2 Corinthians 9:1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After saying so much about this service, he now says, “It is unnecessary to write to you.” His wisdom is shown not only in saying, after he has already said much, “It is unnecessary to write to you,” but also in the fact that he again speaks about it.

What he had just said before concerned those who received the collected money, so that they might enjoy greater respect. What he had said still earlier about the Macedonians, that “their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality,” and all the rest, was spoken about love for mankind and almsgiving.

Yet although he had already said much before, he again intends to discuss the same subject, and says, “It is unnecessary to write to you.” He does this in order to draw them more strongly.

After speaking for so long about this service before, and intending again to speak about it, he says that it is unnecessary for him to write about it. He does this wisely, so as to draw them more strongly. For when Paul holds such an opinion of them that they need no counsel concerning almsgiving, they would be ashamed later to prove lower than his good opinion of them.

These are words of joyful calm. Paul says it is unnecessary to write about assistance for the saints, since the Corinthians themselves clearly understand the importance of this assistance well enough.

It is unnecessary in the sense that he reminds them of what will be done even without reminder. Yet love requires him to write, both so that they may hasten to act and so that they may know that the Apostle speaks of them to others.

“For concerning the service to the saints, it is unnecessary for me to write to you. For I know your zeal, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians, that Achaia has been ready since last year.”

The Apostle, after speaking in detail about those serving in what was necessarily required, called the exhortation to generosity unnecessary. He did not truly consider it unnecessary, but by this manner of speech he stirred them to greater generosity.

For this reason he bore witness to their zeal and pointed out that he had long ago informed the Macedonians of it, so that from this they might become still more zealous. This is what the Apostle added: “And your zeal has stirred up the majority.”

The divine Apostle is worthy of admiration for those who behold his spiritual wisdom. By the example of the Corinthians he stirred the Macedonians to good works, and by the example of the Macedonians he stirred the Corinthians.

Continuing his explanation about sending Titus and the two brothers to Corinth, the Apostle says that he made this advance arrangement so that everything would be ready among the Corinthians by his arrival. Thus he would be shown truthful in the praise he had given them before the Macedonians.

But there was probably another reason as well. By having the collection made outside his presence, he would avoid many unreasonable reproaches.

When he speaks of the excess of new arguments for almsgiving, the Apostle gives a subtle but irresistibly powerful inducement to generosity. He awakens generosity in the Corinthians with still greater force when he says that their zeal stirred up the zeal of the Macedonians.

How, then, is it unnecessary to write, when he has already written so much? He says this here as a supplement to the preceding discourse, 2 Cor 8:24. I now speak to you only about receiving those sent with love. But concerning the service to the saints, that is, alms for the poor of Jerusalem, it is unnecessary for me to mention it.

It is unnecessary both because he has already spoken much and because this work is already being done among them. To write about the service means to explain what it consists of, to whom it goes, why it is necessary, and the like.