2 Corinthians 9:5
Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
Paul urged Corinth to have its promised gift for the poor believers at Jerusalem ready beforehand through brethren sent ahead, with zeal stirred by the Macedonian churches who gave beyond their means. It must stand ready as generous bounty, not as grudging, reluctant, pressured or covetous giving. Such giving returns means entrusted by God, to be offered willingly, cheerfully, liberally and purposed in the heart in response to Christ's grace and with watchfulness to use all for His glory and the good of others. It calls for self-denial and self-sacrifice, turning wasteful spending into treasure for God, with the promise that generous sowing reaps generously and God supplies all sufficiency to abound in every good work. So it applies to proclaiming present truth with practical help to the poor, to building houses of worship, to freeing schools and institutions from debt, and to sustaining needy mission fields.
Context and Meaning
Paul urged the believers at Corinth to get ready a relief gift for the poor saints at Jerusalem, sending brethren on ahead so that what had been promised would actually be prepared and waiting. The purpose of sending them in advance was to have the pledged generosity made up beforehand, so it would stand ready when needed. To stir them to benevolent action and kindle their zeal, the example of the churches in Macedonia was held up before them. Those Macedonian believers gave beyond their means, and their liberality calls later believers not to withhold needed funds from fields that need help.
What was promised was to be completed ahead of time as a matter of bounty, a generous offering rather than a grudging, reluctant, pressured, needful, or covetous one. Advance preparation itself belongs to willing and liberal giving, for the gift is to be purposed in the heart and given cheerfully, since the Lord loves a cheerful giver. That means offerings for God's work are to be prepared willingly and in advance, not neglected and not forced out grudgingly. The same prepared bounty is part of a continual imparting of what God has entrusted, using property and money to advance the saving of souls.
The verse stands within Paul's instruction on giving in chapters 8 and 9, teaching how offerings for the work are to be prepared. That chapter is commended as able to inspire liberality, moving readers to give willingly and cheerfully from means entrusted by God. When the Spirit awakens people to the needs of the work, they deny self and give willingly, so that their gifts can support the proclamation of the message for the present time. Self-denial and self-sacrifice in giving are thus taught there as the way blessing comes to God's people.
Generous Willing Stewardship
Giving uses means entrusted by God to advance His work, returning to Him what He entrusted through gifts that carry out the saving of souls, and keeping a pledge to His cause is part of making the promised bounty ready beforehand as generous bounty and not grudgingly or from covetousness. The chapter to which the verse belongs is commended for inspiring liberality, calling for willing and cheerful giving to the Lord's work from what God entrusted. Acknowledging God as the Giver to whom account must be given brings watchfulness to make wise investments in the expenditure of means with an eye single to His glory, so that His entrusted gifts become just what He designed them to be, a blessing to the needy. Thus the will is brought into conformity to the will of God, the world with its habits, practices, and customs is not made the standard, personal inclination does not lead to extravagance in outlay, and Christian principles are followed so that spending is of greatest benefit and usefulness to fellow men.
Such giving is to be willing, liberal, cheerful, and purposed in the heart, prepared in advance so it is ready as a generous offering rather than a grudging, reluctant, or covetous one. It is a grace inspired by the Holy Spirit and a response to Christ's grace, awakening people to the needs of the work so they deny self and give willingly to support the proclamation of the message for the present time. It is part of sowing beside all waters by a continual imparting of gifts received from God, not grudgingly or of necessity, because the Lord loves a cheerful giver. God is able to make all grace abound so that, always having all sufficiency in all things, His people may abound to every good work, ministering the truths of the gospel in word and deed in the simplicity of Christ, talking the truth and praying the truth, and He will enrich them in every good work.
The verse calls for self-denial and self-sacrifice so that blessings may come to God's people. Money wasted on selfish gratification is to be placed in God's treasury, with the gift prepared beforehand so it is ready and freely given as a generous offering rather than grudgingly or from covetousness. When God's Spirit awakens people to the needs of the work they deny self and give willingly, and offerings prepared willingly and in advance become a generous gift supporting the proclamation of present truth.
Generous giving is linked with reaping generously and laying up treasure in heaven, and with receiving blessing rather than feeling loss except as the blessing of God is received. He who has dispersed abroad and has given to the poor has a righteousness that remains forever, and those who give are enriched as God makes all grace abound toward them for every good work.
Applications to Present Work
The verse belongs to the instruction about preparing offerings for the work, so that when the Spirit awakens people to the needs of the work they deny self and give willingly to support the proclamation of the message for the present time. Offerings are to be prepared willingly and in advance, as a generous gift rather than something given grudgingly, and such giving is joined to self-denial and to supporting present truth. The bounty is to be made ready beforehand as a matter of bounty, giving purposed in the heart and not grudgingly or of necessity, because the Lord loves a cheerful giver. God is able to make all grace abound so that, always having all sufficiency in all things, His people may abound to every good work, ministering the truths of the gospel in word and deed in the simplicity of Christ, talking the truth and praying the truth, and He will enrich them in every good work, for he who has dispersed abroad and has given to the poor has a righteousness that remains forever. Christian service includes practical help for people in need, and giving to the poor, widows, and fatherless through money, food, and clothing meets temporal needs as generous service to God alongside preaching.
The same rule of a gift prepared beforehand and given freely as generosity, not grudgingly or under pressure, applies to building a meetinghouse. People gave willingly according to their means, and those who gave in poverty were generous. A promised gift should be prepared in advance so it is ready when needed, and given willingly and generously rather than grudgingly or from covetousness, as seen in a timely donation that helped provide materials for building a house of worship.
The verse applies to present efforts to raise means for a school heavily in debt and greatly crowded, needing donations and still other buildings to accommodate students. All are to do what they can in behalf of the school, and obedience is seen when even poor believers give freely, as in donations amounting to fifty pounds. It likewise shows how to assist those in need by lifting debt from institutions in Scandinavia so they may stand in freedom. Everyone is called to do something willingly and beforehand, as a matter of bounty, with the assurance that givers will not feel the gift except as they receive the blessing of God.
The verse is part of the example to study and heed when deciding how to serve the Southern field, pointing to making a willing, prepared contribution rather than neglecting the work or giving grudgingly. It belongs to the instruction on giving for God's work in Washington, where offerings prepared willingly and in advance support the proclamation of present truth through self-denial. The chapter teaches a liberal spirit in giving to support the work in fields that need help, linked with the Macedonians' example of giving beyond their means, which calls believers not to withhold needed funds from mission work.