2 Corinthians 9

2 Corinthians 9:1

The apostle goes on, with admirable address, far liberal contribution; and in the full expectationately recommends them to the Divine blessing throughout.

2 CORINTHIANS IX. 1.

NOW concerning the ministration intended to relieve the necessities of the saints, or believing brethren in Judea, it is superfluous that I should write largely to you, in order to persuade you to the thing itself: it is sufficient, that I give you a transient hint concerning the time and manner of doing what is necessary or proper on this occasion. For I have known in former instances, and have now again learnt from Titus, your extraordinary readiness on this head; which I indeed boast concerning you to the Macedonians, that all the regions of Achaia, and particularly your church in its capital city, has been prepared a year ago; and your zeal in this respect hath quickened many others to imitate your example, and do more generously than perhaps they might otherwise have done. Nevertheless, I have sent unto you the brethren I mentioned before; lest our boasting of you on this head, that, as I said, ye were prepared before, having made up your sum, should, by any accident which might have prevented your accomplishing the whole of your design, in any degree be made vain, and appear ill grounded: Lest if any of the Macedonians happen to come with me, and after all, find you unprepared, the money which has been subscribed not being actually collected, we may be ashamed, not to say you also, in this confident boasting we have used concerning you, and which may recoil in a very unhappy manner, if it be not answered. Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren I have mentioned, that they should come to you some time before my arrival, and should first complete your bounty which had been spoken of before so

Your bounty which has been spoken of before.] We render the word whereof ye had notice before. But I suppose it refers to St. Paul’s having spoken of it to the Macedonian Christians, verse 2. I think there signifies a kind of extortion, by which money is, as it were, wrung from covetousness, by such obstinacy as covetous people themselves use where their own gain is concerned; and thus it is opposed to the, what is readily given, and comes, as it were, with a blessing.

nds them, that God loveth a cheerful giver :

argely to them ; that so on the whole, it may be entirely ready, and may appear, as what I doubt not but it is, the effect of free and cheerful bounty, and not look like a sort of extortion, wrung from you by mere dint of importunity. And as to this, it is an important maxim, which I could wish that Christians might always keep in mind, That he who soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly ; and he who soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully : God will bestow rewards, proportionable to what is given, and to the temper from which it proceeds. With this hint, I leave it to every one to judge for himself, what he shall give, and how much seed he shall throw into this grateful and fruitful soil.

Whatever it be, more or less, let it be given with a good will, and a good grace : every man as he chooseth in his own heart, not as proceeding from grief or necessity, as if he were sorry to part with his money, and were laid under a kind of constraint to do it : for God loveth a cheerful giver ; and nothing that is contributed, can possibly be acceptable to him without that truly liberal disposition.

And lest you should fear, that your charity should bring you into wants and straits, I entreat you to consider, that God [is] able to make all grace and bounty of every kind to abound towards you, so that all your liberality shall accrue to your advantage, and you shall be supplied with abundant matter for future charity ; that having always all sufficiency in all things, ye may go on with new enlargement and vigour of generous resolution, to abound to every good work, without finding your circumstances straitened. As it is written of the truly liberal and charitable man, (Psal. cxii. 9.) He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor, and in consequence of this, his righteousness endureth for ever : he shall always have something to bestow.

We observe, in the course of Divine Providence, that God blesseth the increase of the

b All grace to abound, &c.] Some, by xii. understand such liberal providential supplies, as should furnish out matter of future liberalities ; but the more extensive sense I have given it, prevents the appearance of a tautology in the following clause, which might on that limited interpretation be apprehended.

For liberality is an instance of subjection to the

earth so largely, as to suffice for the plentiful nourishment of men, with a remainder of seed sufficient to furnish the harvest of future years. And may he, who thus supplieth seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply your sowing, and largely increase the productions of your righteousness: may he so prosper you in all your affairs, that you may have future capacity to exercise that liberal disposition which at present appears in this contribution. And I heartily wish, and pray, that you may go on in this laudable and exemplary course, being in every thing enriched to all future bounty to be distributed in the simplicity of your hearts, with a single eye to the glory of God, and the good of your brethren: which, in the instance wherein it has already prevailed, worketh by our means thanksgivings towards God, both in us who are your almoners to distribute it, and in those indigent Christians who receive it. For the ministration and management of this service, which we have undertaken, and in which we do, as it were, officiate for you in the presentation of this acceptable offering, doth not only supply the necessities of the saints, but aboundeth, through the thanksgivings of many which it occasions, to the glory of God: Of many I say, Who by the experience of this ministration, this generous contribution, are glorifying God on account of that subjection to the gospel of Christ which you profess, and the simplicity and liberality of your communication towards them, and towards all others, who are in necessity, and whom you have an opportunity of relieving. And while they thus glorify God on your account, they are constant and fervent in their prayers for you, who long after you,

c He who suppliceth — bread for food, supply and multiply, &c.] This translation is exactly literal, and gives an easier sense than our English version. There should be a comma, as Beza justly observes, after the Pharaoh, agreeably to the rendering of the Syriac and Arabic. See Beza in loc. and Wolf, who refers to Isa. lv. 10.

