2 Corinthians 9:7, commentary and pictures

Every person is to give according to what has been purposed and decided in the heart, willingly and cheerfully and not reluctantly or grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. God compels no one to give but leaves each one free as a moral agent to purpose what to give, whether much or little, and only willing freewill offerings please Him, while what is given grudgingly or merely of necessity has no worth and is better not given at all. The value of a gift is decided by the purpose of the heart and the gratitude and love that prompt it and not by its amount, and giving is measured by what each can give as God has prospered them, so even the small sacrificial gifts of the poor may be more pleasing than large gifts from abundance. Generous willing giving is sowing bountifully that brings a bountiful harvest, for God is able to give full sufficiency, supply and multiply what is sown, enrich givers unto all liberality, meet the needs of the saints, and awaken thanksgiving and glory to God. Such giving is a willing return of what God has entrusted as Owner and Source of all, following Christ who voluntarily became poor that we might become rich, and it expresses faith working by love and a heart purified from selfishness.

Words and Original Setting

Every person is to give according to what has been purposed or decided in the heart, willingly and cheerfully rather than reluctantly or grudgingly or under compulsion or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. Giving is to follow inner decision with glad willingness and joyful freedom, not with reluctance and not as something forced. What God loves is the cheerful giver whose offering expresses such willing purpose.

The verse belongs to 2 Corinthians 9:6-15, which forms one connected subject for thought. In its original setting it belongs to Paul's appeal to the brethren at Corinth to make a contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem. He sought to kindle their zeal and stir them to benevolent action by presenting the example of the churches in Macedonia.

In that setting of aid for poor believers, generous giving is presented as Christian service that brings blessing and supports good works. Of necessity means not feeling that one is compelled to give.

Voluntary Freewill Giving

God compels no one to give of substance but reveals requirements in His Word and leaves each person free as a moral agent to purpose in the heart what to give, whether much or little, not grudgingly or as if forced. Under systematic benevolence the work rests equally on all according to ability, with each acting as own assessor and deciding for self what to give, and this sharing by every person is moral discipline in cooperating with God. He could supply everything needed for religious service by miracle as He supplied bread in the wilderness, yet He requires this free decision for character development. Christ and angels watch this development and weigh moral worth, with each decision faithfully recorded, while the Lord bears long as truth cuts off one idol after another until He reigns supreme in consecrated hearts.

Giving to God must be purely voluntary freewill offerings, not forced supplies and not drawn out even by eloquent appeals designed to excite sympathy, because He is not pleased to have His treasury so filled and is not pleased by offerings given unwillingly. Even dire and pressing necessity, including for missionary work in Australia, does not make a grudging gift acceptable, and such a gift has no worth and should not be given at all. The plan of redemption was entirely voluntary on Christ's part, and it is His purpose that all benevolence be the same. Loyal hearts rejoicing in saving truth for this time will through love and gratitude be earnest and anxious to help with means in sending truth to others, and the very best way to express love for the Redeemer is to make offerings to bring souls to knowledge of the truth.

This principle applies to tithing as well as other gifts, with everyone rich and poor including parents and children to set aside God's portion first in view of His goodness. Tithe and other gifts express gratitude for mercies and blessings, while regular giving cultivates generosity and counters selfishness. Giving beyond the tithe is voluntary according to what is purposed in the heart, with freedom to decide how much to give beyond that claim. Yet when the Spirit moves the heart and a specific amount is vowed to God, that consecrated portion is no longer theirs to withhold, for the promise is a sacred obligation to help build His kingdom. Giving with reluctance while pretending to fulfill a pledge is fraud and hypocrisy, and the sin of Ananias and Sapphira stands as perpetual warning that God searches the heart and that motives and purposes cannot be hidden, so that withholding while thinking others will never know brings guilt.

Giving is not a yearly gift merely but a freely presented weekly and monthly offering before the Lord, left to the people as a weekly, monthly, living test that develops character and manifests the true state of the heart. Deliberate regular giving means setting aside what can be given for the Lord rather than spending on unnecessary things, and giving regularly and systematically rather than only when feelings prompt develops benevolence. Even small weekly gifts help support gospel ministry and bring people to faith, with children's pennies included, and small sums laid by every week by the poor swell the treasury and are wholly acceptable because they cost as great and even greater sacrifice than gifts of wealthier brethren.

