Grateful Giving (2 Corinthians 9:1–15)

We have seen, in chapter 8, that Paul’s instruction for receiving a collection for the suffering church in Jerusalem was motivated by grace, by the gospel, and by the glory of God. In chapter 9, he concludes this section by highlighting the motive of gratitude. The purpose of the chapter was to encourage the Corinthian church to be grateful that they could contribute. We learn from this that, out of gratefulness for God’s grace in Christ, believers are to give wilfully (vv. 1–5), worshipfully (vv. 6–11), and wonder-fully (vv. 12–15). This is true for all Christians churches, in all places, at all times.

May God the Holy Spirit teach us and train us and tear us away from self and the world to grow in our giving to the glory of God.

Paul opens by highlighting the necessity of willingness in Christian generosity.

Paul knew that this congregation was ready and willing to give and so he acknowledges that it is “superfluous” (redundant or unnecessary) to speak about this. Nevertheless, knowing human nature, he issues this reminder. We probably all need the occasional redundant reminders. Perhaps around pay day! Sometimes good intentions require graceful reminders.

He appeals to their reputation, and now we see one reason for the gracious giving of the Macedonian churches (8:1–5). Paul told those churches that the Corinthian church was “ready” (v. 2) (keenly prepared) to participate in this collection for destitute Christians. He boasted (vv. 2, 3) that they were prepared (and “pre-paid”), not from compulsion, but rather out of a willingness to serve the needs of other Christians.

A year earlier, they had showed willingness to be beneficial to others, but Paul understood that, in the intervening time, they might have lost their zeal to fulfil their commitment. After all, other needs, no doubt, had arisen and would perhaps vie for the funds. He therefore wanted to exhort them to fulfil their promise. In doing so, not only would believers in Jerusalem (whose circumstances had not only not changed in the previous year, but may well have worsened) benefit but, as we see in the text, other churches would be encouraged to give with integrity. Churches should be people of their word.

Note how Paul speaks of this collection as “the ministry for the saints.” This provides a whole different perspective on giving. Such “personalising” of the offering makes giving less of a fiscal responsibility and more of a compassionate opportunity.

The major idea in vv. 2–5 is that of encouraging the Corinthian church to maintain their willingness to fulfil their commitment. This was important, not only for the practical purpose of helping the Jerusalem church, but also as a means of encouraging the churches in Macedonia.

Paul had “boasted” to the Christians in Macedonia about the zealous desire of the Corinthian church to contribute. He used mutual encouragement to exhort churches in both regions towards a godly willingness to keep their promises. Proof of the willing heart of the Corinthians would be their preparedness when the offering plate was passed.

Paul principally and practically motivated their willingness to give by reminding them how their example had helped others. We all need the occasional encouragement and exhortation that will help us to follow through with our commitments.

Further, Paul is holding them accountable by instructing them to be prepared to deliver on their promise wilfully, not grudgingly. We should take Christian vows—whether in giving, marriage, church membership, ministry commitments, etc.—seriously and prove this by holding one another accountable.

Was Paul primarily concerned about saving face? I don’t think so! Rather, his love and concern for the welfare of all churches meant that he wanted exemplary churches to continue to be an encouragement to those who were watching them. To be a visible example to other Christians and churches is a weighty opportunity and responsibility. If we fail, other churches might also fail.

Paul follows his opening exhortation with a wonderful passage, which highlights both the resources of those who give as well as the spirit in which they give. But more, it assumes that they were reverent and worshipful in their giving.

It seems that Paul had Psalm 112 on his mind as he penned these words (see v. 9, where he quotes this psalm). The theme there is the person who fears the Lord (Psalm 112:1). Because he delights in God and his word, it is no surprise that he gives in a way that is “bountiful” (v. 6), “cheerful” (v. 7), and hopeful/faithful (vv. 8–10) ,which results in others being worshipful (v. 11).

Paul made clear that their giving was to be “a willing gift” rather than laden with ulterior motives. They were to give gratefully not greedily. Yet he is not shy to appeal to a promised “rate of return.” He speaks of giving “bountifully” with an expectation of receiving “bountifully.” The word can be translated “blessing” or even “plumpness.” That is, an offering that displays the fullness of God’s blessing. “God gives back ‘blessings’ to those who give as a matter of ‘blessing’” (Hafemann).

