2 Korintus 8:1-4

Completing the Collection for the Saints

8:1 Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, ¹  the grace of God given to the churches of Macedonia, 8:2 that during a severe ordeal of suffering, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in the wealth ²  of their generosity. 8:3 For I testify, they gave according to their means and beyond their means. They did so voluntarily, ³  8:4 begging us with great earnestness for the blessing and fellowship of helping ⁴  the saints.

2 Korintus 8:7-9

8:7 But as you excel ⁵  in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness and in the love from us that is in you ⁶  – make sure that you excel ⁷  in this act of kindness ⁸  too. 8:8 I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others. ⁹  8:9 For you know the grace ¹⁰  of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, he became poor for your sakes, so that you by his poverty could become rich.

2 Korintus 9:7-14

9:7 Each one of you should give ¹¹  just as he has decided in his heart, ¹²  not reluctantly ¹³  or under compulsion, ¹⁴  because God loves a cheerful giver. 9:8 And God is able to make all grace overflow ¹⁵  to you so that because you have enough ¹⁶  of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow ¹⁷  in every good work. 9:9 Just as it is written, “He ¹⁸  has scattered widely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever.” ¹⁹  9:10 Now God ²⁰  who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow. 9:11 You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous on every occasion, ²¹  which is producing through us thanksgiving to God, 9:12 because the service of this ministry is not only providing for ²²  the needs of the saints but is also overflowing with many thanks to God. 9:13 Through the evidence ²³  of this service ²⁴  they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your sharing ²⁵  with them and with everyone. 9:14 And in their prayers on your behalf they long for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown to you. ²⁶ 

[8:1]  ¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:8.

[8:2]  ² tn Or “riches.”

[8:3]  ³ tn Or “spontaneously.”

[8:4]  ⁴ tn Or “of ministering to.”

[8:7]  ⁵ tn Grk “as you abound.”

[8:7]  ⁶ tc The reading “the love from us that is in you” is very difficult in this context, for Paul is here enumerating the Corinthians’ attributes: How is it possible for them to excel “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, because of this difficulty, several early scribes, as well as most later ones (א C D F G Ψ [33] Ï lat), altered the text to read “your love for us” (so NIV; Grk ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγάπῃ [ex Jumwn en Jhmin agaph]). The reading ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐν ὑμῖν ἀγάπῃ (ex Jhmwn en Jumin agaph) is found, however, in excellent and early witnesses (Ì⁴⁶ B 0243 6 104 630 1175 1739 1881 co). As the harder reading it explains the rise of the other reading. What, then, is the force of “in the love from us that is in you”? Most likely, Paul is commending the Corinthians for excelling in deriving some inspiration from the apostles’ love for them.

[8:7]  ⁷ tn Grk “you abound.”

[8:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “this grace.”

[8:8]  ⁹ tn Grk “by means of the eagerness of others.”

[8:9]  ¹⁰ tn Or “generosity.”

[9:7]  ¹¹ tn Or “must do.” The words “of you” and “should give” are not in the Greek text, which literally reads, “Each one just as he has decided in his heart.” The missing words are an ellipsis; these or similar phrases must be supplied for the English reader.

[9:7]  ¹² tn Or “in his mind.”

[9:7]  ¹³ tn Or “not from regret”; Grk “not out of grief.”

[9:7]  ¹⁴ tn Or “not out of a sense of duty”; Grk “from necessity.”

[9:8]  ¹⁵ tn Or “abound.”

[9:8]  ¹⁶ tn Or “so that by having enough.” The Greek participle can be translated as a participle of cause (“because you have enough”) or means (“by having enough”).

[9:8]  ¹⁷ tn Or “abound.”

[9:9]  ¹⁸ sn He in the quotation refers to the righteous person.

[9:9]  ¹⁹ sn A quotation from Ps 112:9.

[9:10]  ²⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:11]  ²¹ tn Grk “in every way for every generosity,” or “he will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times” (L&N 57.29).

[9:12]  ²² tn Or “not only supplying.”

[9:13]  ²³ tn Or “proof,” or perhaps “testing” (NRSV).

[9:13]  ²⁴ tn Or “ministry.”

[9:13]  ²⁵ tn Or “your partnership”; Grk “your fellowship.”

[9:14]  ²⁶ tn Grk “the extraordinary grace of God to you”; the point is that God has given or shown grace to the Corinthians.