Paul closes his appeal to stir the believers at Corinth to give for the poor saints at Jerusalem by giving thanks for God's gift too great for words. That gift is Jesus Christ, God's only-begotten Son, in whom divinity was clothed with humanity to live and suffer and die to bridge the gulf between heaven and earth. In giving Him God poured out all the treasures and redeeming power of heaven, so that every other blessing and gift comes through Him. It teaches that as God has so given, each person should give as purposed in the heart, not grudgingly but cheerfully and bountifully, trusting God to supply all sufficiency and multiply the fruits of righteousness. Recognition of such love is the ground and motive for heartfelt gratitude that denies self, relieves the poor, and devotes every ability to make Christ known to others.
Corinthian Appeal Setting
The verse closes Paul's appeal to the brethren at Corinth to kindle their zeal and stir them to make a contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem, holding up the example of the churches of Macedonia to inspire benevolent action. It belongs to teaching on giving that calls believers to emulate the liberal spirit of the Macedonians and give to support the work in fields needing help. That grace of generous giving means liberality comes from the Holy Spirit and giving is part of working with God, after the pattern of the Macedonian churches who gave joyfully despite poverty and first gave themselves to the Lord, a generosity linked to Christ's self-giving.
Chapters 8 and 9 together give lessons and examples of giving that must be studied, heeded, and kept ever before believers and workers. They are to be read for personal benefit over and over again, diligently and prayerfully, until understood and practiced, leading to giving oneself to the Lord to be guided and controlled by His Holy Spirit. The chapter teaches sowing beside all waters by continual imparting of the gifts received from God, needing the light of heaven in the heart and the grace of God constantly imparted in order to abound in every good work. That means giving to the poor and ministering the truths of the gospel in word and deed in the simplicity of Christ, every man giving as purposed in the heart not grudgingly or of necessity because God loves a cheerful giver, while God makes all grace abound to give all sufficiency in all things and enriches in every good work as truth is talked and prayed. Its lessons are to be taught simply and lovingly to children that they may learn how to become members of the royal family and children of the heavenly King.
Its teaching means the hardness of the Southern field is no excuse for doing scarcely anything for it, and neglect of work for that needy field displeases the Lord. The entire profits of books raised for that destitute field should be used there, for diverting means the churches were told to use for bettering the Southern field to more favored fields is deception and increased neglect that must be met in the judgment. Restitution must be made of diverted means by doing more than beginning where work should have begun years ago, for God originated the design, supplied the facilities from His treasury, and will reward according to neglect of His purposes and specified methods. The same instruction shows how to assist God's work by each believer doing something to fill the gap, coming to the help of the Lord by giving to lift debt from struggling institutions in Scandinavia so they can stand in freedom.
The passage from 9:10-15 shows that God gives people their abilities and brings success to the work, so no worker can claim the glory because the increase belongs to God alone. Therefore ministers should share the preaching and labor rather than leaving one person to carry the whole burden.
Unspeakable Gift Described
The word unspeakable means beyond words to express, immeasurable, indescribable, incomparable, infinite, and too great to describe. In giving this one great gift God poured out what is infinite and beyond measure, so great that it cannot be fully expressed in words.
The gift is Jesus Christ, God's only-begotten Son and greatest gift, Immanuel meaning God with us, through whom every other gift and blessing comes. Through Christ come every blessing and the daily unfailing flow of God's goodness, including the beauty of creation and every article of food that sustains life bearing His superscription. His death nailed to the cross is what causes all these bounties to flow to fallen humanity. The redeemed will praise God for this gift through endless ages, when God dwells with His people and the ransomed earth is exalted as the setting of everlasting praise for God's presence with humanity.