The bountiful return will include a material return (Philippians4:19) but the blessings are greater than this. We see this later in the passage, but for now we should notice that Paul does expect that the church will give abundantly.

Using agricultural imagery, Paul speaks of giving as “sowing and reaping.” He expects an offering of some substance (remembering that Corinth was a wealthy port city). His point is this: bountiful giving is blessed giving. If we want to reap the blessing, then we must sow a blessing. The blessing sowed is the alleviation of the needs of others (as what becomes clear in what follows).

Those participating in this offering, as we have seen, were to do so willingly, not grudgingly (“reluctantly”) or against their will (“under compulsion”). They were to give “cheerfully,” that is, freely and happily and joyfully and peacefully because gratefully and faithfully. This the kind of giver that God is well pleased with, the kind of giving God is fond of (“loves”).

The word “reluctantly” speaks of that which is painful and grief-stricken. If it hurts to give, don’t give. If it is causes distress to give (under compulsion), keep it. It has been said that we should give until it hurts but Paul counsels we should give until it is, literally, hilarious (“cheerful”)!

The word picture of this verse is not a person putting money into the collection doubled over in joyous laughter but rather a Christian given prompted by joy in the Lord. This is the way we are to sow our money: with joy in Jesus and with joy for the cause of Jesus.

So, give with a sense of “hallelujah” rather than as sorrowing over a hardship. Give gladly, not with grief.

Paul shows promised bounty for those give their bounty, the promised bread for those who cast their bread upon the waters, the promised grace for those who gladly give their gifts, the harvest reaped from the seed sown. And interestingly, these blessings don’t seem confined to money. While including this, it includes the blessing of spiritual maturity. As Casto observes, the cheerful giver “is so enriched by divine grace as to be able to constantly to abound in every kind of work.” Giving is a means of growing in grace, which leads to more giving by grace. Paul expects that those who give bountifully do so with hopeful expectation and faithful optimism that the Lord will bless them. It is not a hope-so endeavour but rather it is a know-so endeavour.

Note the words, “having all sufficiency [contentment] in all things at all times”. This promise transcends merely pecuniary matters. It connotes contentment at all times, which one cannot place economic value upon.

He completes this thought with the words “you may abound in every good work.” Not “in every kind of wealth.” The “work” doubtless refers to Christian graces and character and ministry. As we give bountifully, we are letting go of the world (worldliness is still a problem among Christians [1 John 2:15–17]). The point is that, when we take God’s word seriously, we will give bountifully, believing God for a bountiful harvest of what we need “for every good work.” The greatest work is growing in the righteous character of Christ.

What price tag can one put on growing in Christlikeness? You can’t. But there is a price to be paid: letting go of the riches God has given to you. As we let go of what our hands are grasping, we find ourselves with a firmer grip on eternity (1 Timothy 6:17ff). In our rich world, we need to be on guard against worldliness. This is the message of vv. 9–10.

Fearful Giving

Paul quotes Psalm 112:9, which describes the blessings in the life of those who fear the Lord. The overall picture of this individual is that his character is righteous and his contentment is real.

In old covenant terms of blessing, such an individual is blessed with material prosperity because he can be trusted to share it with those in need. The person who lives reverently handles his possessions loosely and sees giving to others as trusting the Lord. “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed” (Proverbs 19:17). The Lord can be trusted to repay!

Note that the “the wicked man sees it and is angry”(Psalm 112:10). He is so angry, in fact, that “he gnashes his teeth.” Why? Because the wicked person, who lives only for himself, views generosity as a waste of resources. Because he loves money, he hates the Master.

