2 Corinthians 9:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

See what wisdom there is even in his prayer. He does not ask God for riches for them, nor for excess, but for every sufficiency. And this alone is not what is admirable in him.

Especially admirable is that, just as he does not ask for excess, so he does not cause them distress. Condescending to their weakness, he does not compel them to give from want. He asks for sufficiency, and at the same time shows that God's gifts must not be used for evil.

"That you may be rich in every good work." For this reason, he says, I ask sufficiency for you, so that you may share with others. And he did not say, "share," but, "that you may be rich."

In bodily goods he asks sufficiency for them. In spiritual goods, not only in mercy but in all the rest, he asks abundance for them. This is the meaning of the words, "in every good work."

In bodily goods, he says, I desire sufficiency for you. In spiritual goods, for this is what "every good work" means, I desire abundance. Thus you will not only be merciful in abundance, but will zealously do every work pleasing to God.

On the contrary, he notices that his business affairs, his family life, and the upbringing and education of his children are blessed by God. They flourish to the common joy of the family. But let a man become stingy, and the hand of the Lord turns away from him.

Or take another example from life. Suppose one of us does not give a few kopecks to a truly poor man. Outwardly, such a thrifty man has made a saving in his household. But he has miscalculated.

For this, the Lord sends illness upon some member of the family. This illness takes away several working days and requires doctors and medicines. The unexpected expenses prove much greater than what the man would have spent by giving alms to the poor.

It is a pity that in our ordinary life we do not love to examine ourselves. We especially avoid examining the dark features of our heart and clarifying our circumstances in the light of the Gospel. Such attentive, daily, impartial observation of oneself is both engaging and profitable.

But if we do not know how to observe ourselves, then let us believe what the Word of God says about the generous and merciful man.

Therefore, the more goods you have, the more you are obliged to do good works, and in greater number. The divine Apostle confirms his word by divine Scripture, saying: Verse 9. "As it is written: He has scattered abroad, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever."

"The sower seems to spend and scatter his seed. The giver of alms also seems to scatter his goods. Yet this deed bears fruit, and bears it more surely than sowing. From sowing there is not always a harvest, but from the sowing of alms there is never crop failure.

"Only goodwill must be placed into it. This disposition is like rain falling in due season upon the sowing. Let each give as much as his heart is disposed to give. Whatever is not according to this measure will be fruitless.

"Not out of grief or necessity. By grief is meant regret over what is given, which is a sign of stinginess. By necessity is meant compulsion, whether from the need to obey or from the common nature of the work.

"The Apostle wants giving to proceed from the heart, like lush grass from rich soil."

According to St. John Chrysostom, "many fear to give alms on the pretext that they themselves may become poor and have to beg alms from others. To dispel this fear, the Apostle entreats God that every grace may abound. He asks God for them neither riches nor excess, but every sufficiency. In spiritual goods, however, he asks abundance for them.

"Time will end, but the fruits of beneficence will remain, and in due season they will be reaped by the benefactor. The Apostle brings in the prophet as counselor (Ps 111:9), finding a testimony that urges generosity. For the word 'he has scattered' means nothing other than generosity in giving. And although what was given is no longer present, the fruits of giving remain forever.

"But even in this age the same prophet gives assurance: I have not seen such a righteous benefactor forsaken, and his seed shall be in blessing" (Ps 36:25-26).

Then, in his prayer, the Apostle asks God that the Corinthians, having received seed for the sowing of alms, may truly use it for this purpose. In this way they would be enriched with the fruits of righteousness. The Apostle desires that their material sufficiency should go together with spiritual progress (Theophan).

In verse 11, according to the explanation of Blessed Theophylact, the Apostle teaches how wealth must be used. "It must not be buried in the ground, but possessed in all simplicity, that is, given away with every generosity." By simplicity here he means generosity, from which almsgiving comes, and which gives occasion for great thanksgiving (Chrysostom).

"Many fear to give alms on the pretext that they themselves may become poor and beg alms from others. Therefore, to dispel this fear, he adds a supplication, saying, 'to make every grace abound toward you.' He does not say merely to fill, but to make abound.

"What then does 'He is able to make grace abound' mean? He is able to enrich you so much that you can abound even amid such generosity, 'so that, always having all sufficiency in all things, you may abound in every good work.'

"See what wisdom there is even in his prayer. He does not ask God for riches for them, nor for excess, but for every sufficiency. And this alone is not what is admirable in him. Especially admirable is that, just as he does not ask God for excess, so he also does not cause them distress.

"Condescending to their weakness, he does not compel them to give from want. He asks for sufficiency, and at the same time shows that God's gifts must not be used for evil: 'that you may abound in every good work.' For this reason, he says, I ask sufficiency for you, so that you may share with others.

"He did not say, 'share,' but, 'that you may abound.' In bodily goods he asks sufficiency for them. In spiritual goods, not only in mercy but in all else, he asks abundance for them. This is what the words mean: 'in every good work.'"