In giving Christ, God laid aside royal robe and kingly crown to clothe divinity with humanity, took human nature and lived, suffered, and died nailed to the cross, becoming poor so humanity through His poverty might become rich. By this He bridged the gulf between heaven and earth as Mediator and Intercessor, placing the human race on vantage ground. Because He took humanity's nature and lived, suffered, and died, sinners may be justified by His righteousness and receive His life, made free from slavery under Satan and bound to God in unbreakable union.
In that one gift God poured out all heaven's treasures with all redeeming power and all grace and riches in Him, to which the three powers of the Godhead pledged their might to fulfill God's purpose. The gift is also the grace of God manifested in the gospel of Christ, whose riches when beheld draw forth thanks to God. It is the things prepared for those who love Him which eye has not seen nor ear heard nor heart imagined. In one setting the gift is understood as God's timely provision through a donation that answered earnest prayer and made it possible to begin building a house of worship.
Generous Giving Explained
The verse closes the teaching that the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly and the one who sows bountifully will reap bountifully, so every person is to do his best and give as purposed in the heart, cheerfully and willingly and not grudgingly or of necessity, because God loves a cheerful giver. Faithful stewards handling the Lord's money are strengthened day by day to understand His will and to be faithful in least and in great, revealing gratitude and reflecting His benevolence in praise and deeds of mercy when they act as Christ would act. Such giving is to be done in faith and self-denial shown by good works in daily life under rich promises to those who so reveal the virtue and power of faith, that they shall reap bountifully, and it calls for sowing beside all waters by continual imparting of gifts received, with the light of heaven in the heart and the grace of God constantly imparted in word and deed in the simplicity of Christ.
To such givers God is able to make all grace abound so as to give always all sufficiency in all things to abound to every good work. He ministers seed and bread, multiplies what is sown and increases the fruits of righteousness, and enriches in everything to bountifulness. That enrichment is liberal, purposeful and cheerful giving that sows bountifully and reaps bountifully as the ground and goal of thanksgiving to God for His unspeakable gift.
That bountifulness is a ministration that supplies the wants of the saints and is abundant by many thanksgivings to God. Those helped are led to glorify God for subjection to the gospel of Christ and for liberal distribution to them and to all, and to pray with longing affection and fellowship for the exceeding grace seen in the givers. The ministry therefore not only meets need but overflows in thanksgiving, obedience to the gospel, and liberal sharing.
Such giving reflects the grace and generosity already received, supplies the needs of fellow believers and of poor churches, and leads to thanksgiving and praise to God. It deepens love to God, strengthens the bonds of brotherhood by equal interest in every part of the work and readiness to help wherever help is needed, and closes the door to selfish ambition, jealousy and indifference. It is connected with Christ, who became poor for humanity's sake, and with the grace that enriches people so they can do good and share with others, the gift being the reason for gratitude to God.
Relieving the poor and oppressed with kindness and love awakens thanks and praise in needy hearts that flows back to God, with angels joining the songs of praise from human lips that glorify God for subjection to the gospel and for liberal distribution. Generous service to people in need supplies their needs and leads many to give thanks to God. True liberality also requires representing the character of Christ by giving personal attention and help to suffering brethren, relieving suffering and breaking every yoke of oppression that comes under notice, since zeal for the cause never justifies neglecting real need.
Blessings Flowing Through Christ
Through Christ comes every blessing in a daily unfailing flow of goodness, including all spiritual and temporal advantages. Every flower with its delicate tints and sweet fragrance is given for enjoyment through Him, the sun and moon and every star that beautifies the heavens were made by Him, and every article of food that sustains life is provided by Him and bears His superscription. He bridged the gulf between heaven and earth and as Mediator and Intercessor placed the human race on vantage ground. Accepting Jesus means accepting both the advantages entitled by the Word of God and suffering and humiliation, realizing that all we have and are is the Lord's, living accountable to God and dependent on Him, and cooperating with Him by liberality and self-denial and self-sacrifice so that rich blessings flow upon God's people.
