in the present context it indicates a “great affection” or “yearning love for” someone.¹⁷⁰ The object of that love, in this case, is the generous Corinthians.

for the exceeding grace of God in you/ because of the surpassing grace of God that rests upon you: The preposition διά (dia), “because,” plays an important role here, for it points to the cause of the Judean Saints’ yearning love for the Achaean Saints: the “surpassing grace of God” that rests upon them.

The verb ὑοερβάλλω (hyperballō), “surpass,” found here as a present participle and rendered as “surpassing,” denotes something that is outstanding or extraordinary but nuances that which greatly exceeds expectations.¹⁷¹ In this case, it refers to χάριν τοῦ θεοῦ (charin tou theou), the “grace of God,” which rests to an extraordinary degree upon the Corinthian Saints. The noun refers to the God-given enabling power so clearly manifest in the generous and loving giving of the western Saints.

9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift / Thank God for his indescribable gift: Once again Paul uses the noun χάρις (charis), “grace,” but in this context it refers to heart-felt thanksgiving toward God for what he has done for the Corinthians.¹⁷² The noun δωρεά (dōrea) denotes “a bounty” or “gift” but carries the nuance of one that is freely given.¹⁷³ In the New Testament, dōrea always refers not to gifts given by men but to those that come from God.¹⁷⁴ In the present context, as noted in 9:14, charis refers to God’s bounteous grace that abides upon the Achaean Christians. It points specifically to the enabling power that has assisted these Saints in overcoming the propensities of the “natural man” such that they can make a generous and heartfelt offering.

Paul describes this gift with the adjective ἀνεκδιήγητος (anekdiēgētos), the word denoting something so marvelous that it is beyond words, thus “indescribable.”¹⁷⁵ This is an apt description for the loving, transforming, and enabling power that flows from both God and Christ to those striving to do their will.

Analysis and Summary

Having explained how he has both urged members of the delegation he is sending and instructed them in how they are to help in collecting funds for the Jerusalem needy, Paul now turns to instructions on the collection itself, beginning with a plea and adding an assurance.

In 9:6, he uses the agricultural imagery to make his point. Though Corinth itself was very urban, its general environment was agrarian, and therefore its inhabitants would have related to rural imagery.¹⁷⁶ This imagery would have been especially relevant to the Jewish Christian community due to references in their wisdom literature.¹⁷⁷ The Apostle’s point in using such a metaphor is that those who contribute stingily to the collection are like a farmer who is unwilling to sacrifice his grain in the present and thus gets but a poor harvest. On the other hand, those who contribute fully are like a farmer who willingly sacrifices his grain in the present and thus receives a bounteous harvest in the future.

Earlier in the epistle (8:14), Paul identified what constitutes for these Saints the bounteous harvest “of blessings” (ἐπ’ εὐλογίαις, ep’ eulogiais), specifically meeting the temporal needs of their Judean counterparts. However, he pointed out in that chapter that their primary motive in giving should not be getting a reward as much as reaching out to those suffering. Further, he stressed that the amount given was not as important as the care and concern it reflected (8:12). At this point in his epistle (9:6), however, he does focus on the reward that will come to the giving Saints, assuring them that their blessing of others will yield an even greater blessing to themselves.¹⁷⁸

The passage is quite theocentric since it is God who, as Paul has made clear earlier in this work, grants the heavenly and earthly blessings (3:18; 7:6; 8:1, 16).¹⁷⁹ Thus Paul’s imagery points neither to an economic return on an investment resulting from one’s ingenuity nor to an act of sheer luck. Rather, “it is the reality of faith, which has its works but which cannot be reduced to them. It [is] a participation in the goodness of God, who supplies both seed and harvest.”¹⁸⁰

In 9:7, the Apostle identifies two feelings that should not accompany the giving. These are internal reluctance (ἐκ λύπης, ek lypēs) and external pressure (ἐξ ἀνάγκη, ex anangkē). Further, people should give only as much as they determined in their hearts when they initially heard of the opportunity. By placing the seat of motivation in each person’s heart, Paul makes the giving an individual choice and thus, ideally, precludes both internal and external impositions.¹⁸¹ In this way, he guards against their losing the spiritual reward.

