“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”(2 Corinthians 9:6-15)
2 Corinthians 9 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible concerning New Testament giving. There is much controversy around giving, but if we take this chapter, dissect it, and draw out its lessons, we will find clear instruction in this area.
In this case, the church at Corinth was giving to saints who were less fortunate. There were churches in poorer communities where believers lacked the necessities of life, and Corinth, being in a wealthier region, had the means to help. Paul encouraged them to do so, as they had generously done in the past (9:1-2). Yet, it wasn’t only the wealthier ones participating in this grace of giving. Even the churches of Macedonia, who were in deep poverty, gave joyfully beyond their means (8:1-5). This shows that giving is more about attitude than amount, more about affection than affluence.
It doesn’t matter if you have millions, thousands, hundreds, or just a few dollars—like the poor widow, you can be the biggest giver in the room, regardless of the amount. How is this possible? From a human standpoint, a woman giving a penny seems insignificant compared to a man giving thousands. But God is not merely looking at what is placed in the offering—He looks at the heart. And from a mathematical perspective, He seems to count what is left over rather than what is given. The widow “hath given all.” A brother or sister in poverty may give $10, but if that $10 means great sacrifice, it is more significant than a man giving $1,000 while still retaining thousands.
From our passage, we will examine four key aspects of giving:
The Amount of Giving (v.6)
There is much debate about how much a Christian is obligated to give. The New Testament does not specify a required percentage. Some argue that believers are commanded to tithe 10%. While 10% is a good starting point, it is important to note that under the Old Testament law, the Israelites were required to give multiple tithes, amounting to around 30%, not just 10%. Abraham, before the law was given, began his giving journey with 10%, and as the father of our faith, he sets a good example.
If anyone asks how much they should give systematically, my response is always the same: "Ten percent is a great place to start, but a terrible place to stop." Our verse today says that those who sow abundantly will reap abundantly, and those who sow sparingly will reap sparingly. The choice is ours—but wisdom dictates that we determine our giving based on the harvest we desire, not just the seed we sow.
The Attitude of Giving (v.7)
Verse 7 emphasizes the heart behind giving: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give.” If we give with a bad attitude, it would be better to first examine why we struggle with giving, address the heart issue, and then give joyfully.
Sowing with bitterness is like planting poisoned seed—it will yield no good fruit, and God will not be pleased. Instead, we should give with gratitude and love, joyfully desiring to bless others. If we despise giving, it may be because we love money more than we love the people we are giving to. Why would we grieve over what leaves our hands more than we rejoice over how it blesses others? Let us ensure that we love those we give to more than what we give.
The Assurance of Giving (v.8-10)
Verses 8-10 then tell us what is guaranteed to those who give. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” There is no promise of wealth, no promise of a hundredfold blessing, but something greater is promised—an abundance of grace! How much greater is an abundance of grace than an abundance of things? The wealth of heaven in exchange for the wealth of this world! This, my friend, is the greatest investment opportunity in all the world. In giving of our carnal things, we can reap things like joy, peace, purpose, and a wealth of other graces from our Lord.
Secondly, not only do we have the assurance of an abundance of grace, but enduring sufficiency! “Always having all sufficiency in all things.” God has assured us that if we give in love, we will never lack our daily bread! He is not promising wealth but sufficiency, which at the end of the day is great gain—"Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Like the poor widow, you may reach the bottom of your barrel, but that little handful of meal will be sufficient to feed you for as long as you need it! I can say that there have been months, even years, when my family has lived from the bottom of the barrel, and we have yet to reach into His supply and come up wanting for our daily needs! “I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”
Thirdly is the promise that His abundance of grace and enduring sufficiency will abound to every good work. That is to say, He will make sure that I always have everything I need to abundantly serve Him. If strength is needed, His grace will supply it. If mercy is needed, His grace will supply it. If patience is needed, His grace will supply it! When I need earthly provision to accomplish His will, it will be sufficiently provided! Oh, the great assurance that we have in giving!
The Adoration of Giving (v.11-15)
In the closing verses of this chapter, we see an often-overlooked benefit of giving: it glorifies God. “For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God.”
Do you see it? Our giving stirs others to give thanks to God. Through our obedience in giving, we encourage others to glorify Him. What a marvelous opportunity—to bless others, to be blessed ourselves, and most importantly, to bring praise to God!
I leave you with a phrase from verse 13 as a challenge: “The experiment of this ministration.” If you have never practiced faithful giving or have grown cold in it, why not take up this experiment? Find a need, ask God to reveal it to you, give with a cheerful heart, and see if others aren’t blessed, if you aren’t blessed, and most of all, if God isn’t glorified!
I assure you, on the authority of His Word and from personal experience, that such will be the case.
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