Paul concluded his exhortation regarding the collection by reminding his readers of the benefits God inevitably bestows on those who give liberally. He did this so they would follow through with their purpose and believe that God would provide for the need that their sacrifice would create.
9:6 One of the great spiritual principles of life is that God blesses people in proportion to their blessing others (cf. Prov. 11:24-25; 19:17; 22:8-9; Luke 6:38; Gal. 6:7). Paul reminded his readers of this here by citing the example of the farmer. If he plants little, he harvests little; but if he plants much, he will harvest much. Giving to meet the needs of others is like sowing seed. It will yield fruit of the same kind in time.
"The important lesson which Paul is urging upon the Corinthians at this point is that to give is to sow. What is given is not lost, but, like the seed sown by the farmer, contrary to all appearances it possesses the potency of life and increase. At the same time it is important to remember that, as the whole context shows, the Apostle is speaking of the quality, not the quantity, of giving."237
Is a proper motive for giving to get something in return? Both Jesus and Paul urged us to lay up treasure in heaven, to make investments counting on the fact that they will yield eternal rewards (Luke 12:31-34; Matt. 6:19-21; 1 Tim. 6:18-19; cf. Prov. 19:17; Matt. 10:42; Luke 6:38). It is perfectly legitimate to remind people of the inevitable consequences of their actions to motivate them to do what is right, as Paul did here.
9:7 The example of the harvest suggests that the farmer has the freedom to plant as much or as little as he chooses (cf. Acts 11:29; 1 Cor. 16:2). We should give generously, freely, and deliberately. We should not give feeling that we hate to part with what we are giving. We should not give because we feel there is no alternative or because we think others will look down on us if we fail to give (cf. Acts 5:1-11). We should not give impulsively or thoughtlessly but with inward resolve. We should give cheerfully (Gr. hilaron), hilariously in the sense of very joyfully but not in the sense of thoughtlessly. Cheerful givers always receive God's loving approval.
"What makes a man a cheerful giver is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ."238
9:8 Such giving need not produce anxiety in the giver even if he or she is giving away much. God demonstrates His love for cheerful givers by giving them more grace and more opportunity. He also makes us contented (Gr. autarkeia), sufficient in that sense (cf. Phil. 4:11; 1 Tim. 6:6). However, we always need to remember that God is the One from whom everything we have comes.
Notice the "able"in this verse. This should not lead to the conclusion that God can, but He may not (cf. 12:9). The righteous person who desires to give to the needs of others will not lack opportunity to do so because God will make this possible for him or her.
9:9 Psalm 112:9 supports Paul's point that God will provide grace (divine enablement) to givers. In this psalm the psalmist described the God-fearing man distributing material goods to the poor. The words read like the epitaph of a philanthropist. Consequently God will remember his benevolent acts, Paul said. "Righteousness"(v. 9) probably refers to benevolent acts here too (cf. Matt. 6:1). These are acts of giving for which God will reward the sacrificial donor with permanent benefits in this life plus an eternal reward. God will multiply His grace to those who bestow grace on others.
9:10-11 Paul applied this promise to his readers, and we can apply it to ourselves. However notice that what God promised is seed for sowing, the opportunities and resources to make further investments of good works. He did not promise wealth for our own consumption.
Preachers of "prosperity theology"have used these verses to support their contention that God will inevitably give you more material goods if you give what you presently have to Him. (They usually urge their hearers to give to God through their ministries.) However notice that Paul was comparing what God does on the physical plane with what He does spiritually. The farmer who plants a crop gets back more seed than he sowed. Similarly, Paul argued, those who sow spiritually by giving sacrificially to others will receive more spiritual seed, namely divine enablement to help more people (vv. 8-9). Moreover God will not just supply more spiritual seed, but He will multiply it.
Generally what we give away is what we get back. That is the principle in view. However this is not a promise that we will inevitably get more wealth if we give away our wealth.239The opposite usually happens. "In everything"implies that God may give generous Christians more material resources that they can pass on to others. However, we should remember that the context is primarily dealing with righteousness that comes back to the person who sows righteous acts, not Rolls Royces and Rolex watches.240
"There is no hint here of a prosperity theology.' Enrichment, like overflowing' (v. 8), is metaphorical, and is not at all motivated by self-interest."241
Another result of the Corinthians' benefaction would be that the Jerusalem saints would thank God when the gift came to them through Paul and his associates.
9:12 Their gift would not only meet the needs of their Jewish brethren and cause them to thank God (v. 11b), but it would also cause many other people to thank God. Paul viewed the benefits of their gift as spilling over onto others who would also praise God for the Corinthians' generosity. The abundant grace that God has given us will overflow into the lives of many others too if we pass it on.
9:13 The Jerusalem believers and others who heard about the Corinthians' gift would glorify God because it demonstrated the vitality of the donors' faith (cf. James 2:14-26 for the alternative). News of the Corinthians' former conduct probably raised some questions about their faith among the Christians in the other churches. All who confess the gospel imply that they follow the teachings of Jesus and His apostles who taught us to love the brethren (Rom. 12:13; et al.). Another reason these onlookers would thank God was that the Corinthians had been sacrificially generous (Gr. haplotes) in their giving. Paul apparently believed that there would be more thanksgiving for the virtues of the Corinthians than for their gift.
9:14 Another benefit of this gift that Paul foresaw was that those who received it and heard about it would reciprocate by interceding for the Corinthians. Moreover they would long to see and be with the Corinthians because of the grace that God had given them. There is something attractive about people on whom the grace of God obviously rests.
9:15 The "indescribable gift"to which Paul referred in closing is probably Jesus Christ, the "divine gift which inspires all gifts."242It is probably not the gift God would give the Corinthians because they were generous toward the Judeans to which Paul referred in the immediately preceding context. Only Christ qualifies as an "indescribable"gift (cf. Rom. 8:32). Furthermore reference to Him is appropriate and climactic at the end of this section of the epistle. Paul went back to the primary motivation for Christian giving again (cf. 8:9) for his final appeal to his readers.
The Corinthians did follow through and assemble their gift. It was only a few months after Paul penned 2 Corinthians that he wrote Romans. In it he said that the Christians of Macedonia and Achaia (including Corinth) had made a contribution to the poor saints in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:26-27). Paul and his delegation then travelled back to Jerusalem from Corinth through Macedonia and Asia Minor (Acts 20:3-21:19). The leaders of the Jerusalem church evidently received the gift gladly (Acts 21:17).
