2 Corinthians

8:1-7

7. The collection for the believers in Palestine, 8:1-9:15

i] The grace of giving

In the passage before us Paul encourages the Corinthian believers to excel in "the grace of giving."

This passage is part of a wider section running from 8:1-9:15. The subject of the section is the collection of funds for the poor believers ("saints") in Jerusalem. It seems that initially the Macedonian churches were not included in the collection, possibly due to their own poverty, but none-the-less they expressed a desire to be included. In the opening passage of this section, 8:1-7, Paul affirms the grace of generosity that was given to the Macedonians by God, a generosity which has prompted sacrificial giving toward the collection, v1-5, he then notes that he has organized Titus to return and finalize the collection with the Corinthians in Achaea, v6, and then encourages the Corinthian believers to participate fully in the collection, to excel in the grace of giving in the same way that they have excelled in the other graces, v7.

For Paul, the collection for the saints in Jerusalem is an important subject to broach with the Corinthian believers, but also a touchy one. The financial gifts of the Gentiles to the historic people of Israel serve as a fulfillment of Israel's prophetic expectations. For this to take place, through the ministry of Paul, is nothing less than an evidence to Israel that the kingdom of God is bursting in upon them, in and through the person of Jesus. The historic people of Israel have shared the gift of the good news of Jesus, and it is only right and proper that the Gentiles respond with similar generosity toward the present needs of Jewish believers. Paul hoped that the gifts of the Gentiles, as a prophetic sign to Israel, might soften his fellow Jews to the claims of the gospel. Sadly, this was never realized. Soon after arriving in Jerusalem with the collection he was arrested and forced to declare his innocence before the Emperor in Rome.

Paul opens by describing the abundant generosity shown by the Macedonian churches toward his collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem, v1-5.

de "and now" - and, but. Here introducing a new subject, although rather abrupt, but "not such as to suggest that two different letter have been put together", Barrett.

gnwrizomen (gnwrizw) pres. "we want you to know" - "Brothers, we want to inform you", TH.

thn carin (iV ewV) "the grace" - Direct object of "we make known", although possibly an accusative of respect, "we want to inform you with regard / with respect to the grace of God that ......" In general terms "that grace given by God in the afflicted and poverty-stricken Macedonian churches [which] has overflowed in their generosity for the collection", Barnett. Harris seems a little pedantic when he suggests that in chapters 8-9 the word "grace" takes six different meanings, cf. p559.

tou qeou (oV) gen. "of God" - The genitive is probably not ablative, a grace that comes from God (separation), out of God (origin), although obviously it does, since in the NT this sense is usually expressed with a preposition, eg. ek. The genitive "of God" is usually viewed as verbal functioning as a subjective genitive where God produces the action implied by the verbal noun "grace". Yet, the genitive may simply be adjectival limiting "grace", possibly possessive, but certainly not descriptive. Grace, in the sense of God's covenant mercy, is indeed a divine characteristic, a possession of God, but at the same time a quality that is powerfully active, rather than static - the God of grace acts graciously. In much the same way as "the righteousness of God", the righteous reign of God, entails God's setting all things right, so "the grace of God", God's covenant mercy, entails his kindness toward his people. Here the enlivening of his people with a spirit of generosity.

thn dedomenhn (didwmi) perf. pas. part. "that [God] has given" - having been given. The participle is adjectival, "grace ... which has been given."

en + dat. "-" - in. Expressing space/sphere - local. Probably just underlining the dative, but possibly "among the churches / within the churches", Furnish.

"Paul now expresses how the grace of God was exhibited in the lives of the Macedonians", Harris.

oJti "-" - that. Probably introducing a dependent statement, "we want you to know (v1) ...... that ....", although possibly introducing an noun clause in apposition to "the grace" of v1, "namely the most severe ......", or simply expressing cause/reason, "for during a severe testing ....", Furnish. "I want you to be aware of how they (the Macedonians) have demonstrated their true colors", Junkins.

en + dat. "out of" - in. Local, "in the midst of".

dokimh/ (h) "[the most severe] trial" - [a great] trial, test, ordeal. Usually in the sense of the genuineness of something by examination and testing, often through actual use - `value, worth, true, genuine, approvedness.'* Here referring to the test itself - an ordeal which serves as a proof, or testing. The noun is modified by the adjective polluV, "much / great", so NIV "most severe", although possibly "many", "prolonged", Plummer; "continual ordeals of hardship", NJB. "Under the most severe test".

