2 Corinthians 9:6, commentary and pictures

Giving works by the law of sowing and reaping, so that the harvest is proportionate to what is sown, with sparing sowing reaping sparingly and bountiful sowing reaping bountifully. It was spoken in Paul's appeal for the Corinthians to give generously for the poor saints at Jerusalem, not grudgingly or for self, with zeal kindled by the example of the Macedonian churches who gave from fewer advantages. Each person is to purpose in the heart what to give and then give willingly and cheerfully, without reluctance or compulsion, in proportion to means and ability. God is able to make all grace abound to such givers, supplying seed to the sower and bread for food, multiplying the seed sown and increasing its fruits so there is always sufficiency to abound in every good work. The harvest both supplies the needs of fellow believers unto thanksgiving and glory to God, and lays up treasure in heaven unto eternal life and an exceeding weight of glory.

Meaning and Setting

Giving operates under the law of sowing and reaping, so that whoever sows sparingly reaps sparingly and whoever sows bountifully reaps bountifully, with the harvest proportionate to the gift. This concerns giving to meet the needs of others and of fellow believers, and it is applied as a lesson in Christian liberality and liberal support of God's work even beyond one's own field. Generosity is to come from the heart, with each deciding in the heart what to give and giving willingly and joyfully rather than reluctantly or under pressure, because God loves a cheerful giver. Imparting does not tend to poverty, for God supplies what is needed so people can continue doing good, making all grace abound to give full sufficiency in all things so givers may abound to every good work, and such generosity leads to thanksgiving and glory to God.

The verse belongs to Paul's appeal to the brethren at Corinth to make contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem, urging generous giving rather than a grudging or self-serving gift. He laid no command on them but set before them the need of the church at Jerusalem and the giving of others, kindling their zeal and stirring them to benevolent action by presenting the example of the churches in Macedonia who had fewer advantages and less ability. Every converted soul who appreciates God's rich endowment will show great benevolence, for character cannot be complete unless benevolence is expressed in returning to God His due by sustaining every good work, revealing the power of truth by counterworking selfishness and self-indulgence, and making returns to God of fruit from His vineyard. Liberality that advances the kingdom is the very best evidence of sincerity of faith, with love expressed in tangible deeds.

Sowing beside all waters means continually imparting the gifts received from God and faithfully using the means entrusted in God's service, doing the duty and work at hand and making any required sacrifice cheerfully. It is ministering the truths of the gospel in word and deed in the simplicity of Christ, by talking the truth and praying the truth and by giving as purposed in the heart, not grudgingly or of necessity but as a cheerful giver. Sowing bountifully in this way requires the light of heaven shining into the heart and the grace of God constantly imparted, and God responds by enriching the sower in every good work and causing the righteousness of one who has dispersed abroad and given to the poor to remain forever. Generous giving and cheerful sacrifice in advancing the truth and helping others therefore bring a correspondingly abundant harvest.

Sowing includes substance and money together with labor for the salvation of others, and the principle applies to spiritual gifts as well as material help, with generosity bringing thanksgiving to God. It includes the light of truth God has given, and living up to that light brings more and increased light, while God bestows His goods and resources and expects corresponding returns from every individual. Because Jesus is soon coming, those who have received the light of truth and the heavenly gift have solemn obligation to let it shine to others in darkness and to impart it, and no one will be approved who waits in idle expectancy dwelling on the doctrine of His second coming while doing little to share. Those who give and labor only sparingly for saving souls should not expect a full harvest, while those who give and labor bountifully may expect a bountiful harvest. Every laborer sows seed in the fields of life and the harvest matches the seed, so that sowing distrust, envy, jealousy, self-love, and bitterness of thought and feeling reaps bitterness to one's own soul, while manifesting kindness, love, and tender thought for others brings the same in return; even a cup of cold water shows that small acts of kindness reflect a sympathetic heart loving God and others that would give more with greater means.

