2 Corinthians 9:12-15

Butler's Commentary

SECTION 3

Confessions (2 Corinthians 9:12-15)

12for the rendering of this service not only supplies the wants of the saints but also overflows in many thanksgivings to God. 13Under the rest of this service, you will glorify God by your obedience in acknowledging the gospel of Christ, and by generosity of your contribution for them and for all others; 14while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God in you. 15Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

2 Corinthians 9:12-13 Proclaimed Clearly: In this text the apostle states categorically that giving (stewardship) is a test of obedience by which we acknowledge the gospel of Christ. It is not the only test of obedience for acknowledging the gospel of Christbut it is clearly a part of our Christian confession.

In 2 Corinthians 9:12 the Greek word diakonia (the word from which we have the English, deacon) is translated rendering. But the word would be better translated ministry. Then, the Greek word leitourgias is translated service. Leitourgias is literally, public service. In the LXX it is almost exclusively for the priestly service in the Temple, the offering of sacrifices. Christian giving is a ministry and a liturgy (worship). It should never be done frivolously, as simply a matter of course, or apologetically. Those who give should consider themselves performing a ministry and participating in the priesthood of believers. They should never look upon their offerings as dues, as spectator's admission fee, or as some sort of holy tax.

Paul says when Christians exercise their believers-priesthood and minister through giving, they not only supply (Gr. prosanaplerousa, lit. fill up by addition) the wants (Gr. husteremata, things lacking, not merely wants, but needs) of the saints, such a ministry also overflows in many thanksgivings to God. The Greek word eucharistion is again used (2 Corinthians 9:12) and translated thanksgivings. Christian giving is worshipit is not just to pay bills. It is an integral, indispensable factor in Christian worship whether bills get paid or not, whether there are any bills to be paid or not.

Preachers will inevitably have all kinds of problems if they hint that a believer's giving is a test of his profession as a Christian. Yet that is precisely what the inspired apostle clearly states in 2 Corinthians 9:13! Paul uses some interesting and significant Greek words in this verse. The RSV translation does not do them justice; the NASV is better. First, he used the Greek word dia to start the sentence. Dia means, through, or by this agency. Thus the believer's giving is the instrumentality by which he proves his confession of Christ. Second, he uses the word dokimes; RSV translates it test, the KJV translates it experiment and the NASV translates it proof. It means to prove by putting to test and experience. It is a word from the scientific and judicial vocabulary of the Greeks (confirmed by the Greek papyri). Third, Paul used the Greek word diakonias, translated service. Fourth, is the word hupotage, translated obedience; that is what it literally means, but it is sometimes translated submission (Ephesians 5:21; Ephesians 5:24). Fifth, is the word homologias, translated acknowledging in the RSV; it literally means, say the same as. and is often translated confession. Finally, the Greek word koinonias, appears and is translated contribution in the RSV; it is the word from which we get the English word communion and would be better translated participation, fellowship, partnership, or sharing. Christian giving is not disinterested, disconnected contribution but personal participation and partnership with those whom the giving helps. And, Paul adds, the gospel profession of the Corinthians was proved not only by the one-time offering for Judea, but in their giving toward all men (Gr. eis pantas).

Again, Paul is saying Christians are to put their money where their mouths are! They are to prove their love (2 Corinthians 8:8; 2 Corinthians 8:24) and their gospel profession (2 Corinthians 9:13) by their giving. While Paul has been emphatic throughout this entire dissertation (Chapter s 8 and 9) that Christian giving is not as an exaction and each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, he definitely makes it a matter of obedience and confession to the gospel of Christ. Christian giving as Paul has outlined it in these two Chapter s is fundamentally saying the same as (confessing) the gospel of Christ says! Any stewardship short of Paul's instruction here is a denial of the Gospel. Jesus said, Why do you call me -Lord, Lord,-' and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46). Constant, repeated, in-depth teaching from these two Chapter s is really the only divine solution to the preacher's problem of convincing his congregation that giving is proof of the believer's love and obedience to the gospel of Christ. The world will never see a clear confession (or profession) of Christ until Christian people give as Paul instructed the Corinthian church. What we say about our love for, our trust in, and our obedience to Christ must be proved by our giving (Genesis 22:12; Matthew 25:31-46; John 13:1-35; 1 John 3:16-18).

