Paul cited the example of Jesus Christ's gift of Himself for needy humanity to motivate his readers further to finish their work of assembling the collection.
8:8 Paul wanted his readers to understand that he did not want them to take the following exhortation incorrectly. It was not an apostolic command since obedience to a command is an inferior motive for giving to others. Rather he hoped that the good example of others would motivate them. The others in view are the Macedonians, the Corinthians' themselves in their initial efforts, and Jesus Christ.
Notice that Paul claimed full apostolic authority (cf. 10:8; 13:10), which his critics challenged, but he chose not to use it. It is usually wiser and more effective to appeal for change by citing positive examples rather than by making authoritative demands.
8:9 The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the greatest example of self-sacrificing liberality. He gave up the riches of glory in heaven when He became a man and died on the cross so that we might share His riches of glory in heaven (cf. Phil. 2:1-11). Gratitude to Him for His condescending grace should be the supreme motive for Christian giving.
"Paul depicts the glory of heavenly existence as wealth, in comparison with which the lowliness of earthly existence amounts to poverty.' Thus it is not possible [i.e., proper], from this verse alone, to deduce that Christ's life on earth was one of indigence. In the context the stress is on his voluntary surrender of glory contrasted with the spiritual wealth derived by others (Eph. 1:3) through his gracious act of giving."228
Paul frequently used doctrine to appeal for proper conduct (cf. Rom. 15:2-3; Eph. 5:2; Col. 3:9-10).
The Macedonians gave when they were very poor, but Christ gave when He was immensely rich. The Corinthians fitted between these two extremes. These two examples leave no question that giving is a grace that both the rich and the poor should manifest.
8:10-11 Though he did not command his readers, Paul advised them strongly to complete their collection. They had, after all, both desired to begin a collection and had begun their collection before the Macedonian churches had taken either of those steps.
8:12 The standard by which God would judge their contribution would be how much they gave in relation to how much they had, not just how much they gave (cf. Mark 12:41-44). God does not expect us to give what we do not have. The apostle assumed their giving sprang from proper motivation.
"Paul's sentiment here is entirely in line with the OT prophets' teaching that the right attitude to Yahweh is more important than the sacrifice itself."229
8:13-14 The objective in view was not making the Judean Christians rich and the Corinthian Christians poor. It was that there should be more equality than presently existed. In the future the Corinthians might be in need of help from other Christians who had more than they did. Then it would be their turn to receive. Paul viewed Christians as being brothers and sisters in a large family. As such we have a responsibility to care for each other.
". . . the Scriptures avoid, on the one hand, the injustice and destructive evils of agrarian communism, by recognising [sic] the right of property and making all almsgiving optional; and on the other, the heartless disregard of the poor by inculcating the universal brotherhood of believers, and the consequent duty of each to contribute of his abundance to relieve the necessities of the poor. At the same time they inculcate on the poor the duty of self-support to the extent of their ability. They are commanded with quietness to work, and to eat their own bread.' Could these principles be carried out there would be among Christians neither idleness nor want."230
Some people see any financial demand placed upon them by church leaders, governmental leaders, or others as an evidence of discrimination. Their argument is that they should not have to give since others do not give as much as they are being asked to give. It was to this attitude that Paul responded in these verses. Again note that Paul did not legislate equality. He appealed for it.
8:15 Paul illustrated the fact that God wants all of His people to have enough by citing the Israelites' situation in the wilderness (Exod. 16:18). Some of the Israelites gathered more manna and some gathered less for various reasons. Nevertheless they all had their needs met. God saw to that, though the Old Testament does not explain exactly how He did it. Now the Corinthians needed to see to it that what God had provided them in abundance reached those who did not have enough. As they did this, they would become God's agents in maintaining sufficiency for all.
God has always wanted all His people to have enough and to share with their brethren who have less when they have more. We should implement this principle of relative equality in our giving. God's desire is the same today as it has been throughout history. This is clear from Paul's appeal to the past (v. 15). There are no easy answers to how we can affect this relative equality in our world with its gigantic population and complex socio-economic-political problems. Moreover God's will is not exactly the same for every Christian. Paul appealed implying that the Corinthians could decide what they wanted to do (vv. 10-12). Nevertheless our responsibility is clear.
