2 Corinthians 9

Paul continues urging the Corinthians to finish the collection for the poor believers in Jerusalem. He gives them a simple picture of sowing and reaping, and teaches that God loves a cheerful giver and supplies all that is needed. The chapter ends with giving seen as an overflow of thanksgiving to God, who gave the greatest gift of all.

2 Corinthians 9:1-2

Paul says he hardly needs to write about this help for believers in need, because he knows the Corinthians are eager. He has even boasted of their readiness to the Macedonians, and their zeal has stirred many of them to give too.

BSA: eagerness (“readiness of mind, willingness to help”): Their giving began as a willing attitude of heart, not merely an action. stirred (“provoked, motivated”): One church’s example can spur others on toward generosity.

See also: 2 Corinthians 8:10-11.

2 Corinthians 9:3-4

Paul is sending the brothers ahead so his boasting about Corinth will not turn out hollow. If Macedonians arrived and found the gift unready, Paul would be embarrassed, and the Corinthians even more so.

BSA: empty (“void, without substance”): Paul wants his praise of them to be backed by real action.

2 Corinthians 9:5

Paul sends the brothers ahead to have the promised gift ready before he comes. He wants it to be a freely given blessing, not something squeezed out of people at the last minute.

BSA: begrudgingly (“not as a result of greediness, not out of covetousness”): A gift pulled out reluctantly shows a grasping heart, not a generous one. generously (“with a willing heart, voluntarily”): True generosity comes freely from the giver.

Greek: εὐλογίαν (eulogian, G2129) — “blessing.” The word translated ‘bountiful gift’ literally means ‘blessing.’ Paul sees the gift as a blessing given to others, not as a payment taken from them.

2 Corinthians 9:6

Paul uses a farmer’s rule. A little seed brings a small harvest and plenty of seed brings a large one. Giving is not loss but sowing, and God is the one who brings the harvest.

BSA: sparingly (“in a stingy or restrained way, with a small amount”): Holding back in fear limits the harvest.

See also: Proverbs 11:24-25; Galatians 6:7-9.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Giving should be a personal decision made in the heart, not something done with a sour face or under pressure. God delights in the person who gives gladly, and He looks at the heart behind the gift.

BSA: cheerful (“prompt, willing”): God loves the giver who gives readily and gladly. compulsion (“necessity, obligation”): A gift forced by pressure loses its joy and its worth.

Greek: ἱλαρὸν (hilaron, G2431) — “cheerful, joyful.” This is the root of our word ‘hilarious.’ It describes a gladness that breaks out, not a grudging smile.

2 Corinthians 9:8

God is able to supply more than enough grace, so the giver is never left empty. He provides what we need so that we can keep doing good. The point is that He gives enough for our needs and for sharing with others.

BSA: abound (“to exceed, superabound”): God’s grace overflows beyond bare need. need (“sufficiency, self-sufficiency”): God supplies enough so that we are content and free to give.

See also: Philippians 4:19.

2 Corinthians 9:9

Paul quotes the psalm describing a righteous person who freely scatters gifts to the poor. Such generosity is part of a character that lasts, because it reflects God’s own enduring goodness.

BSA: scattered abroad (“dispersed, given generously”): The picture is of seed flung widely by an open hand.

See also: Psalm 112:9.

2 Corinthians 9:10

God supplies the seed and the bread, and He will also multiply what we have to sow. Everything we give begins with Him. He will increase the harvest of righteousness, the fruit of lives that please Him.

BSA: multiply (“increase or abound”): God makes what is given grow beyond what we could produce ourselves. righteousness (“living according to God’s will, being in right standing with Him”): The harvest is a life that matches God’s will.

See also: Isaiah 55:10; Hosea 10:12.

2 Corinthians 9:11

God enriches His people so that they can be generous at every opportunity. The result is not praise for the givers but thanksgiving to God, as the gift reaches those who need it through Paul and his helpers.

BSA: enriched (“made rich”): God’s riches are given to be passed on, not hoarded. thanksgiving (“gratitude, praise”): The final aim of giving is that God be thanked.

2 Corinthians 9:12

The collection does two things. It meets real needs among the saints, and it fills many hearts with thanksgiving to God. A simple act of help becomes worship.

BSA: overflowing (“abounding, exceeding”): The gift spills over beyond its practical use. needs (“deficiencies, lacks”): The gift fills real gaps in the lives of the poor.

Greek: λειτουργίας (leitourgias, G3009) — “public service, sacred service.” This word was used for public service and for service in worship. Paul treats the collection as a kind of worship offered to God.

2 Corinthians 9:13

The gift proves that the Corinthians’ faith is real. Jewish believers in Jerusalem will praise God because Gentile believers have obeyed the gospel in a practical way. Generosity shows that the confession of Christ is more than words.

BSA: proof (“through the experiment, by the test”): Giving puts their faith to the test and shows it is genuine. contribution (“participation, fellowship”): The gift is a sharing of life, not just money.

Greek: κοινωνίας (koinōnias, G2842) — “fellowship, sharing.” The word behind ‘contribution’ is the common word for fellowship. Giving here is a way of sharing life together as one family.

See also: Romans 15:26-27.

2 Corinthians 9:14

The Jerusalem believers will pray for the Corinthians and feel real love for them. A bond of affection is formed between Jews and Gentiles, because they see God’s grace at work in these givers.

BSA: affection (“fondness, deep desire”): The receivers will long for the givers with warm love. grace (“divine influence, graciousness”): Their generosity is seen as God’s grace working through them.

2 Corinthians 9:15

Paul ends with praise for God’s indescribable gift, which most Christians understand as Christ Himself. Every act of giving looks back to this one great gift, which no words can fully describe.

BSA: indescribable (“beyond words”): God’s gift is too great for any language to express. gift (“a free and gracious present”): It is given freely, with nothing earned.

Greek: ἀνεκδιηγήτῳ (anekdiēgētō, G411) — “unable to be fully told.” This rare word means a thing that cannot be fully explained or told. Paul runs out of words before the greatness of what God has given.

See also: John 3:16; Romans 8:32.