(From: 2 CORINTHIANS #8 - 8 & 9)

L. 8-9 TEACHING ON THE MINISTRY OF GIVING.

1. 8:1-7 THE EXAMPLE OF THE MACEDONIANS IN GIVING

a. 8:1-2 GIVING OUT OF POVERTY

GnoRIzo-men [1107]de huMIN, a-delPHOI,

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you

ten CHArin tou TheOU ten de-doMEnen en tais ek-kleSIais tes Ma-ke-doNIas;

the grace of :God :given in the churches of :Macedonia;

HOti en polLE do-kiME[1382]THLIpse-os [2347]

2how that in much proof of tribulation

hepe-risSEIa [4050]tes chaRAS auTON kai hekaTA BAthous [899]ptoCHEIa [4432]auTON

the abundance of their :joy and their deep :poverty

e-peRISseu-sen [4052]eis to PLOUtos [4149]tes haPLOte-tos [572]auTON.

abounded unto the riches even of their :liberality.

b. 8:3-5 GIVING: STARTS WITH GIVING OF SELF

HOti kaTA DUna-min, mar-tuRO[3140], kai paRA DUna-min, auTHAIre-toi [830],

For according to theirpower, I bear witness, yes and beyond power, they gaveof their own accord,

meTA polLES pa-raKLEse-os [3874]deOme-noi [1189]heMON ten CHArin

4beseeching us with much entreaty in regard of the grace

kai ten koi-noNIan [2842]tes di-a-koNIas [1248]tes eis tous haGIous [40]:

and the fellowship in the ministry to the saints:

kai, ou kaTHOS elPIsa-men [1679], all' he-auTOUS Edo-kan [1325]PROton

5and, not as we had hoped, but first they gave

toKuRIo, kai huMIN diA theLEma-tos [2307]TheOU.

their own selves to the Lord, and to us through God's will.

c. 8:6 TITUS: AIDS THE CORINTHIANS IN GIVING

eis to pa-ra-kaLEsai [3870]heMAS TIton, HIna kaTHOS pro-eNERxa-to [4278],

Insomuch that we exhorted Titus, that as he had begun afore,

HOUtos kai e-pi-teLEse[2005]eis huMAS kai ten CHArin TAUten.

so he would also complete unto you this grace also.

d. 8:7 GIVING: MONEY AS WELL AS ALL ELSE

all' HOSper en panTI pe-risSEUe-te [4052], PIStei,

But just as you abound in everything, infaith,

kai LOgokai GNOsei, kai PAsespouDE[4710]kai teex huMON en huMIN aGApe,

and word and knowledge, and all diligence and our :love in you,

HIna kai en TAUteteCHAri-ti pe-risSEUe-te.

seethat you abound in this :grace also.

2. 8:8-15 A PRINCIPLE: LET THERE BE EQUALITY AMONG CHURCHES

a. 8:8 LOVE: NOT COMMANDMENTS - OUR MOTIVATION

Ou kat' e-pi-taGEN [2003]LEgo, alLA diA tes heTEron

I speak not by commandment, but asproving through

spouDES [4710]kai to tes hu-meTEras aGApes GNEsi-on do-kiMAzon [1381].

the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your :love.

b. 8:9 JESUS CHRIST: OUR GREAT EXAMPLE IN GIVING

giNOSke-te gar ten CHArin tou KuRIou heMON IeSOU ChrisTOU,

For you know the grace of our :Lord Jesus Christ,

HOti, di' huMAS epTOcheu-sen [4433], PLOUsi-os on, HIna huMEIS teeKEInou ptoCHEIa plouTEse-te.

that, being rich, for you he became poor, that you by his :poverty might become rich.

c. 8:10 GIVING: STARTS WITH THE WILL

kai GNOmen en TOUtoDIdo-mi: TOUto gar huMIN sumPHErei [4851], HOti-nes ou MOnon to poiEsai,

And herein I give myjudgment: for this is expedient for you, who began afore a year ago,

alLA kai to THElein, pro-eNERxas-the [4278]aPO PEru-si [4070].

not only :to do, but also :to will.

d. 8:11 GIVING: ONLY COMPLETE WHEN THE DOING COMPLETE

nuNI de kai to poiEsai e-pi-teLEsa-te [2005]; HOpos kaTHAper hepro-thuMIa [4288]tou THElein,

