2 Corinthians 9:7 Komentář

In this chapter the apostle seems to excuse his earnestness in pressing the Corinthians to the duty of charity (Co2 9:1-5), and proceeds to give directions about the acceptable way and manner of performing it, namely, bountifully, deliberately, and freely; and gives good encouragement for so doing (Co2 9:6 to the end).

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CORINTHIANS 9 The apostle proceeds in this chapter upon the same subject, the making a collection for the poor saints; gives the reason why he sent the brethren to them on this account; directs to the manner in which this service should be performed, and subjoins some fresh arguments to encourage them to it. As for the ministration itself, he suggests, it might seem needless to say any more about it, since he had said so much already in the preceding chapter, Co2 9:1 and especially seeing they were so forward to it, and were even prepared for it a year ago; of which the apostle had boasted to the Macedonian churches, Co2 9:2 and whereas it might be objected, that since there was such an inclination in them to this good work, why did he send these brethren to them? the reason of this he gives, Co2 9:3 that they might get their collection ready against the time he came, lest should any of the Macedonians come along with him, and this collection not be made, his glorying of them would be in vain, and both he and they would be ashamed; wherefore he sent them before hand to prevent everything of this kind, and that their collection might appear to be not done in a covetous niggardly way, but bountifully and cheerfully, Co2 9:5 which manner he directs unto, and encourages from the advantages of it, under the metaphorical phrases of sowing and reaping, intimating, that as a man sows, so he reaps; or in proportion to his giving, is he blessed, Co2 9:6 wherefore he advises to give heartily, freely, and cheerfully, and that from this consideration, because cheerful giving is acceptable to God, being like himself, Co2 9:7 who, as he loves, so he rewards the cheerful giver; and as he is able to give him abundance, so he does, whereby he is more qualified and fitted for such liberal service, Co2 9:8. And this is confirmed by a passage of Scripture cited out of Psa 112:9 showing, that he that gives bountifully to the poor is ever regarded by the Lord, Co2 9:9 and which is further proved from the general course of Providence, which so multiplies and increases the seed sown in the earth, that it usually ministers seed to the sower, and bread to the eater; to which the apostle had alluded in the use of these metaphorical expressions; or he puts up a prayer that there might, or delivers out a promise that there would be a like increase in giving liberally, as in sowing plentifully, Co2 9:10. And then he makes use of a new argument, stirring up to bountifulness, taken from the glory which is brought to God through thanksgiving to him, from the poor and needy, supplied by the liberality of those whose hearts he had opened, Co2 9:11. On which argument he enlarges, showing, that not only by this bounty the wants of the poor are supplied, and thanksgivings offered up to God on that account; but also the poor saints are led to glorify God for sending his Gospel to these their benefactors, and giving them his grace to submit unto it, which had had such an influence upon them as to cause them to communicate to their necessities in such a generous manner, Co2 9:12. To which he adds another argument, taken from the prayers of the poor saints, for those who liberally contributed to them, that they might prosper in body and soul, in things temporal and spiritual, Co2 9:14. And the chapter is concluded with a thanksgiving to God for the grace bestowed upon all the churches, and particularly for the gift of Christ to the sons of men; which contains in it another argument for beneficence and liberality, Co2 9:15.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart,.... Which is not to be understood of the quantity, or any set sum he has fixed upon in his mind to give; but of the quality or nature of giving; or of the manner in which he is to give: so let him give; of his own will and free choice, from his very heart; not as directed and forced by others, but according to his own counsel and determination: not grudgingly; or not of grief; with pain and uneasiness of mind, grieving at parting with what is given, reflecting on the persons that move him to it, or on the objects moved for. The Jews (g) reckon this the lowest degree of all in giving alms; "when a man gives to anyone" "with grief", to which the apostle seems to refer: who adds, or of necessity; of force, by coaction, being obliged to it by the influence, example, or commands of superiors; or through the powerful motives, or prevailing entreaties of others; for without these, men, according to their abilities, should give of themselves freely and liberally: for God loveth a cheerful giver; or one that gives , "with a cheerful countenance", as the Jews (h) say; or as elsewhere (i), "with a cheerful heart": their rule is this, "he that doth the commandment, i.e. alms, let him do it , "with a cheerful heart".'' Who looks pleasantly on the person or persons that move him to it, or on the object to whom he gives; who parts with his money willingly, and takes delight in doing good to others; such givers God loves: not that their cheerful beneficence is the cause of his special peculiar love to them in his own heart, which arises from nothing in man, or done by him; but the meaning is, that God does well to such persons; shows his love to them; he lets them know how kindly he takes such acts of theirs, by prospering and succeeding them in their worldly affairs. In the Septuagint in Pro 22:8 are these words, "God blesses a cheerful man, and a giver", which the apostle refers to. (g) Maimon. Mattanot Anayim, c. 10. sect. 14. (h) Maimon. Mattanot Anayim, c. 10. sect. 13. (i) Vajikra Rabba, fol. 174. 1. Parash. 34.

