ENCOURAGEMENT ON GIVING For fear that some may probably misunderstand the last chapter as an accusation of the church in Corinth of being mean in giving, the apostle here presents an apology for his zeal in exhorting them to practice that grace (1-5). Then he goes on to give some instructions concerning the well-received gift, and how to practice it. 1- An apology for exhorting them on giving 1 – 5 2- The bountiful giving 6 3- The cheerful giving 7 4- Increase in giving 8 - 10 5- Almsgiving alms and the sacrifice of thanksgiving 11 – 16 1- AN APOLOGY FOR EXHORTING THEM ON GIVING: “Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you” (1) Although the apostle Paul was known for being frank in his writing, whether to individuals or to churches; Yet through love he appeases his listeners and encourages them before revealing their wounds and rebuking them. Here he counts what he has written in His first epistle concerning exhorting them to give, as a sort of superfluity; for they love to give, and understand the importance of giving; so it was unbefitting of him to remind them of this virtue. Yet, while writing to apologize, he encourages them in an indirect way to give with more liberality, and let them feel that they are already doing it, not because of his exhortation, but through their pleasure in giving. In this he follows the lead of his Lord Jesus Christ in His talk to Simon Peter after the resurrection (John 21: 15-17); who Although knowing for sure how much His disciple loves him, yet he repeated three times His question : “Do you love me?”, which although seemingly superfluous, yet it was truly a 254 strong motivation to Peter to resume his shepherding work, full of love. Paul so uttered to gain the Corinthians to his side; As some of their elites, assumed that they were in no need to be exhorted; at least for they did not like to appear as less than others in giving1. (St. John Chrysostom) “For I know your willingness about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago, and your zeal has stirred up the majority” (2) In the last chapter he presented Macedonia as an excellent example in giving; And here he presents Achaia with its capital Corinth, as has already begun, and its zeal has stirred up the hearts of all; Now, having begun with zeal, it is befitting of them to consummate the way. Paul present the Macedonians to the Corinthians, and the Corinthians to the Macedonians, as examples to follow2. (Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus) “Yet I have sent the brethren lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready” (3) The apostle confirms to them that they are the subject of his boasting and cherishing, not only in his depths, but before others as well. Talking to his congregation with all respect and appreciation of their feelings, he cleverly apologizes to them for his seemingly superfluous exhortation on giving; that, while apologizing, he exhorts them more in a sound evangelic way. It is as though he says: I wrote enough about this issue, and you do not need to read more of it. The apostle knew that the whole province of Achaia, and not just Corinth, were ready a year ago to contribute in supporting the poor suffering saints of Jerusalem; and he boasts 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 19: 1. 2 PG 82: 430. 255 of this zeal that stirred up the hearts of many to follow suit, and among them were probably the churches of Macedonia. “Lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you) should be ashamed of this confident boasting” (4) He seems as though apologizing for sending Titus and the others with him for this purpose; Yet, as a reason for sending them he demonstrates that it was high time to deliver their gift abundantly, and in a hurry. As he boasted of their achievement, he feared of delay; Knowing that some Macedonians might accompany him, finding the collection not yet ready, he would appear in shame, as what he boasted of was not true. “Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time and prepare your bountiful gift beforehand, which you have previously promised, that it may be ready as a voluntary gift, and not as extortion” (5) Writing the word “extortion” here, refers to the fact that some Corinthians after collecting in the previous year, claimed that the collection was based on some kind of extortion; Therefore the apostle confirms here that giving, being a blessing to him who gives, he is actually the beneficiary party. And probably the apostle meant that some of those who gave, having given, not with the concept of getting its blessing, gave sparingly and not bountifully. Demanding from them to contribute bountifully and with their complete free will, the apostle says: “that the blessing may be ready, as a voluntary gift, and not as extortion”. He started by what is more cheerful and joyful, referring to the fruit of giving, confirming that it is full of blessing1. Then he adds that it is not an “extortion”; as though he says: Do not think that we take your gift as extortionists, but to 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 19. PG 61: 573. 