But now complete the doing also; so that as the readiness :to will,

HOUtos kai to e-pi-teLEsai ek tou Echein.

so bethe completion also out of whatyou have.

e. 8:12 For if the readiness is there,it is acceptable according as one has, not according as he has not.

ei gar hepro-thuMIa PROkei-tai, kaTHA eAN EcheeuPROSdek-tos, ou kaTHO ouk Echei.

f. 8:13-15 MANNA: AN ILLUSTRATION OF EQUALITY IN GIVING

ou gar HIna ALlois Ane-sis 425] huMIN THLIpsis [2347]; all' ex iSOte-tos [2471]:

For I speaknot that others haveease andyou tribulation; 14but by equality:

en tonun kaiRO[2540]to huMON peRISseu-ma [4051]eis to eKEInon husTEre-ma [5303],

your :abundance beingat this present :season for their :want,

HIna kai to eKEInon peRISseu-ma [4051]GEne-tai eis to huMON husTEre-ma [5303];

that their :abundance also be unto your :want;

HOpos GEne-tai iSOtes [2471]:

that therebe equality:

kaTHOS GEgrap-tai, Ho to poLU ouk e-pleOna-sen [4121]; kai ho to oLIgon [3641]ouk elatTOne-sen [1641].

15as itis written, He with much had nothing over; and he with the little had no lack.

3. 8:16-24 GIVING: A PROOF OF LOVE

a. 8:16 But thanksbe to :God,who puts the same diligence for you into the heart of Titus.

CHAris de toTheO, todiDONti ten auTEN spouDEN [4710]huPER huMON en tekarDIa TItou.

b. 8:17 TITUS: HIS GIVING VOLUNTARY

HOti ten men paRAkle-sin [3874] eDExa-to; spou-daiOte-ros [4707] de huPARchon,

For he accepted indeed the exhortation; but being himself more diligent,

auTHAIre-tos [830] eXELthen pros huMAS.

he went forth unto you of his own accord.

c. 8:18-21 PAUL'S COMPANION: APPOINTED BY THE CHURCHES

su-nePEMpsa-men de met' auTOU ton a-delPHON

And we have sent along with him the brother

hou ho Epai-nos [1868] en to eu-ag-geLIo [2008] diA paSON ton ek-kle-siON;

whose :praise in the gospel is through all the churches;

ou MOnon de, alLA kai chei-ro-to-neTHEIS [5500]

19and not only so, but who was also appointed

huPO ton ek-kle-siON suNEKde-mos [4898] heMON en teCHAri-ti TAUte,

by the churches as our fellow-traveller in this :grace,

tedi-a-ko-nouMEne[1247] huph' heMON pros ten tou KuRIou DOxan, kai pro-thuMIan [4288]heMON:

which is ministered by us unto the glory of the Lord, and showingour readiness:

stelLOme-noi [[4724] TOUto, MEtis heMAS moMEse-tai [3469]

20 avoiding this, that any manshould blame us

en tehaDROte-ti [100] TAUtetedi-a-ko-nouMEne[1247] huph' heMON:

in this :bounty :ministered by us:

pro-noOUmen [4306] gar kaLA, ou MOnon eNOpi-on KuRIou, alLA kai eNOpi-on anTHROpon.

21 for we take thought for things honorable, not only in the Lord's sight, but also in men's sight.

d. 8:22 PAUL'S TESTIMONY FOR THIS BROTHER

su-nePEMpsa-men [4842] de auTOIS ton a-delPHON heMON,

And we have sent with them our :brother,

hon e-do-kiMAsa-men [1381] en polLOIS polLAkis spouDAIon [4706] ONta,

whom we have oft proved to be diligent in many things,

nuNI de poLU spou-daiOte-ron [4707] pe-poiTHEsei [4006] polLE te eis huMAS.

but now more diligent by the great confidence unto you.

e. 8:23 PAUL'S HIGH ENDORSEMENT OF TITUS

EIte huPER TItou, koi-noNOS [2844] eMOS kai eis huMAS su-nerGOS [4904];

Whether any inquire about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker toward you;

EIte a-delPHOI heMON, aPOsto-loi [652] ek-kleSIon, DOxa ChrisTOU.

or our :brethren, they are messengers of the churches, Christ's glory.

f. 8:24 PAUL: DESIRES PROOF OF HIS GLORYING IN TITUS

Ten oun ENdei-xin [1732] tes aGApes huMON, kai heMON kauCHEse-os [2746] huPER huMON,

Show therefore unto them in face of the churches the proof of your :love,

eis auTOUS enDEIxas-the [1731] eis PROso-pon ton ek-kle-siON.

and of our glorying on your behalf.

