2 Corinthians 8:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“For this reason we sought out such men. To remove even this suspicion, we did not entrust everything to one man, but sent Titus and another with him.”

Then, explaining the same words, “to the glory of the Lord Himself and to your zeal,” he adds, “avoiding this, that anyone should blame us in this abundance of gifts entrusted to our ministry” (v. 20).

What is the meaning of these words? It is worthy of Paul’s virtue, and at the same time shows his great care and condescension.

“So that,” he says, “no one might suspect us, or have even the slightest occasion to reproach us, as though we were appropriating something from the offerings entrusted to us, we sent these men, not one only, but two and three.”

This is worthy of a holy soul and of Paul's great care and condescension. We sent these men, he says, not one but several, taking precautions. That is, we are foreseeing and fearing lest anyone suspect us of using anything from the offerings for our own benefit. He did not say, "lest you suspect," but, "lest anyone," so that they would not be offended or think that he suspected them of such an opinion about him. The very abundance, he says, that is, the abundance of offerings, can easily arouse suspicion in evil men if we do not take precautions.

But we are taking care that no one should blame us concerning the abundance of this service which is being performed by us. For we provide for what is good not secretly, before God alone, but also by our manifest deeds before all men.

Since the matter concerns service, Paul adds this remark so that he may not receive condemnation for acting carelessly and neglecting care for the needy or the saints. For the apostles agreed among themselves to remember the needy, as Paul indicates in the Epistle to the Galatians (Gal 2:10).

We avoid this: that someone, seeing the multitude of collected money, might think something else. Therefore I receive into the fellowship of this service many men worthy of admiration.

The Apostle was zealous in caring for the collection of alms, but he kept himself apart from what was collected. The collection passed into the hands of the entrusted man already mentioned.

So that no suspicion might fall even on him, St. Paul sometimes appointed someone from the local Church, where a considerable collection had been made, to carry the alms with him to Jerusalem. He had written of this earlier to the Corinthians (1 Cor 16:3).

His purpose in these arrangements was to protect the holy work of almsgiving from every reproach. He wished to spread confidence everywhere that what was given went, without doubt, according to the donors’ intention, directly to those in need, as though they themselves placed it in their hands.