Second Corinthians 8:1-24

II Corinthians 8:1-6:

^8:1But we make-known to you, brothers, the grace of God, the (grace) having been given² in the churches of Macedonia, ^.2that in much proof of pressure the excess of their joy and their poverty according to depth exceeded into the wealth of their singleness ^.3because, I witness, self-choosingly according to ability and against ability ^.4with much encouragement (they were) supplicating us (to allow them to help with) the grace and the sharing-in-common of the ministry, the (ministry) into the holy-people, ^.5but not according as we hoped but they firstly gave themselves to God and to us by means of (the) intention of God ^.6with-a-view-for us to encourage Titus in order that according as he began-in (this) beforehand thus also he may fully-complete this grace also into you;

Paul again addresses these holy-people (sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of the only true God) who were in Corinth and the surrounding area of Achaia as "brothers"! Were all of them the natural/biological brothers of Paul and those with him having the same mother and/or father? No. Or was he referring to his "race" or "nationality"? No. This brotherhood was not based on their fleshly genealogy, nor because of what color of skin they had, nor because they were all male or all female, not even because they lived in the same part of the earth. The reason they were brothers was because all of them had believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ (refer to Romans 10:8-13), and therefore they received the gift of holy spirit. All of them had the same spirit of Christ within them and they all had the same hope of glory to come. Paul is referring to the truth in the holy spirit category of their being brothers because God was their Father. This is also true of all holy-people today.

Grace is what is freely bestowed without any merit on the recipient's part; it includes reference to the attitude and quality of the one giving something favorable to another. Grace is not bestowed because somebody deserves a wage that is owed for something they said or did, nor because they begged so hard, nor because they forced the giver to give! Grace is bestowed because the giver wants to give by his own freedom of will to the recipient - it is completely unmerited favor from the giver to the recipient.

Here in Second Corinthians 8:1, Paul writes: we (myself and those with me) make personally known to you Corinthian and Achaian holy-people, brothers, the grace of God (God's grace) which has been given and is still given in the churches of Macedonia (among the assemblies of people called out from other people because they belong to God, they are His children living in the area of Macedonia):

that during much proof of pressure (the churches of Macedonia having a lot of proof of compression or stress afflicting them, whatever was pressing-upon or squeezing them whether physical or mental or spiritual; this word “proof” dokime means: that-which has the quality and character of having already been tried, tested, and has been proven to be true, it is the evidence that proves it as fact and demands the mind to accept its validity)
- the excess of their joy (the abundance of their rejoicing, over and above the number or measure already attained by them of joy), and
- their poverty according to depth (a great measure or quantity of poorness, extreme poverty as crouching in the begging position in need of many things),
  - exceeded into the wealth of their singleness (abounded over and above these into the richness of their plainness, their straight-forwardness without any double-meanings, false motives or intentions, there was no duplicity in their minds regarding what they were doing).

Why? Because – I (Paul) bear witness (attest with the information that I personally have about these people and therefore I state with authority) that:

self-choosingly (by their own volition, free will, they made their own decision, they took their choice, separating what they chose to do off from anyone's control; they made up their own minds – nobody forced them to do what they are doing)
- in accordance with ability (their able-power, capability) and
- against ability (alongside, beside or beyond their able-power, capability)
with a lot of encouragement (exhortation, as calling us beside them like a concerned father or mother would invite their children close to them under their arms so as to help them to do what is right),

…they were at that time supplicating us (expressing their lack of something specific and their need of help from us, communicating their needful-request to us, which was) to allow them to help with…

the grace (what is freely bestowed without any merit on the recipient's part) and
the sharing-in-common (partaking of/in/with the same-thing, the participation with one-another of what is common to all, the communion)

…of the ministry into the holy-people. The ministry into the holy-people is the duty of service to benefit other holy-people, not 'being-subject' to them but doing work to bring profit to them, the day-by-day ministerial-duties, the functions of service for God and the Lord Jesus Christ directed to other Christians.

The grace that these Macedonian holy-people wanted to help with was to freely bestow material/physical things to other holy-people. The sharing-in-common of the ministry into the holy-people was not a sharing whereby the giver of what is shared is cut-off from that-which is shared as soon as he gives it, and then the recipient has it all – but, sharing-in-common is whereby the giver and the recipient share the same thing, even though the giver actually gives from what he has available to himself to give to the recipient.