4. 9:1-5 THE VALUE OF A GIFT WHEN UNCOERCED

a. 9:1-2 PAUL: USES THE CORINTHIANS AS A WORTHY EXAMPLE

PeRI men gar tes di-a-koNIas tes [1248] eis tous haGIous [40]

For as touching the ministry :unto the saints

pe-risSON [4053] MOI es-tin to GRAphein huMIN: OIda gar ten pro-thuMIan [4288] huMON,

it is superfluous for me :to write you: 2for I know your :readiness,

hen huPER huMON kauCHOmai [2744] Ma-keDOsin,

of which I glory on your behalf to the Macedonians,

HOti A-chaIa pa-resKEUas-tai [3903] aPO PEru-si [4070];

that Achaia has been prepared for a year;

kai ho huMON ZElos [2205] eREthi-se [2042] tous PLEIo-nas [4119].

and your :zeal has stirred up theirmore part.

b. 9:3-4 PAUL: HELPS CORINTHIANS TO FOLLOW THROUGH

Epem-psa de tous a-delPHOUS, HIna me to KAUche-ma [2745] heMON

But I have sent the brethren, that our :glorying

to huPER huMON ke-noTHE [2758] en to MErei TOUto;

:on your behalf be not made void in this :respect;

HIna, kaTHOS Ele-gon, pa-res-keu-asMEnoi [532] Ete: me pos, eAN ELtho-sin sun eMOI Ma-keDOnes

that, even as I said, you may be prepared: 4 lest somehow, if Macedonians come with me

kai HEUro-sin huMAS a-pa-ra-skeuAstous [532], ka-tai-schunTHOmen [2617]heMEIS

and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, you)

(HIna meLEgo-men, huMEIS) en tehu-poSTAsei [5287]TAUte.

be put to shame in this :confidence.

c. 9:5 PAUL: PROTECTS HIS GLORYING ON THEIR BEHALF

a-nagKAIon oun he-geSAmen [2233]pa-ra-kaLEsai [3870]tous a-delPHOUS, HIna proELtho-sin eis huMAS,

I thought it necessary therefore to exhort the brethren,that they would go before unto you,

kai pro-ka-tarTIso-si [4294]ten pro-e-peg-gelMEnen [4293]eu-loGIan [2129]huMON,

and make up beforehandyour aforepromised :bounty,

TAUten heTOImen [2092]EInai HOUtos hos eu-loGIan [2129], kai mehos ple-o-neXIan [4124].

that the same might thus be ready as a matter of bounty, and not of extortion.

5. 9:6-15 PRINCIPLES OF GIVING

a. 9:6 A PRINCIPLE ON GIVING

TOUto de, ho SPEIron [4687]phei-doMEnos [5340]phei-doMEnos kai theRIsei [2325];

But this I say, Who sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly;

kai ho SPEIron ep' eu-loGIais [2129]ep' eu-loGIais kai theRIsei.

and who sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

b. 9:7 CHEERFULNESS: THE RIGHT SPIRIT IN GIVING

HEkas-tos kaTHOS proEre-tai [4255]tekarDIa:

Leteach doaccording as he has purposed in his:heart:

meek LUpes [3077], eex aNAGkes [318]: hi-laRON [2431]gar DOten [1395]a-gaPA ho TheOS.

not grudgingly, or of necessity: for :God loves a cheerful giver.

c. 9:8-9 GOD'S GRACE IS BEHIND ALL GOOD GIVING

du-naTEI de ho TheOS PAsan CHArin pe-risSEUsai [4052] eis huMAS;

And :God is able to make all grace abound unto you;

HIna, en panTI PANto-te PAsan auTARkei-an [841] Echon-tes,

that you, having always all sufficiency in everything,

pe-risSEUe-te eis pan ERgon a-gaTHON: kaTHOS GEgrap-tai,

may abound unto every good work: 9as itis written,

EsKORpi-sen [4550], Edoken tois PEne-sin [3993]; hedi-kai-oSUneauTOU MEnei eis ton aiOna.

