2 Corinthians 8:22, commentary and pictures

Paul sent another proven brother with Titus and the brother praised in the gospel to Corinth to help arrange the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem. He had often been proved diligent in many things and was now much more diligent upon great confidence in the Corinthians, and was trusted to help carry the offering so its handling would be above reproach before God and people. The verse belongs to the teaching on liberality in 2 Corinthians 8-9, centered on the generous giving of the Macedonian churches in affliction and poverty, which is to be read, studied and kept ever before believers as the Lord's directions on devoting means and selves to God. It teaches self-denial and willing giving to power and beyond power, with believers bringing offerings and praying to be allowed to give, even those in deep poverty and straightened circumstances with large families dependent on daily labor. When God by His Spirit stirs His people to see the necessities of the work aright, they deny self and give liberally of entrusted means so gifts flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message, and those who show such benevolence are blessed even when the amount is small, for as they impart they receive and God gives to them that they may give to others.

Brother Sent to Corinth

Paul sent another brother with Titus and the brother praised in the gospel to Corinth to help with the collection for the poor saints in Jerusalem as part of arranging the fellowship of ministering to the saints. That appeal for contributions is supported by pointing to the generous giving of the Macedonian churches despite affliction and poverty.

The brother sent had oftentimes been proved diligent in many things and was now much more diligent upon the great confidence in the Corinthians. His diligence had been tested often in many matters and was now greater still, strengthened by that confidence. He was trusted to help carry the contribution so that its handling would be above reproach before God and people. He stands as an example of proven, diligent, faithful service to be kept in mind when doing work for the Southern field.

Call to Liberal Giving

2 Corinthians 8:22 stands in the teaching on liberality in 2 Corinthians 8-9, centered on the generous giving of the Macedonian churches despite affliction and poverty. That teaching is to be read in the churches and studied, heeded and kept ever before believers as a message from God and a counsellor giving the Lord's directions on devoting means and selves to God and on sowing and giving. It calls for self-denial and willing giving to power and beyond power, with believers bringing offerings and praying with much entreaty to be allowed to give. When God by His Spirit stirs the hearts of His people to see the necessities of the work in a correct light, they deny self and meet pressing emergencies that arise in aggressive warfare by giving liberally of entrusted means, so gifts flow into the treasury for the proclamation of the message for this time.

Those who show such a spirit of benevolence and liberality are blessed by the Lord even when the amount is small. For as they impart they receive and God gives to them that they may give to others, God is glorified in them, and the glory of the Lord is their rereward. Even those with large families dependent on daily labor, in deep poverty and in hard and trying times and straightened circumstances, are to give in this way for the work of God, such as erecting a house where believers can assemble to worship God. Believers are to study the Macedonians who gave beyond their power and emulate that liberal spirit by supplying financial help for advance moves in foreign fields and unworked fields instead of withholding needed funds from selfish motives, including in particular helping to lift the debt of the institutions in Scandinavia.

Those laboring for a hard, destitute field must keep these lessons ever before them, recognizing that the design for supplying means originates with God and the facilities are His from His treasury. So all profits and means appointed for bettering its condition must be faithfully used there and not diverted to fields with much better advantages. Doing scarcely anything there is no excuse and practicing deception with designated means displeases the Lord, increases wrong after light and warning, will be met in the judgment and requires restitution of diverted means, and God will reward according to the measure of neglect of His purposes and specified methods.