He was nailed to the cross so these bounties could flow to fallen humanity. The gifts of creation and nature are tokens of His love toward fallen humanity and His efforts to draw people to Him. The gift of Christ is greater still, for it provides what is needed to develop character after Christ's pattern.
Because He took human nature and lived, suffered, and died for humanity, sinners may be justified by His righteousness and receive His life. Through Him humanity is bound to God in an unbreakable union. Knowing the gift means receiving knowledge of salvation through forgiveness of sins, and recognizing His mercy as light for those in darkness, guidance into peace, and living water for perishing souls. In Him souls are made free from slavery under Satan and stand under His bloodstained banner, giving cause for gratitude in the work of taking souls from Satan despite his opposition to every effort to rescue them. All redeeming power and all the grace and riches of heaven are in Him, and believers are to appreciate the gift and draw upon its redeeming power so faulty character is changed and develops in symmetry and abundant fruitfulness, revealing through words, actions, and spirit the riches and glory of the gift and testifying that redeeming grace works, and gratefully making its preciousness known to others so they too may seek and receive it.
The redeemed will praise God for this gift through endless ages. The gift is God's presence with humanity through Christ, who lived and suffered on earth, and when all things are made new, God will dwell with His people. The earth, ransomed and exalted, will be the setting of this everlasting praise for God's presence with humanity.
Thankful Generosity Applied
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift is the ground and reason and motive for gratitude and self-denying generosity. When the Spirit leads to recognize the needs of the work, self is denied and offerings are given to support the message. This thanksgiving belongs with liberal giving even in deep poverty and hard times and scarcity, when money is scarce and none can do large things. Every soul is then to practice self-denial in order to be able to give, not grudgingly or of necessity but cheerfully and willingly with grateful cheer for that gift.
Even those with large families and dependence on daily labor are to give beyond apparent power, whether one pound or five pounds or twenty pounds, toward erecting a meetinghouse where believers can worship. Such willing service is received as obedience to God. It softens the hearts of believers and unbelievers and lets light shine to those still in decision. Working seriously now in the sowing time lays up treasure in heaven beforehand.
Thanksgiving means acknowledging God as the Giver to whom account must be given. As property increases, tithes and offerings are to be brought to His treasury, making His entrusted means a blessing to the needy. Gifts are to be imparted continually in word and deed in the simplicity of Christ, every one giving as purposed in the heart, with heaven's light in the heart and grace constantly imparted to abound in every good work. The will is brought into conformity to God's will by watchful, wise investment and expenditure with an eye single to His glory, refusing the world with its habits, practices, and customs as the standard, refusing personal inclination to extravagance, and conforming to Christian principles so means are of greatest benefit and usefulness to others.
Christ reveals Himself to believers so they may reveal Him to others, for the church is the channel through which the world can see the goodness and holiness of divine truth. The gift is so rich in glory that it is to be presented by showing Christ's wonderful love, not merely by repeating doctrines. That revelation of boundless mercy and grace melts and subdues hearts and leads people to desire its blessings. God's love in giving His only-begotten Son for the world calls for heartfelt gratitude and willingness to devote every ability and talent to representing Christ. Thinking of that love and goodness, in which all heaven's treasures were poured out in one great infinite gift beyond measure, fills with gratitude, refines and ennobles, and drives selfishness from the heart. It leads to asking for kindness and compassion, to speaking of His love and power, to joining heaven's work of love in helping save others, and to gratefully making known the preciousness of salvation through forgiveness of sins as light for those in darkness, guidance into peace, and living water for perishing souls, so they too may seek and receive it.
Christ is the Messiah promised in the prophecies, given to every person who chooses to accept Him as a personal Saviour. Understanding those prophecies fills the heart with gratitude for the gift. Its lessons are to be read over and over diligently and prayerfully until understood and practiced, leading to giving self to the Lord to be guided and controlled by His Spirit. They are to be taught simply and lovingly to children, that they may learn how to become members of the royal family and children of the heavenly King.