Manner of Giving

The harvest follows the sowing in giving, so small giving brings a small return and generous giving brings a large return, for giving follows the law of sowing and reaping. Each person is to decide in the heart what to give and to give willingly and joyfully and freely and cheerfully, not reluctantly or grudgingly or under pressure or compulsion or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. God is able to make all grace abound to give full sufficiency in all things so that givers may abound to every good work, supplying both the seed to sow and the increase. He disperses abroad and gives to the poor in a righteousness that remains forever, ministering seed to the sower and bread for food, multiplying the seed sown and increasing the fruits of righteousness and enriching believers in everything to all bountifulness that causes thanksgiving to God. Such giving meets the needs of fellow believers and leads to thanksgiving and praise to God and displays submission to the gospel.

Giving is to be decided in the heart and offered willingly rather than grudgingly or under compulsion, with self-denial and self-sacrifice as part of discipleship. Giving is to be proportionate to means and ability, according to what a person has, so that even those with little and those without money can give through self-denial. A small gift offered to God can be blessed to produce surprising results, for resources that seem too small can be multiplied by Christ to serve many. The poor believers in Rockhampton showed this principle in practice by giving generously from little to help the school that was crowded with students and in debt. Even children may take part, for a small child's offering can go far when God blesses it, and giving to build a house of worship supplies a need received with gratitude as an answer to prayer, where the abundance of some supplies the need of others so there is equality.

True sowing requires doing one's best in good works that show faith and self-denial in daily life, with genuine self-denial marking all who truly follow Christ, for no selfish person is a Christian. When the needs of the work are shown, self-denial leads to offerings for proclaiming the message and for supporting the proclamation of present truth. Giving generously to relieve suffering belongs to serving Christ and springs from faith working through love and freedom from selfishness, bringing a valuable spiritual experience even when means are limited and self-denial is required. It calls for economy and freedom from covetousness and self-indulgence, practicing love and kindness. Such giving also deepens the giver's interest in the work, so the act is a double blessing.

Liberality is a grace the Holy Spirit works in the heart and one of His directions, coming only by sanctification of the Spirit through the Word and standing as a miracle of grace before believers and unbelievers. Withholding gifts and offerings that belong to God brings spiritual loss, because the Lord cannot reward a stinted offering, and His people are called to honor Him with substance and with the firstfruits of all increase. Bountiful unselfish liberality that supplies God's treasury and the needy brings wonderful blessing and throws the church into a transport of joy, because the power of God is borne to the needy and thanksgiving is caused and it testifies that grace has not been received in vain. As believers share the grace they have received, they receive grace more abundantly, and God makes all grace abound so givers always have all sufficiency and are enriched to abound in every good work and in all bountifulness.

Bountiful sowing is doing good works of kindness and love in relieving the poor and the oppressed and the destitute and the suffering in soul and body. It expresses kindness and love, deepens love to God in the giver's heart, and awakens thanks and praise in the hearts of the needy that flows back to God, joined by angels in songs of praise that glorify God for subjection to the gospel and for liberal distribution to them and to all. Christ dwelling in the heart produces overflowing generosity toward the needy, especially in providing homes and support for orphans and in caring for poor and vulnerable people who truly lack food or clothing, for neglecting them brings no blessing. True bountiful sowing includes personal attention and help to relieve suffering and break every yoke of oppression that comes to notice, and withholding that help while claiming zeal for the cause misrepresents the character of Christ and never justifies neglect toward brethren.

To sow sparingly is to give little with a grudging disposition, enclosing the soul in selfishness and self-caring, indulging self and neglecting those for whom Christ gave His life. Money and means devoted to Christ's service is sowing, and the measure given decides the outcome. Such sparing sowing saps spirituality and leaves the soul dry and sapless like a fruitless tree and a spiritual dwarf, and is charged as indifference to Christ in the person of His suffering saints. That sparing, grudging giving is the aim for those looking for Christ's second appearing and keeping all the commandments, worked by making possessors of lands and money drunk with cares and presenting the world in the most attractive light. It leads them to love and idolize the world and to care more for money than for the success of Christ's kingdom and the spread of truth, keeping means in its own ranks, hindering meetings in different places, destroying love for one another, discouraging ministers and driving them to want and distress through control of money, and making covetousness and love of earthly treasures the ruling character, so that as long as those traits rule salvation and grace stand back and their influence does not lead others to heaven.