I have been struck recently at how much the matter of money was associated with the impending and eventual death of Jesus. When Mary anointed the Lord’s body for burial, she used ointment worth an entire year’s salary for a common labourer. Her critics saw her wilful generosity as a “waste” (Mark 14:3–9). But according to Mark, this was immediately preceded by the widow offering her last coin (Mark 12). All of this was followed by Judas’s betrayal of Jesus for money (14:10–11). Note also that the Lord Jesus was crucified between two thieves, and then buried in the tomb of a rich man. It seems that everywhere you turn in the context of the passion narratives, there is a reference to money. Perhaps this is intentional to remind the reader of Jesus’ repeated teaching that we cannot serve God and money. It is either/or, not, both/and.

So we learn from the example of the reverent man in Psalm 112. The reverent person understands that his resources are actually God’s resources and are to be stewarded accordingly. The reverent, godly person reveals that he or she is righteous—forever (vv. 3,9)—by not living like riches are forever.

When we realise that we have God’s required righteousness as his ultimate gift, we will wilfully, cheerfully, bountifully, and hopefully give of what he has entrusted to us. And because we know that we can’t take it with us, we will convert it into what we can take with us (Matthew 6:19–24). Generosity works to “increase the harvest of your righteousness,” (v. 10), increase the funds of your riches.

Worshipful Giving

Having spoken of the bountiful blessings that accompany faithful giving, Paul points to the greatest bounty: gratitude to God. As the Corinthians gave bountifully, cheerfully, faithfully, and fearfully, God was worshipped. Those experiencing God’s grace at the generous hands of the Corinthian church would respond with “thanksgiving to God.” The recipients of the gifts would understand that God is the source of the gifts and he would receive praise for this.

As you pray the Lord’s Prayer, remember that, in many ways, it is a missions prayer. The mission of God is the glorifying of his name, the extension of his kingdom, and obedience to his will. As we share our substance for the proclamation of his gospel, those who are proclaiming are grateful, and not only do they praise God, but they are also encouraged in the Lord. This equips workers to worship. I think this is Paul’s point.

Christians experience the grace and love of God through the grace and love of other Christians. We help one another to worship the triune God.

The Wonder-full Giver

Finally, we see that generosity fills the giver with wonder as it displays the wonder of the gospel.

The Greek word for grace (charis) is found ten times in these two chapters (8:1,4,6,7,9,16,19; 9:8,14,15). Grace—God’s sovereignly-free and unearned favour bestowed upon his people through the gospel—is the motivation for the Christian to give. God’s grace includes the promise of God’s resources and the promise of his strength (12:9). When we find ourselves weak in the area of giving, God’s grace empowers and enriches us to do the hard thing and to give—gratefully and cheerfully and therefore willingly. Grace makes us ready and willing. And this emphasis upon grace is highlighted in these closing verses. Those who are ready and willing to give generously are those filled with the gratefulness to God. This will practically bring glory to him. Such giving is wonderful—in at least three ways.

This theme runs throughout the passage but is a particular focus in vv. 12–13a. This provides the Christian and the local church with the profoundest of motives for willing generosity. Paul makes this clear when he says that this collection (“the ministry of this service”) doesn’t merely fulfil the utilitarian purpose of “supplying the needs of the saints” (as important as this is) but ultimately is a means of God being honoured through the “overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.”

The word “ministry” (leitergeo) is a rare term that, in the civic realm. speaks of a citizen undertaking a public office/act at their own expense and hence they truly serve others. In the religious realm, it is used of offering priestly service. When Christians give to meet the needs of others, they do so with an attitude of service both to man and to God. And Paul implies that as we do so, God, not the giver, gets the credit.

The word “overflowing” speaks of abundant thanksgiving to God. Surely those giving the gifts will be thanked by those receiving them (v. 14); nevertheless, it is apparent that the givers do so because they too have received: They have received the grace of God in Christ (v. 13).

As the Christians in Jerusalem accepted this this generous, no-strings-attached gift in the spirit in which it was given (hence, “approval of this service”) they would “glorify God” because of it, for two reasons.

The Corinthians’ generous gift would show God’s wonder in the gospel it declared: “because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ” (v. 13). Casto is right, “Perhaps it is possible to be generous without grasping the gospel, but is impossible to grasp the gospel without becoming more generous.”