Paul closes his appeal to stir the believers at Corinth to give for the poor saints at Jerusalem by giving thanks for God's gift too great for words. That gift is Jesus Christ, God's only-begotten Son, in whom divinity was clothed with humanity to live and suffer and die to bridge the gulf between heaven and earth. In giving Him God poured out all the treasures and redeeming power of heaven, so that every other blessing and gift comes through Him. It teaches that as God has so given, each person should give as purposed in the heart, not grudgingly but cheerfully and bountifully, trusting God to supply all sufficiency and multiply the fruits of righteousness. Recognition of such love is the ground and motive for heartfelt gratitude that denies self, relieves the poor, and devotes every ability to make Christ known to others.
Corinthian Appeal Setting
The verse closes Paul's appeal to the brethren at Corinth to kindle their zeal and stir them to make a contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem, holding up the example of the churches of Macedonia to inspire benevolent action. It belongs to teaching on giving that calls believers to emulate the liberal spirit of the Macedonians and give to support the work in fields needing help. That grace of generous giving means liberality comes from the Holy Spirit and giving is part of working with God, after the pattern of the Macedonian churches who gave joyfully despite poverty and first gave themselves to the Lord, a generosity linked to Christ's self-giving.
Chapters 8 and 9 together give lessons and examples of giving that must be studied, heeded, and kept ever before believers and workers. They are to be read for personal benefit over and over again, diligently and prayerfully, until understood and practiced, leading to giving oneself to the Lord to be guided and controlled by His Holy Spirit. The chapter teaches sowing beside all waters by continual imparting of the gifts received from God, needing the light of heaven in the heart and the grace of God constantly imparted in order to abound in every good work. That means giving to the poor and ministering the truths of the gospel in word and deed in the simplicity of Christ, every man giving as purposed in the heart not grudgingly or of necessity because God loves a cheerful giver, while God makes all grace abound to give all sufficiency in all things and enriches in every good work as truth is talked and prayed. Its lessons are to be taught simply and lovingly to children that they may learn how to become members of the royal family and children of the heavenly King.
Its teaching means the hardness of the Southern field is no excuse for doing scarcely anything for it, and neglect of work for that needy field displeases the Lord. The entire profits of books raised for that destitute field should be used there, for diverting means the churches were told to use for bettering the Southern field to more favored fields is deception and increased neglect that must be met in the judgment. Restitution must be made of diverted means by doing more than beginning where work should have begun years ago, for God originated the design, supplied the facilities from His treasury, and will reward according to neglect of His purposes and specified methods. The same instruction shows how to assist God's work by each believer doing something to fill the gap, coming to the help of the Lord by giving to lift debt from struggling institutions in Scandinavia so they can stand in freedom.
The passage from 9:10-15 shows that God gives people their abilities and brings success to the work, so no worker can claim the glory because the increase belongs to God alone. Therefore ministers should share the preaching and labor rather than leaving one person to carry the whole burden.
Unspeakable Gift Described
The word unspeakable means beyond words to express, immeasurable, indescribable, incomparable, infinite, and too great to describe. In giving this one great gift God poured out what is infinite and beyond measure, so great that it cannot be fully expressed in words.
The gift is Jesus Christ, God's only-begotten Son and greatest gift, Immanuel meaning God with us, through whom every other gift and blessing comes. Through Christ come every blessing and the daily unfailing flow of God's goodness, including the beauty of creation and every article of food that sustains life bearing His superscription. His death nailed to the cross is what causes all these bounties to flow to fallen humanity. The redeemed will praise God for this gift through endless ages, when God dwells with His people and the ransomed earth is exalted as the setting of everlasting praise for God's presence with humanity.
In giving Christ, God laid aside royal robe and kingly crown to clothe divinity with humanity, took human nature and lived, suffered, and died nailed to the cross, becoming poor so humanity through His poverty might become rich. By this He bridged the gulf between heaven and earth as Mediator and Intercessor, placing the human race on vantage ground. Because He took humanity's nature and lived, suffered, and died, sinners may be justified by His righteousness and receive His life, made free from slavery under Satan and bound to God in unbreakable union.
