Chapter Eight

¹ Chapter Eight. Now we make known to you, brethren, the grace of God which has been given in the Churches of Macedonia. Not in vain did he weave the many commendations for these beforehand, but smoothing them in advance, since he was about to urge them on to love of the poor. For this reason indeed he said above, I have confidence in you; that is, that Whatever I say to you, you do. He did not therefore say at once, Give alms, but setting in the midst the things done by others, he urges these also to the same zeal. And observe how he calls the merciful disposition the grace of God, at once making his discourse free from envy, and at the same time also calling forth the Corinthians to seize this same thing for themselves as a gift of God. And he did not say, To this or that city, but he praises the whole of Macedonia, that they too may all look toward the same.

² That in much proof of affliction the abundance of their joy. That is, having been much afflicted, and so as to become approved through endurance; nevertheless they did not fall, but rather had joy also; and not simply, but also with abundance.

³ And their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality. That is, just as the much affliction abounded to joy, so their much and deep poverty not only did not hinder them to almsgiving, but rather persuaded them even to abound to riches. And he did not say, Of the things given, but, Of liberality; that is, of the ungrudging and generous disposition. For not by the multitude of the things given, but by the will, is munificence judged. This, then, is wonderful, that out of so great a want (for they had been plundered by their own countrymen) they displayed so great a munificence.

⁴ That according to their power, I bear witness, and beyond their power, of their own accord, with much entreaty beseeching us. He explains what he said, and says that As much as their power, or rather even beyond their power; for this is the abundance of liberality, the beyond their power, he says. But neither were they urged on by us, but of their own accord. And why do I say this? Nay, they themselves brought much entreaty, and besought us. And he says these things that he may urge them on also, not so much to give much, as to give with eagerness. Wherefore he also dwells on the discourse concerning this.

⁵ The grace and the fellowship of the ministry to the saints. There is lacking the clause, They besought us to undertake this ministry. And he said The grace, in order that, since the Corinthians were zealous of the spiritual gifts, they might run after this also as a gift, as has been said above. And he called it fellowship, that they might learn that they not only give, but also receive.

⁶ And not as we had hoped. We did not hope that, having so great a poverty and being in so great an affliction, they would beseech us so much, that we should receive their ministry.

⁷ But they gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us through the will of God. Here he testifies to the other virtues also in them; for not because they were earnest about almsgiving, being puffed up, did they neglect the rest, but they gave their whole selves to the Lord, toward every well-pleasing work with their whole soul, and not inclining with a divided mind. And to us also they gave themselves, that is, in all things they submitted, and showed love through the will of God; that is, as it pleases God, and not by human reasoning.

⁸ So that we besought Titus, that as he had begun before, so he would also complete in you this grace as well. So greatly, he says, did those men give themselves to almsgiving, that I, seeing the matter, became anxious on your behalf, lest you should be left behind them, and for this reason besought Titus to come to you; and that before my exhortation. And he endears Titus to them through these things, that when he comes and counsels concerning almsgiving, they may more easily be persuaded by him, as one minding the things that are for them. And again he called the matter grace. For it is truly great, and a gift of God, and able to make him who pursues it like to himself; whence a certain wise man also says: A great thing is a man, and an honorable thing a merciful man.

⁹ But just as you abound in everything—in faith, and word, and knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in your love toward us—that you may abound in this grace also. With commendations he urges them on, and says that Just as you have all other things with abundance, so here also, not that you may give, but that you may abound, either beyond the Macedonians, or that you may simply be lavish. In faith, that of the gifts, the unhesitating; in word, that of wisdom; in knowledge, that of the doctrines; and in all earnestness, that toward the rest of virtue; and in your love toward us. For he said before that You showed to Titus the love toward me, being zealous on my behalf.

¹⁰ I speak not by way of commandment. That is, not constraining you, nor as exercising authority.

¹¹ But through the earnestness of others, and proving the genuineness of your love. That is, For this reason I praise the Macedonians, that through their earnestness I may show your love toward the poor saints to be more approved and more brilliant.