Every member of the church is tested and proved in giving. Each one is given sacred responsibility as a free moral agent to be connected with Christ and to labor earnestly and cheerfully together with God, growing more intelligent in that work. By practice each must learn to pray with the whole soul in petitions and to learn through self-denial to present gifts and offerings willingly to God. No one is to consume everything gained in selfish indulgence and have nothing to present to God to show continual receiving of heaven's gifts, but the Christian constantly imparts what is bestowed upon him, for true religion is imitation of Christ.

God's Supply and Promise

Though giving is a duty to be performed for its own sake out of compassion for fallen humanity, God accompanies His commands with promises and encourages giving by declaring that His returns will be proportionate to gifts. He calls His people to prove Him, and rewards obedience and generosity with blessings, even the richest blessings.

God is able to make all grace abound so that givers always have all sufficiency in all things to abound in every good work. He supplies both seed to the sower and bread for food, multiplies the seed sown, increases the fruits of righteousness, and enriches givers in everything to all bountifulness. The harvest follows the sowing, so small giving brings a small return and generous giving brings a large return, and willing generosity with resources and labor for salvation as well as spiritual gifts brings thanksgiving and praise to God. Even when resources given to meet others' needs seem too small, Christ can multiply them and God supplies what is needed so people can give freely and do good and see a small gift serve many.

Imparting blessings does not tend to poverty, because by imparting the giver increases blessing and God provides enough to continue giving. Giving wherever the cause of God or the needs of humanity call for help multiplies blessing by casting it away, as shown when placed in Christ's hands the five small barley loaves sufficed to feed the multitude. Distributing temporal blessings also awakens gratitude and thanksgiving in those who receive, preparing the soil of the heart to receive spiritual truth so that sown seed germinates and bears fruit unto eternal life.

Property, means, health, tact, skill and advantages are a trust from God to be used generously for others to advance truth and save souls and supply the wants of the saints, and He expects corresponding returns from every individual and requires an account. Acknowledging God as the Giver brings watchfulness to make wise investments with an eye single to His glory, with Christian principle rather than the world's habits or personal inclination ruling expenditure for the greatest benefit and usefulness to fellow men. Possession of means tests character, and everyone is responsible to give according to what has been received, with those blessed with more wealth expected to give bountiful gifts to help God's work in places near and far. The sowing includes substance and the light of truth, and living up to that light brings more and increased light, while no one who waits in idle expectancy dwelling on the doctrine of Christ's soon coming while doing little to share will be approved.

God bestows success and prosperity in proportion to unselfish liberality, and institutions prosper as by His help they share their abundance generously with those who are struggling.

Harvest That Follows

The harvest of generous giving first meets the wants of fellow believers and the needs of the saints, and from that supply rises thanksgiving and praise and glory to God. That thanksgiving displays submission to the gospel, liberal distribution to the needy and to all, and prayers for those through whom exceeding grace has come. Bountiful sowing is doing good works of kindness and love in relieving the poor and the oppressed, and its return is sparing for sparing sowing and bountiful for bountiful sowing, decided in the heart and given freely and cheerfully and not grudgingly or under compulsion. God supplies all grace and sufficiency for every good work, giving seed to the sower and bread for food, multiplying the sown seed and increasing the fruits of righteousness and enriching givers in everything to all bountifulness, with a righteousness in scattering gifts to the poor that remains forever. The awakened thanks and praise of the needy flow back to God, joined by angels in songs of praise for subjection to the gospel of Christ and for liberal distribution.

