Give to the Needy-2 Cor 8:13-9:5

Mi casa es su casa [“My house is your house”]. The goal is equality, but the giving must be voluntary–not forced or demanded or legislated. “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality” (2 Cor 8:13). To prevent any misunderstanding, Paul anticipates an objection: ‘Is it not unfair that the Jerusalemites should be relieved at the cost of our impoverishment?’ Paul argues for equality among believers. It’s not that every church should have identical financial resources, for if so, Paul would’ve sought support for the Macedonians who were experiencing ‘extreme poverty’ (2 Cor 8:2), rather than accept donations from them. What did Paul have in mind?

Give to the needy, so that if you’re in need others may give to you. “At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need” (2 Cor 8:14a). Considerations:

• Their relative affluence at present should provide for the needs of the poor Judean believers, who were suffering from famine/some other long-term deprivation.
• If the positions should be reversed in the future, then the Judeans’ abundance might supply their needs.
• The plenty/spiritual wealth of the Jerusalem church from which all spiritually impoverished Gentile believers were privileged to receive (Rom 15:25-27).
• Paul makes a general point, not foreshadowing a reversal of fortunes or referring to the Gentiles’ share in Jewish spiritual wealth.
• From the abundance/surplus of those better-off, Paul expects the needs of those worse-off to be met. He’s not advocating that those better-off reduce themselves to poverty.

“The goal is equality, as it is written: ‘The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little'” (2 Cor 8:14b-15). Equality in the exodus community was God providing manna from heaven. Each family head was to gather ‘an omer for each person you have in your tent’ (Exo 16:16). Then, ‘the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little’ (Exo 16:18). It implies that the Lord miraculously ensured that the amounts gathered were sufficient for each person’s need. The needs of all were met, no-one suffered want, and no-one had an oversupply. This illustrates the ideal for an equality of needs being met among the churches. Those enjoying an abundance should meet the needs of those in want. ‘We are not bound to such an equality as would make it wrong for the rich to live more elegantly than the poor; but that there must be such an equality that nobody starves and nobody hordes his abundance at another’s expense’ [Calvin].

Commendation of those who will receive the collection (8:16-24). Paul commends 3 brothers he’s sending to assist in the collection.

1. Titus is commended first (2 Cor 8:16-17), then
2. the brother ‘praised by all the churches for his service’ (2 Cor 8:18-19), and
3. ‘our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous’ (2 Cor 8:22).
4. The conclusion is a summary commendation of all (2 Cor 8:23) and
5. an exhortation that they give proof of their love (for Paul) and the truth of his boasting about them (to the Macedonians) when the 3 brothers arrive (2 Cor 8:24).
6. Between the commendations, Paul digresses briefly to say that he’s trying to ‘avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift’ (2 Cor 8:20-21). It is this concern that accounts for the full commendations Paul makes.

“Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you” (2 Cor 8:16). [“The same concern I have for you” are added by niv.] “The same concern/zeal” is Paul’s concern for them. Thanks to God is for the shared concern that he and Titus had. God put that same concern for them into Titus’ heart, as it was the grace of God at work in the Macedonians that produced their remarkable generosity (2 Cor 8:1-2). In what way was Titus’ concern for them the same as Paul? Perhaps it was a test of the sincerity of their love (2 Cor 8:8) and that they not be found to have failed the test.

“For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative” (2 Cor 8:17). This was Paul’s commendation of Titus to them. Titus, having only recently returned from Corinth, needed no persuasion from Paul to make the considerable journey back there again. Being so concerned for them, he undertook the mission on his own initiative – just as the Macedonians had eagerly participated in the collection ‘entirely on their own.’ All this should help them to gladly accept Titus and his task among them. That Paul appealed to Titus, rather than ordering him to do so, reflects Paul’s relationship with his colleagues.

“And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering” (2 Cor 8:18-19a). Paul commends the unnamed brother on 2 counts.