Here Paul is in concert with the prophet Moroni, who warned, “A man being evil cannot do that which is good; for if he offereth a gift, or prayeth unto God, except he shall do it with real intent it profiteth him nothing. For behold, it is not counted unto him for righteousness. For behold, if a man being evil giveth a gift, he doeth it grudgingly; wherefore it is counted unto him the same as if he had retained the gift; wherefore he is counted evil before God” (Moro. 7:6–8).

Guarding against this, the Apostle gives no criteria as to the amount that should be given. Each individual must decide for herself or himself but do so in light of the grace that flows from God. Thus giving is to be voluntary (8:3), free (9:5), and generous (9:6); “any legalistic impost [would be] inimical to this principle.”¹⁸²

He concludes the verse by paraphrasing a scripture that states, “God blesses a cheerful man and a giver” (LXX Prov. 22:8, our translation).¹⁸³ Paul renders it as “God loves a cheerful giver.” His rewording is telling. In the Apostle’s view, love is God’s immediate and active response to those who give cheerfully. Paul’s pronouncement does not look to some future relationship with God but to one that is realized through the giving. In the process, the Apostle removes all economic overtones because neither purpose nor amount matter any longer—only the proper attitude. Such giving is the door through which the Christian enters into the broad love and goodness of God.¹⁸⁴ Paul seems to have designed his request as a means of motivating the Saints to examine their own reasons for giving. He is not intimating, however, that God’s love is exclusive to willing givers. He intends no warning. Rather, he is encouraging his audience to give liberally, not because they were made to feel badly or spurred on by outside pressures, but because of God’s response toward those who do so.¹⁸⁵

In 9:8, Paul addresses the possible concern of those who might fear that giving would hurt them financially. The Apostle makes a five-fold promissory assertion highlighted by the repeated use of the term “all” (πᾶν, pan), which “emphasizes the comprehensiveness and ultimacy of God’s goodness.”¹⁸⁶ His response centers on God’s ability to give the faithful a superabundance (περισσεύω, perisseuō) of what they need, the verb suggesting an amount that not only fills up but overflows.¹⁸⁷ What God is able to lavish on cheerful givers is “all kinds of grace” (πᾶσαν χάριν, pasan charin), the phrase referring in this case to everything that the Corinthian Saints need so that they can make a generous contribution to the Judean poor. In other words, the gift of grace is God’s way of enabling these people to give generously in response to a plea for help. Paul’s admonition shows that God blesses people so that they can do what they desire. They are not, as Paul warns, to glut themselves on God’s gifts but to use the resources he provides to promote “every good work” (πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν, pan ergon agathon).¹⁸⁸ In this we see the practical application of the Lord’s command that includes a promise: “Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be given to you” (Matt. 6:33, authors’ translation; compare 3 Ne. 13:33).

Lest his readers misunderstand his admonition and expect too much, Paul stresses that what God actually gives is “enough” or “a sufficient amount” (αὐτάρκεια, autarkeia¹⁸⁹) to do the needed work. Two points grow out of Paul’s use of this term. First, the emphasis is on sufficiency, but of a specific kind. Both the Stoics and Cynics of the time stressed the virtue of self-sufficiency as a means of obtaining moral superiority. Indeed, the objective was to lose all dependence on others.¹⁹⁰ Paul rejects this idea and replaces it with divine sufficiency, through which the Father provides all the resources that a Saint needs to accomplish the work at hand. Second, this kind of sufficiency is neither self-centered nor consumerist but stresses generous giving to assist others.¹⁹¹