This occurred, not according as Paul and those with him had expected to come to pass at some future time-period, but on the contrary, it happened because the Macedonian holy-people firstly (first in place or sequence) gave themselves to God. Some Greek texts have the word “Lord” here instead of “God”.

The Macedonian holy-people did what? They firstly willingly presented themselves, their whole beings, everything they were, to God in the service category. They recognized that God is number one, not themselves, nor was Paul nor any of those in company with him to be thought of as being in first place. God was to Whom they gave themselves first. After that they gave themselves to Paul and those with him – how? By means of the intention of God (through God's will). It was God's will (His active volition and desire) that they would give themselves to Paul and those with him.

Firstly they gave themselves to God in the service category and then they found out what the will of God was, which was that they ought to give themselves to Paul and those with him. This truly is the correct way that Christians ought to live: firstly give ourselves to our Father Who is the only true God, and we find out what God's will is regarding giving ourselves (which includes our things, our abilities, our time, etc) to others. There is not to be a certain dogma of activity which someone or some committee decides as to how everybody else ought to do it, as though it must be done in such-and-such a way, or that they ought to give to such-and-such a person or organization, or to keep everything for themselves, or to give everything they have away so they are left with nothing!

Paul writes that the Macedonian holy-people: …firstly give themselves to God, and to myself and those with me by means of the intention of God with a view that we would encourage Titus (exhort him) for the purpose and result that, according as he has already started within the grace of giving into you, in this manner also he would fully complete this grace also into you (he would bring this grace from the Macedonian holy-people to its ultimate ending-issue, which is to give it to you).

At the time when Titus would bring this second letter which Paul was writing to the Corinthian and Achaian holy-people, he would also bring with him what the Macedonian holy-people gave to Paul and those with him to be given to those in Corinth and Achaia. What a wonderful example the Macedonian Christians were to all: God first, then hear what He says, believe what He says, and then do what He says! This explains to us why Paul wrote “the grace of God” in verse 1 above – this grace originated from God and was carried out by the Macedonian holy-people towards the Corinthians and Achaian holy-people via Paul and Titus. Second Corinthians chapter 9 also explains this.

[Reference: Acts 2:44 and 45, 4:32-37, 11:29 and 30; Romans 12:7, 8, 13, and 15:26-28; I Corinthians 16:1-4; Hebrews 13:16.]

Verses 7-9:

^.7but wholly-as you exceed in everything: belief and word and knowledge and all earnest-diligence and the love¹ from you in us, (we encourage) in order that also you may exceed in this grace; ^.8I do not say (this) according to a command but even proving the genuineness of your love¹ by means of the earnest-diligence of different-people – ^.9for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that (it was) because-of you he became-poor (while he was) being wealthy in order that you may become-wealthy with that-one's poverty;

Contrary to the Macedonian grace given into you by way of Titus, wholly as you abound over and above the number or measure that you have already attained within the sphere of action of all/every thing, such as:

belief (faith, trust relative-to God and the things of God), and
word (the spoken-account of the inner-thoughts of God which you have been taught by myself and others), and
knowledge (personal knowledge, a truly active and relative knowing of God and the things of God), and
all earnest-diligence (every speedy application or performance, all assiduity relative-to God and the things of God), and
the love¹ from you in us (God’s kind of love being manifested out-from you among myself and those with me),…

…we encourage you for the purpose and result that you would also abound within the sphere of action of this grace (the grace written about in verses 1-6 above).

I (Paul) do not lay what I am writing here out before you in accordance with a command (what is commanded by God Who is the supreme authority, an authoritative arrangement, what He put in order upon or over people and therefore must be obeyed). But contrary to a specific command, emphatically I am proving (putting to test, examining so as to approve or disapprove) the genuineness of your love¹ (the legitimacy, usually spoken of children, genetics, I am proving how genuine the love being manifested by you is, emphasis on the word “you”) by means of the earnest-diligence of other holy-people (through the speedy application or performance, the assiduity of the Macedonian Christians).