See then, first, that He has not commanded you to be solicited or to wait to be importuned, but yourself to seek those who are to be benefited and are worthy disciples of the Saviour. Excellent, accordingly, also is the apostle's saying, "For the Lord loveth a cheerful giver;" who delights in giving, and spares not, sowing so that he may also thus reap, without murmuring, and disputing, and regret, and communicating, which is pure beneficence.

Even if there is some kind of treasury, it is not accumulated from a high initiation fee as if the religion were something bought and paid for. Each man deposits a small amount on a certain day of the month or whenever he wishes, and only on condition that he is willing and able to do so. No one is forced; each makes his contribution voluntarily. These are, so to speak, the deposits of piety. The money therefrom is spent not for banquets or drinking parties or good-for-nothing eating houses but for the support and burial of the poor, for children who are without their parents and means of subsistence, for aged men who are confined to the house; likewise, for shipwrecked sailors, and for any in the mines, on islands or in prisons.

People who give reluctantly or under compulsion present a blemished sacrifice which should not be accepted.

Paul's purpose was not only for money to be contributed to the poor but for it to be contributed with great eagerness. Likewise, God appointed almsgiving not only for the nourishment of the needy but also for the benefit of the providers, and much more so for the latter than for the former. For if he considered only the interest of the poor, he would have commanded solely that the money be given, and he would not have asked for the eagerness of the providers. But now you see the apostle in every way ordering by will first and above all for the givers to be joyful: the suppliers to furnish in a cheerful manner. And at one time he says, "Everyone must do as he has chosen in his heart, neither out of grief nor necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver," not simply a giver but the one who does this with pleasure.

"Let each man do according as he hath purposed in his heart." For a man when left to himself, does a thing more readily than when compelled. Wherefore also he dwells upon this: for having said, "according as he is disposed," he added, "Not grudgingly, nor of necessity." And neither was he content with this, but he adds a testimony from Scripture also, saying, "For God loveth a cheerful giver." Seest thou how frequently he lays this down? "I speak not by commandment:" and, "Herein I give my advice:" and, "as a matter of bounty, and not as of extortion," and again, "not grudgingly, nor of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver." In this passage I am of opinion that a large giver is intended; the Apostle however has taken it as giving with readiness. For because the example of the Macedonians and all those other things were enough to produce sumptuousness, he does not say many things on that head, but upon giving without reluctance. For if it is a work of virtue, and yet all that is done of necessity is shorn of its reward, with reason also he labors at this point.

Paul is teaching them that if they give with a cheerful heart they will be storing up treasure for future use in heaven.

Blessed, then, is almsgiving, which both renews the recipient and rejoices the giver, “for God loves a cheerful giver,” and for this reason it is better to give to him first. Joyful, therefore, and cheerful is the one who attends to the poor. Quite clearly he is joyful, because for a few small coins he acquires heavenly treasures for himself; on the contrary, the person who pays taxes is always sad and dejected. Rightly is he sad who is not drawn to payment by love but forced by fear. Christ’s debtor, then, is joyful, and Caesar’s sad, because love urges the one to payment, and punishment constrains the other; the one is invited by rewards, the other compelled by penalties.

One of the fathers said, ‘If anyone asks you for something, and you give it to him, even if you are forced to give it, let your heart go with the gift, as it is written, “If a man forces you to go with him one mile, go with him two” (Matt. 5:41). This means that if you are asked for anything, give it with a willing heart.’

A brother said to Poemen, ‘If I give my brother something, for instance a piece of bread, the demons made the gift worthless by making me think that it was done to please men.’ The hermit said to him, ‘Even if it is done to please men, we still ought to give our brothers what they need.’ He told him this parable: ‘In a town there were two farmers. One of them sowed seed, and gathered a poor harvest; the other was idle and did not sow, and had no harvest to gather. If famine came, which of them would survive?’ The brother answered, ‘The one who sowed seed, even if the harvest was poor.’ He said, ‘It is the same for us. We sow a few seeds, and they are poor, but in the time of famine we shall not die.’

He dwells on the subject of giving with cheerfulness, knowing that the example of the Macedonians is sufficient to urge them to greater giving and to shame them if they prove inferior to those. He heals their mind so that the deed they perform may be a virtue, for what is compelled is not virtue. Therefore, as a true teacher, he wants his disciples, when doing something, to do it as virtue requires, and moreover voluntarily, so that their reward may also be full, for what is done under compulsion loses its reward. Therefore he says: let each one give according to his disposition, and not with sorrow or compulsion. He also brings forward a testimony from Solomon. Although the saying of the Wise Man speaks of generosity, he applies it also to giving with cheerfulness, or, if you prefer, to both together.

