2 Corinthians 8 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

2 Corinthians 8

Encouragement to Give Generously

8:1 We want you to know, brothers,¹ about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor² of taking part in the relief of the saints—5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6 Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you³—see that you excel in this act of grace also.

8 I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

Commendation of Titus

16 But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you. 17 For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going⁴ to you of his own accord. 18 With him we are sending⁵ the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel. 19 And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will. 20 We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, 21 for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man. 22 And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you. 23 As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers⁶ of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24 So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men.

Footnotes

[1] 8:1 Or brothers and sisters
[2] 8:4 The Greek word charis can mean favor or grace or thanks, depending on the context
[3] 8:7 Some manuscripts in your love for us
[4] 8:17 Or he went
[5] 8:18 Or we sent; also verse 22
[6] 8:23 Greek apostles

Commentary

v1-3: The example of the grace of God at work in Macedonia, see Phil 4.15-18. There was abundant joy in their affliction, and generosity in their poverty. They gave even beyond their ability. This is truly the working of God's grace, and gives no room for pride from those, or envy from others. Paul used the example of the Philippian Christians as a motivation to the Corinthians.

v4: Sometimes we are reluctant to accept gifts, but we need to be encouraged to receive the gift with thankfulness, especially when we are aware of the sacrifice made. The Macedonians did not wait for Paul to make a need known, but they took the initiative.

v5: The motivation for giving is a deep devotion to the Lord. They gave themselves first to the Lord, and He led them to give a blessing to others. This means our money is the Lord's, not ours. This makes it much easier to give it to Him. In this way, the gift was in keeping with God's will.

They gave themselves 'to us.' In this way, giving is not restricted to a personal decision between the believer and God. Rather, we direct our giving to God through apostolic leadership.

v6-7: Paul sent Titus to Corinth to encourage them to give in this way also. This is part of a balanced Christian life, and spiritual growth (1 Thess 4.10). We should abound in all things, and where there is a lack, then that needs to be addressed.

Paul had previously noted that God had greatly blessed this people, 1 Cor 1.7, but he insisted that they must not neglect any other aspect of Christian experience.

v8: Paul had no explicit command from the Lord (as in 1 Cor 7.10, 25), but these things are clearly the word of God, given by His inspiration. Our part is to obey anyway. We must not wait for some further 'revelation' before we obey Him.

We note further, Paul's way of grace, in avoiding presenting fresh law for NT believers. However, Paul does not leave his readers to guess what the will of God might be. He is looking to inspire and challenge the Corinthians.

v9: Christ's own example must motivate us to give to the blessing of others. Personal preferences, desires, even needs, were laid aside; He became poor, He made Himself of no reputation. Christ was not forced by anything outside Him to do this; out of grace, He chose to do it. Through His poverty come riches for us.

'‘He grounds his mundane appeal for the disadvantaged on the theology of the incarnation, and the gracious renunciation which it entailed.’ (John Stott, Issues Facing Christians Today)

v10-11: The Corinthians had previously promised to make a gift. Paul urges them to honour that promise.

v12: Paul commends willingness to give, as in 9.7. We give from what we have, not from what we do not have. Paul does not want to put an extra burden on the Lord's people; we give from what we have received. Similarly, we serve with what God has given us.

v13-15: Giving is to meet the needs of others, so that all the Lord's people have all their needs met. When one group is wealthier, they can help another poorer group. At another time, when the circumstances are changed, the gift may pass the other way. The O.T. principle (see Ex 16.18) remains true for the Christian.

v16: Paul had confidence in his fellow workers, see Phil 2.20 also.

v17: Paul commended Titus for his enthusiasm and his diligence. Titus also served with his own initiative; he did not need to wait for Paul's instruction.

v18-19: Another brother, unnamed, was also sent with Titus. He had a good reputation in all the churches.

v20-21: Paul took care that the administration of the gift was done in an orderly way. This meant honouring the Lord, and being transparently correct before men.

v22: The second unnamed brother who was zealous in his service, and he shared in his confidence in the Corinthians.

v23-24: The party was sent from Paul, representing both himself, and the Lord Jesus. The Corinthians are therefore under instructions to receive and honour these men.

The fact that two men were not named may simply be a lesson in humility. We are named by the name of Christ, and His Name must be top priority in our lives.