13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”[b]

verse 1



verse 6



verse 7



verse 9

Macedonia's situation

believers in less than ideal situation

motivated by God's grace

going thorugh a severe trial

yet filled with joy at the prospect of giving

desptie extreme poverty


Jerusalem church

First to God


Then to Paul's team

pleaded for the chance to
help

did the unexpected - gave
beyond what would be
normally understood,

probably because of their
unique circumstances and the
fresh sense of identification
with the Jeursalem church

usually the process includes giving based on what you are able to do, not on what someone else is able to do vs. 12

actually gave

as a result were a source of inspiration to others - in this case the Corinthians

as Jesus was

as the Lord was in providing the manna in Ex

Goal was to meet a genuine need vs. 14-15

that those in need at this point would be cared for

and would be able to recover to the point they could do the same for others in the future

3

10

11

12


this idea is echoed in one chapter ahead in 2 Cor 9:7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia—Their liberality was not of themselves naturally, but of God’s grace bestowed on them, and enabling them to be the instrument of God’s “grace” to others (2 Co 8:6, 19). The importance given in this Epistle to the collection, arose as well from Paul’s engagement (Ga 2:10), as also chiefly from his hope to conciliate the Judaizing Christians at Jerusalem to himself and the Gentile believers, by such an act of love on the part of the latter towards their Jewish brethren.

the great liberality of those Macedonian churches (Philippi, Beroea, Thessalonica) among which he was then laboring, in contributions for the impoverished Christians at Jerusalem.



b. Poverty Ignored (8:2, 3)

These Macedonians were those who had gone through much proof of affliction, their hardships revealing their Christian quality of endurance. The word proof (dokimē) indicates that they were the tried and the true, having maintained their Christian character in the test. This region had suffered the ravages of civil war between Caesar and Pompey, between Brutus and Cassius and the triumvirs, and finally between Augustus and Antonius. They actually made a petition for a surcease of their burdens of taxation in the reign of Tiberius and were granted the favor as a depleted area. This is no doubt the reason for their deep poverty. The


Zahniser, C. H. (1966). The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. In Romans-Philemon (Vol. 5, p. 298). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

instances where Jews from Jerusalem had given the Macedonian Christians a very difficult time churches (cf. Acts 16:20; 17:5, 13; Phil 1:28; I Thess 1:6; 2:14; 3:3-9).

Pfeiffer, C. F., & Harrison, E. F. (Eds.). (1962). The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: New Testament. Chicago: Moody Press.

Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., Kling, C. F., & Wing, C. P. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: 2 Corinthians (p. 137). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 312). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.


Jerusalem church -

The collection for Christians in Jerusalem

Paul is organizing a collection to help the poor Christians in Jerusalem.
Many of the church members in Jerusalem are Jews who have been disowned by their families when they became Christians. Their number may have been increased by any pilgrims who stayed on in Jerusalem after becoming Christians on the Day of Pentecost. They have always needed to provide for their widows (Acts 6:1–2), and in recent years have been hard hit by famine (Acts 11:27–30).
Paul’s plan is that the Gentile churches should make a collection and send it with a delegation to Jerusalem. The churches in Macedonia have already given generously, but the Corinthians have been slow to respond.


Knowles, A. (2001). The Bible guide (1st Augsburg books ed., p. 599). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg.


Corinth - their misfourtune, spiritual immaturity, and almost chronic conflict has been the basis for some of the best teaching for churches in the New Testament - as we know they were evend oing things that non Christians thought was a bad idea....and in this case were reluctant for some reason to follow thorugh on their earlier commitment to heop the Jerusalem church......