The word "love¹" or the verb "to love¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love. To love with His love means to love the same way as God loves, to manifest God's love towards another, whether it is towards God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, yourself, your Christian neighbor, or towards anyone else. God tells His children today (all who have the spirit of Christ within us) how to Godly-love by means of His previously-revealed written Word and also via our holy spirit-life whereby we receive information from Him regarding how to love in different specific situations. It is the carrying out of God's commandments, His Word, which is the correct usage or way to manifest God's kind of love according to His will (refer to I Corinthians chapter 13 and I John 5:1-3). It is not the same as the brotherly or friendly kind of love, nor is it the same as the emotional/feelings/sexual kind of love.

Paul continues: you personally know (you have a truly active and relative knowing of) the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (what he freely gave), which is that – it was on account of you (you who have received the grace) that he became poor (he was not previously poor but he became that way) during the time of his being wealthy (while he was being in the state of richness). Why did he voluntarily do that? For the purpose and result that you would have the availability to become wealthy (rich, you were not previously rich but you could become rich) with/by his poverty (that person’s state of poorness, nobody else).

The state of poorness that Jesus became was evidenced in his being crucified and dying and being buried for 72 hours. Then God raised him up from among the rest of the dead-people and gave him a spiritual body. It is because of all that the Lord Jesus Christ has done that we holy-people are wealthy having received the holy spirit of the new covenant, the richness of the spirit of Christ in us. We have and will receive all that is and will be made available because of having received that gift. Included in this is the truth that we will also receive spiritual bodies at a future time.

Jesus Christ was wealthy in every category when he began his ministry. In the financial sense he had already received a lot of money which was given to him in the form of gold and frankincense and myrrh when he was about one year and three months old:

Matthew 2:11:

^.11and having gone into the house they [wise men who understood astronomy relative-to God's Word] saw the young-child with Mary his mother, and having fallen they worshipped him, and having opened their treasures they offered to him free-gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh;

As Jesus Christ grew up he did not lack money for food or for cloths to wear or for his education, etc. He was also genetically/physically strong and had a very high IQ:

Luke 2:40, 46, 47:

And the child [Jesus] grew, and waxed strong…filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

And it came to pass, that after three days they found him [Jesus at 12 years old] in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

Jesus Christ also had the fullness of holy spirit that God was able to give him during that time-period at the beginning of his ministry:

Matthew 3:16 and 17:

^.16But Jesus having been baptized ascended immediately from the water, ^.17and look!, the heavens were opened and he saw the spirit of God descending as-though a dove coming on him, and look!, a sound out-from the heavens saying, "This is My son, the loved¹ (son) in whom I consider-it-good."

Luke 4:1:

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost [holy spirit] returned from Jordan...

As he carried out the work that God asked him to do in order to redeem mankind from the fall of Adam with its consequences affecting mankind's spiritual, mental and physical make-up, Jesus gave his whole being, everything he was and everything he had, to the end that mankind would be redeemed, saved from sins and their consequences, by making it available to receive holy spirit-life from God on a permanent basis, etc.

[Reference: Philippians 2:5-11, and 4:3; I Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4.]

Returning to Second Corinthians, Paul continues:

II Corinthians 8:10-15:

^.10and I give (you) a knowing in this, for this contributes to you the-people-who not only began-in (this) beforehand to do but also to intend from (the) past-year, ^.11but now you must fully-complete also to do (it) so-that fully-as the eagerness to intend thus also to fully-complete (it) from the (thing which you) have, ^.12for if the eagerness lies-before (a person's mind) according to that-which if-ever he may have (it is) well-accepted, not according to that-which he does not have, ^.13for (it is) not in order that relief (is given) to other-people (and) pressure (is given) to you but (it is) from equality: ^.14in the present time your excess (is) into those-people's lack in order that also those-people's excess (is) into your lack so-that there may become equality ^.15according as it was written², "The (person who has) much did not become more-and-more, and the (person who has) little did not become-less."

A “knowing” means: personal knowledge which was made-known to his mind and thereby forming the knowing itself, his mind's knowledge regarding this specific subject. What Paul is writing here is the combination of the result of his personal knowledge known in his mind which he has received from God and/or the Lord Jesus Christ, plus his knowledge of the previously revealed written Word of God, plus his knowledge of how these Corinthian and Achaian holy-people ought to behave themselves during the everyday living of their lives in accordance with God's will regarding this topic.

