2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 8
Paul’s Tactful Appeal and Recommendation. 2 Cor. 8, 1–24.
A proof of their love for Christ: V.7. Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. V.8. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
The previous argument is here expanded and connected with one that is still more impressive: But rather that, as you excel in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and all diligence and the love from you to us, you excel also in this gift of grace.
All these gifts were found in rich measure among the Corinthians: Faith, not saving faith as much as that heroism of faith which is sometimes vouchsafed by God, 1 Cor. 12, 9; utterance, the ability to expound and apply the gospel message; knowledge of divine things, which should be used for the purpose of edification; all diligence and earnestness not to stand behind anyone else in the carrying out of God’s mill: love toward their teacher, of which he had had abundant proof.
It is a very skillful argument which Paul employs in enumerating all these excellencies, and then stating that they surely would not want to be found deficient in this one gift of Christian liberality.
And lest they feel offended even at this way of putting the matter, Paul hastens to add: Not by way of commandment I speak, but as testing through the diligence of others the genuineness of your love.
In the matter of Christian sanctification, Paul might have given definite instructions, 1 Cor. 14, 37. But he refrains from doing so in the instance of this collection, lest he spoil the joy of their voluntary giving.
Through the earnestness and zeal of others, that is, of the Macedonian congregations, he wanted to test their love. For he knew that the zeal of the Macedonians ought to stimulate the Corinthians to a similar display of ardor, and thus it should be proved whether their love was genuine. If they permitted poorer brethren to overshadow their efforts in the matter of this collection, it would be fairly well established that their love toward the apostle, and above all toward Christ, was not of the right kind.