8 not according to command do I speak, but because of the diligence of others, and of your love proving the genuineness,
and this I say by way of concurrence -- not of command,
the shewing therefore of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf, to them shew ye, even in the face of the assemblies.
and whoever may have the goods of the world, and may view his brother having need, and may shut up his bowels from him -- how doth the love of God remain in him? My little children, may we not love in word nor in tongue, but in word and in truth! and in this we know that of the truth we are, and before Him we shall assure our hearts,
Your souls having purified in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to brotherly love unfeigned, out of a pure heart one another love ye earnestly,
What `is' the profit, my brethren, if faith, any one may speak of having, and works he may not have? is that faith able to save him? and if a brother or sister may be naked, and may be destitute of the daily food, and any one of you may say to them, `Depart ye in peace, be warmed, and be filled,' and may not give to them the things needful for the body, what `is' the profit?
The grace with all those loving our Lord Jesus Christ -- undecayingly! Amen.
and, being true in love, we may increase to Him `in' all things, who is the head -- the Christ;
for I have known your readiness of mind, which in your behalf I boast of to Macedonians, that Achaia hath been prepared a year ago, and the zeal of you did stir up the more part,
`And now, fear ye Jehovah, and serve Him, in perfection and in truth, and turn aside the gods which your fathers served beyond the River, and in Egypt, and serve ye Jehovah;
And we make known to you, brethren, the grace of God, that hath been given in the assemblies of Macedonia, because in much trial of tribulation the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, did abound to the riches of their liberality; because, according to `their' power, I testify, and above `their' power, they were willing of themselves,
in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,
And to the rest I speak -- not the Lord -- if any brother hath a wife unbelieving, and she is pleased to dwell with him, let him not send her away;
The love unfeigned: abhorring the evil; cleaving to the good;
and if the fall of them `is' the riches of a world, and the diminution of them the riches of nations, how much more the fulness of them? For to you I speak -- to the nations -- inasmuch as I am indeed an apostle of nations, my ministration I do glorify; if by any means I shall arouse to jealousy mine own flesh, and shall save some of them,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Corinthians 8
Commentary on 2 Corinthians 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
In this and the following chapter Paul is exhorting and directing the Corinthians about a particular work of charity-to relieve the necessities of the poor saints at Jerusalem and in Judea, according to the good example of the churches in Macedonia, Rom. 15:26. The Christians at Jerusalem, through war, famine, and persecution, had become poor, many of them had fallen into decay, and perhaps most of them were but poor when they first embraced Christianity; for Christ said, "The poor receive the gospel.' Now Paul, though he was the apostle of the Gentiles, had a fonder regard, and kind concern, for those among the Jews who were converted to the Christian faith; and, though many of them had not so much affection to the Gentile converts as they ought to have had, yet the apostle would have the Gentiles to be kind to them, and stirred them up to contribute liberally for their relief. Upon this subject he is very copious, and writes very affectingly. In this eighth chapter he acquaints the Corinthians with, and commends, the good example of the Macedonians in this work of charity, and that Titus was sent to Corinth to collect their bounty (v. 1-6). He the proceeds to urge this duty with several cogent arguments (v. 7-15), and commends the persons who were employed in this affair (v. 16-24).
2Cr 8:1-6
Observe here,
2Cr 8:7-15
In these verses the apostle uses several cogent arguments to stir up the Corinthians to this good work of charity.
2Cr 8:16-24
In these verses the apostle commends the brethren who were sent to them to collect their charity; and as it were, gives them letters credential, that, if they were enquired after (v. 23), if any should be inquisitive or suspicious concerning them, it might be known who they were and how safely they might be trusted.