2 Corinthians 8:8-15 meaning

2 Corinthians 8:8-15 contains Paul’s analogy of Christ’s generosity in giving His life for all people to illustrate how we ought to give, out of love and generosity, not obligation.

Paul ended the previous section with an exhortation: “see that you abound in this gracious work also” (2 Corinthians 8:7c). Paul encouraged the Corinthians to abound or excel in the grace or favor of having the privilege to give just as they do in living faithfully. Now Paul begins a point that he will emphasize throughout chapters 8 and 9: giving is solely a matter of their choice. Paul says: I am not speaking this as a command (v. 8a).

Paul often gave commands from the authority that he had as an apostle. But here he makes clear that giving is wholly a personal matter. An Old Testament principle of giving was the “tithe.” The word “tithe” means “tenth.” God commanded the people of Israel to set aside a number of “tithe” offerings in order to support worship and to sustain the Levites.

The tithe was voluntary, but God made it clear that His blessing on Israel was directly tied to their faithfulness in giving (Malachi 3:8-10). Paul will advance much the same principle here, as he will assert in 2 Corinthians 9:6 that the reward of God’s blessings is tied to the generosity of His people. However, Paul does not mention a percentage. He is adamant that the amount people should give is “as each one has purposed in his heart” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

While Paul is not speaking a command, he is hoping for something deeper in the lives of the Corinthians. He earlier appealed to the example of other Christ followers, primarily the Macedonians, as an example of the “grace of giving” (2 Corinthians 8:1-5). They gave generously, even going beyond their means (2 Corinthians 8:3). Paul exhorts the Corinthian church to also be a great example of generosity, and in doing so also demonstrate their love: But as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also (8b.).

It seems here that Paul wants the Corinthians to prove the sincerity of their love by comparing it to the faithful actions of the Macedonian church. One translation renders this phrase as “I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others.” The phrase “others” here would refer to the Macedonian church Paul used as an example in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5.

In saying the Corinthians need to prove their love by their deeds, Paul follows in the same basic line of argumentation as the epistle of James. We know from Paul’s writings that believers are justified in the sight of God solely through faith, by His grace, apart from deeds (Romans 4:1-3, Ephesians 2:8-9). But here Paul speaks of being justified in the sight of men by our deeds. He speaks of seeking a reward based on our deeds.

It is our deeds that God will judge to determine what rewards we get in eternity (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10). James similarly argues that believers are justified in the sight of men by doing good deeds, just as Abraham was justified in the sight of men when he sacrificed Isaac (James 2:21).

Like many things, once something is started and then stopped, restarting can be problematic. It seems Paul was using the Macedonian example as a means of motivating the Corinthians to resume and complete their donation collection for the needy believers in Judea. Paul will now use another example of generosity: Jesus Himself: For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (v. 9a).

The Greek word translated grace is once again “charis.” The word “charis” occurs eighteen times in 2 Corinthians. This is the fourth occurrence just in this chapter.

• In 2 Corinthians 8:1, Paul spoke of God’s “charis” (“grace”) in giving the Macedonian church the opportunity to participate in giving to the financial needs of the Judean saints.
• In 2 Corinthians 8:4, Paul spoke of the Macedonians entreating Paul to grant them the “charis” (“favor”) to donate to the offering he was collecting.
• In 2 Corinthians 8:6 Titus came to Corinth to urge them to complete the “charis” of gathering an offering for the needs of the saints in Judea (“gracious work”).
• Here Paul speaks of the great “charis” (grace) or favor toward humanity Jesus granted us when He left His abode in heaven and came to earth, setting aside His divinity to take on the form of a human and die in our place (Philippians 2:5-9).

The specific grace or favor Jesus Christ gave to humanity is that He became poor so that we, as humans, might become rich:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich (v 9).

Paul’s use of the word rich refers to Christ’s preexistence as the Creator and ruler of all things (Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:1). As God, Jesus already owned all that is (Psalm 50:10-12). He was the very definition of rich. You can’t be any richer than owning everything that exists.