¹² For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sakes he became poor, being rich, that you by his poverty might become rich. That is, Consider, reckon up the great mystery, and you will spare nothing. For if you disbelieve, he says, that poverty is productive of riches, consider your Master, and you will no longer disbelieve. For unless he had become poor—that is, had taken up the lowly and dishonored flesh, and had undergone all the rest of the dishonor, and these things for our sakes, the unworthy, the enemies—we would not have become rich. And what riches does he mean? Those of piety, the cleansing, the sanctification, and the other good things, which he both gave and will give.

¹³ And in this I give my judgment; for this is profitable for you. Observe how he is earnest to be inoffensive. For I give, he says, my judgment; that is, I lay upon you counsel, not necessity; and this counsel itself I make on account of its being profitable for you rather than for those who receive.

¹⁴ Who not only to do, but also to will, began before, a year ago; but now complete the doing also. No longer from the earnestness of others does he urge them on, but from their own eagerness; and he says that Of your own will you came to this, and not only laid a beginning toward the doing, but also toward the willing; that is, toward doing it voluntarily, and with no one urging. Now therefore I give my judgment, that you may complete the work also.

¹⁵ That as the eagerness of the willing, so also the completing out of what you have. That the good may not be only as far as the eagerness, but may also be worked out more perfectly. For just as the willing makes the eagerness and the purpose, so also the work comes to be out of what one has. Whoever, then, has, let him fulfill the work; since he who has not has fulfilled that which comes of the purpose.

¹⁶ For if the eagerness is present, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he has not. Observe his wisdom, how the Macedonians—the Thessalonians, I mean, and the rest—as having done beyond their power, of these he demands nothing more than their power. If, therefore, you have the eagerness, he says, bring in the things according to your power, and God accepts these.

¹⁷ For it is not that there should be relief to others, but affliction to you. Not, he says, that those should revel in ease, while you must give beyond your power, so as to endure both want and affliction from this. And yet the Lord praised the widow, as having given her whole living; but Paul does not do this now—at once because they were weaker, and at the same time because they were also rich; and certainly, had they given according to their power, the gift would have been ample, and noteworthy, and rich. And further he also hopes that by the example of the Thessalonians they will rather be roused; and for this reason he leaves the matter to their own authority; but in what follows he will urge them, in a riddling manner, to this very thing.

¹⁸ But by way of equality, in the present time your abundance for their want, that their abundance also may be for your want. That is, You pride yourselves on money; they pride themselves on their boldness toward God. Give, then, of the money in which you abound, but which they do not have, that you may receive of the boldness in which they are rich, but you are lacking. And observe how secretly he establishes the giving even beyond one’s power. For if you wish, he says, to receive of the abundance, as you also give of the abundance. But if you wish to receive the whole recompense, do you also furnish the whole; which is out of want, and beyond power; but this he says covertly. For the present, then, according to appearance, he counsels the giving according to power.

¹⁹ That there may be equality; as it is written: He who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. How may there be equality? If both you and they give back in turn the things that abound, and fill up the wants. And what equality is it, to give spiritual things in return for carnal? Not according to the more honorable or the less honorable of the things given and received is the equality spoken of, but inasmuch as what abounds to you, you give; and again, what abounds to them, they give; and again, what you lack, you receive; and what they lack, they receive: according to this is the equality. And besides, this equality is according to the present time; but in the time to come there is a great superiority of the things which they give. So that be abased, you rich, if indeed in the things that abide the poor surpass you. And he brings forward what happened with the manna, at once that he may show how the equality comes to be—that when the rich man who has much then gives the surplus to him who has little, neither does he himself have over, and he who has little is not diminished, inasmuch as he received from that other. And again, in the case of boldness toward God, the same; and at the same time he accomplishes something greater also, showing to the rich that, just as in the case of the manna, neither those gathering more nor those gathering less—all were found to have the same measure, God chastising greediness—so also now one must not reach after the more.