He also says that this contributes to them. The verb “contribute” means: to bring-together with the other parts to make one whole-unit, a unifying collection. This confers help and benefit to them. This is conducive to their well-being.

I give you a knowing in this, for this contributes to you - you who are the people who since last year not alone began to do this previously (already started to perform it), but also you had the intention (the will, active volition and desire) to carry this out. However, emphatically at the present time you must fully-complete also to do it (you should bring this to its ultimate ending-issue) in such a manner that – fully-as you have the eagerness to intend (the readiness, the willing-enthusiasm, alacrity of a willing-mind beforehand to will to do this) in this manner also you must have the eagerness to bring it to its ultimate ending-issue out-from what you presently have (from the means that you have available to you at this time). Paul knew that they had the means and the willingness for a year now to carry-out this grace, like the Macedonians had done, but he had not seen them fulfill it yet.

Paul explains: if the eagerness lies-before (is laid before, set in front of) a person's mind in accordance with what ever he may have (hold in his possession) then it is well-accepted (favorably received, welcomed by God), but the eagerness must not be in accordance with what he does not presently have. Why? In truth, the purpose and result of doing this is NOT that relief (a loosening or relaxation) is given to other people and at the same time pressure (compression or stress that afflicts, whatever may press-upon or squeeze whether it be physical or mental or spiritual) is given to you who gave to them – but on the contrary – it is out-from equality (originating from the state of being equal, of the same proportion, equity) among all of us holy-people during the everyday living of our lives as we await the coming of Christ to gather us all together with him.

How does this equality work? During the present time-period (now, the current occasion, specific season) your excess (your abundance, what you have over and above) is given directed-to those people's lack (what is wanting, deficient, falls-sort, what is behind others in a certain area in the physical category) – for the purpose and result that also those people's excess in a certain area at some time is given directed-to your lack in that area at that time – in such a manner that equality (the state of being equal, of the same proportion, equity) would come to pass.

This equality among Christians must be in accordance with what has been written as part of the old covenant writings: the person who has a lot did not become more-and-more (did not get more than he needed, the amount does not increase in quantity above what he needs to live with and for God), and the person who has little (the opposite of 'much') did not become-less (did not get a lesser portion than he needed, the amount has not decreased in quantity below what he needs to live with and for God).

This is a reference to Exodus 16:18 which pertains to that time when God gave the children of Israel bread to eat in the desert.

Exodus 16:11-18:

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God.

And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.

This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

The men gathered different amounts, some more and some less than others, but every man gathered according to his eating, which includes his taking care of his family also who lived with him in his tent. All the men, women and children did not need to eat exactly the same amount, but everyone ate what they needed to eat in order to live healthily. Similarly, all holy-people do not need to have exactly the same amount of the same things as everyone else, but all of us ought to have what we need to have in order to live healthily with and for God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, and so we ought to help one-another in the physical category according to God's will.

[Reference: I Corinthians 16:17.]

II Corinthians 8:16-22:

^.16But thanks to God, the (One) having given the same earnest-diligence on your behalf in the heart of Titus, ^.17because indeed he accepted the encouragement, and being-from-the-beginning more-earnestly-diligent he went-out self-choosingly towards you, ^.18but we sent-together with him the brother of whom (is) the praise in the good-message by means of all the churches ^.19and not only (this) but also having been chosen-by-hand by the churches (to be) a traveler-together with us together with this grace, the (grace) being ministered by us towards the glory of the Lord and the eagerness of us, ^.20(and we are) sending this: let not someone blemish us in this ripe-abundance, the (ripe-abundance) being ministered by us, ^.21for we have-in-our-mind-beforehand beautiful-things not only before God but also before men, ^.22and we sent-together our brother with them, (our brother) whom we proved often being earnestly-diligent in many-things but now more-earnestly-diligent with much persuasion, the (persuasion) into you;

Thanks to God. This word "thanks" in the Greek is the same word as the word "grace," and here it is used for the expression made by the freedom of will of the recipient expressing his gratitude to the giver of the grace given-to and received-by him.