qliyewV (iV ewV) "-" - of affliction, tribulation, oppression, trouble, pressure, distress, adversity, a hard time. The function of the genitive is unclear, but is probably adjectival, limiting "test", a most severe test of the hardship kind. Zerwick suggests that it is epexegetic, "consisting of"; "a most severe test consisting of hardship." The TNT instrumental "by tribulation" is a wild stab. In the end Paul's point is simple enough; "we desire to let you know of the grace of God ...... how amid a trial of great affliction ....", Weymouth.

thV caraV (a) "[their overflowing] joy" - joy. The word is mostly used of a person's state on receiving the gospel.

kata + gen. "extreme" - down [depth]. "Their desperate poverty", Barclay.

hJ .... ptwceia (a) "poverty" - The poverty of the Macedonian churches was probably due to the persecution faced by the early Christians and the economic hardship which this obviously caused.

thV aplothtoV (hV htoV) "[welled up in] rich [generosity]" - [to the riches/wealth] of generosity. The genitive is obviously adjectival, limiting "the riches". The "riches" are not the wealth type riches, but the "generosity" type of riches. So, a descriptive, epexegetic/explanatory genitive; "the riches of their generosity" = "an overflowing wealth of generosity", Barclay.

This verse begins a long and unwieldy sentence in the Gk. that runs through to v6.

oJti "for" - that. As with v2, this conjunction may introduce a dependent statement, "we want you to know (v1) ...... that", so Plummer, but is probably expressing cause/reason, explaining v2, as NIV, so Barrett, etc.

marturw "I testify" - I bear witness. Intruded into the sentence to emphasize the worth of Paul's observation; "for - as I can testify - they gave ..", Martin.

kata dunamin ...... para dunamin - as they were able .... beyond what they were able. The two prepositions express "mild contrast", not "according to .... contrary to", but "according to .... beyond", Harris.

auqairetoi adj. "entirely on their own" - of their own accord. Best treated as an independent statement within the sentence, so Furnish; "I myself bear witness to them how they offered - and that of their own accord - that they would do all they were able to do, in truth more than they were able to do (v3); how they appealed to us ...", Cassirer, ie. and this "of their own choice" without being pressured to give.

Paul continues with his testimony. Not only did the Macedonians abound in generosity, v3, they actually pleaded to be included in the collection, v4. The meaning of "grace" and Paul's explanation of "they pleaded the grace of us" produces a complex verse. The sense is simple enough so the NIV rightly goes for a dynamic equivalent. "In fact they simply begged us to accept their gifts and so let them share the honors of supporting their brothers in Christ", Phillips.

meta + gen. "[they urgently]" - with [much/great appeal]. Expressing association; "with considerable urgency", Barnett; "with earnest entreaty", Weymouth.

deomenoi (deomai) pres. pas. part. "pleaded" - pleading, asking. The participle is probably functioning as a finite verb, so Moule, Harris, although possibly an attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the implied verb "they gave" of v3, so Barnett. "They begged".

hJmwn thn carin "with us for the privilege" - the grace of us. "Grace" takes the accusative after "ask" and "of us" functions as a possessive genitive. "The grace", as above, is divine favor, operative here in the gift of generosity, and in particular operative in the ministry/collection initiated by Paul, so "our grace". Lit. "they begged for our grace", but see below.

kai "-" - and. The statement "they begged for our grace" is unclear and so Paul sets out to explain what he means. So, the conjunction here is epexegetic, it introduces an explanatory clause, "they begged for our grace, for participation of ministry to the saints" = "that they might participate in the ministry to the saints", Wuest.

thn koinwnian thV diakoniaV "of sharing in this service" - the participation, fellowship of the ministry. "Fellowship of the ministry" = participation in the charitable collection for the poor believers in Palestine. The genitive "of the ministry" is adjectival, epexegetic, limiting by defining "fellowship."

ou "they did not do" - not [just as].

hlpisamen (elpizw) "[as] we expected" - [as, according as] we hoped. Here "expected", Zerwick; "and not at all as we expected".

alla "but" - adversative; "but instead".

edwkan (didwmi) aor. "they gave" - "They made a complete dedication of themselves first to the Lord", Phillips.

eJautouV "themselves" - The reflective pronoun takes an emphatic position in the Gk.

