2 Corinthians 8:2

2 Corinthians 8:2. how that in a great trial of affliction the nature and severity of which may be gathered from the storm of opposition in which they rose into existence (Acts 16:12 to Acts 17:13, with 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 2:14),

the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality [1] a striking collection this of redundancies, contrasts, and apparent paradoxes of language, as if words could hardly be found to describe their admirable conduct: “the abundance of their joy abounded;” their joy in a great trial of affliction; “their deep poverty ” overflowed into “the riches of their liberality.” The “extreme poverty of these Macedonian congregations”(says Stanley) “was probably shared by them in common with all other parts of Greece, except the two great Roman colonies of Patræ and Corinth. The condition of Greece in the time of Augustus (as Arnold says in his Roman Commonwealth) was one of great desolation and distress.... It had suffered severely by being the seat of successive civil wars.... Macedonia had lost the benefit of its mines, which the Roman Government had appropriated to itself, and was suffering from the weight of its taxation.... The provinces of Macedonia and Achaia, when they petitioned for a diminution of their burdens in the reign of Tiberius, were considered so deserving of compassion, that they were transferred for a time from the jurisdiction of the Senate to that of the Emperor [as involving less heavy taxation].” Such poverty might well have been thought to exempt them from contributing to the relief of others, probably no poorer than themselves. But, as is often seen in such cases, instead of taking advantage of this excuse, the “joy” of a new-found salvation not only overpowered all sense of their “poverty,” “deep” as that was, but rose into “rich liberality. No doubt they would feel the force of what had been said to the Corinthians, If we (Jews) sowed unto you (Gentiles) spiritual things, is it a great matter if they shall reap your carnal things?” (1 Corinthians 9:11). The Philippian church had stood alone in supplying the apostle's own wants, on his departure from Macedonia (Philippians 4:15-16), and even after his imprisonment at Rome, they “sent once and again unto his necessities” (Philippians 2:25). And as to the Thessalonians, they supplied the wants of their own poor members so liberally, that the apostle had to caution them against allowing idlers to take advantage of them (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12).

[1] The word properly means “simplicity” (as in 2 Corinthians 11:2), then liberality (as here and 2 Corinthians 9:11; 2 Corinthians 9:13).