SUMMARY
Rooted in the graceGrace is the unmerited gift of God's love and acceptance. In Martin Luther's favorite expression from the Apostle Paul, we are saved by grace through faith, which means that God showers grace upon us even though we do not deserve it. More of our Lord JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. More the MessiahThe Messiah was the one who, it was believed, would come to free the people of Israel from bondage and exile. In Jewish thought the Messiah is the anticipated one who will come, as prophesied by Isaiah. In Christian thought Jesus of Nazareth is identified... More who, by his poverty, makes us rich, PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities. More urges the Corinthians not only to fulfill their commitment to contribute to the Jerusalem collection but also to do so willingly and out of what they have, and in a fashion that contributes to equality and mutual reciprocity.
ANALYSIS
Even though the Macedonians were poorer than the Corinthians, they supported Paul financially—something it appears the Corinthians wanted to do, but Paul did not feel they were ready for (Philippians 4:15; cf. 2 Corinthians 12:13-15). So, Paul begins this section by apparently playing on the Corinthians’ sense of rivalry with the Macedonians. Because of the grace granted to them, he observes, the Macedonian churches experienced—in the midst of their deep poverty—a paradoxical overflow of joy that, in turn, spilled over in a wealth of generosity (2 Corinthians 8:1-2). Through this experience, they modeled what it means to give voluntarily, giving out of their own means, and even beyond their means. Indeed, they gave of themselves first to God and only then to the collection. So now, they are joining Paul in urging the Corinthians to join in “the grace of sharing in this ministry to the saints” (2 Corinthians 8:3-6). The Corinthians already have an abundance of spiritual gifts—such as faith, speech, knowledge, and even Paul’s love for them. So now Paul wants them to abound in this grace of sharing as well. He makes clear that this is not a command, but rather a means for testing the genuineness of their love, especially in comparison with the much poorer Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8:7-9).
Paul goes on to account for the source of the “grace” that enabled the Macedonians to overflow with generosity and joy, even in their extreme poverty—that is, the “grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah,” who became poor for us, even though he was rich, so that by his poverty, we might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9). Note the double paradox involved in this grace—from wealth to poverty for us, so that it is by his poverty that we might become rich. This completely counters the Corinthian notion of giving, which is that it comes out of a wealth that can then be used to establish superiority over another. By contrast, as Paul wrote to the Philippians (in the province of Macedonia), it is only because the Messiah emptied himself in human form, even to the point of death, instead of exploiting the fact that he shared the “form of God,” that he is able, as the one exalted above every name, to be the living source of a new community in which people look to one another’s interests rather than their own (Philippians 2:1-11; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31). Paul uses a similar logic elsewhere in 2 Corinthians to depict the sufferings and consolations of the Messiah (2 Corinthians 1:5); the one who died for all, so that all might live (2 Corinthians 5:14-15); and the exchange whereby Christ is made sin so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Given this premise, Paul now shows how the Corinthians might enact their own paradox of generosity amid poverty—following as examples, not only the Macedonians, but indeed, the one they call “our Lord Jesus the Messiah.” Acknowledging that he is only giving them advice in this matter, he suggests that it would be beneficial for everyone concerned not just to fulfill their promise to give to the collection, but that they do so in a fashion that meets two criteria. The first criterion is that they desire to do it (2 Corinthians 8:10), just as the Macedonians gave voluntarily, out of their own accord (authairetos) (2 Corinthians 8:3). As with biblical instructions for building the templeThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... More, they are to bring their offerings with a willing heart (2 Corinthians 9:7)—employing the same word used for Solomon’s choice of wisdomWisdom encompasses the qualities of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. The Old Testament book of Proverbs, which sometimes invokes a Woman as the personification of Wisdom, is a collection of aphorisms and moral teachings. Along with other biblical passages, it teaches, "The fear of the... More over all else (Wisdom 7:10)—and not under duress or necessity, because God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7).
The second criterion is that they give out of their means—that is, out of what they have and not out of what they do not have (2 Corinthians 8:11b-12). He has already described how the Macedonians, and even the Messiah, gave out of their poverty. Yet another example of, we might note, would be the poor widowA widow is a woman whose spouse has died, often plunging her into poverty and putting her in a vulnerable position in society. Jesus, in his concern for the poor, regards widows with compassion and concern. More in the Gospels who—unlike the wealthy, who contributed out of their abundance—gave out her poverty, by putting into the temple treasury, her two small copper coins, which was all that she had to live on (Mark 12:42-44; cf. LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul. More 21:1-4). In a related vein, Paul will speak later about how God’s overflowing grace enables us to be content and self-sufficient (autarkeian), so that we can overflow in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:9-10; cf. Philippians 4:11), buttressing this point with a string of biblical quotations depicting how the righteousA righteous person is one who is ethical and faithful to God's covenant. Righteousness in the Old Testament is an attitude of God; in the New Testament it is a gift of God through grace. In the New Testament righteousness is a relationship with God... More scatter abroad, giving freely to the poor (PsalmA psalm is a song of praise. In the Old Testament 150 psalms comprise the psalter, although some of the psalms are laments and thanksgivings. In the New Testament early Christians gathered to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. More 112:9), just like the rain and snow give seed to the sower and bread to the eater (IsaiahIsaiah, son of Amoz, who prophesied in Jerusalem, is included among the prophets of the eighth century BCE (along with Amos, Hosea, and Micah)--preachers who boldly proclaimed God's word of judgment against the economic, social, and religious disorders of their time. More 55:10), and thereby increase “fruits of righteousness” (HoseaProphet to the northern kingdom who married a prostitute to show God's relationship to a faithless Israel. More 10:12).
Paul’s purpose in urging the Corinthians to contribute to the collection is grounded in the kind of community that the Lord Jesus the Messiah creates among us. In such a community, the point of giving is not so that some may have difficulty and other ease (2 Corinthians 9:13). Rather, the goal is for there to be equality (isotēs, also “fairness”), so that one’s abundance might meet another’s need, and vice versa—recognizing, of course, the different kinds of abundance and need people have and how they might be related to one another equitably (2 Corinthians 9:14; cf. Romans 15:27). To exemplify this point, Paul uses the example of the manna given to the Israelites in the desert: “those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed” (2 Corinthians 8:15; cf. Exodus 16:18).
RELATED PASSAGES
Exodus 16:1-36 – Bread from Heaven
Psalms 112:1-0 – The Blessings of the Righteous
Isaiah 55:1-13 – An Invitation to Abundant Life
Wisdom 7:1-10 – Solomon’s Choice of Wisdom over All Else
Mark 12:42-44; Luke 21:1-4 – The Poor Widow’s Coins
Philippians 2:1-11 – Imitating the Messiah’s Humility
Philippians 4:10-19 – Contentment and Mutuality in Giving and Receiving