prwton tw/ kuriw/ "first to the Lord" - in the first place to the Lord. "First" may mean "the first thing they did", meaning first in time, but probably first in importance is intended; "but instead, above everything else they gave themselves to the Lord, and also ....."

kai "and then" - and. "And also they gave themselves to us".

dia + gen. "in keeping with" - [to us] through, by means of. "Is Paul saying that the motivation of their generosity is the will of God, ie. the command to be generous is the instrument of their generosity? Paul usually argues that grace is the motivator of right action. We would therefore expect the sense "in accordance with the will of God", "in keeping with the will of God", Harris. None-the-less, "through the will of God", ie. through the instrumentality of God's will, is probably what Paul intends. He is making the point that both the conversion of the Macedonians, and their generous contribution to the collection, falls within the ambit of the divine will, just as his apostleship is "through the will of God", cf. 1Cor.1:1, ie. "an apostle by divine calling", Martin. "Their offering of themselves was governed by the will of God", Plummer.

"Paul now explains to the church in Corinth why he has sent Titus back to them", Barnett.

eiV to parakalesai (parakalew) aor. inf. "so [we] urged [Titus]" - to ask. This preposition, with the articular infinitive, usually forms a final/purpose clause, "in order that", but sometimes, as here, a consecutive/result clause, "with the result that / so that". "As a result of the Macedonian churches acting with such generosity toward the collection, we encouraged Titus, ...."

iJna + subj. "" - that [as he began before so he should complete]. Introducing a dependent statement explaining the content of what Paul asked/encouraged Titus to do, namely, to get the Corinthian believers to finalize the collection for the saints, as have the Macedonian churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Paul's words to Titus are "complete what you have begun", Harris.

proenhrxato (proenarcomai) aor. "since he had earlier made a beginning" - [even as, just as] he began before = earlier made a beginning on a previous occasion. This verb appears only here and v10 in the NT. The "previous occasion" would be the first visit of Titus to Corinth (in the previous year, cf. v10) to begin the collection. Although not actually forming an adjectival clause, Barclay carries the sense well with: "It was Titus who was in charge of the first moves in the organization of this gift [at Corinth]. So we have invited him to visit you (again), and to see that it is brought to a conclusion."

epitelesh/ (epitelew) "to bring [also] to completion" - [so also] he should complete.

thn carin touthn "this act of grace" - this grace. See above.

eiV + acc. "on your part" - to you. Literally "to/toward you" = "in reference to you", Plummer, so possibly as NIV, or "among you", JB, even "for you", Barrett, Martin, ie. "for your benefit", Betz. We asked Titus "to help you finish what you began", CEV.

Paul, at this point, switches to direct exhortation, v7. Having revealed the generosity of the Macedonian churches, Paul goads the Corinthians to follow suit, to excel in generosity as they excel in the other spiritual gifts.

alla "but" - Here functioning as a strong adversative.

perisseuete (perisseuw) pres. "excel [in everything]" - abound, overflow. The word takes on a technical sense in the Corinthian letters, so Paul is likely restating the Corinthian belief that they are rich in spiritual gifts, eg., faith, etc. "Abound in the gifts of the Spirit", "overflow in every grace-gift".

pistei (iV ewV) "faith" - It is unlikely Paul means saving faith, but rather wonder-working faith.

logw/ (oV) "speech" - word. Possibly eloquence, but more likely "spiritual speech", even "tongues".

gnwsei (iV ewV) "knowledge" - Paul was not really complementary of the Corinthian's claim to a hidden and superior knowledge. Is this list partly tongue-in-cheek?

spoudh/ (h) "earnestness" - zeal, eagerness, diligence... Referring to the Corinthians renewed "affirmation" of Paul as their apostle.

iJna + subj. "see that" - that. In Greek, a hina clause, with the verb in the subjunctive mood, usually forms a purpose clause, but sometimes stands in the place of an imperative infinitive. So what we have here is an instruction, "see that", "make sure that ..."

kai "also" - and. Normally only a conjunction, but here it takes a strong role in the sentence, "as well".

perisseuhte subj. "you ..... excel" - you abound. The word Paul used describing the Cronthians excelling in spiritual gifts, is now used in his exhortation that they excel in the grace of giving.

en tauth/ th/ cariti" in this grace of giving" - in this grace. The "giving" is implied. Possibly "in this gracious work", the "work" being the involvement of the Corinthians in Paul's collection for the saints in Jerusalem. "Do come to the front in this gracious enterprise", Moffatt.

2 Corinthians Introduction

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