Distributing temporal blessings where the cause of God or the needs of humanity call does not tend to poverty, for by imparting the giver multiplies blessing and by casting it away increases it as God keeps supplying sufficiency for continued giving. That generosity awakens gratitude and thanksgiving in those who receive, preparing the soil of the heart to receive spiritual truth. God then causes the sown seed to germinate and bear fruit unto eternal life and life everlasting, bringing others to faith who in turn contribute to the work, even through regular self-denying gifts and small sums saved each week to support gospel ministry.

The giver’s own harvest is deepened love to God and increased love for the truth, with character uplifted and strengthened. Giving what is entrusted to advance the truth when the cause and work need help provides a fund to sustain its different branches, and the deed lives in heaven’s record to bring reward in the future eternal world. Denying self to support the proclamation of present truth deepens interest in the work, so the act is a double blessing, and generous relief of suffering from faith working through love brings a valuable spiritual experience and a transport of joy even when self-denial is required and means are limited.

The present probationary time, given through infinite mercy, is sowing time for a future eternal harvest, with reaping matching sowing and treasure laid up beforehand in heaven. Bountiful sowing makes calling and election sure and brings a bright crown of eternal rejoicing, possession of the rich inheritance, and a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while sparing sowing and sparing investment defrauds self and dims that crown. Property and temporal talents are a trust lent by God to be used generously and wisely for His glory, to advance truth and save souls, with hearts searched, love of possessions and accumulation of earthly riches put away, and ears quick to hear the Master’s call in His saints and in the wants of His cause. Even when times are very hard and money very scarce and all are poor and unable to do large things, now is still the time to learn economy, practice self-denial, and give with cheerful gratitude, investing gladly in the enterprise of Christianity while opportunity lasts.

The same law governs work and the use of God-given abilities and practical labor, where harvest corresponds to sowing and labor. God supplies what is needed for growth, the seed and the soil and the sun and the rain and the means, but people must plow and sow and labor rather than neglect work and expect a miracle to make up for it. Prayer is no substitute for doing that appointed work, and where sowing is neglected the field is barren at harvest with no grain to reap and no sheaves to gather. Faithful use of abilities in the school’s work brings the greatest returns from seed-sowing, with increasing wisdom and knowledge and abundant food both temporal and spiritual for students trained as Christian workers.

Those who sow seeds of careless pleasure and selfish plans while refusing the guidance of God’s Word will not reap a harvest they care to receive. Selfish withholding of help from a neighbor from fear of advantaging others so as to disadvantage self deprives the needy and at the same time disadvantages and deprives the withholder of good and shuts away God’s blessing, and selfishness does not profit in the end. God marks every act, whether little cheerful self-denial and care for the welfare of others or acts from selfish desires, and renders to each according to works, with sparing doing for others bringing a correspondingly small harvest and generous selfless action bringing a greater one. Even a cup of cold water counts, for a small act of kindness reflects a sympathetic heart loving God and others that would give more if given greater means and opportunity.

Work and Warning

The law of sowing and reaping calls for liberal support of God's cause, gospel ministry, and missionary work in unworked fields, including sending workers where there is no support and giving offerings beyond tithes. Ministers are to teach this plainly, and when the Spirit shows the needs of the work believers are to deny self and give offerings for proclaiming present truth, which deepens their interest so that giving is a double blessing. Faithful, cheerful labor with entrusted means yields a corresponding harvest and glorifies God, whose glory becomes the reward.

The same sowing governs care for the poor, orphans, the dependent and destitute, the infirm and aged, helpless families with many children, and neglected colored communities. Wealthy resources are to be drawn upon, the healthy are to help the weak, and Christmas and New Year offerings and gifts through self-denial boxes are to supply the treasury and aid institutions for the helpless, bringing blessing on givers and glory to God. Christ dwelling in the heart produces overflowing generosity toward the needy, including providing homes and support for orphans, and a blessing follows gifts made to the Master. Yet no able-bodied person who can earn a livelihood has a right to live on the produce of others.