Paul’s promise, we must stress, is not that of an elaborate lifestyle, but sufficient resources to adequately perform “every good work.” Indeed, the larger context of Paul’s encouragement that God gives sufficiently in all things and at all times should not be taken to mean that the Apostle believes the Saints will never suffer from want or need. The Apostle has made it very clear that suffering, including the want for temporal goods, comes hand in glove with being a Christian. Undeniably, the Macedonian Saints gave not out of their abundance but out of deficiency. Even so, due to the grace that God bestowed upon them, they were not made temporally poorer through their generous giving, but rather abounded in the richness of the Spirit. The point is that God did compensate the giving but did so in his own way and according to his own timetable. By this means, he promoted (and still promotes) the need for the continual expression of faith, the end blessing of which will not be fully realized until one is made pure and enters into the rest of the Lord (see Alma 12:26; 13:12; 16; and Moro. 7:3).¹⁹²

Paul’s admonition brings out yet another important lesson. God’s extending his grace brings its willing participants into a genuine sharing of that grace as they in turn extend it by giving generously to others. Further, in doing so, they thereby open the door through which they will come to receive that grace in its fulness (D&C 93:19–20). In this way, the Christians participate in God’s kind of giving (that is, in extending grace) and enhance within themselves this divine quality. By this means, a kind of “deification” takes place that does not replace God but rather confirms God as the enabler and one true Giver who models the way and blesses those who follow it.¹⁹³

To shore up his point, Paul again turns to scripture in 9:9. Likely because it states exactly what he wants, he quotes part of LXX Psalm 111:9 (112:9 in the KJV) verbatim. The whole psalm is an acrostic poem that celebrates the acts of the godlike man who uses his riches in accordance with divine dictates. The poem highlights the person’s generosity, noting that he disperses or scatters (σκορπίζω, skorpizō) his goods widely. His lavish giving is a disclosure of an inherent righteousness (hē dikaiosynē; compare Matt. 6:1–4), a characteristic that, because it is at the heart of the person’s being, will remain with him forever and thus ensure his eternal place with God.¹⁹⁴

As is his wont, Paul repurposes the scripture so that it points not to the deeds and attributes of the righteous man, but to those of God. In 9:10, the Apostle plays off the word found in the scripture (σκορπίζω, skorpizō, “to disperse, scatter”) to transition to horticultural imagery once again. He notes that God provides both the source (seed) and product (bread) for the faithful sower, suggesting that he will never run out of either.¹⁹⁵ Paul’s design is to have his readers focus on the abundant blessings that come to the individual who gives to the poor (πένης, penēs). Penēs is found only here in the NT, and therefore, its Old Testament nuance helps to determine what Paul has in mind. The term generally refers to those who derive their living neither from having property nor from being highly skilled. Thus the untrained mass of people living in the Greco-Roman world composed “the poor.” Jewish society attributed no religious value to being poor, and so these people were not generally viewed as being spiritually inferior.¹⁹⁶ Though in the Masoretic Text the Hebrew word refers to anyone needing assistance,¹⁹⁷ the context in the LXX allows Paul to reference those Jewish Christians who are suffering from lack of material goods.

In this verse (9:10), he assures his readers that God will give them increase, but he does not promise it will be all in material goods; rather it will be in “righteousness.” This part of Paul’s response strongly echoes Hosea 10:12, where the prophet addressed the results of sowing righteousness—namely, that justice will come to the individual. Exactly what Paul has in mind with this genitive phrase is a bit ambiguous. If he is using “righteousness” as a “genitive of production,” then he is referring to a quality resulting from the Saints’ generous acts adduced by their moral lives being in harmony with God’s ways. Taking the phrase in this way, the thought parallels that of the quality of the life of the righteous giver noted in Paul’s quote of LXX Psalm 111:9. As such, the phrase would refer to the relatively high standard of life of the Achaean Saints generally. The phrase, however, can also be read as a “genitive of possession”—that is, as referring to an individual’s internal righteousness that is composed of his or her right standing with God. Such a state of righteousness God would bestow upon each Saint in response to his or her generosity.¹⁹⁸ It is also possible that Paul has in mind both the result of their generous acts and God’s response thereto by enhancing their righteousness.¹⁹⁹ This more comprehensive interpretation would fit nicely with the general tenor of this section since the Apostle looks at the multifaceted ways the Saints’ generous giving positively affects them.