Then when he says, each one must do, he exhorts them to give cheerfully and joyfully. In regard to this he does two things. First, he urges them to give joyfully; secondly, he gives the reason (v. 7b). He says therefore: I say that you should prepare what you intend to give as a gift, i.e., abundantly, and as worthy of a blessing, and not as an exaction, i.e., not sparingly. He says this, because what is done spontaneously cannot be done with covetousness. Therefore he adds, Each one must do as he has made up his mind, as though without covetousness, because each one of you should give his alms as he has made up, i.e., decided beforehand, in his mind [heart], namely, conferring with himself. Not reluctantly or under compulsion: as if to say: let each one give willingly, not as being forced. Here he mentions the two things opposed to a voluntary action, namely, sadness and necessity. For a voluntary action is destroyed by violence, which is of two kinds, namely, simple and mixed. It is simple, when someone is absolutely compelled to do something against his will. To remove that violence he says, not reluctantly, which would be present if they gave as though compelled by the command of the Apostle. As if to say: do not permit my command to compel you to give, but let your ready will move you to do this: "Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord's offering" (Ex. 35:5). But a mixed violent action happens when one is not absolutely forced to do something against his will, but in a qualified sense, namely, that he would incur great harm, unless he did it; for example, if a ship would sink, unless the cargo were thrown overboard. Therefore in one sense it is done willingly, and in another sense by force, inasmuch as he is compelled by fear of a greater loss. Therefore, to remove this he says, not under compulsion, i.e., not making it a mixed violent action. As if to say: not from fear of shame, but from the joy you have conceived because of the love you have towards the saints: "With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to thee" (Ps. 54:6). Then when he says, For God loves a cheerful giver, he gives the reason, which is this: everyone who rewards gives a reward for things worthy of a reward; but only acts of the virtues are such. But in the acts of the virtues there are two elements, namely, the species of the act and the manner of acting, which is taken on the side of the one acting. Hence, unless both are found in an act of virtue, that act is not said to be absolutely virtuous, just as a person is not said to be perfectly just according to the virtue, when he does works of justice, unless he acts with delight and with joy. And although with men, who see only what is obvious, it is enough that one perform an act of justice according to the very species of the act, say an act of justice; nevertheless, with God, who sees the heart, it is not enough merely to perform the act of a virtue according to the species, but he must also act according to the proper manner, namely, with delight and joy. Therefore, it is not the giver, but the cheerful giver that God loves, i.e., approves and rewards, and not the sad and grumbling one: "Serve the Lord with gladness" (Ps. 100:2); "For the Lord is the one who repays" (Sir. 35:11); "He who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness" (Rom. 12:8).

St. Paul intimates that so ready were the Corinthians to make this charitable contribution, that it was scarcely necessary for him to write, Co2 9:1, Co2 9:2. But lest they should not be ready when he came, he had sent the brethren, Titus, etc., beforehand; lest, if any of the Macedonians should come with him, they should find them not prepared, though he had boasted so much of their ready mind, Co2 9:3-5. He gives them directions how they shall contribute; and the advantage to be gained by it, in the fulfillment of the promises of God, Co2 9:6-11. He shows them that by this means the poor shall be relieved, God glorified, their Christian temper manifested, and the prayers of many engaged in their behalf, Co2 9:12-14. And concludes with giving thanks to God for his unspeakable gift, Co2 9:15.

Not grudgingly, or of necessity - The Jews had in the temple two chests for alms; the one was של תובה of what was necessary, i.e. what the law required, the other was של נרבה of the free-will offerings. To escape perdition some would grudgingly give what necessity obliged them; others would give cheerfully, for the love of God, and through pity to the poor. Of the first, nothing is said; they simply did what the law required. Of the second, much is said; God loves them. The benefit of almsgiving is lost to the giver when he does it with a grumbling heart. And, as he does not do the duty in the spirit of the duty, even the performance of the letter of the law is an abomination in the sight of God. To these two sorts of alms in the temple the apostle most evidently alludes. See Schoettgen.

REASONS FOR HIS SENDING TITUS. THE GREATER THEIR BOUNTIFULNESS, THE MORE SHALL BE THE RETURN OF BLESSING TO THEM, AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD. (Co2 9:1-15) For--connected with Co2 8:16 : "Show love to the messengers of the churches; for as concerns the ministration for the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you who are so forward already." write--emphatical: It is superfluous to "write," for you will have witnesses present [BENGEL].

according as he purposeth in his heart--Let the full consent of the free will go with the gift [ALFORD]. Opposed to "of necessity," as "grudgingly" is opposed to "a cheerful giver" (Pro 22:9; Pro 11:25; Isa 32:8).