2 Corinthians 8:16-9:15

2 Corinthians 8:16-9:15

Introduction: Read the text. Reread the text closely (look for repeated words, pay attention to the conjunctions, figures of speech, etc.).

Literary Context: Please summarize 2 Cor 1:1-11 (Paul, beginning to reconcile, describes how God comforted him so that they may also be comforted). Now 1:12-23 (Paul defends his integrity and begins to explain the change of plans. He argues for the trustworthiness of his word based on the trustworthiness of God and the Gospel and the work that God is doing in him).

Now 2:1-11 (Paul explains why he changed his travel plans: to avoid causing too much pain. While the letter was necessary, and would cause pain, he did not want to cause excessive pain. He also encourages them to give the verdict of love for the individual who had caused much pain). Now 2:12-17 (Paul expresses his consternation at the absence of Titus’s report while Paul was in Troas. He then describes himself as one captured by the triumphant Christ, and within this asks “who is sufficient for these things?” pointing the ministry of the Gospel).

Now 3:1-18 (He points to the one who makes him sufficient to be an apostle and then describes the nature of the new covenant of which he is a minister, and it is the nature of this ministry that allows him to speak forthrightly about the glory of God made accessible only by means of Christ).

Now 4:1-18 (Paul continues to assert why he speaks boldly and the content of his preaching. He then underscores the power of God by highlighting his own frailty. As he continues to talk about why he can speak boldly he reiterates that his suffering is for the sake of others and demonstrates an intimacy with Christ rather than a separation from God).

Now 5:1-21 (Paul discusses the ‘outer vs. inner’ man in greater detail with an eye towards the unseen and his anticipation thereof and his ‘good courage’ that stems from his confident expectation. This doctrine leads to a proper conduct in Paul, that he makes it his ambition to please God by fulfilling the commission given him, and this leads to a further defense of his ministry where Christ’s love is stated to be the compelling force behind it. Recognizing that Christ died for all leads to a new view of others as either those in Christ or those in need of the ministry of reconciliation. The charge in 6:1 is to not have received this grace of God in vain).

Now 6:3-7:1 (In 6:3-10 Paul commends his apostleship through his endurance of many sufferings and hardships and noted that he did not put a stumbling block before anyone to give them cause to find fault with the ministry. The concept of causing another to stumble was incredibly important in the culture. In 6:11-7:1 Paul begins by saying that any failure to reconcile was not on his part but theirs, and then he proceeds to instruct them that this reconciliation would involve obeying the instruction of their apostle and cutting partnerships with the world).

Now 7:2-16 (Paul relates the comfort God gave him through Titus, and he states that his confidence in the Corinthians was not misplaced because the Corinthians received Titus properly).

Now 8:1-15 (Paul encourages the Corinthians to finish the work of the collection by pointing to the extraordinary example of the Macedonians who gave in their poverty and the example of Christ who gave himself, though he was incomparably rich, becoming poor for our benefit).

8.16: VV. 16-24 function as a letter of recommendation for these three individuals from Paul. He is “credentializing” them for the Corinthians and thus entrusting them to the Corinthians. The desired effect is that the Corinthians would receive them well. The first mentioned is Titus. Titus is described as having the same affection for those in Corinth as Paul himself has, and this put there not by some persuasion on Paul’s part, but “by God.” Harris makes a wonderful comment on this idea: “Nothing could be more reassuring to the Corinthians than to know that the devotion and concern for them shared by Paul and Titus were simply a reflection of God’s own affection for them” (503). That, in my estimation, seems well worth thinking about. It seems as if God places within the hearts of individuals an affection for others, perhaps with the purpose of demonstrating his own affection for that individual. What do you think about that notion?

8.17: In verse 17 Titus is seen as paralleling the Macedonian example in a couple ways. He is said to be “eager” (σπουδαῖος) to come to Corinth, whereas in 8:8 the love of the Corinthians would be known through testing it against the “earnestness” (σπουδή) of the others (Macedonians). Titus also goes “of his own accord” (αὐθαίρετος), whereas the Macedonians gave “entirely on their own” (αὐθαίρετος it’s worth noting that this term is only used twice in the entire New Testament). Titus is thus demonstrated to be another example to imitate with his “eagerness and voluntary attitude” being directed towards the Corinthians.

