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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
8:1-9:15 Paul's Appeal to the Repentant Church in Corinth Regarding the Collection. In view of 7:2-16, Paul calls the repentant (that is, the whole church apart from those who still opposed Paul), under Titus's leadership to complete the collection that they had begun earlier for the suffering believers in Jerusalem (see Rom. 15:25-32; 1 Cor. 16:1-4; Gal. 2:9-10).
8:1-15 The Collection as the Grace of God. Paul begins his discussion of the collection by demonstrating how the Corinthians' generosity to the believers in Jerusalem manifests the grace of God in their lives, to the glory of God in the world. The Macedonians are an example to the Corinthians in their generous giving.
8:1 the grace of God . . . given among the churches of Macedonia. A reference to the generosity of the churches in the region of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (see Acts 16:9-17:15; 18:5; 19:21-22, 29; 20:1-4; 27:2). Here and throughout 2 Corinthians 8-9 Paul calls the collection an act of "grace" because contributing to the needs of others is made possible by God's undeserved gifts in their lives (8:1, 4, 6-7, 19; 9:14-15; see also 8:9; 9:8).
8:2-5 God's grace was manifested in that the Macedonians gave even though they were poor. not as we expected. What surprised Paul was that the Macedonians also gave themselves first to the Lord (a recommitment of their lives) and then . . . to us; they offered not only money but also any other personal help they could give to Paul.
8:7 you excel in everything. Though beset by several problems (see 1 Corinthians), the Corinthian church also had strengths (see 2 Cor. 7:4, 16). faith . . . speech . . . knowledge. A reference especially to the Corinthians' spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 1:5, 7-8; 8:1-7; 12:8-10, 28; 14:6, 9, 19, 39). They showed earnestness for Paul and the work of the gospel (cf. 2 Cor. 7:7, 11-12). you excel (Gk. perisseuete). A reference to following the example of the Macedonians in 8:2, whose "abundance" (Gk. perisseia) of joy "overflowed" (Gk. eperisseusen) in a wealth of giving.
8:8-10 not as a command. Giving to the Lord's work must be voluntary, not compelled. And when it is voluntary it brings much blessing (cf. 9:5-8). was rich . . . became poor. A reference to Christ's preexistent status as the eternal Son of God in heaven (John 1:1-3; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:6) and the humility of his incarnation, including his death (Rom. 15:3; Phil. 2:7-8), so that the believer might become rich (salvation and all the benefits that flow from it). this work. What Christ has done for the Corinthians is to be reflected in what they do for others.
8:12 according to what a person has. Paul did not pressure people to give what they did not have or could not afford to give.
8:13-14 Fairness . . . fairness is in both cases Greek isotēs, which can also mean "equality," but in Paul's only other use of the term it means "with fairness" (Col. 4:1). Paul was not asking all Christians to share their possessions equally, for he did not ask these wealthy Corinthians to send money to the poorer Macedonians (see 2 Cor. 8:2); he simply asked that Corinth do its fair share in meeting the extreme needs of the Christians in Jerusalem. At the present time in redemptive history (see 6:2; Rom. 3:26; 8:18; 11:5; Gal. 1:4) the Gentile believers can contribute financially, while the Jewish believers can contribute spiritually with leadership and the ministry of the gospel (cf. Rom. 11:11-12, 25-26, 30-32).
