but by equality: your abundance being a supply at this present time for their want, that their abundance also may become a supply for your want; that there may be equality [The apostle did not take money from the Corinthians for the purpose of impoverishing them and enriching the church at Jerusalem: his idea was that the abundance enjoyed by the Corinthians might be withdrawn from their side of the scales and placed in the Jerusalem side, so that the scales might balance--not a literal balancing, but such a one as would insure that those at Jerusalem would not suffer because of their poverty. And he did this with the expectation and understanding that whenever conditions were reversed, those at Jerusalem would donate their superfluity to the support of Corinth. That such equality is approved of God, was shown by the manner in which he meted out his manna, as appears by the citation in the next verse]:

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Old Testament