256 become for you a cause of blessing. For extortion is done against the free will1. (St. John Chrysostom) 2- THE BOUNTIFUL GIVING: “Now, this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly; And he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (6) The Jews used to understand the word “to sow” to mean “to give”; and interpret what came in the book of the prophet Isaiah: “Blessed are you who sow beside all waters” (Isaiah 32: 20), to mean: (blessed are those who are always ready to give help to every needy). To him who shows mercy to his brother, God will show him His mercy. As a matter of principle, No one could reap except what is proportional to what he has sown. “He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”2. Anyway, there is no way more secure for somebody to store a portion of his resources, than to store it in the mouths of the poor3. More clearly, By helping the miserable, we are actually helping ourselves. It is more profitable to distribute our resources more widely; Taking into consideration the future reward, Everything you give to the poor is counted for you as a profit4. As “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly”. So will be he who distribute sparingly will get sparingly; And he who distributes nothing will also get nothing. … Therefore, if we wish to reap a crop of joy, let us then sow now bountifully with our tears5. (Father Valerian) 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 19. PG 61: 573. 2 In 2 Cor. Hom 19. PG 61: 573. 3 Homilies, 13: 7. 4 Homilies,8: 2 (Fra of the Church). 5 Homilies,9: 1 (Fra of the Church). 257 Saying: “Now, this I say: ‘He who sows sparingly …”, By “now” the apostle means to say: As long as we are in the present time, let us hasten with zeal to acquire the gift of the eternal life; As once the world comes to an end, this gift is only given to those who acquired it for themselves by faith before they become able to see it by their own eyes1. (St. Augustine) Let us then sow these good seeds bountifully, so as to reap bountifully in due time; I ask you not to disregard that now is the time to sow; so that, by the time of harvest, we can reap the fruit of what we have sown here, and enjoy the compassion of the Lord2. (St. John Chrysostom) 3- THE CHEERFUL GIVING: “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (7) It is not good enough of man to give bountifully, knowing that what he does is a blessing he will later reap; but he should give according to the law of love, namely, to give as much as possible with joy and the gladness of heart. What he does has to come out of his heart, with his complete free will, and with all his feelings and senses. He should not give grudgingly, nor under outer pressure. And as it came in the book of the prophet Isaiah: “If you extend your soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in draught, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (Isaiah 58: 10-11). The Jews used to have in the temple, two boxes for almsgiving: one called (Shel Chewbah), the box of the necessities, in which man puts what the law commits him to do; And the other called (Shel Nedabah), the box of bountiful giving, in which man 1 Letter, 268. 2 In Gen. Hom., 43: 8. 258 puts, with his complete free will, what is beyond the commitments of the law. Some used to put in the first box just what they are committed by the law, grudgingly and with grief. While others used to put in the second one far beyond that, joyfully, for the sake of their love for God and for the needy. Here, he is not talking about the former category, but about the second one, to say: “Whom God loves”. Through feeling committed, together with the grief of the heart, the first category looses the blessing of the grace of giving, as they see in what they give a loss of their possession; while the second category see in it a burial of their seeds, to produce a far greater crop. While the first category consider their giving as an attempt to appease the wrath of God, the second one see it as a demonstration of exalted love toward God. Their gift is the subject of God’s pleasure, incomparable with any material loss, whatever its value is. When we cheerfully give, we are giving together with our gift, an exulting heart, and will reap a double exultation when we encounter the Groom of our souls on the day of eternal joy. Being an essential issue in the life of a believer, almost all of the fathers of the church spoke of the giving, either directly or indirectly. St. Basil the Great, considering the one mean in giving a thief, says: [Are you not greedy and a money lover, when you keep for yourself what you were entrusted to give to the servants of God? 1]. And St. John Chrysostom says in an essay on “almsgiving”, that God commanded it, not only for the sake of the needy, but also for the sake of its givers. Hence the apostle, not only spoke of fulfilling the needs of the poor, but of the “cheerfulness in giving”, for the benefit of the givers, to enjoy the blessings of the joy in this age, and in the age to come2. 