In 9:11, the Apostle transitions away from emphasizing God’s vast resources and his bounteous giving that both encourage and supply the Saints’ generosity and moves toward that generosity’s results. He begins by stating that God will “enrich [the givers] in every way,” making it possible for them to give liberally and thus enhance their righteousness. But the benefit to them does not stop there. In 9:11–12, Paul notes that the beneficiaries will experience an overflowing (περισσεύω, perisseuō) “gratitude [εὐχαριστία, eucharistia] to God.” His point is that they should understand that their deed is an expression of their faith in and response to God’s power that rests upon them. The result of their understanding of how the process works is deep and heartfelt gratitude.

In 9:13, the Apostle elaborates on this point—because of the Greek Saints’ generosity, the Jewish Saints will express their gratitude by giving glory to God. Their praise will be generated for two reasons: first, because the recipients of the gift will recognize it as an expression of the Corinthians’ obedience to the covenant that they made when accepting the gospel,²⁰⁰ and second, because they will recognize the gift, as Paul notes, as an expression of the “surpassing grace of God that rests upon” their fellow Saints.

An element of the Apostle’s theology woven into this part of his instructions must not be overlooked. Describing what will happen due to the Corinthian Saints’ generosity, he states that Jewish Saints will express gratitude to God. Though they will neither forget nor discount the generous gift from their Greek brothers and sisters, they will nonetheless view their fellow travelers as but vehicles of God’s work, and therefore they will give all praise appropriately to him. In sum, for the Apostle, it is the gift of God working through the Corinthians that is significant.²⁰¹

In 9:14, Paul identifies another result of the Achaeans’ generous giving: the Jerusalem Saints will both pray for and yearn to be connected with their generous benefactors because they wish to partake of the divine grace that sits so fully upon the Achaean Saints. Due to the wonderous and enabling power of this grace and what it brings about, it is little wonder that in 9:15 Paul exclaims, “Thank God for his indescribable gift!”

In sum, a central element in this portion of Paul’s supplication centers on a God-given gratitude expressed in thanksgiving. Noteworthy is that the Apostle does not indicate the content of the super-abundant gratitude inspired by the Corinthian Saints’ goodness, but he does mark out the virtue “as a basic and lasting element of the Christian life. Indeed, a life based on thanksgiving is the converse of an evil life (Rom 1:21; Eph 5:4).”²⁰² One reason is that for the “natural man” there is an instinctive love of money driving him to pursue riches and influence, with the expectation that these will yield to a more secure and abundant temporal life. But if a Saint yields “to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” and, by that power, puts off “the natural man and [becomes] a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord” (Mosiah 3:19), he or she loses trust in the mundane and temporal. Instead, that Saint looks to pleasing God as the seat of his or her security. At that point, as the prophet Jacob states, Saints become “familiar with all and free with [their] substance,” using it so that others “may be rich like into [themselves].” However, such a state, as Jacob reminds his hearers, comes initially by both seeking the kingdom of God before all else and receiving “a hope in Christ.” Once changed by God’s transforming power, the Saint, should he or she seek for wealth, will do it “for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and afflicted” (Jacob 2:17–19). A Saint thus becomes, as Elder McConkie notes, “subject to a higher law. Money is no longer his master; it is his servant to do good and work righteousness; he becomes a cheerful giver.”²⁰³ Indeed, gratitude for what God has given him on both the temporal and spiritual plain fills his soul for the opportunity and reinforces his desire to do good. Thus, like Paul, he can exclaim, “Thank God for his indescribable gift!”