²⁰ But thanks be to God, who put the same earnestness on your behalf into the heart of Titus. Having discoursed concerning almsgiving as much as was needful, he henceforth praises those sent for this purpose, that, having become free of suspicion, they may rather cast them into eagerness for contributing together. And since Titus was first of these, he praises him, and says that it was a work of God that he was roused to minister. For the same earnestness that I too have on your behalf, he put into him. And from this he urges them on to make the gift noteworthy. For if God roused him, God henceforth looks on, and you ought to make the gift worthy of God.

²¹ That he indeed received the exhortation; but being more earnest, of his own accord he went out to you. Whence is it clear that God urged on Titus? Because, even when exhorted by me, he eagerly received the exhortation, and did not murmur, but indeed also of his own accord went out, so that even had I not exhorted him, he himself displayed his own earnestness.

²² And we sent together with him the brother whose praise in the Gospel is throughout all the Churches. Some say it is Luke, on account of the Gospel which he wrote; but some, Barnabas; for he calls the unwritten preaching also a Gospel. But he does not dwell upon the commendations of this man, as upon those of Titus, perhaps because he was unknown; whereas Titus was sufficiently known. He gives him a sufficient commendation: For not simply, he says, does he preach the Gospel, but he is also praised; not by two or three, but by all the Churches.

²³ And not only so, but who was also chosen by the Churches as our fellow-traveler, together with this grace which is ministered by us. He praises the man also from the judgment of those who chose him. For not only, he says, is he praised as approved in preaching the Gospel, but he was also chosen as our fellow-traveler by the Churches. So that he is also a partner of the trials and the dangers. But these things rather befit Barnabas. And he was chosen also to this grace, that is, to the ministry of the money, that he might minister together with us.

²⁴ To the glory of the Lord and your eagerness. That is, That both God may be glorified, and you may become more eager, inasmuch as those who receive this money are approved, and no one is able to bring forth suspicion against them.

²⁵ Avoiding this, that no one should blame us in this abundance which is ministered by us. This is worthy of the holy soul of Paul, and of his great solicitude and condescension. For this reason, he says, we sent such men, and not one, but several, avoiding, that is, being apprehensive and fearful lest anyone should suspect us as embezzling from the money. And he did not say, Lest you; but, Lest anyone, that they might not be vexed as being suspected of thinking such things about him. For this abundance too, he says—that is, the multitude of the money—is sufficient to furnish suspicion to the wicked, unless we display security.

²⁶ Taking forethought for good things, not only before the Lord, but also before men. Behold the soul of Paul, how he took thought for the stumbling of the brethren. For he did not say: I am clean, let whoever wishes wail; but, Just as before God, he says, I take forethought—that is, I take care to appear blameless—so also before men; and the more they are weaker, the more must one condescend; since we condescend even to little children, if we are going to bear them up.

²⁷ And we sent together with them our brother, whom we have many times proved earnest in many things, but now much more earnest, by reason of the great confidence which he has toward you. And he adds yet another, naming him a brother, and commending him from having proved and judged him to be earnest, and that in many things and many times; and it is an intensification of praise, thus to double the word. But now, he says, he has become more earnest, inasmuch as he is confident that you will make the almsgiving more lavish, to which he is about to minister.

²⁸ Whether for Titus, my partner and fellow-worker toward you. That is, If one must say anything for Titus, this I have to say, that he is my partner, working together with me to your teaching and benefit; or, that If you do anything for Titus, you will do it not for any chance person, but for my partner.

²⁹ Or our brethren. That is, Whether you wish to hear something concerning the others, they too have great claims to be judged trustworthy; for indeed they are our brethren.

³⁰ Apostles of the Churches. That is, sent and chosen by the Churches.

³¹ The glory of Christ. The greatest of all he has placed last. To Christ, he says, the whole is referred, whatever may be done to these.

³² Therefore show toward them, before the face of the Churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf. Now show, he says, both how you love us, and how we too do not boast in vain over you. And you will show it, if you display love toward them. For indeed you will do before the face of the Churches whatever you do to these, that is, to the honor of the Churches. For these stand in the person of the Churches that sent them.