1 St. Basit: De eleemmosyna. PG 31: 1158. 2 Cf. Homily 104: 16 A Sermon on Almsgiving. 259 And Father Maximus, Bishop of Torin says that there is a great difference between him who pays the tax of Caesar grudgingly, and in fear under the commitment of the law, and him who presents alms to Christ, cheerfully and for the sake of the pleasure of heart; The first one pays for fear of punishment; while the second gives in anticipation of the heavenly reward1. 4- INCREASE IN GIVING: “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, have an abundance of every good work” (8) There is no reason for us to lose confidence in the fulfillment of God’s promise concerning almsgiving; He is faithful in his promises, and able to realize them, to provide us with what to satisfy our needs with the abundance of His blessings on us, beside granting us an abundance of every good works. Notice how Paul does not pray for the sake of riches and abundance, but only for what is just enough for the sustenance of life; That is what he prays for the Corinthians, to have “sufficiency in all things” of this world, yet “an abundance of every good work”2. (St. John Chrysostom) “As it is written: ‘He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor, His righteousness endures forever;” (9) That he quotes from (Psalm 112: 9). By saying “dispersed” he means giving outside his own family, the way he gives inside it; sowing in his own land and in other lands. The alms that man gives will go away, whether he presents it or keep it; What endures, is the righteousness that is behind the act of giving. As the things given will go, but their activity will remain, We should not be preoccupied with counting what we have got, but 1 Sermon 71 on Fasting and Almsgiving. 2 In 2 Cor. Hom 19: 2. 260 give bountifully. Thinking about what men give to actors and dancers; Why do not they give half as much to Christ1?! The power of mercy is eternal, incorruptible, and absolutely imperishable. All works are mortal, but the fruit of mercy will endure, and will not be affected by the factor of time … The passing of days will not wipe them out, nor death will be able to destroy them, but they will be secure until they reach the tranquil haven. Quenching the thirst of someone for Christ is far greater than raising the dead in His name. By doing the former thing, you do good to Christ; whereas by consummating the later, Christ would do you good. The reward is for him who does good, not for him who received it from another. By performing miracles, you would be indebted to God, While by doing an act of mercy, God will be indebted to you. The act of mercy is probably consummated when you do it readily and bountifully, not expecting a reward nor thanks; As by it you get a grace for ourselves2. (St. John Chrysostom) “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness” (10) The apostle raises a prayer to God to support them to present more seeds, namely to open their hearts more to almsgiving, to reap more. God supplies seeds to the sower, and multiplies the seeds sown to give more fruits. The word “supplies” (epichoreegoon), came to mean also (guides); as God guides the soul toward giving as is befitting, and in the proper time; and provides it with a rich crop of graces and blessings, and of the righteousness of God. 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 19: 13. .133 ، 2 المط ا رن أبیفانیوس: الأمالي الذهبیة منمقالات لأبینا الجلیل في القدیسین یوحنا ذهبي الفم، 1972 ، ص 15 261 In the book of Hosea, as God proclaims His betrothal to the soul, He responds to her demands, and heaven and earth responds as well: “The earth shall answer with grain , with new wine, and with oil; They shall answer Jezreel. Then I will sow her for myself in the earth” (Hosea 2: 22, 23). If God rewards those who sow the soil of the earth with an abundance of crop, How much more would He reward those who sow the soil of heaven through caring for the soul1? (St. John Chrysostom) 5- ALMSGIVING AND THE SACRIFICE OF THANKSGIVING: “While you are enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving through us to God” (11) That is how God enriches the soul that covets almsgiving, and practices it with joy as much as it can; He enriches it to flow with an abundance of thanksgiving to Him. The soul that rejoices in almsgiving, will come to be an icon of Christ, to bear an abundance of His righteousness, and to share with Him the nature of thanksgiving. While being enriched in everything, you give with (openhandedness), to present thanks to God … God allowed us to manage the great things, and left the lesser things for himself. He is the One to care for the sustenance of the body; through controlling the rain and the seasons of the year. Whereas He left the spiritual supply to our charge; as by our own free will, we can decide to have or not to have an abundant crop2. (St. John Chrysostom) “For the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also overflows with many thanksgiving to God” (12) 1 In 2 Cor. Hom 20: 1. 