d This service.] This use of the word λιθωρία intimates, that it was to be considered, not merely as an act of humanity but of religion, most pleasing to God, and

suitable to the nature of the gospel dispensation. Compare Heb. xiii. 16

e That subjection to the gospel of Christ which you profess.] Ἐπὶ τῇ ὑπολογῇ τῆς ὁμολογίας ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ ὑπάρχον, expresses not merely a professed subjection to the gospel, but a real subjection to the gospel which was professed; which sense I thought it necessary to preserve by a change in the version.

f And in their prayers, &c.] The construction of the original is something perplexed here; and indeed I hardly know any text in the Greek Testament which is

ns on the foregoing exhortations to liberality.

and wish earnestly to see and know you, on account of the exceeding grace of God which is in you, and which produces fruits so highly ornamental to Christianity.

When I think of these things, I desire sincerely to bless God on your account, for all the grace he hath given you, and for all the usefulness with which he is pleased to honour you. But I would trace up all to what is indeed the fountain of all his other mercies to us, his having bestowed upon us his dear and only begotten Son. Thanks, daily and everlasting thanks, [be] ascribed to our Father and our God, for that his unutterable gift,⁵ of the excellence, importance, and grace, of which neither men or angels can worthily speak, or conceive.

IMPROVEMENT.

HAPPY shall we be, if we learn this pious and evangelical turn verse of thought; if by all the other gifts of God we are thus led up to the first and greatest gift of his love and mercy. From that surely we may encourage our hopes, of whatever else is necessary and desirable; for he that spared not his Son, but delivered 15 him up for us all, how is it possible, that he should not be ready, with him, freely to give us all things that are truly good for us!

Let us observe with pleasure the happy address of the apostle; 2 a felicity, not the result of craft, but of that amiable temper that was so natural to him. He pleads the high opinion he had entertained of his Corinthian friends, the honourable things he had said 5 of them; expressing his persuasion of their readiness to give as matter of bounty, not of constraint. He leads them to the inexhaustible store of the Divine liberality, from which they had

more so. But on the whole, I am ready to prefer the reading of δεξαζονίαν, instead of δεξαζονίς; (which Chrysostom followed:) and suppose both δεξαζονίαν and επιτοσάντων, to agree with σουλαν, and then the sentence might be rendered, this ministration produces an abundance of thanksgiving to God from many, who glorify him for your subjection to the gospel. &c. and in their prayer, that is, while they are praying for you, earnestly desire to see you, &c. But the paraphrase here, as in several other places, hath obliged me to break the sentence; which I the more readily did, as amidst this perplexity of grammar the design of the sentence is perfectly plain.

⁵ Unutterable gift.] If we understand this with Dr. Whitby, in the following sense, “I adore God for this charitable temper in you, and other sincere Christians, by which God is glorified, the gospel, adorned, the poor saints are refreshed, and you fitted for an exceeding great reward,” it will be as remarkable a text as most in the bible, to show, that every good affection in the human heart is to be ascribed to a Divine influence. I have therefore included this in the paraphrase; but am ready to think the apostle’s mind, to which the idea of the invaluable gift of Christ was so familiar, rather by a strong and natural transition, glanced on that.

The apostle exhorts them by the meekness of Christ,

received their present all; from which he wishes they may receive xv. more and more; and this, not that these supplies might be ignoverse bly consumed in self gratifications, but employed in acts of the 7, 8 noblest benificence. He represents to them the thanksgivings it 9, 12 had already occasioned to God, the refreshment it administered 13 to the saints, the honour it did to their character and profession, and the esteem and friendship for them which it excited in the minds of those, who, though unacquainted with them, were well affected towards their happiness, in consequence of this honourable specimen of their character. Who could withstand the force of such oratory? No doubt it was effectual to cultivate the temper it applauded, and to add a rich abundance to the fruits of their righteousness.

Let us apply the thoughts suggested for our own instruction, 7 to excite us to abound in acts of liberality, and to present them to God with that cheerfulness which he loves. To him let us continually look, to make all grace abound unto us; and seek a suffic- 8 iency in all things relating to the present life, chiefly that we may be ready to every good work; that our liberality may still 9 endure, and that the multiplication of our seed sown may increase the fruits of our righteousness. To God be the praise of all ascribed! 10 He ministers seed to the sower; he supplies bread for food; he calls up the blessings of harvest; he insures the advantages of commerce. May we praise him ourselves; and by the ready communication of the good things which he hath given us, to those 11 that want, not only supply their necessities, but give them cause to abound in thanksgiving to God, as well as in prayer for us, while they see and acknowledge that exceeding grace, which is the spring of every generous motion in the human heart; and to which therefore be the glory of all.