In that one gift God poured out all heaven's treasures with all redeeming power and all grace and riches in Him, to which the three powers of the Godhead pledged their might to fulfill God's purpose. The gift is also the grace of God manifested in the gospel of Christ, whose riches when beheld draw forth thanks to God. It is the things prepared for those who love Him which eye has not seen nor ear heard nor heart imagined. In one setting the gift is understood as God's timely provision through a donation that answered earnest prayer and made it possible to begin building a house of worship.
Generous Giving Explained
The verse closes the teaching that the one who sows sparingly will reap sparingly and the one who sows bountifully will reap bountifully, so every person is to do his best and give as purposed in the heart, cheerfully and willingly and not grudgingly or of necessity, because God loves a cheerful giver. Faithful stewards handling the Lord's money are strengthened day by day to understand His will and to be faithful in least and in great, revealing gratitude and reflecting His benevolence in praise and deeds of mercy when they act as Christ would act. Such giving is to be done in faith and self-denial shown by good works in daily life under rich promises to those who so reveal the virtue and power of faith, that they shall reap bountifully, and it calls for sowing beside all waters by continual imparting of gifts received, with the light of heaven in the heart and the grace of God constantly imparted in word and deed in the simplicity of Christ.
To such givers God is able to make all grace abound so as to give always all sufficiency in all things to abound to every good work. He ministers seed and bread, multiplies what is sown and increases the fruits of righteousness, and enriches in everything to bountifulness. That enrichment is liberal, purposeful and cheerful giving that sows bountifully and reaps bountifully as the ground and goal of thanksgiving to God for His unspeakable gift.
That bountifulness is a ministration that supplies the wants of the saints and is abundant by many thanksgivings to God. Those helped are led to glorify God for subjection to the gospel of Christ and for liberal distribution to them and to all, and to pray with longing affection and fellowship for the exceeding grace seen in the givers. The ministry therefore not only meets need but overflows in thanksgiving, obedience to the gospel, and liberal sharing.
Such giving reflects the grace and generosity already received, supplies the needs of fellow believers and of poor churches, and leads to thanksgiving and praise to God. It deepens love to God, strengthens the bonds of brotherhood by equal interest in every part of the work and readiness to help wherever help is needed, and closes the door to selfish ambition, jealousy and indifference. It is connected with Christ, who became poor for humanity's sake, and with the grace that enriches people so they can do good and share with others, the gift being the reason for gratitude to God.
Relieving the poor and oppressed with kindness and love awakens thanks and praise in needy hearts that flows back to God, with angels joining the songs of praise from human lips that glorify God for subjection to the gospel and for liberal distribution. Generous service to people in need supplies their needs and leads many to give thanks to God. True liberality also requires representing the character of Christ by giving personal attention and help to suffering brethren, relieving suffering and breaking every yoke of oppression that comes under notice, since zeal for the cause never justifies neglecting real need.
Blessings Flowing Through Christ
Through Christ comes every blessing in a daily unfailing flow of goodness, including all spiritual and temporal advantages. Every flower with its delicate tints and sweet fragrance is given for enjoyment through Him, the sun and moon and every star that beautifies the heavens were made by Him, and every article of food that sustains life is provided by Him and bears His superscription. He bridged the gulf between heaven and earth and as Mediator and Intercessor placed the human race on vantage ground. Accepting Jesus means accepting both the advantages entitled by the Word of God and suffering and humiliation, realizing that all we have and are is the Lord's, living accountable to God and dependent on Him, and cooperating with Him by liberality and self-denial and self-sacrifice so that rich blessings flow upon God's people.
