2 Corinthians 9:1-15

God shows his Power when we are Weak

2 Corinthians

Philip Smith

Chapter 9

v1 I do not really need to write to you about help for other Christians. v2 I know how eager you are to help. I have told the Christians in Macedonia about you in Achaia with some pride. You have been ready to give since last year. Most of them have acted because you are eager. v3 I do not want my pride in you to be in vain. I am sending Titus and our friends so that you may be ready. I said that you would be. v4 Suppose that some Christians from Macedonia came with me. And suppose that you were not ready. We would be ashamed that we were so confident. So would you! v5 So I thought that I should encourage Titus and our friends to visit you first. They would complete the arrangements for the generous gift that you have promised. Then it will be ready. That will show why you give. You give because you want to. You do not give because you have to.

Paul is careful not to offend the Christians at Corinth by what he says. He is slightly afraid that they may not have their gift ready. He does not say so. He says that there was really no need for him to write to them. He knew that they were willing to help. He had told the *Macedonians how eager the Christians at Corinth were to give. This in fact encouraged the *Macedonians to give also. He asked the Christians at Corinth to suppose that he came with the *Macedonians. It would be a pity if the people at *Corinth were not ready with their gift. Therefore, he was sending *Titus and the two other brothers. They would make sure that the gift was ready. They would do this before Paul arrived. This meant that nobody could speak badly about Paul. He did not actually collect the money. He wanted the gift to be generous. He wanted them to give because they wanted to. He did not want them to give because someone told them to. Christians should give because they love God. They should not give because it is a duty. People must use money in an open way. Then everyone can see that they are honest.

v6 Remember this. The person who sows few seeds will have a small harvest. The person who sows many seeds will have a large harvest. v7 Each person should give as he has decided in his mind. He should not give if he does not want to. He should not give as a duty. God loves those who give in a cheerful way. v8 God is able to provide you with every good gift. Therefore, in every situation you will have all that you need. Then you will have more than enough for every good work. v9 The Scripture (*Old Testament) says, ‘The *righteousness of the person who gives *generously to poor people will last for ever.’ v10 He who supplies seed to sow and bread to eat will supply you. He will increase your resources, like seed. He will produce a rich reward, like the harvest, from your *generosity. v11 He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times. Many will thank God for your generous gifts. They will receive the gifts by us. v12 This service of yours supplies the needs of God’s people. Many people will thank God as a result. v13 This service proves how real your belief is. Because of it, people will praise God for your *obedience. That goes with the way that you are witnesses to the good news about Christ. They will also praise him for your *generosity to them and to everyone else. v14 They will pray for you with great love. This will be because God has given you such kindness. v15 Thank God for his gift. His gift is greater than words can describe!

Perhaps some Christians at Corinth were not very willing to share things or to give them to other people. Paul reminds them about a farmer who sows seeds. The more he sows, the greater his harvest will be. Someone who gives to God is like that farmer. God will reward the giver.

God is generous and his people should be generous as well. We do not have to give. If we do give, we should give freely. We should give as we have decided. We should not give because we have to. We should not give because we ought to. God loves people who give with great happiness in their minds. People who give money to other people will also have enough for themselves. God will provide them with all that they need. They will have enough money to give to other people. Paul repeats Psalms 112:9. God will give us all that we need. As a result, we can be generous to other people. Then we will provide the things that they need. Moreover, people will thank God for what we do.

This is not a promise of money or wealth. It is a promise of *spiritual *fruitfulness and the help of Christians who care. The fact that the Christians at Corinth were giving was a proof of their belief. As Martin Luther said, ‘Good works do not save us. But we do not have *salvation if we do not have them.’ The *generosity of Christians caused other people to respect God. Those people whom the Christians at Corinth helped would pray for them.

Paul thanks God for his gift of Jesus Christ. This gift was much greater than any gift that we may give. In fact, it was so great that Paul could not describe it in words.

Corinth, Corinthian ~ Corinth is a city in the country called Greece. The people from Corinth are called Corinthians.
Titus ~ one of Paul’s companions to whom he later wrote a letter. He tried to help the Christians at Corinth and he took some of Paul’s letters to them.'Old Testament ~ the 39 books in the first part of the Bible.'righteous, righteousness ~ behaviour that is morally right.
generosity ~ when someone gives freely.'obedience, obedient ~ when you obey.
spiritual ~ about the spirit, not physical things.'fruitful, fruitfulness ~ when someone or something produces good results.
salvation ~ when God frees a person’s spirit from sin.
sin ~ an evil deed; or what is in us that causes us to do sins; to sin means to do evil deeds.