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2 Corinthians 9:6-15

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Paul continues describing the blessings of being a giver. God enjoys giving to generous people so that they can continue to give to those in need. Paul makes it clear that giving should not be done in order to gain God’s blessing but should be done as an expression of love for others. If we enjoy giving to others then God promises to supply our needs so that we can continue being generous.

 Verses 1-5: Paul states that he knows that it is unnecessary for him write to the Corinthians in order to motivate them to give to the needy saints of Jerusalem because they had already been eager to do so a year before. In fact, their zeal for giving had inspired the churches of Macedonia to also give. However, Paul was writing and sending brethren to Corinth in order to remind them so that they would be prepared to present their offering when he arrived. He did not want the Corinthians or himself to be embarrassed if they were unprepared.

6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

This principal of Christian giving states that God will bless givers in proportional to the their generosity. We know that it is not the size of the gift that God blesses because Jesus declared that a widow’s gift of two mites was greater gift any of the gifts that the rich people were giving (Mark 12:41-44). The truth Paul is presenting is that generosity is proportional to what we are able to do. The Greek word for “sparingly” refers to refraining from doing what you could have done. God’s blessings will be sparse toward stingy people but He will be generous with His blessings on those who are generous.

7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give” – A person’s giving should be according to what he chooses to give. This may imply that God only blesses the portion given that was what the giver willingly gave. If a man wanted to give $50 but he gave $100 because he would be ashamed or embarrassed to give less, then God may only bless the $50.

“not grudgingly [with grief or sorrow], or of necessity [compulsion]” – Such giving should not be done in “sorrow” because you really didn’t want to have to give. Nor should it be something you are compelled to do, perhaps because someone is requiring you to do it or are shaming you into doing it.

“for God loveth a cheerful [joyful] giver” – The Greek word for “cheerful” gives us our English word “hilarious.” There is a special place in God’s heart for those who get great joy from being able to give to others and He loves to bless them.

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you” – We cannot out-give God. The more we give, the more God will bless us with the resources so that we will be able to continue to give to others in addition to meeting our own needs.

“that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work” – If we have a desire to give then God will insure that we will always have something to give. He will make sure that we have “all sufficiency in all things” so that we can “abound to every good work” (be able to do good things such as giving). God will not entrust His resources to those who selfishly keep it to themselves. Instead, He will make His grace abound to those who cheerfully (v. 7) give to others.

9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.

Paul begins a parenthetical section (vs. 9-10) where he uses OT scripture to show that God blesses when we give to the poor so that we may continue to give. He quotes from Psalm 112:9, a psalm describing the righteous man. Verse 9 of that psalm states that a righteous man will distribute his resources to the poor and as a result God will preserve the man’s righteousness forever.

10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

Paul pulls a thought from Isa. 55:10, commenting that God’s purpose in blessing a harvest is not only to provide food to eat but also seed for the next season’s planting. Paul’s point is that just as the seed for planting enables you to produce more food than what the original harvest produced, so also will God’s blessings provide for our current needs as well as being able to give toward the needs of others. God amplifies our giving like the harvest producing more than what was sown.

11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

“Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness [generosity]” – This verse picks up the thought that Paul was expressing at the end of v. 8 (before the parenthetical text) where he said that God is able to provide for our needs so abundantly that we will be able to continue giving to others. Here he expands on that idea, saying that God will enrich us so that we can continue being generous.

“which causeth through us thanksgiving to God” – When Paul and his companions deliver the Corinthians’ gift, the recipients will praise and thank God for what He has provided. Our giving glorifies God, Who is the One Who provided the funds in the first place. We shouldn’t give in order to be thanked or praised. He is the One worthy of the thanksgiving.

12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;

The money collected by the Corinthians and the other churches will accomplish five things: 1) it will supply the needs of the saints who are in desperate need of it; 2) it will produce an abundance of thanksgiving to God.

13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;

“Whiles by the experiment [proof] of this ministration [service]” – 3) The generosity of the Corinthians was being proven by the service they were providing through the gift that they were giving to the needy saints.

“they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal [generous] distribution unto them, and unto all men” – 4) God was glorified. The Corinthians professed to be obedient to the gospel of Christ and the offering collected for the Jerusalem saints was one of the proofs or evidences of it. The saints at Jerusalem recognized this evidence and glorified God because of it.

14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

5) The gift also produced unity among believers. Along with glorifying God, the recipients of the gift were praying for God to bless the Corinthians. Although they were separated by the hundreds of miles between Corinth and Jerusalem, the Jerusalem saints longed to meet and fellowship with the Corinthians because of the grace that God was performing through them.

15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Paul thanks and glorifies God for His “unspeakable” (indescribable) gift. This gift Paul refers to here refers to all that God was doing through the gift that the Corinthians had collected. God had provided the resources for the Corinthians to give and He was accomplishing much good throughout the process of collecting and delivering the gift. Paul confesses that he just doesn’t have the words to appropriately thank God for all that He was accomplishing.