He was nailed to the cross so these bounties could flow to fallen humanity. The gifts of creation and nature are tokens of His love toward fallen humanity and His efforts to draw people to Him. The gift of Christ is greater still, for it provides what is needed to develop character after Christ's pattern.
Because He took human nature and lived, suffered, and died for humanity, sinners may be justified by His righteousness and receive His life. Through Him humanity is bound to God in an unbreakable union. Knowing the gift means receiving knowledge of salvation through forgiveness of sins, and recognizing His mercy as light for those in darkness, guidance into peace, and living water for perishing souls. In Him souls are made free from slavery under Satan and stand under His bloodstained banner, giving cause for gratitude in the work of taking souls from Satan despite his opposition to every effort to rescue them. All redeeming power and all the grace and riches of heaven are in Him, and believers are to appreciate the gift and draw upon its redeeming power so faulty character is changed and develops in symmetry and abundant fruitfulness, revealing through words, actions, and spirit the riches and glory of the gift and testifying that redeeming grace works, and gratefully making its preciousness known to others so they too may seek and receive it.
The redeemed will praise God for this gift through endless ages. The gift is God's presence with humanity through Christ, who lived and suffered on earth, and when all things are made new, God will dwell with His people. The earth, ransomed and exalted, will be the setting of this everlasting praise for God's presence with humanity.
Thankful Generosity Applied
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift is the ground and reason and motive for gratitude and self-denying generosity. When the Spirit leads to recognize the needs of the work, self is denied and offerings are given to support the message. This thanksgiving belongs with liberal giving even in deep poverty and hard times and scarcity, when money is scarce and none can do large things. Every soul is then to practice self-denial in order to be able to give, not grudgingly or of necessity but cheerfully and willingly with grateful cheer for that gift.
Even those with large families and dependence on daily labor are to give beyond apparent power, whether one pound or five pounds or twenty pounds, toward erecting a meetinghouse where believers can worship. Such willing service is received as obedience to God. It softens the hearts of believers and unbelievers and lets light shine to those still in decision. Working seriously now in the sowing time lays up treasure in heaven beforehand.
Thanksgiving means acknowledging God as the Giver to whom account must be given. As property increases, tithes and offerings are to be brought to His treasury, making His entrusted means a blessing to the needy. Gifts are to be imparted continually in word and deed in the simplicity of Christ, every one giving as purposed in the heart, with heaven's light in the heart and grace constantly imparted to abound in every good work. The will is brought into conformity to God's will by watchful, wise investment and expenditure with an eye single to His glory, refusing the world with its habits, practices, and customs as the standard, refusing personal inclination to extravagance, and conforming to Christian principles so means are of greatest benefit and usefulness to others.
Christ reveals Himself to believers so they may reveal Him to others, for the church is the channel through which the world can see the goodness and holiness of divine truth. The gift is so rich in glory that it is to be presented by showing Christ's wonderful love, not merely by repeating doctrines. That revelation of boundless mercy and grace melts and subdues hearts and leads people to desire its blessings. God's love in giving His only-begotten Son for the world calls for heartfelt gratitude and willingness to devote every ability and talent to representing Christ. Thinking of that love and goodness, in which all heaven's treasures were poured out in one great infinite gift beyond measure, fills with gratitude, refines and ennobles, and drives selfishness from the heart. It leads to asking for kindness and compassion, to speaking of His love and power, to joining heaven's work of love in helping save others, and to gratefully making known the preciousness of salvation through forgiveness of sins as light for those in darkness, guidance into peace, and living water for perishing souls, so they too may seek and receive it.
Christ is the Messiah promised in the prophecies, given to every person who chooses to accept Him as a personal Saviour. Understanding those prophecies fills the heart with gratitude for the gift. Its lessons are to be read over and over diligently and prayerfully until understood and practiced, leading to giving self to the Lord to be guided and controlled by His Spirit. They are to be taught simply and lovingly to children, that they may learn how to become members of the royal family and children of the heavenly King.