1. he is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel, i.e., in preaching the gospel.
2. he has the confidence of those churches who selected him to join those conveying the collection to Jerusalem. He shares Paul’s view concerning the importance of the collection and was chosen presumably by the Macedonian churches.

The purpose of the collection was “in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help” (2 Cor 8:19b). This tangibly expresses the reconciliation God effected through Christ. By reconciling both Jew and Gentile to himself through the cross, God reconciled 2 both groups. The collection tangibly expresses the new relationship between Gentile converts and Jewish Christians. It reflects the grace of God in their lives, and thus honors the Lord as the beneficiaries were moved to praise God.

The collection was also “to show our eagerness to help.” Paul fought long and hard for the freedom of the gospel for his Gentile converts, and won the approval of the Jewish mother church for the gospel he preached among the Gentiles (Gal 2:1-10). It was agreed that Gentile converts not submit to circumcision or take up the yoke of the law (Ac 15:1-35). Due to the 2 fundamentally different lifestyles, Gentile churches could easily go their own way and have nothing to do with the Jewish churches. When the leaders of the Jerusalem church affirmed Paul’s gospel for the Gentiles, they asked him to ‘remember the poor’ (Gal 2:10). Paul saw this as an important demonstration of unity between the 2 different expressions of Christianity. He was eager to promote a collection among the Gentiles to show his good will and that of his churches towards the Jewish believers.

Paul digresses briefly to explain why so much care is being taken to provide couriers with impeccable credentials to receive the collection and carry it to Jerusalem: “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift” (2 Cor 8:20). Opponents of Paul and his gospel were too ready to call into question his motives in financial matters, so he frequently had to defend his integrity. Paul was not like many itinerant orators who operated for personal profit (1 Th 2:3-12), nor was he using the collection to line his own pockets (2 Cor 2:17; 11:7- 11; 12:14-18; 2 Th 3:6-9). The collection was too important for inter-church relations to allow its administration to be called into question by accusations of impropriety. It’s a liberal gift (a large sum of money), and therefore greater care than usual had to be taken. Emphasizing the extreme care taken. “For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in theeyes of man” (2 Cor 8:21). Prov 3:3-4: “Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them round your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.” Paul’s ultimate concern was that the collection should be right in the eyes of the Lord. But it was also important that it be seen to be right in the eyes of man.

Zeal. Commending #3. “In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous” (2 Cor 8:22a). The #2 ‘brother’ was ‘chosen by the churches’ (2 Cor 8:19). #3 is “our brother,” perhaps chosen by Paul. Why did Paul not name either person? #2 was ‘praised by all the churches’ and presumably would be known to the Corinthians. #3 almost certainly would be known to them also, for he’s now even more [ zealous ] “because of his great confidence in you” (2 Cor 8:22b). How important was ‘zeal‘ to Paul, when commending Christian workers and exhorting believers? Other qualifications might be placed higher, but for Paul zeal was among the most important (2 Cor 7:11, 12; 8:7, 8, 16, 17; Rom 12:8, 11; Eph 4:3; 2 Tim 1:16, 17).

Commendation of the 3-man team answers any who might ask, ‘Who are these men?’ “As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you” (2 Cor 8:23a)–stresses Titus’ close association as Paul’s partner (koinonos), functioning as Paul’s apostolic official representative. [Only here Paul uses partner (koinonos), but he uses fellow worker (synergos) several times for male and female colleagues (Rom 16:3, 9, 21; Phil 2:25; 4:3; Col 4:11; 1 Th 3:2; Phlm 1, 24).]

“As for our brothers, they are representatives [lit. ‘apostles’] of the churches and an honor to Christ” (2 Cor 8:23b). An apostle (charged with a commission) is known by whom he/she was commissioned and for what. The 12 apostles were commissioned by Christ to be witnesses to his resurrection (Lk 24:44-49; Ac 1:15-26). The 2 brothers were apostles of the churches (Phil 2:25), commissioned to represent those churches and to travel with Paul to Corinth, and to Jerusalem, as bearers of the collection. Which churches commissioned them? Paul writing from Macedonia, suggests that the churches referred to and their ‘apostles’ were Macedonian.

