2 Corinthians 9
While sitting in church a guest preacher got up and quoted the last part of verse 2 in reference to how the work the church was doing excited him that others were answering the call of God in these times to go preach the gospel to all the world. As is my habit I read on;
1 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:
4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
(2 Corinthians 9:1-15, KJV).
As I read this I remembered teachings I had heard on the exhortation that we should sow much into a ministry and expect much back. That Paul wanted to be sure they were prepared by having savings ready to sow into his ministry before he even got there so he would not appear covetous. I presume this means that as he traveled it required teaching and preaching to the people to give so that it would not only bless Paul but give God reason to provide seed to the sower (v.10).
Then I saw something different. Sometimes we look at things from our view point, but when you try to look at it from the other person’s view point you can see something different.
Here is my dissection of how I think Paul was looking at this.
1 For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
Superfluous means “being more than needed”*. These people had given abundantly to him before.
2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many. 3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: 4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
Why is Paul concerned here? He appears to be concerned that he may be ashamed of what he has boasted, not of what they have done. Note, he is concerned for himself.
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
Now he sounds like a manager sending out a forward team to whip them into shape so he doesn’t look like he is coveting their money.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
This is a well used scripture. God says in Malachi 3:10
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (Malachi 3:10, KJV).
That leads right into
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
How many times have we heard this preached? More importantly have we gone on to realize that
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
God knows what he has called you to. That includes what He has called you to sow seed, or money into.
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
Being in parentheses this is an added thought stuck into the middle of this sentence. Philippians 1:19 also says this For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, (Philippians 1:19, KJV). God has your supply for what He has called you to. He also has a blessing for you; Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20, KJV).
Most of the time we hear verses 6 and 7 exhorting us to cheerfully give into a ministry. But do we go on to finish what Paul was concerned about in this chapter?
11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
Here Paul expounds upon the fact that God is our source and enriches us in EVERY THING. For him it causes him to give thanksgiving unto God, as it should in us. But look closely at verse 12, the administration of this service? Administer means “to manage, direct (business affairs, an estate etc. ) | to serve out, dispense, to administer the sacraments, to administer punishment | to give, provide, to administer relief aid.”* The word service here I believe is saying the service of Paul’s administration to these saints. Vine’s Expository Dictionary defines saints as “In the plural, as used of believers, it designates all such and is not applied merely to persons of exceptional holiness,…”# Paul is saying here that his administration of service to these saints supplies the want of these saint. He puts a but in there, that with many thanksgivings unto God this service becomes abundant. In the book of Deuteronomy God reminds the children of Israel that once they have their lands flowing with milk and honey that; 10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. 11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: (Deuteronomy 8:10-11, KJV). This is echoed in several epistles when Paul says 3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:3-6, KJV). Paul is pointing out here his responsibility.
13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; 14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
What experiment is Paul talking about? Who is ‘they’? It was already mentioned that the Corinthians had been liberal to take care of Paul and his ministry team. Now, notice verse 14, by their prayer for , which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. The ‘they’ here are praying for these saints, and as they long after the exceeding grace of God in these saints, they are ministering to the saints.
I hope to see more in this, but here is what I see right now. Paul was concerned that he had not prayed enough to lift these saints up into the exceeding grace of God such that he would not be ashamed. This says to me that he was being held accountable for the saints in Corinth’s supply to not only him but to themselves. As I looked up from this passage and saw the pastor start his sermon this is what the Holy Spirit showed me. The pastor is accountable to pray for the supply that his congregation has. Not only that the saints in his care have to provide his needs, but to also supply their own needs and those in the rest of the congregation. I had always seen this passage from my stand point that if I would sow seeds into a ministry God would bless me back, and He has. But now I see this from the pastor’s standpoint. The pastor has a responsibility to pray for us to have a supply, to sow the supply, to reap the harvest. I no longer see this as Paul just wanting to be sure they planned ahead to meet his needs such that it would not be a burden on them, but that he was not sure he had spent enough time praying for them to abound in God’s supply so that their own needs would be met. Paul was concerned that he would be ashamed that they would not have the promise of 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: and his failure to pray would be seen.
I can see why Paul sent a forward team ahead to them to prepare them. It is easier to pray for someone when you are with them.
I can now look at this passage two ways, one from my responsibility to believe God for the seeds to sow and the thanksgiving I need to give Him, second from the compassion that my pastor has the burden of carrying the responsibility to pray for me to succeed in this.Written by P.C. Mertes 12/29/97
*Definitions: were taken from The New Lexicon Webster’s Dictionary of the English Language, 1988 Edition, Lexicon Publications, Inc. New York, ISBN 0-7172-4546-2.
#Definitions: were taken from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Riverside Book and Bible House, Iowa Falls, Iowa 50126. Note in forward from W.E. Vine, February, 1939.