2 Corinthians 8:4

For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; THEY (WERE) WILLING - rather supply from , 'According to their power ... yea, and beyond their power, THEY GAVE. OF THEMSELVES - not only not being besought, but voluntarily beseeching us. Verse 4. THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE - omitted in 'Aleph (') B C Delta G f g, Vulgate. 'Beseeching of us ... the grace and fellowship of (i:e., to grant them the favour of sharing in) the ministering unto the saints.' The Macedonian contributions must have been from Philippi, because it was the only church that contributed to Paul's support (; Philippians 4:15...

4._Beseeching us with much entreaty. _He enlarges upon their promptitude, inasmuch as they did not only not wait for any one to admonish them, but even _besought _those, by whom they would have been admonished, had they not anticipated the desires of all by their activity. (666) We must again repeat the comparison formerly made between the less and the greater. “If the Macedonians, without needing to be besought, press forward of their own accord, nay more, anticipate others by using entreaties, how shameful a thing is it for the Corinthians to be inactive, more especially after being admonished! If the Macedonians lead the way before all, how shameful a thing is it for the Corinthians not, at least, to imitate their example! But what are we to think, when, not satisfied with _beseeching, _they added to their requests _earnest entreaty, _and much of it too?” Now from this it appears, tha...

1-6 The grace of God must be owned as the root and fountain of all the good in us, or done by us, at any time. It is great grace and favour from God, if we are made useful to others, and forward to any good work. He commends the charity of the Macedonians. So far from needing that Paul should urge them, they prayed him to receive the gift. Whatever we use or lay out for God, it is only giving him what is his own. All we give for charitable uses, will not be accepted of God, nor turn to our advantage, unless we first give ourselves to the Lord. By ascribing all really good works to the grace of God, we not only give the glory to him whose due it is, but also show men where their strength is. Abundant spiritual joy enlarges men's hearts in the work and labour of love. How different this from the conduct of those who will not join in any good work, unless urged into it!...

Verse 2 Corinthians 8:4. _PRAYING US WITH MUCH ENTREATY_] We had not to _solicit_ _them_ to this great act of kindness; they even _entreated us_ to accept their bounty, and to take on ourselves the administration or application of it to the wants of the poor in Judea....

PRAYING US WITH MUCH ENTREATY - Earnestly entreating me to receive the contribution and convey it to the poor and afflicted saints in Judea. AND TAKE UPON US THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE MINISTERING TO THE SAINTS - Greek, “that we would take the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.” They asked of us to take part in the labor of conveying it to Jerusalem. The occasion of this distress which made the collection for the saints of Judea necessary, was probably the famine which was predicted by Agabus, and which occurred in the time of Claudius Caesar; see note on Acts 11:28. Barnabas was associated with Paul in conveying the contribution to Jerusalem; Act 6:30. Paul was unwilling to do it unless they particularly desired it, and he seems to have insisted that some person should

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

PRAYING US WITH MUCH ENTREATY,.... They not only gave freely, being unasked by the apostles; but they sought to them, and earnestly entreated them, THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE THE GIFT; the beneficence, what they had so freely and generously collected: and THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE MINISTERING TO THE SAINTS; what they had communicated for the service of the poor saints at Jerusalem, in which they testified their having and holding fellowship with the churches of Christ; and that they would receive it at their hands, and take it upon them, and carry it to Jerusalem, and distribute to the poor saints there, as should seem to them most proper and convenient; which they accordingly agreed to; see Romans 15:25....

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