Page 394 - Demo

8:9 Everything, even our nancial giving, comes back to the example of Christ. Christ was rich but became poor—he poured out the riches of his divine life, becoming poor so that we might become rich with his life. Those who follow Christ are to do the same— eagerly sharing what we have so that all may have enough.
9:9 Paul cites Exodus 16:18 on the manna from heaven. The manna went bad if it was kept overnight, and thus it could not be hoarded. All had just enough. The heavenly manna reveals God’s way of giving to us, which we are to imitate in our generosity to others.
 CORINTHIANS -
welcomed our appeal but, since he is very concerned, he has gone to you of his own accord. 18With him we have sent the brother* who is praised in all the churches for his preaching of the gospel.h 19And not only that, but he has also been appointed our traveling companion by the churches in this gracious work administered by us for the glory of the Lord [himself] and for the expression of our eagerness.i 20This we desire to avoid, that anyone blame us* about this lavish gift administered by us, 21for we are concerned for what is honorable not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of others.j 22And with them we have sent our brother whom we often tested in many ways and found earnest, but who is now much more earnest because of his great con dence in you. 23As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker for you; as for our brothers, they are apostles of the churches, the glory of Christ. 24So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to them.*
9God’s Indescribable Gift.*
1Now about the service to the holy ones, it is super uous for me to write to you, 2for I know your eagerness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia* has been ready since last year; and your zeal has stirred up most of them.a 3Nonetheless, I sent the brothers* so that our boast about you might not prove empty in this case, so that you might be ready, as I said, 4for fear that if any Macedonians come with me and nd you not ready we might be put to shame (to say nothing of you) in this conviction. 5So I thought it necessary to encourage the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for your promised gift, so that in this way it might be ready as a bountiful gift and not as an exaction.
6Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.b 7Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.c 8* Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work. 9As it is written:
“He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”d
* [8:18] The brother: we do not know the identity of this co-worker of Paul, nor of the third companion mentioned below in 2 Cor 8:22.
* [8:20–22] That anyone blame us: 2 Cor 12:16–18 suggests that misunderstandings may indeed have arisen concerning Paul’s management of the collection through the messengers mentioned here, but those same verses seem to imply that the Corinthians by and large would recognize the honesty of Paul’s conduct in this area as in others (cf. 2 Cor 6:3).
*[8:24] As Paul began by holding up the Macedonians as examples to be imitated, he closes by exhorting the Corinthians to show their love (by accepting the envoys and by cooperating as the Macedonians do), thus justifying the pride Paul demonstrates because of them before other churches.
* [9:1–15] Quite possibly this was originally an independent letter, though it deals with the same subject and continues many of the same themes. In that case, it may have been written a few weeks later than 2 Cor 8, while the delegation there mentioned was still on its way.
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* [9:2] Achaia: see note on Rom 15:26.
* [9:3] I sent the brothers: the Greek aorist tense here could
*
be epistolary, referring to the present; in that case Paul would be sending them now, and 2 Cor 9 would merely conclude the letter of recommendation begun in 2 Cor 8. But the aorist may also refer to a sending that is past as Paul writes; then 2 Cor 9, with its apparently fresh beginning, is a follow-up message entrusted to another carrier.
[9:8–10] The behavior to which he exhorts them is grounded in God’s own pattern of behavior. God is capable of overwhelming generosity, as scripture itself attests (2 Cor 9:9), so that they need not fear being short. He will provide in abundance, both supplying their natural needs and increasing their righteousness. Paul challenges them to godlike generosity and reminds them of the fundamental motive for encouragement: God himself cannot be outdone.
CHAPTER 8
h. [8:18] 12:18.
i. [8:19] 1 Cor 16:3–4.
j. [8:21] Rom 12:17.
CHAPTER 9
a. [9:2] 8:10; Rom 15:26. b. [9:6] Prv 11:24–25.
c. [9:7] Prv 22:8 LXX.
d. [9:9] Ps 112:9.