Prosperous churches, institutions, and conferences are to aid poorer churches burdened by debt and to sustain interests in other fields rather than centering too much at home. Those bearing responsibility in a prosperous institution who withhold help from places where the work is less prosperous reap sparingly, while those who liberally encourage and sustain other branches reap bountifully, supplying the saints' wants unto thanksgiving and glory to God. Resources and advantages are to be shared unselfishly with another field, and profits designated for the destitute Southern field but diverted elsewhere must be restored to their appointed use.

Building and paying for houses of worship belongs to bountiful sowing, where even those with little means can give generously in proportion to what they have and be blessed. Gifts large or small according to ability for the Washington church bring rich blessing, for means is a talent lent by the Lord to be used wisely in self-denial and cross-lifting rather than selfish pleasure. If every believer gives what can be given, every penny helping, the indebtedness will soon be paid with amounts scarcely missed, bringing harmony with the beneficent purposes of the gospel, God's blessing, and ever after a deeper interest in the cause in Washington.

Schools heavily in debt, crowded with students and needing more buildings, call all to do what they can in donations. Even poor believers may give as much as fifty pounds, as the poor believers in Rockhampton showed by giving generously from little to help the school.

Withholding tithes and offerings that belong to God brings spiritual loss, for the Lord cannot reward a stinted offering, and liberality is a direction of the Holy Spirit. Unfaithfulness is met by withdrawn blessing, sometimes by income reduced to the amount one is willing to give, by failed crops, and by loss of horses, houses, and barns by fire to open eyes blinded by selfishness. So a conference that withheld promised funds had its crops cut down in proportion to its withholding, while covetous, grudging giving weakens ministers and hinders the spread of truth. Followers of Christ are to dedicate themselves and their property anew and measure grateful offerings by Christ leaving the royal courts to suffer and die and by God's gift of His dear Son.

Sparing, grudging giving is Satan's aim for commandment-keepers looking for Christ's soon coming. He works by making possessors of lands and money drunk with cares, presenting the world in the most attractive light, leading them to love and idolize it and to care more for money than for the kingdom and the spread of hated truth. He thus keeps means in his own ranks, hinders meetings in different places, destroys love for one another, discourages ministers and drives them to want and distress through control of money, making covetousness and love of earthly treasure the ruling character so that salvation and grace stand back and influence does not lead others to heaven.

Selfish withholding from a neighbor out of fear of disadvantaging self deprives the needy of advantages and at the same time disadvantages the withholder, deprives him of good, and shuts away God's blessing, and it does not profit in the end, for God marks every act and renders to each according to works. To enclose the soul in selfishness and self-caring, to indulge self and neglect those for whom Christ died, saps spirituality and leaves the soul dry and sapless like a fruitless tree and a spiritual dwarf, charged as indifference to Christ in the person of His suffering saints. A religion built on selfishness is worthless, while the Lord does not forget labors of love and self-denial, and even when times are hard and money scarce all are to practice economy and give with cheerful gratitude, for now is sowing time and reaping is future treasure laid up in heaven.

When many are ready by self-denial and self-sacrifice to supply a need, meeting it by large donations from elsewhere deprives them of the blessing they would have received by sowing bountifully themselves. Regular self-denying gifts, even small sums saved each week, and giving money to the treasury instead of spending it on needless trinkets and indulgences, with eyes fixed on Calvary, keep the cause in healthful condition and support gospel ministry that brings others to faith who in turn contribute.

Setting free the Colorado Sanitarium from heavy debt, where increasing income barely pays interest, is a most excellent work now required so that, freed from handicap, it can do its appointed and exceedingly important work and bless the world. This is to be done by advertising it and recommending the sick to patronize the conference institution where they can be healed physically and in soul, since larger patronage gives greater financial ability for its noble work. Large freewill gifts to God's work are a fruitful sacrifice, while reliance on large loans can bring future financial difficulty.