8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. 10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. 12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
Commentary
Vs. 8 "I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others."
From the outset the Apostle Paul wants the Corinthians (and us all) to know that giving in the New Covenant era is a free will activity. It is something that we as the redeemed children of God want to do, not something that we have to do. For having received the grace of God for ourselves, we also want to be a people of the same, blessing others as we have the means and opportunity to do so. That said, the Apostle Paul says that through Titus he is testing the Corinthians love and sincerity by having him diligently seek their promised offering from them. For through this offering much needed relief for many brethren was going to be secured, and so the Apostle Paul wants them to keep their word, so that such things can take place. For no doubt there where brethren who were also living in expectation of it. And so the Apostle's word here is meant to encourage them to perform that which they have already promised to do; thus it is not given as a commandment; but rather it is an appeal for them to show their love and concern for those in need (consider 1 John 3:16-17).
Vs. 9 "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
Now to help the Corinthians see the importance of their giving, and just how this manifests the grace of God, the Apostle Paul turns to the greatest example of sacrificial giving ever; and that is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. For it was God's Son who in accord with the grace of God laid aside His own rights and privileges, took on human flesh and suffered Crucifixion death for us all, so that we through His poverty might be made eternally rich when we believe in Him (John 3:16). Therefore in citing our Lord and Savior, the Apostle Paul wants the Corinthians (and us all) to see that looking out for the welfare and well-being of others is part and parcel of following Christ (consider Phil 2:5-11).
Vs. 10-12 10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. 12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
A year before the writing of this epistle the Corinthians had heard about the needs of the brethren in Jerusalem and began a collection for them, yet somewhere along the way this good work that they had begun stalled. And so here the Apostle Paul exhorts the Corinthians to not only be about gathering this offering, but also to be about completing it; that is gathering it all up and getting it in order, so that Titus (or whomever they send it through) can bring it to those who are in need of it (vs. 10-11). Now to encourage them to complete this good work the Apostle Paul says that it is to their own advantage to be doing this, because what we do down here has a great impact on not only the quality of life that we will have down here, but also the quality of life that we will enjoy up there (consider Prov 19:17; 22:9; 28:27; Luke 16:1-13; vs. 9-13). Now unless the Corinthians feel that their delay may have disqualified them from participating in this ministry to the saints (that is to God's people), or that some may not be able to match the giving of others, and thus fear be shamed for not being able to do so, the Apostle now says in verse twelve: "For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have." Notice then that there are two parts in Paul's statement, which is setting forth a godly principal for us all to follow. The first part being that there must be a willing mind if it is to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, who willingly gave of Himself for us all. Not commandment, not compulsion, but a willing mind in order for any gift too be accepted in the sight of God in the New Covenant. For again God didn't order Jesus to cross, instead the Father let the Son choose for Himself what He would do. And so even though Jesus Himself would still be in perfect relationship with the Father if He choose not too, Jesus choose the cross, because He knew apart from that there could be no redemption for us.
Next then there is what is being given. No mention of percentages or amounts, nothing then to compare oneself to another; and thus become puffed up with vain pride, or be shunned over for not giving as much as the other guy; for again gifts of grace are accepted "...according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have." And so just as the poor widows two mites, though seemingly an insignificant offering in the sight of man, was a gift of great noteworthiness in the sight of the Lord (see Luke 21:1-4). So do our gifts when we also freely and bountifully give according to what we have, and not according to what we don't have. For Godly giving is not meant to impoverish the one and enrich the other, but rather to enrich both giver and receiver. For if it doesn't do that, then it has arguably failed to accomplish what God intends to do through it.
Vs. 10-12 10 And in this I give advice: It is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; 11 but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. 12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have.
A year before the writing of this epistle the Corinthians had heard about the needs of the brethren in Jerusalem and began a collection for them, yet somewhere along the way this good work that they had begun stalled. And so here the Apostle Paul exhorts the Corinthians to not only be about gathering this offering, but also to be about completing it; that is gathering it all up and getting it in order, so that Titus (or whomever they send it through) can bring it to those who are in need of it (vs. 10-11). Now to encourage them to complete this good work the Apostle Paul says that it is to their own advantage to be doing this, because what we do down here has a great impact on not only the quality of life that we will have down here, but also the quality of life that we will enjoy up there (consider Prov 19:17; 22:9; 28:27; Luke 16:1-13; vs. 9-13). Now unless the Corinthians feel that their delay may have disqualified them from participating in this ministry to the saints (that is to God's people), or that some may not be able to match the giving of others, and thus fear be shamed for not being able to do so, the Apostle now says in verse twelve: "For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have." Notice then that there are two parts in Paul's statement, which is setting forth a godly principal for us all to follow. The first part being that there must be a willing mind if it is to follow the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, who willingly gave of Himself for us all. Not commandment, not compulsion, but a willing mind in order for any gift too be accepted in the sight of God in the New Covenant. For again God didn't order Jesus to cross, instead the Father let the Son choose for Himself what He would do. And so even though Jesus Himself would still be in perfect relationship with the Father if He choose not too, Jesus choose the cross, because He knew apart from that there could be no redemption for us.
Next then there is what is being given. No mention of percentages or amounts, nothing then to compare oneself to another; and thus become puffed up with vain pride, or be shunned over for not giving as much as the other guy; for again gifts of grace are accepted "...according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have." And so just as the poor widows two mites, though seemingly an insignificant offering in the sight of man, was a gift of great noteworthiness in the sight of the Lord (see Luke 21:1-4). So do our gifts when we also freely and bountifully give according to what we have, and not according to what we don't have. For Godly giving is not meant to impoverish the one and enrich the other, but rather to enrich both giver and receiver. For if it doesn't do that, then it has arguably failed to accomplish what God intends to do through it.
Vs. 13-15 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
And so unless some misunderstand the Apostle's appeal to them to complete this good work, Paul makes it clear that he is not trying burden the Corinthians, so that other churches have ease, and they themselves become impoverished. For that would profit neither in the long term. Instead the principal here is that as one has abundance now one should share with those in need (consider Luke 3:8-11; 1 Tim 6:17-19). Now this is not a one way street, for one congregation or assembly of believers may now have an abundance in one area, while another may be impoverished in that very same area; (and so the principal transcends not just material needs, but moves into the realm of manpower, or skills, or talents etc.) and so where I now have abundance and you lack I can supply you in that area, similarly in those areas where you now have abundance and I now lack you can now can supply me, that's the fundamental principal that the Apostle is getting at when he cites the O.T. Israelites gathering of the manna the day before the Sabbath, and then distributing it equally amongst themselves (Exodus 16:18). For only then will brethren have a mutual sharing and caring for one another, as each one seeks to relieve the burdens of others, where and when they can. Now there will be those who will try to exploit these principals for their own personal gain, but they will be quickly exposed for what they are as they do (2 Cor 11:13-15; Phil. 3:17-19; 1 Tim 6:5; 2 Peter 2:1-3, 17-17; Jude 11, 16-19; also 2 Thess. 3:10-15). Therefore we should not let such people detract us from doing what is good and right and sound in the sight of the Lord. For following Christ entails caring and giving, giving of time, talents, money, so as to show ourselves true people of the King, and thus true servants of the Kingdom of heaven here on earth. And that is my desire that all who name Jesus Christ as Lord look out not only for their own interests, but also the interests of those around them (Phil 2:4).
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
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