Is it easier to obey an order, or follow an example?

8.18-19: In verse 18 we are introduced to an unnamed figure who will remain that way. Paul commends him on two counts in vv. 18-19: 1). He receives “praise in the gospel from all the churches.” By this Paul means the brother is commended by all the churches for his ministry in the gospel (presumably preaching it). 2). He has been appointed by the churches to be a travel companion with Paul and Titus in this administering of grace.

Remember from the prior class that this collection has been termed a “grace” by Paul, which is to say that it is a visible manifestation of the invisible grace Christians have received. Since this is the case, the glory for the undertaking of this ministry ultimately goes to God. The purpose statement in the second half of verse 19 makes this clear enough: “to the glory of the Lord himself.” Kruse notes: “the collection, as a tangible expression of the new relationship between the Gentile converts and Jewish Christians, reflected the grace of God in the lives of those concerned…” (210). God received the glory because it was his grace at work in them.

There is a secondary purpose described in 19b as well “to show our good will.” This most likely refers to the good will the Gentile churches have towards the Jerusalem Christians. The term προθυμία, however, has been littered throughout this section. The term is used five times in the NT and four times just in chapters 8-9. In 8:11 he said “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it.” 8:12 concerning giving according to their means “For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has.” It appears here is verse 19, and in 9:2 “For I know your eagerness to help.” So, in this we see a willingness and a readiness to do something that must also be matched with the completion thereof. Paul and his companions willingness will be demonstrated in the completion of the collection, a demonstrated willingness that Paul has encouraged the Corinthians to.

8.20-21: In verses 20-21 Paul takes a little side step to address why such great pains were taken to ensure the integrity of those chosen and why they were chosen in the first place. We’ve already seen in 2 Corinthians that some are very quick to charge Paul with wrong doing and he takes great efforts in regards to money to demonstrate that he is not like the charlatans who peddle God’s word for profit. Here Paul says: “We want to avoid anyone finding fault in our administering this abundance.” The term I’ve translated “abundance” here (ἁδρότης) indicates that this is not some small pittance that Paul is expecting to take, but a “lavish gift.” This being the case he does not want to give anyone the opportunity to accuse him of wrongdoing and thus undermine the purpose statements for the collection in the first place, namely the glory of God and the goodwill of the believers.

Paul’s language in verse 21 probably alludes to Proverbs 3:3-4 “Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and of people.” Now, we recognize from what Paul has written elsewhere (as we will see in Galatians) that his primary concern is not with the approval of people (this did not motivate Paul’s speech and actions, God’s approval did); however, he does recognize that the success of the collection will depend in part on the administrators being above reproach. Kruse notes: “While the apostle’s ultimate concern in this case was that the administration of the collection should be right in the eyes of the Lord, it was also important that it be seen to be right in the eyes of man. The success of the collection depended upon it” (212). Are there any circumstances in which this balance will need to be struck in our own ministry?

8.22: This short digression brings us back to Paul’s commendation of these three with the final one being mentioned. His identity is unknown (though some link him to Apollos who was supposed to come to them at some point, according to 1 Cor) (Kruse 212). This brother is very much in line with Titus. Here, as in 8:17, Paul uses the term σπουδαῖος (eager) to describe the man’s disposition. In fact this man has been “tested and approved” concerning his eagerness (the term δοκιμάζω means to “examine; prove.” And this tried and true eagerness in matters of the Gospel has overflowed into an eagerness for the Corinthians “because of his great confidence in you.” This brother could have developed this confidence through his own visitation with them previously or as the result of Titus’s own report, whatever the case may be he is another who will be leading by example demonstrating the eagerness of the churches in Macedonia and of Titus.