2 In 2 Cor. Hom 20: 1. 262 As the poor saints find what fulfill their needs; the giver, understanding that the favor of this fulfillment is not referred to him but to God, will rejoice and give thanks to God. Paul refers to that giving to the poor is not a subject of fulfilling their urgent needs but has other results, and leads to diverse blessings1. (Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus) “While, through the testing of this ministry, you glorify God by your obedience to the confession to the gospel of Christ, and by the generosity of your sharing with them and all others” (13) The apostle commends the poor saints because they, despite their own poverty, give thanks for the sake of the blessings given to the givers. Although it is only natural for the poor to be envious, yet those people are so free of this evil tendency, that they rejoice for the sake of the blessings given to others2. (St. John Chrysostom) The Corinthians will reap the benefit of the prayers of the poor, which are the produce of great love3. (Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus) The apostle enumerates the benefits of this joyful giving as: 1- Fulfilling the needs of the needy saints. 2- Gladness of the heart for the work of God, that the giver offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Lord. 3- A feeling of obedience, and a joyful submission to the evangelic commandment. 4-The hearts of the receivers of this gift glorify God for the sake of the givers, for being evangelic by faith as well as by work; or for being faithful in their faith. 1 PG 82: 431. 2 In 2 Cor. Hom. 20: 2. 3 PG 82: 434. 263 5- The hearts of the receivers of this gift pray to the Lord for the sake of the givers. “While they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that He has given to you” (14) In the issue of almsgiving, the apostle concentrates on the “grace of God”. As the giving in itself is a divine grace, by which God opens up the heart by love to give with generosity. It is the grace that presents the seeds of giving, and also gives the harvest, as the reaper enjoys the righteousness of Christ; And works, as well, in the hearts of the receivers of the gift to give thanks to God, and praise Him for His grace that works in the Givers, and pray to Him to grant them an abundance of divine graces. “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (15) The apostle Paul gives thanks to God for His indescribable gift given to believers. Some interpret this gift as the grace that grants the heart the joy of liberal giving; While others interpret it as the Lord Christ Himself who dwells in the heart to make it an icon for Him, and let it find pleasure in the practical love and the giving with generosity and joy. The Lord Christ is the Gift of the Father, or the Gift of love enjoyed by the believers, that the angels covet to behold. It is a custom of Paul to praise God every time he explains some divine ordinance or another1. (Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus) 1 PG 82: 434. 264 AN INSPIRATION FROM 2 CORINTHIANS 9 LET ME SOWBLESSINGS TO REAP BLESSINGS Grant me the humility to get filled with zeal. To follow the lead of my brethren, and to have the spirit of giving. To have no shame for imitating them, as we are together members of the same body. Grant my mind, my heart, and my will the readiness to give. The day is the day of my salvation, and the time is that of acceptance. To acquire my eternity by the practical love; To hasten in zeal, believing in You, Who desires to give bountifully without measure. Grant me the spirit of giving to my brethren, to enjoy Your giving Yourself to me. To give my love together with my gift; while You give me Yourself, together with Your glory, as a free gift. Support me with Your grace, to sow goodness before the times passes by. When shall I cross over, and reap, by your amazing love, the blessing of Your glories. Grant me to present a flaring heart, exulted by giving. I am not presenting a committed gift for fear of the law. But I am presenting an exulted heart, anticipating to encounter you. By joy, I give to my beloved brethren And You pay my pleasure back with a greater pleasure, when I share with the heavenlies their exultation. Let my heart become wider with love, and let my hands stretch open with giving. For all what I possess will come to an end; But the love I acquire will remain with me forever.
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