In chapter 9 Paul speaks of the humiliation he and they would experience if, when he comes with some Macedonians, they’re not ready (2 Cor 9:3, 4). If the messengers sent ahead in ch. 8 and the churches who commissioned them were Macedonian, then their humiliation would take place upon these messengers’ arrival, and later when Paul arrived with other Macedonians (2 Cor 9:5).

“they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ” (lit. ‘messengers of the churches, [the] glory of Christ’). ‘[The] glory of Christ’ could refer to ‘the messengers/apostles’ (niv). Thus, these men worked for the ‘glory of Christ’ by participating in the collection which was ‘to honor the Lord himself’ (2 Cor 8:19). Or, ‘[the] glory of Christ’ could refer to the churches (as in the nrsv: ‘they are the messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ’). The churches were the glory of Christ because, against the dark background in which they were situated, they shone brightly and so glorified Christ. [Barnett] In context Paul, commending these 3 envoys, is probably referring to them as the ‘glory of Christ’ rather than the churches that sent them.

An exhortation to receive and welcome the envoys. “Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it” (2 Cor 8:24). Paul concludes by urging them to provide proof (having their contributions ready) of their love (for their fellow believers in need), and of the validity of his boasting about their readiness to the messengers. “…so that the churches can see it” is when the representatives arrive and witness their readiness.

Are you ready with your offering? Save face, be prepared and avoid humiliation (9:1-5). “There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the Lord’s people” (2 Cor 9:1), as he did in ch 8 for they’d raised the matter with him in the first place (1 Cor 16:1-4). “For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give” (2 Cor 9:2a). The effect of Paul’s boasting about their readiness: “and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action” [i.e. most of the Macedonians] (2 Cor 9:24b). There’s no need to write about the collection to those who had already taken the initiative in the matter, and whose zeal he’d spoken of to stir the Macedonians to action. Yet, the fact that he’d boasted about their readiness prompted him to bring the matter up again to make sure they were in fact ready when he arrived with representatives of the Macedonian churches.

“But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be” (2 Cor 9:3). Paul says this because readiness to give (2 Cor 8:11), or having begun (2 Cor 8:10), is not the same as finishing and having everything ready when Paul and the others [Titus + 2 others (2 Cor 8:18, 22)] arrive in Corinth. In boasting about their readiness, Paul stressed not only their willingness, but also his confidence that they’d have their contribution ready when he arrived with he brothers to receive it.   “For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we – not to say anything about you – would be ashamed of having been so confident” (2 Cor 9:4). Several Macedonians did come to Corinth, and were among those who accompanied Paul on his journey to Jerusalem [Sopater, Aristarchus and Secundus (Acts 20:4)]. If these people arrived in Corinth and found them unprepared, Paul would be embarrassed, exceeded only by their humiliation.

“So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift [lit. ‘blessing’] you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given” (2 Cor 9:5). Paul sent Titus + 2 brothers (8:18, 22) ahead to avoid a hasty collection when he arrived with the Macedonian delegation, and the embarrassment and humiliation that would cause. It’s crucial that the gift is made willingly and cheerfully, not grudgingly given. If it were grudgingly given, an important purpose of the collection would be negated. It would not be an expression of the loving unity between Gentile and Jewish believers.

Reference:

1. Charles Hodge. 1 & 2 Corinthians. A Geneva Series Commentary. The Banner of Truth Trust. 1857, 1859.
2. Colin Kruse. 2 Corinthians. Tyndale NT Commentaries. 1987, 2005.
3. Geoffrey Grogan. 2 Corinthians. The Glories & Responsibilities of Christian Service. 2007.
4. David Garland. 2 Corinthians. The New American Commentary. 1999.
5. Paul Barnett. The Message of 2 Corinthians. 1988.