8.23-24: Verse 23 concludes the commendation, and what we will focus on is how Paul refers to the two brothers. “They are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ.” The NIV captures the idea; however, the underlining terms are missed by us English speakers. First, he refers to them as ἀπόστολοι. Remember that the notion of an “apostle” is one who is sent. This is the idea here. These two are the “sent ones” of the churches. They are representatives, which means the manner in which the Corinthians receive them is of great importance. Second, they are a δόξα of Christ. That term is frequently translated “glory,” and as Baker points out: “Paul’s last use of ‘glory’ refers to one of his goals in undertaking the collection, to bring glory to the Lord.” These men, through their lives, have done this very thing. Now, Watson notes that: ““The glory of God is that which makes the invisible God visible, that which makes God known.” Distinguishing them as “the glory of Christ” implies that Christ is made known through these delegates” (quote Garland 395).

The manner in which the Corinthians receive these delegates is important, and Paul adds in verse 24 that their conduct in this (the completion of the collection) will take place “before the face of the churches.” Two things about this verse: first, as Keener notes: “Asking a reader to prove their affection for the writer by granting the latter’s request revealed confidence in the friendship” (513). Paul is speaking highly of them here. Second, the phrase “before the face of the churches” applies what Baker calls some “holy peer pressure” (319). What do you think of that notion? Is it a bad thing?

9.1-2: Moving to chapter 9 Paul makes it clear that it was “beyond what is needed” (περισσός) for him to write to them about this ministry for the saints because he knew of their readiness. Looking at what we know from 1 Corinthians 16, it was the Corinthians themselves who brought up the matter of the collection (it is worth pointing out that in 1 Cor when Paul starts a section with “now concerning” it is generally accepted that he is then addressing a matter that the Corinthians asked about). This was the year prior.

This readiness to engage in the ministry lead Paul to boast about them in Macedonia, and this in turn sparked and enthusiasm and God empowered grace giving in the Macedonians. See the interconnectedness between these two groups as concerns their motivation. Paul has held the Macedonians up as an example for the Corinthians, for the Macedonians “completed the task” whereas the Corinthians served as an example for the Macedonians for their eager readiness to begin the task.

9.3-4: Failure to be ready on the part of the Corinthians would prove devastating for both the Corinthians and Paul himself. Keener notes that “By boasting about the Corinthians…Paul has laid his honor on the line” (514). We must recognize that honor and shame were important motivators in the Jewish and Greco-Roman world. N.T. Wright states: “Honor, then and now, was and is the public affirmation of a person’s value by his or her peers. Honor in the ancient world could either be inherited by a noble birth, a product of one’s gender or social rank, or acquired through social advancement in public accomplishments and by excelling over others. Shame, in contrast, is the lack or loss of honor due to one’s social position or through actions that cause one to lose face…For males, honor was acquired by showing courage, abilities, and trustworthiness…” The question becomes, will the Corinthians prove trustworthy?

9.5: Paul sees it as necessary to send this envoy because the gift given needs to be given as a “blessing” (εὐλογία, which Kruse argues points to the spiritual as well as the material benefit of it) and not as a πλεονεξία that term carries with the notion of greediness; however, when the verb form was used in 2:11 and 7:2 it had the sense of “exploiting.” Two options are thus available to us. First, Paul may be saying that failure to prepare “may cause them to give less than they should” because of their greed (Garland 403). Second, if they fail to prepare and it is haphazardly collected when Paul is there, then it will appear that Paul squeezed it out of them. Garland kind of combines these ideas when he writes: “If it appears that Paul has twisted their arms to get them to give, they will come off as ungrateful, stingy givers” (403–404).

9.6: This notion of “giving as a blessing” is taken up in verse 6 where the second half of the verse utilizes that same word, εὐλογία, twice. What Paul says here is a farming truism. If I plant ten peas and withhold the other ninety, I should not expect to reap the same harvest as the one who sowed 90 and withheld ten. If you sow sparingly, that is the manner in which you will reap; but if you sow “in a blessing manner” then “in a blessing manner” you will reap.

