2 Corinthians 9:1-5
HE IS CONFIDENT OF THEIR READINESS TO GIVE; BUT TITUS AND HIS COMPANIONS HAVE BEEN SENT ON, THAT THE COLLECTION MAY BE READY WHEN HE ARRIVES AT CORINTH.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE IS CONFIDENT OF THEIR READINESS TO GIVE; BUT TITUS AND HIS COMPANIONS HAVE BEEN SENT ON, THAT THE COLLECTION MAY BE READY WHEN HE ARRIVES AT CORINTH.... [ Continue Reading ]
περὶ μὲν γὰρ κ. τ. λ.: _for concerning the ministration to the saints, i.e._, the collection (see on 2 Corinthians 8:4), _it is superfluous_ (_cf._ 2Ma 12:44) _for me to write, sc._, this letter (note the force of the art. before γράφειν), _to you_, who “were the first to make a beginning” (2 Corint... [ Continue Reading ]
οἷδα γὰρ τὴν προθ. κ. τ. λ.: _for I know your readiness, of which I glory_ (for constr. _cf._ 2 Corinthians 11:30; Proverbs 27:1) _on your behalf_ (_cf._ 2 Corinthians 7:14) _to the Macedonians, that Achaia_ (not ὑμεῖς, he reports the actual words in which he made his boast; for “Achaia” see on 2 Co... [ Continue Reading ]
ἔπεμψα δὲ τοὺς ἀδ. κ. τ. λ. _but_ (the δέ corresponding to μέν of 2 Corinthians 9:1) _I have sent_ (the epistolary aorist; _cf._ 2 Corinthians 8:18) _the brethren_ (_cf._ 2 Corinthians 8:16-22), _that our glorying on your behalf may not be made void_ (_cf._ esp. 1 Corinthians 9:15) _in this respect,... [ Continue Reading ]
μή πως ἐὰν ἔλθωσι κ. τ. λ.: _lest by any means, if there come with me any of Macedonia_ (not “they of Macedonia,” as A.V.; it is probably a fair inference from this verse that the unnamed “brethren” of 2 Corinthians 8:18; 2 Corinthians 8:22 were not Macedonians), _and find you unprepared, i.e._, wit... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀναγκαῖον οὖν ἡγησάμην κ. τ. λ.: _therefore, sc._, because of the reason in 2 Corinthians 9:4, _I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren_ (inasmuch as two of these “brethren” were not chosen by St. Paul, but were the delegates of the contributing Churches, the rendering “entreat” of the R.V. co... [ Continue Reading ]
τοῦτο δὲ, ὁ σπείρων κ. τ. λ.: _but_ (_sc._, although I am not pressing you to give, _cf._ 2 Corinthians 9:1) _this I say_ (understanding φημι; _cf._ 1 Corinthians 7:29; 1 Corinthians 15:50), _He that soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he that soweth bountifully_ (lit., “on the principle... [ Continue Reading ]
LIBERAL GIVING IS BLESSED OF GOD.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἕκαστος καθὼς κ. τ. λ.: _let each man give_ (understanding διδότω) _according as he hath purposed_ (note the perf.; he implies that they had already made up their minds to give. προαίρεσις is Aristotle's formal word in _Nic. Eth._, iii. 3.19, for a free act of moral choice) _in his heart_ (_cf._ Exo... [ Continue Reading ]
δυνατεῖ δὲ ὁ Θεὸς κ. τ. λ.: _and God is powerful_ (see reff. 2 Corinthians 13:3) _to make all grace, i.e._, every gift, temporal as well as spiritual, _abound unto you_ (see reff. 2 Corinthians 4:15 for περισσεύω in a transitive signification), _in order that ye, having always all sufficiency, sc._,... [ Continue Reading ]
2 Corinthians 9:9-10 are parenthetical, containing an illustrative quotation and its application. 2 Corinthians 9:9. καθὼς γέγραπται “ Ἐσκόρπισεν κ. τ. λ.: _as it is written, sc._, in the words of Scripture (perhaps the quotation was suggested by the image of sowing and reaping which recalled the wo... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁ δὲ ἐπιχορηγῶν “ σπέρμα τῷ σπείροντι κ. τ. λ.: _and he that supplieth “seed to the sower and bread for food,” shall supply and multiply your seed, i.e._, your means of giving, _for sowing_ (the A. V. not only follows the inferior reading, but conceals the quotation from Isaiah 55:10), _and increase... [ Continue Reading ]
He now resumes the general subject of 2 Corinthians 9:8, ἐν παντὶ πλουτιζόμενοι here being in apposition with ἐν παντὶ … ἔχοντες there; there is thus no necessity to treat πλουτιζ. as a _nom. pendens._ ἐν παντὶ πλουτιζόμενοι κ. τ. λ.: _ye being enriched in everything unto all, i.e._, all kinds of, _... [ Continue Reading ]
ὅτι ἡ διακ. τῆς λειτ. κ. τ. λ.: _for the ministration of this service_ (λειτουργία, which originally stood for any public service, came to be restricted to the service of God; λειτουργέω is used in Romans 15:27 of this very contribution; _cf._ Numbers 8:22; Hebrews 8:6; Hebrews 9:21) _is not only fi... [ Continue Reading ]
LIBERAL GIVING WILL CALL FORTH THE BLESSINGS OF THE RECIPIENTS.... [ Continue Reading ]
διὰ τῆς δοκιμῆς τῆς διακ. κ. τ. λ.: _inasmuch as they, i.e._, the Judæan Christians, _through the proof, sc._, of you, _afforded by this ministration_ (_cf._ 2 Corinthians 8:2 for a similar gen. after δοκιμή), _glorify God_ (_cf._ Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:12) _for the obedience of your confession in... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ αὐτῶν δεήσει κ. τ. λ. This is again an independent sentence, beginning with a gen. abs.: _while they also, with supplication on your behalf, long after you_ (_sc._, apparently, long to see you) _by reason of the exceeding grace of God upon you: i.e._, you have the prayers of those whom you are h... [ Continue Reading ]
χαρὶς τῷ Θεῷ κ. τ. λ.: _thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift_. δωρεά is always in the N.T. (see reff., etc.) used of the gifts of God, not of men; and the “unspeakable” gift (_cf._ Romans 11:33; Ephesians 3:20) for which the Apostle bursts out here into a characteristic doxology is the gift of... [ Continue Reading ]