But Jesus left all that wealth behind in order to follow His Father’s will to descend to earth in order to redeem His creation from sin. Paul described this succinctly in his letter to the Macedonian church at Philippi:

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”
(Philippians 2:5-7)

In choosing this course of action, Jesus went from being the very richest that could be imagined to being completely empty, the very definition of poverty. Further, He went from being all powerful to completely dependent, by His own choice, as the next verse in the Philippians passage explains:

“Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
(Philippians 2:8)

Jesus’s poverty and obedience ultimately led Him to die on a cross for the sins of the world (Colossians 2:14). Because Jesus died on the cross, each human has the opportunity to receive the great riches of gaining eternal life.

This applies both to the gift and prize of eternal life. The gift of eternal life comes simply by receiving God’s grace through faith and being delivered from the penalty of sin (John 3:14-15, Ephesians 2:8-9). But the principle of emptying ourselves as Jesus emptied Himself also applies to the experience and reward of eternal life that comes through overcoming sin and temptation, even as Jesus overcame.

Because He overcame and learned obedience, Jesus was rewarded the great privilege of sitting down on the throne of His Father as a human, gaining all authority over heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18, Revelation 3:21).

Paul made this point to the Philippian church, that because Jesus learned obedience, even to death on the cross, He was rewarded with a name above all names (Philippians 2:9-10). In the Philippians 2:5-10 passage, Paul exhorted the Macedonian church of Philippi to follow Jesus’s example, and adopt the same “attitude” or mindset. The Greek word translated “attitude” is “phroneo” and is the theme of the book of Philippians.

The Macedonian church gave beyond their means, and begged Paul for the privilege of doing so (2 Corinthians 8:3). Perhaps it was because they were hearing, understanding, then doing what Paul had exhorted them to so they could gain the promised blessing. This is the same thing Jesus encourages believers to do in Revelation (Revelation 1:3).

This would seem likely since there is a direct link between Paul’s teaching to the Macedonian (Philippian) church and Paul using the churches in Macedonia as an example for the Corinthian church to follow.

Although Paul did not use the exact same words as he did to the Philippians, he made the same basic points to the Corinthian church. Paul promised the Corinthians that if they would walk in the obedience of faith they would experience great reward from God. We can see this in passages from Paul’s Corinthian letters, such as 1 Corinthians 3:11-17 and 2 Corinthians 4:17, 5:10.

The passage from Philippians 2:5-10 begins with an exhortation by Paul to this Macedonian church to adopt the same mindset or “attitude” Jesus had when He made the choice to empty Himself and become poor in obedience to His Father (Philippians 2:5). Because Jesus obeyed His Father, He was given a great reward. When the Macedonians begged Paul to allow them to give beyond their means, out of their poverty, they were adopting the mindset of Christ (2 Corinthians 8:3-4).

Now Paul is asking the Corinthians to do the same thing. He is asking them to follow Jesus’s example. Jesus was rich, beyond all comprehension. He gave it all up, becoming poor by taking on the form of human flesh. Then He learned obedience, even to death on the cross, that we might become rich. We can be rich because Jesus’s death gives us the opportunity to gain eternal life (both the gift as well as the prize).

There was no circumstance that led to Jesus becoming poor. Rather, He chose to become poor for a reason: for your sake He became poor. It was because God loved the world that He gave His only Son to pay for our sins (John 3:16). It was out of obedience to His Father that Jesus set aside being rich and became poor for our sakes (Hebrews 10:5-7).

Paul wanted the Corinthians to see the powerful context of the “grace” or “favor” of giving financially to minister to others by contemplating Jesus’s example: So that you through His poverty might become rich. 

Paul spoke earlier of the richness of God’s grace, as in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Going from being lost and condemned in sin to being redeemed and righteous in Christ is a major shift from spiritual poverty to spiritual riches.

Through Christ emptying Himself, He became the source of all of our riches. This also applies to rewards from Christ for deeds done while living on earth (1 Corinthians 5:10). As Paul will say in the next chapter, the rewards we can gain are directly linked to the deeds we do, including the level of generosity we choose (2 Corinthians 9:6).

Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus expresses the incredible spiritual riches of Christ. He speaks of the “riches of His glory.” In that case, “glory” speaks of God’s attributes and essence. Paul’s desire for his spiritual children is for the Spirit of God to completely fill them and cause them to live according to the character of God, the ultimate expression of which is love (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Paul will emphasize that giving is a matter of personal choice and of the heart. He will make it clear that how much they give is up to them and not him (2 Corinthians 9:7). However, he will now offer his advice:

I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it (v 10).

Paul’s opinion in this matter refers to the matter of taking up a collection for the needs of the saints in Jerusalem and Judea. The word opinion can also be thought of as advice, judgment, or counsel. In regards to the collection for the church in Jerusalem, Paul is saying to the Corinthians, “This is the way I see it, but make up your own mind” as opposed to “Here is a word from God for you to obey.” By noting this is his opinion he is reemphasizing what he already stated in verse 8, where he said I am not speaking this as a command.

The advice Paul gives is that giving to the offering is to your advantage. The reason to give is because it is a great investment that will provide great benefit. This is not a new idea. They were actually the first to begin to set aside money each week for the offering (1 Corinthians 16:1-4). And they had a desire to do it. Now Paul advises that it is to their advantage to complete the work of collecting the offering then have it delivered to those in Judea who are in need.

A year ago indicates that the collection effort was underway for some time before it was interrupted. The Corinthians began the collection from a desire based on their own decision, but apparently suspended the effort while the controversy spoken of in the previous chapters was being prosecuted. But now that they have properly dealt with it and repented, Paul says: But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it (v. 11a).

The it Paul refers to is the collection for the saints in Judea. They were ready, they had the desire, now they need to complete the effort. Paul is advising them to finish the collection, asserting that this was to their advantage. He is reminding them of their initial enthusiasm and encouraging them to rekindle their desire so that there may be also the completion of it by your ability (v. 11b).

The Greek word translated ability here refers to what they have, what they possess. Paul used the Macedonians as an example, they gave “beyond their ability” (2 Corinthians 8:3). It would seem that Paul would love for the Corinthians to follow that example. But he is just leaving it up to them. In the next chapter, Paul will stress that it is completely up to their discretion; what they decide to give is between them and God (2 Corinthians 9:7).

However, Paul will also point out that they need to recognize that if they sow a little, they will reap a little, and if they want a large harvest they need to plant a lot of seed (2 Corinthians 9:6). In the analogy, Paul is asserting that giving to the needs of the saints in Judea will be like planting seeds that will grow a crop that can be harvested later.

This is the same idea as Jesus’s teaching about laying up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). In both instances there is an investment now, a time delay, then a substantial reaping of benefits.

The potential for a great harvest of reward is one reason why giving is to their advantage. Continuing with the topic of speaking about the Corinthians giving according to their ability, now Paul says: For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have (v 12).

This is a simple but profound principle. God expects us to be good stewards of what we have, not what we do not have. It is typical for us as humans to think or say, “If I had that much money or those possessions then I would be generous.” But we cannot be faithful stewards of what we do not have. God asks us to be faithful stewards of what we do have. He asks us to be generous with what He gave us, what we actually have charge of.

This would tell us that Paul is not shooting for a specific amount. Rather he is seeking to disciple the hearts of the Corinthian believers. He is desiring for them to participate in the financial collection for their own spiritual growth and benefit. It is not the amount that matters so much as their readiness. The Greek word translated readiness is also translated “eagerness” (Acts 17:11). It appears in 2 Corinthians 8:11, 12, 19, 9:2 and . We will see in 2 Corinthians 9:2, that Paul used the Corinthians as an example to stir up the believers in Macedonia.

It is excellent to have the desire and readiness (or willingness) to give. But that does not do anyone much good unless it is acted upon. So Paul emphasizes that there be also the completion of it by your ability. Again, ability refers to their financial capacity. Paul does not want them to say either “That is too little for me to bother with” or “That is too big for me to tackle.” Rather, he wants them to be good stewards of what they have, according to their ability. 