2 Corinthians 9:14-15 Produces Community: Total participation (equality) and proportionate (as a man has been prospered) giving by Christians produces a compassionate, caring community. It does not produce communism (at least not as communism is practiced ideologically in the nations of the world today). It does not produce a commune where every member throws all his possessions into one large treasury. It is a community of loving, caring, helping Christians of differing giftsall giving proportionate to their means, and when called upon, beyond their means. All persons in this Christian community do not have the same resources or amounts of abilities or accouterments. Some have much, some have little, but what each has is enough for him to participate in every good work.

Everyone participating (equality) according to what they have, is what makes it a community. Those who need it are helped and long for and pray for those who are helping. Those who are helping long for and pray for those who are being helped. This longing for and praying for one another is because (Gr. dia ten, on account of) -the surpassing (Gr. huperballousan, cast beyond) grace of God in one another. Such giving as Paul documents here by the Macedonians and Corinthians manifests that these Christians so thoroughly appreciated the grace of God, it made them excel (surpass) all expectations in giving for the Lord's work in Judea. Thus Paul begins (2 Corinthians 8:1) and ends (2 Corinthians 9:14) his discussion of the problem of Christian giving (stewardship) appealing to the grace of God as a solution.

Christian churches do not really have a problem with stewardship; their problem is with the grace of God. Grace is not preached enough! Grace is not discussed enough! Human works have been stressed too much! Christians have lost touch with the reality that everything they have, everything they are, every circumstance of their existence, past, present and future, is absolutely by the grace of God. Too many, while paying lip service to grace, reserve a secret smugness in their hearts that they aren-'t such bad people, after all, and what they have and what they are, they have earned (at least a part of it) by their own hard work and skill. Until Christian people become possessed and obsessed with the absoluteness of the grace of God in their very existence, they will never have the power to give or exercise the excellent (2 Corinthians 8:7) stewardship according to the apostolic standards of these two Chapter s.

The infinite grace of God brought forth this paean of praise, this emotional postscript to Paul's discussion of giving, Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! The Greek word anekdiegeto means indescribable. Human language is inadequate to give full expression to infinite grace. There is nothing in the human experience by which to compare (see 2 Corinthians 4:17) absolute goodness and graciousness, hence there is no word for it! The best word by which to symbolize infinite grace would be Jesus! He was Infinite Grace incarnated. He displayed it as absolutely as it could be displayed to the finite mind off humankind. There was no lack in his manifestation (John 1:14-18), the lack was in the sin-tainted minds of people keeping them from apprehending it. Surely, the extent to which we are willing to let the Spirit of Christ control us and live in us will be the extent to which we apprehend the indescribable grace of God! Paul finds himself a number of times unable to find human words to express divine realities (see Romans 11:33; Ephesians 3:8; 2 Corinthians 12:4). Peter also experienced this frustration (1 Peter 1:8). But we rejoice that the Spirit himself interceded for us with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8:26-27). While we may be unable to find words to express our joy for the infinite grace of God, we certainly need not flounder for actions which will express our gratitude for God's grace and be very favorably acceptable to the Lord; passionate, participating, proportionate, careful, chosen and cheerful GIVING. Such giving will multiply itself in multitudes of people worshiping and serving with thanksgiving to the Lord by words and deeds. Not even a cup of cold water given because of the grace of Christ (in his name) will go unrewarded. While a Christian's efforts by words and by giving to fully express his thanks for God's grace may fall short in this world, every sincere attempt will be memorialized before the God who knows all, loves infinitely, and is absolutely faithful (Acts 10:4; 2 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; 1 Peter 1:4; Revelation 14:13). The obsession to express thanks for the inexpressible grace of God is the solution to the problem of giving or stewardship.