1. 2 Corinthians Class Schedule
8/20/17 2Cor 8:7-15 R. Henderson

2. Collection for the poor saints at Jerusalem Chp 8-9*
Example of Christian Giving Chp 8:1 - 6
Exhortation of Christian Giving Chp 8:7 - 15
Explanation of Christian Giving Chp 8:16 - 9:5
Encouragement to Christian Giving Chp 9:6 -15
* J. Vernon McGee

3. 7  But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also
8  I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. 9  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. 10  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. 11  But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. 12  For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13  For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— 14  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; 15  as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK."

4. but just as you abound in everything (pas – none excluded)
7  But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
but just as you abound in everything (pas – none excluded)
abound - to be abundantly furnished – see 2 Cor 9:8, Eph 1:3
(present, indicative, active) - therefore continuous
action in the present!
is this a positional or conditional truth?
in faith - in the realm of faith - Wuest
and (in) utterance - (in) a ready exposition (of the word)
and (in) knowledge - gnosis - especially of spiritual truth
This list reminds us of the fruit of the Spirit – Gal 5:22-23

5. and in all earnestness – in diligence or zeal - Rom 12:8
7  But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
and in all earnestness – in diligence or zeal - Rom 12:8
and in the love we inspired in you (lit: from us to you)
now Paul gives an admonition!
see that you abound in this gracious work also
What is this gracious work?
This verse elevates giving to the status of a spiritual gift on the same level as faith, speech, knowledge, zeal and even love.*
Macedonians giving from poverty -- Paul --- Titus -- Corinthians
* Constable

6. I am not speaking this as a command
8  I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
 I am not speaking this as a command
lit: I speak not according to a command
Q1: What is “this” referring to?
Q2: Why did Paul not make this a command?*
but as proving - the sincerity (genuineness) of your love also
proving - lit: testing with a view to approval – 1 Peter 1:7
through the earnestness (zeal) of others
Who are the others?
* Giving must be out of God’s grace

7. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
9  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.
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
For you know by experience the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
present tense – continuous action - see 2 Cor 13:14, 1 Tim 1:13-14
that though He was rich – see Phil 2:6
lit: thought being (eimi*) rich
yet for your sake He became poor – see Phil 2:7-8
What does Christ being poor mean?
so that – with a purpose that
you through His poverty might become rich – see Eph 2:4-7
What kind of richness is being spoke of here?
* the state in which something continuously exists

8. I give my opinion in this matter (What is this matter?)
10  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.
I give my opinion in this matter (What is this matter?)
opinion - judgment; in reference to others, advice
see 1 Cor 7:25 & 40
for this is to your advantage (profitable) who were the first to begin a year ago
being such that you were the first to make a beginning (Wuest)
1. not only to do this – give to the poor saints at Jerusalem
2. but also to desire* to do it – reminds us of the Macedonians
in verse 4
*to have in mind, purpose, intend

9. But now finish doing it* also and now complete the doing also (Wuest)
11  But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability.
But now finish doing it* also
and now complete the doing also (Wuest)
so that – with a purpose that
just as there was the readiness to desire it* - 2 Cor 9:2
according as there was the eagerness to be desirous (Wuest)
so there may be also the completion of it* by your ability
completion - to accomplish perfectly – 2 Cor 8:6b
by your ability – lit: what you have – reminds us of v:3a
* give to the poor saints at Jerusalem

10. For if the readiness is present - “if” - assumed to be true
12  For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.
For if the readiness is present - “if” - assumed to be true
for, assuming that the eagerness is present (Wuest)
it is acceptable according to what a person has,
agrees with verse 3a again
not according to what he does not have
does this contradict verse 3b?
But what about when Paul said in verse 5a “and this was not as we had expected”

11. For this* is not for the ease of others
13  For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— 14  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;
For this* is not for the ease of others
For the collection is not being made in order that to others there might be relief from stress and strain (Wuest)
sounds like the issue of needs vs. wants
and for your affliction
and that pressure might be brought to bear upon you (Wuest)
but by way of equality—
but, out of fairness to all (Wuest)
What does Paul mean by fairness to all?
* give to the poor saints at Jerusalem

12. 13  For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— 14  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;
at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need
abundance – surplus – see Mark 8:8
so that – with a purpose that
their abundance also may become a supply for your need,
[at some other time] their surplus in turn may be given to supply your want (Amp)
that there may be equality (equity, fairness)
there might be an equitable arrangement in this matter (Wuest)

13. What is the context of this verse from Ex.16:18?
15  as it is written, "HE WHO gathered MUCH DID NOT HAVE TOO MUCH, AND HE WHO gathered LITTLE HAD NO LACK."
What is the context of this verse from Ex.16:18?
This is the account of God providing bread (manna) in the wilderness:
Exodus 16:16 "This is what the LORD has commanded, 'Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent.'" 17  The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18  When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat.
Is this not the fairness that Paul is speaking about!