2 Corinthians 8:15

As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack. ; Septuagint As God gave equal manna to all the Israelites, whether they could gather much or little, so Christians should promote by liberality an equality, so that none should need necessaries while others have superfluities. 'Our luxuries should yield to our neighbour's comforts, and our comforts to his necessities' (J. Howard). Love creates the only true 'liberty, fraternity, and equality:' the only attainable 'community of goods' without revolution ()....

15._As it is written. _The passage, that Paul quotes, refers to the manna, but let us hear what the Lord says by Moses. He would have this to serve as a never-failing proof, that men do not live by bread alone, but are Divinely supported, by the secret influence of _His _will, who maintains and preserves all things that he has created. Again, in another passage, (Deuteronomy 8:3,) Moses admonishes them, that they had been nourished for a time with such food, that they might learn that men are supported — not by their own industry or labor, but by the blessing of God. Hence it appears, that in the manna, as in a mirror, there is presented to us an emblem of the ordinary food that we partake of. Let us now come to the passage that Paul quotes. When the manna had fallen, they were commanded to gather it in heaps, so far as every one could, though at the same time, as some are more ac

10-15 Good purposes are like buds and blossoms, pleasant to behold, and give hopes of good fruit; but they are lost, and signify nothing without good deeds. Good beginnings are well; but we lose the benefit, unless there is perseverance. When men purpose that which is good, and endeavour, according to their ability, to perform also, God will not reject them for what it is not in their power to do. But this scripture will not justify those who think good meanings are enough, or that good purposes, and the mere profession of a willing mind, are enough to save. Providence gives to some more of the good things of this world, and to some less, that those who have abundance might supply others who are in want. It is the will of God, that by our mutual supplying one another, there should be some sort of equality; not such a levelling as would destroy property, for in such a case there could be...

Verse 15. _HE THAT_ HAD GATHERED _MUCH, HAD NOTHING OVER_] On the passage to which the apostle alludes, Exodus 16:18, I have stated that, probably, every man gathered as much manna as he could, and when he brought it home and measured it by the _omer_, (for this was the measure for each man's eating,) if he had a surplus it went to the supply of some other family that had not been able to collect enough; the family being _large_, and the time in which the manna might be gathered, before the heat of the day, not being sufficient to collect a supply for so numerous a household; several of whom might be so confined as not to be able to collect for themselves. Thus there was an _equality_ among the Israelites in reference to this thing; and in this light these words of St. Paul lead us to view the passage. To apply this to the present case: the Corinthi...

AS IT IS WRITTEN - see Exodus 16:18. HE THAT HAD GATHERED MUCH ... - This passage was originally applied to the gathering of manna by the children of Israel. The manna which fell around the camp of Israel was gathered every morning. All that were able were employed in gathering it; and when it was collected it was distributed in the proportion of an omer, or about five pints to each man. Some would be more active and more successful than others. Some by age or infirmity would collect little; probably many by being confined to the camp would collect none. They who had gathered more than an omer, therefore, would in this way contribute to the needs of others, and would be constantly manifesting a spirit of benevolence. And such was their willingness to do good in this way, such their readiness to collect more than they kn

EXPOSITION Liberality shown by the Macedonian Churches (2 Corinthians 8:1). He is sending Titus to receive their contribution for the Church of Jerusalem, and he invites them to give according to their power (verses 6-15). Recommendation of Titus and the other delegates (verses 16-24). These two chapters (8 and 9) form an independent section of the Epistle. The _plural _alone ("we") is used throughout; participial and unfinished constructions abound; the style is a little embarrassed; and various words, such as "grace," "blessing," "righteousness," "simplicity," occur in somewhat unusual shades of meaning. All this arises: 1. From St. Paul's natural delicacy in alluding to pecuniary subjects. 2. From a desire to conciliate the Corinthians, while at the same time he cannot conceal from them a little apprehen

AS IT IS WRITTEN,.... In Exodus 16:18 HE THAT GATHERED MUCH HAD NOTHING OVER, AND HE THAT GATHERED LITTLE HAD NO LACK; respect is had to the history of the manna, a sort of food God prepared for the Israelites in the wilderness; and which were gathered by them every morning, by some more, by others less; and yet when it came to be measured, every man had his "omer" and no more, one had nothing over, and the other not at all deficient; each man had his proper and equal quantity; and which, by the Jews w, is looked upon as a miracle that was wrought: many useful instructions may be learned from this history, as that as there was a general provision made by God for the Israelites, good and bad, and the mixed multitude that came from Egypt with them; so there is an universal providence of God which reaches to all creatures, even to the vegetable, to the birds of the air, and b

Although this is rather a practical than a spiritual chapter, I hope that we shall get profit out of it by the teaching of the Spirit of God who inspired Paul to write it. Paul was writing to the church at Corinth to commend the churches of Macedonia, that he might stir up the one church by the example of the others. The saints at Jerusalem were starving because of a famine, and it came into the mind of certain Gentile churches to send help to the mother-church at Jerusalem. It was regarded as a very wonderful thing that Gentiles should be sending help to Jews. I hope it would not be thought wonderful now, but it was then; and Paul, who loved the saints at Corinth, and saw that they were a little backward in this matter stirred them up to greater diligence. He did not like the churches in Macedonia to go so far ahead of the church in Corinth which was richer, and more endowed with gifts,...

II. THE MINISTRY OF GIVING. CHAPTER S 8-9 1. The Examples and Principles of Giving. CHAPTER 8 _ 1. The Grace of God Manifested in the Churches of Macedonia. (2 Corinthians 8:1)_ 2. The Great Example. (2 Corinthians 8:8) 3. The Advice, Principles and Administration. (2 Corinthians 8:9 .) There is to be a practical ministry in giving, especially in remembering the poor of the flock. He is anxious now to lay this responsibility upon their hearts. In the first epistle he had written them that his glory was in giving the gospel gratuitously. He would not take anything from the Corinthians for himself, but he wants their gifts for others. He was making up a co

2 CORINTHIANS 8, 9. THE COLLECTION FOR POOR CHRISTIANS AT JERUSALEM. Paul attached the highest importance to this collection, to which he seems to have invited all the Gentile churches to contribute. He valued it not merely for the relief it would bring to the deep poverty of the Christians at Jerusalem, but also as a means of eliciting generosity in the churches to which he appealed, and as a symbol of that binding unity in which all the churches of God in Christ were held together. He thinks of the liberality thus evoked as a grace, a gift of God to man, and a gift of man to God, and also as a fellowship, a common participation in common service which was a precious symbol of participation in common life. 2 CORINTHIANS 8:1. Of this liberality, significant of so much, the churches of Macedonia, such as Thessalonica, Philippi, Berœ a, had already given an example all