He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor; His :righteousness abides unto the age.

d. 9:10-11 GOD BLESSES THE LIBERAL SOUL

ho de e-pi-cho-reGON [2023]SPERma [4690]toSPEIron-ti [4687]kai ARton [740]eis BROsin[1035],

And he that supplies seed to the sower and bread for food,

cho-reGEsei [5524]kai ple-thuNEI [4129]ton SPOron [4703]huMON,

shall supply and multiply your :seed for sowing,

kai auXEsei [837]ta geNEma-ta [[1081]tes di-kai-oSUnes huMON:

and increase the fruits of your :righteousness:

en panTI plou-tiZOme-noi [4148]eis PAsan haPLOte-ta [572],

11youbeing enriched in everything unto all liberality,

HEtis ka-terGAze-tai [2716]di' heMON eu-cha-risTIan [2169]toTheO. -

which works through us thanksgiving to :God. -

e. 9:12-14 THE GRACE OF GIVING: A MOST EFFECTIVE WITNESS

- HOti hedi-a-koNIa tes lei-tourGIas [3009]TAUtes

- Because the ministration of this :service

ou MOnon esTIN pro-sa-na-pleROUsa [4322]ta hus-teREma-ta [5303]ton haGIon,

is not only fully supplying the wants of the saints,

alLA kai pe-risSEUou-sa [4052]diA polLON eu-cha-ris-tiON [2169]toTheO-

but is abounding also through many thanksgivings to :God -

diA tes do-kiMES [1382]tes di-a-koNIas TAUtes,

13through the proving of youby this :ministration,

doXAzon-tes [1392]ton TheON ePI tehu-po-taGE[5292]tes ho-mo-loGIas [3671]huMON

they glorifying :God for the obedience of your :confession

eis to eu-agGEli-on [2098]tou ChrisTOU, kai haPLOteti [572]

unto the gospel of the Christ, and for theliberality

tes koi-noNIas [2842]eis auTOUS kai eis PANtas;

of the contribution unto them and unto all;

kai auTON, deEsei [1162]huPER huMON, e-pi-poTHOUNton [1971]huMAS,

14while they themselves also, with supplication for you,

diA ten hu-perBALlou-san [5236]chaRIN tou TheOU eph' huMIN.

long after you by reason of the exceeding grace of :God upon you.

f. 9:15 Thanksto :God for his unspeakable :gift.

CHAris [5485]toTheOePI tea-nek-di-eGEto[411]auTOU do-reA [1431].

NOTE: 2 Corinthians 8-9, according to Bible Numerics, is one integral section divided into 5 sub-divisions. It is important to see this and read it as a unit, to gain the Holy Spirit's message through Paul.

Some present day believers do not receive God's message on giving, and reserve His tithe and offerings for themselves. It is odd how often God seeks to let them understand their error and disobedience. An accident, permitted by Him, or a theft, takes from them all they wrongfully withheld from God! George Muller gave 90% of all of his income to God, and faithfully taught and set the example of giving way beyond the tithe! He literally prayed in $8 million dollars in some 60 years for the support of 10,000 orphans and over 150 missionaries plus much more. 50,000 prayers were exactly answered by God to achieve this, with no man having any request made to him - just God. He firmlybelieved in NT tithing and giving. Cindy Jacobs claims there is a curse upon those who refuse to tithe. They leave a door for the enemy to come in and get the tithe from them in another way. Consider this. Derek Prince wrote about breaking curses that often come from disobedience. My wife and I over 60 years together have proven the blessing of giving tithes and offerings, especially to mission work and Israel.

One last word: See 2 Cor. 9:15 - “Thanks to :God for his unspeakable gift.” The word “unspeakable” is only used this once in the NT. The word gift - “do-reA” is used 11 times. 10 out of the 11 times by most commentaries and Bible teachers, it is acknowledged to refer to the Holy Spirit. However - in this one reference, it is invariably associated with our Lord Jesus. I do not believe this to be an accurate application of a Greek Word Study. It is the Holy Spirithere who undergirds such unusual giving out of poverty, so that words cannot describe this amazing Holy Spirit gift! - J.A.W.