קורינתים ב׳ 9

Second Corinthians 9 is a fundraising letter, and it is worth noticing how Paul raises funds. He does not describe the suffering in Jerusalem in detail or shame the Corinthians with the Macedonians' sacrifice, though he mentions both. He reminds them of what they themselves wanted to do a year earlier, sends people ahead so that the gift can be gathered without last-minute pressure, and then lays down principles that are as much about the giver's heart as about the recipient's need. Sow sparingly and you reap sparingly. Give what you have decided, not from regret or compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. Then the center of the chapter: God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having enough you can abound in every good work. Paul quotes a psalm about the righteous man who scatters gifts to the poor, and pictures God as the one who supplies both the seed and the bread, and multiplies the seed so that the sowing can continue. The result of giving, he says, is not primarily that needs are met, though they are, but that thanksgiving to God overflows and that believers who have never met pray for each other with affection. The chapter ends with the shortest and largest sentence about giving in the Bible: thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.