It is one thing to profess to be Christian; it is another to prove it. But practice proves profession. This was true for the Jewish church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37) and this gift indicates it was true for the (Gentile) church in Corinth.

The saints at Jerusalem were initially sceptical of claims that God was saving Gentiles. But as they witnessed the same sacrificial spirit in the church at Corinth as in their own, they would glorify God that he had truly saved them. Yes, how we handle (God’s!) money reveals our relationship to the risen Lord. If we say we love God, and yet disregard our hungry sister, we are telling a lie (see 1 John 3:16–18).

God is honoured when the light of Christ shines through us in a dark world. And gospel-driven, generous grace giving to care for Christian brothers and sisters is a means of shining that light in a self-absorbed world. As even the early church’s critics had to confess, “Behold how they love one another!”

Paul writes of “the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others.” The word “generosity” (8:2; 9:11) means “sincerely” and implies no strings attached and thus selfless (see Romans 12:8).

This, of course, is a fruit of the gospel. When we give to assist others with no thought to ourselves—when we give selflessly—we are reflecting something of the glory of God. And this has a weighty effect on others. To put this in contemporary terms, Paul is saying that, when the Jerusalem church receives this generous gift from the Corinthians, they will be gobsmacked to the glory of God!

The point is that grace-filled people are giving people and thus are God-glorifying people. Christians, and sometimes those in the surrounding community, experience the grace of God through the grace-filled people of God who give like God: selflessly and sacrificially. I don’t think that big and fancy buildings bring glory to God, nor to well-dressed pastors and their wives pictured on a billboard displaying their success. No, what glorifies God is people whose lives reflect that God alone is valuable and thus our values are countercultural to those of the world. Rather than investing in that which is fallen and fading (1 John 2:15–17), we invest in that and in those which will live forever.

If there is no generosity, there is no grace. The matter is not amount; the issue is attitude followed by action. Two mites can glorify God while two million might not.

When God’s people give out of grace-filled motivation, the bonds of Christian fellowship are strengthened. Paul makes this clear in v. 14 when he writes, “While they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.”

The believers in Jerusalem, in response to the loving care demonstrated by the church in Corinth, would have a strong desire for communion with them and would pray for them. In other words, by being gracious, the Corinthian church would experience grace from the Jerusalem church. The wider church would be unified through grace-filled giving.

When the apostles met in Jerusalem to discuss the matter of Gentile Christians being accepted as God’s children like Jewish Christians, there was unanimous agreement that, in Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, man nor woman, slave nor free but all are equal and one in Christ (Acts 15). When Jesus died, ethnic divisions were wiped away, as dramatically symbolised by the torn veil in the temple (see Matthew 27:51 with Ephesians 2:14ff). Paul marvelled in this mystery (Ephesians 3:6–11) of one church, two peoples united.

One practical demonstration of this unity was that, as Paul went as a missionary to the Gentiles, he was to remember the poor saints in Jerusalem (Galatians 2:10). This is precisely what Paul is doing here, and it will bear fruit when he delivers it (cf. Acts 21:17–20a).

Imagine the joy at the countercultural, even counterintuitive, statement made by this offering. Imagine the wonderful sense of oneness. We do the same thing when we consider others, not only in our local church, but also in other local churches. When we give to help them, we are saying, “We are in this together. And therefore you are not alone.”

Paul began this long section with charis (8:1) and he concludes with charis (v. 15, “thanks”). He began speaking about a gift (8:2) and he concludes focusing on a gift. Though unnamed, clearly he is speaking about God’s gift of his Son, God’s gracious gift of his gospel. After all, the gospel has cast its influential shadow all over these 39 verses. Maclaren commented long ago:

Casto adds, “When we believe the good news that Christ has come for us, Christ has died for us, Christ has risen for us, and Christ is coming again for us, we will be increasingly released from a life of serving our possessions into a life of making our possessions serve Jesus.” Such a gospel focus makes us wilful, cheerful, and graceful and therefore bountiful.

Mindful of God’s saving grace, let us grow in sacrificial generosity to the glory of God. We can give gratefully, cheerfully, and generously because God has given us Jesus Christ so cheerfully and generously. “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift!”

AMEN