Paul writes: thanks to God Who is the One Who has given the same earnest-diligence (speedy application or performance, assiduity) in the interest of you within the heart of Titus (the center or core of his being), because emphatically he accepted (welcomed, willingly took or received to himself what was presented to him, which was) the encouragement (exhortation, see verses 4 and 6 above), and from the start he was comparatively more earnestly diligent and went out self-choosingly from where he was towards you (Titus made his own decision choosing to do this; refer to verse 3 above).

We (myself and those with me) sent the brother (brother in the holy spirit category) in conjunction with Titus to accompany him. It is pertaining to this brother that there is praise (applause) within the sphere of action of the good-message (gospel, evangel) through all the assemblies of holy-people called-out from other people. And not this alone, but this brother has been chosen by hand by the churches (appointed by hand, voted by the people in the churches) to be a joint traveler (a person residing away from his own people, from his home, a traveling companion) in conjunction with myself and those with me together with this grace, emphatically and specifically the grace that is being ministered by us (it is being served by us to benefit you, to bring you profit, we are the instrumental, efficient agents in the ministry, as verse 4 above, serving you this grace)…

towards the glory of the Lord (for the purpose of showing forth the manifested importance, splendor, and renown pertaining-to and proceeding-from the Lord; the word "Lord" emphasizes the lordship, mastership of our Lord Jesus Christ) and
towards the eagerness of us (for the purpose of showing forth our readiness, the alacrity of a willing-mind beforehand, the willing-enthusiasm pertaining-to and proceeding-from us to carry-out this ministering).

We are sending this (myself and those with me are setting the following in an ordered, arranged motion): someone ought not blemish us (nobody should find a fault in us saying that there is some defect as a spot or damage) within the sphere of action of this ripe-abundance, emphatically and specifically the ripe abundance (the fully-grown, developed, mature, fat or rich giving, the bountiful-thing) that is being ministered by us (refer to verses 4 and 19 above).

In truth, we already have beautiful-things in our mind-set (we are mindful and make provision ahead of time for the things that evidence beauty, things that have a manifested decorous, harmonious and acceptable goodness) – not alone in God’s sight, in His presence, but also in the sight or presence of men (all of mankind).

Paul and those with him were doing everything aboveboard.

In addition, we sent our brother (brother in the holy spirit category) in conjunction with them, our brother whom we proved (by testing, examining and thus we approved) many times being earnestly-diligent (having speedy application or performance, assiduity) in many things, and emphatically at the present time he is being comparatively more earnestly-diligent (as verse 17 above) with persuasion (conviction, confidence, certainty and reliance), emphatically and specifically the persuasion into, directed-to, into you.

[Reference: Acts 14:23; Romans 12:17; II Corinthians 3:18.]

Verse 23:

^.23whether on behalf of Titus, (he is) my sharer-in-common and worker-together into you, or our brothers, (they are) apostles of (the) churches, (the) glory of Christ,

If someone were to ask who Titus and the others who traveled together with him were, Paul is giving them the answer so that there may be no wrong information or confusion regarding them.

He writes: whether in the interests of Titus, he is my (emphatically “my”) sharer in common (my partaker of/with/in the same thing, a sharer, participant, partner sharing what is common to both of us) and worker together (my co-worker, joint worker, he expends energy to effectively work in conjunction with me) into, directed-to, regarding you.

Or whether someone asks about our brothers (those who also have received the gift of holy spirit and are traveling with Titus to you in Corinth), they are…

apostles of the churches (holy-people sent-forth, sent-away on a specific mission or assignment),
the glory of Christ (Christ’s glory, the manifested importance, splendor, and renown pertaining-to and proceeding-from Christ; the word "Christ" emphasizes the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Anointed-one, the Messiah, he has been resurrected; the glory of Christ is manifested as these apostles carry-out this assignment).

[Reference: Romans 16:7; I Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:8-11; Philippians 2:25.]

Verse 24:

^.24therefore you must point-out-from-within-yourselves the pointing-out of your love¹ and of our boasting on your behalf into them into (the) face of the churches.

Logically following-on from what I have just written, you must point out (indicate as though with the finger, display) from within yourselves the indication (the pointer, display) of the Godly-love that you evidence and of our boasting on behalf of you (the reason we have to boast, the action of speaking justifiably loudly in your interests) into or directed-to Titus and those traveling with him, and so this is also directed-to the face of the churches (before the eyes of the holy-people in the assemblies).

[Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]

II Corinthians Chapter 9