To give according to our capacity Paul says is acceptable. The inference is that this is acceptable or pleasing to God. That would mean this deed would be like gold, silver, and precious stones at the judgment seat of Christ that would gain a positive reward (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10).

There is a reaping and sowing principle throughout scripture. Paul will mention this specifically in 2 Corinthians 9:6, that there are consequences to our decisions. If we plant little by doing a small measure of good deeds then we will gather little in the way of rewards, and vice versa. Jesus gives further insight into this in Luke 6:38, “For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

The measure God will use to judge our deeds will be the same measure we apply to judge others. There is a proportionality principle God will use to reward us. As we are generous to others so He will be generous to us, and as we are harsh to others, so we will be creating a standard for ourselves by which to be judged by God.

By using the word translated acceptable, Paul might also have in mind the idea of “appropriate” because now he follows saying: For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality—at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality (vv. 13-14). 

It is appropriate for one who has abundance to share with one who has need. It is not appropriate for one to impoverish themselves to enrich another. Paul’s goal is to gain equality through generosity. Again, there is no coercion or obligation commanded or even inferred. As Paul will assert in the next chapter, God’s primary focus is on the hearts of His people (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Paul is explaining what he means by equality. The Greek word translated equality is rendered “fairness” in Colossians 4:1. It might better be rendered “fairness” in this context as well because Paul is not advocating a sharing of the wealth, where everyone has the same, as we usually attribute as a connotation to the word equality. He does not want the Corinthians to become poor or be in affliction because of their giving to the collection for the Jerusalem church. Neither does he want the Jerusalem church to be living in abundance while the Corinthians church is living in affliction as a result of their gift. 

Rather, Paul wants to see that those in need have sufficiency to live without undue affliction. For instance, it would be good for the Judean believers to avoid going hungry. He sees at this time that the financial abundance of the Corinthians will help be a supply for their need. There is no context indicating that Paul is seeking to cause the Corinthians to give an amount that will cause the incomes of those in Judea to be the same as theirs. Rather, the focus is on the degree of the need and the willingness of their hearts to give. 

If, Paul continues, the day comes when the Corinthians have a need, at that point perhaps the Jerusalem church will be in a position to become a supply for your need. This is what Paul sees as equality. It seems likely that Paul gave this same teaching to the Macedonian believers, and they gave beyond their means anyway not out of obligation but because they wanted to reap bountifully through their generosity (2 Corinthians 8:3, 9:6).

To further develop his thought on equality, Paul turned to an Old Testament example, as it is written (v. 15a). This is one of Paul’s favorite phrases, giving authority and reference to the Word of God, as he uses this phrase twenty-nine times in his letters. Paul quotes from Exodus 16:18: He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack (v.15b). 

This quote refers to the manna provided for the Israelites on their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. The manna was a bread-like substance that miraculously appeared six days per week in just the amount they needed. This makes clear that Paul’s focus is on elevating the Judean saints’ level of provision to the point of adequacy.

Paul was confident that the present financial abundance of the Corinthians would be enough to supply for their need, like manna from heaven was for the ancient Israelites. The Israelites did not become rich from the manna. They were not able to store up manna. They received enough for a daily provision.

It is likely the Corinthians believers would be aware of the rest of the story and make this application. This could be because of the Jewish influence among the Corinthians, who would have command of the scriptures and be able to teach the Gentiles among them.

The Israelites violated God’s command and tried to pick up extra manna and hoard it. However, the manna turned into worms, and Moses was angry with them (Exodus 16:19-20). The grace of giving would lead to the fairness that Paul was preaching and demonstrating to them. Hoarded wealth would become corrupt and lead to spiritual decay from self-reliance and disharmony in the church. On the other hand, meeting basic needs is an adequate provision and a fair and appropriate response in terms of meeting the needs of others.

Generosity is the antidote to greed. Giving is the antidote to hoarding. When we focus externally we find ourselves, and when we turn inward and seek to possess and control we lose ourselves (Matthew 10:38-39, 1 Timothy 6:9-10, 17-19). The Corinthians had the opportunity to meet the basic needs of their brothers, the Jewish believers in Judea, and should view that as a great privilege to exercise good stewardship as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23).