This seems to me to be warning against giving in a greedy or compulsory fashion; however, in this case it may be difficult for us to see the direct relation between giving to the contribution and reaping anything. The argument is rooted in the OT principle that God blesses those who are generous. Proverbs 11:24-26 states: “Some give freely, yet grow all the richer; others withhold what is due, and only suffer want. A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water. The people curse those who hold back grain, but a blessing is on the head of those who sell it.” Now, does this mean that we ought to view giving as the ultimate investment plan? I will give, so that I will get? Garland writes: “Paul does not pass this principle off as a shrewd investment strategy on how to reap greater material blessings by giving a portion of it to others. If one gives in hopes of attaining greater material prosperity, then one will harvest only spiritual poverty. Paul makes clear in what follows that God rewards generosity with material abundance to make it possible for people to be even more generous” (405–406). It is given, not so that you may be rich, but so that you may continue to be generous.

9.7: One should give as he has weighed and determined to give, not out of a sense of grief. The term Paul uses here is λύπη (we’ve seen the verb form several times) and here it probably denotes someone who feels great sorrow while giving. Baker writes: “It probably correlates best with the feeling involved in being robbed or cheated out of money, certainly no way to be thinking about God as one puts money in the offering plate” (329). The second term is ἀνάγκη that means “necessity” or “compulsion,” so this is the sense that one gives “because he feels forced to give.” So we’ve rooted out three mentalities in giving already: “giving in order to receive, giving with a greedy and grieved heart, and giving because it is required of you.”

The sort of giving that God desires is that which reflects his own character. God loves the ἱλαρός giver. The sense of that word here is “happy.” The “love” expressed here seems to be “approval of.” Paul is not saying that God hates the grieving giver (though that giver should reevaluate his reasons for giving), but that God approves of the one who is happy to give. After all, this is the example that God himself has set. Kruse writes: “It is not difficult to suggest why God delights in the cheerful giver. He himself is such a giver and desires to see this characteristic restored among those who were created in his image” (217). How has God given us an example of cheerful giving?

9.8: One’s generous giving necessitates an anticipatory faith that God will continue to provide; however, it must approach this provision with a character that is likeminded with God. Here is what I mean, Paul makes it perfectly clear that God is able to make the believer abound in all grace. This is a fairly unlimited statement; however, there is a “so that” purpose statement that follows swiftly on the heels of it, and it has two parts to it. The first part of the purpose statement is “so that you, having all αὐτάρκεια.” That word, as used by the Stoics and Seneca carried the notion of being so removed from the effects of outward circumstances and of other people that they were “self-sufficient” (Garland 408). As Paul uses it, it is deplete of the philosophical meaning and is centered more on the notion of “contentment” or “enough.” This is important to note because if you remember the example that Paul applauded for generous giving, the Macedonians, they gave out of their poverty. God provided them a contentment in circumstances and they demonstrated God’s grace at work within them in imitating his cheerful giving. They had “enough.”

The second part of the purpose statement is the purpose itself: “you may abound in every good work.” Again, the cheerful giver gives generously, trusting God to provide “enough” for them to continue to give generously. Garland writes: “The more we give, the more we will be given by God to share with others. We may not have all the money that we want, but we will have all the money we need to be abundant in our giving to others” (408).

9.9: In verse 9 Paul quotes Psalm 112:9. Throughout that Psalm the psalmist describes the conduct of the righteous and the enduring of his name and concludes with the notion that the wicked will fade away to nothing. The notion of generosity is replete throughout the Psalm.

Concerning the verse quoted by Paul, we should note that righteousness (as has been seen throughout 2 Cor) is both a standing before God and moral conduct. One does righteousness, and in this verse it is clear that the “righteousness” that he does is give generously. The term Paul uses for “poor” here is πένης. This is the only time it is used in the NT, and as the EDNT points out it “is usually a general designation for actual poverty.” This is important to note, because in the culture of the time, as Garland points out, the Greco-Romans were not all that concerned with giving to the impoverished. “The Greco-Roman culture assumed that it was pointless to give anything to a pauper. The only repayment he could make was with his praise, which was worthless” (410).

9.10-11: Thus, the Corinthians were encouraged to give in a counter-cultural manner, that rested in God’s ultimate provision, a notion that is made plain in verse 10. God is the one who provides for the farmer (building on the analogy that he started in verse 6), and he is the one who provides the growth that will be the result of their giving generously.

Paul then reiterates the notion that he has stated previously with another purpose statement. They will be enriched in every way “so that” εἰς (preposition of purpose) they may be generous in every way.