Ministers must present the needs of the work without severity or coercion, without singling out any man, pressing means from him, or denouncing and casting him off for not giving as much as others think he should, but must be patient and forbearing while people are given time to respond freely and develop character. Money must never be urged or forced from anyone even for God's work, for unwilling offerings are not accompanied by blessing. As stewards handling the Lord's goods, givers must give account of disposal of entrusted means, must not follow own will, impulse, or the strike of a notion, and must seek wisdom from God to use money to please the Master and advance truth. Those who do duty according to entrusted responsibility and give back to God His own will have the amount doubled and be honored for fidelity, because Christ has right to all possessed.

Money raised through festivals, games, or other worldly amusements and appeals to appetite does not become an acceptable offering merely because intended for church purposes. Giving that depends on such inducements is not willing giving motivated by love for Christ, and only what is willing and so motivated is acceptable. When light and love of Jesus illuminate hearts of followers there is no need for urging or begging for money or service. Having become one with Jesus they realize they are not their own but bought with a price and the Lord's property, with all they have entrusted as His stewards, so with cheerful heart and unswerving fidelity they render to God what is His.

What God accepts is only a freewill offering given with feeling that it is a pleasure to be acting stewards, with the Lord passing means into human hands and the giver passing it out as His cause demands. Money given with irritation, hard feeling, complaint, murmuring, or reluctance brings no reward, and not one cent of it is accepted. Making more pledges while unwilling has no virtue. When a pledge has been made it is to be paid willingly and to very best ability, walking out by faith and trusting God without murmuring, yet if there is no means to pay there is to be no grumbling, for He does not require what a person does not have but only the best that can be done, and hardship may make payment impossible without blame where there is a willing mind. When believers recover from this snare, heal the breach, and realize needs of God's cause are as continual as His gifts to them, works will correspond with faith and they will receive rich blessing, with faithful giving of tithes and offerings associated with blessing.

Spirit Measure and Acceptance

Only grateful, willing, cheerful giving from love pleases God in advancing His cause and promoting His glory, while a gift given grudgingly, murmuringly, or merely from a sense of necessity has no worth with Him, brings no reward, and should not be given at all. Giving without a willing spirit mocks Him who knows every thought and purpose of the heart, and offerings brought unwillingly offend Him and are not accepted, so it is better not to give than to give grudgingly. Even dire and pressing necessity does not make a grudging gift acceptable, and making more pledges while unwilling has no virtue. When light and love illuminate followers there is no need for urging or begging, for as those bought with a price who are the Lord's property and stewards of all they have, they render to God with cheerful heart what is His.

The value and acceptance of an offering are decided by the purpose of the heart and the spirit of gratitude and love that prompts it, not by its amount. Sincere gifts differing in size from pounds to mites are accepted, and the humble offerings of the poor, widows, orphans, and little children that cost great sacrifice may be more pleasing than large gifts from abundance without personal sacrifice. Even the poor person's small gift is precious and can bear fruit through blessing, and small sums laid by every week help swell the treasury and are wholly acceptable because they cost just as great and even greater sacrifice than the gifts of wealthier brethren. The poor should not feel their gifts too small to be worthy of notice, for people should conscientiously do what they can and will be blessed in doing so.

Giving is measured by what each person can give and is proportioned to income and ability as God has prospered them, with each person acting as assessor to decide in the heart what to give. The poor person's tithe is comparatively small and the one pound given from deep poverty is generous, and such willing gifts are blessed whether large or small. Giving should be thoughtful and deliberate according to ability, not driven by pressure, impulse, the strike of a notion, or followed by anxious regret. Large gifts made without due consideration may be unwise even when intended for missionary work, and stewards must seek wisdom from God to use money to please the Master and advance truth.

Cheerful giving requires self-denial, economy, and sacrifice as a necessary discipline for disciples, with each soul learning to set aside what can be spared and to put God's claims first. Each is to do the best, giving the best rather than keeping the best and offering what is poor or of little value, and those without money can give through self-denial setting aside what they can, for even a small gift can be blessed to produce surprising results. Selfishness, self-indulgence, and hoarding means instead of advancing God's cause keep Christians from usefulness and bring no heavenly treasure, while self-sacrificing liberality brings rich blessings flowing upon God's people. A grudging disposition that causes sparing giving is aimed especially at those looking for Christ's second appearing, to make possessors of lands and money drunk with cares, place affections on earthly things, and care more for money than for Christ's kingdom and the spread of truth. Keeping means back on every plausible excuse injures service, hinders meetings, drives ministers to want and distress, weakens courage and zeal, while covetousness and love of earthly treasure ruling the character push salvation and grace back. Clinging selfishly to possessions when freewill offerings are called for reveals covetousness and separates from believers.

God never requires more than people are able to give but according to ability accepts and blesses thank offerings when willing obedience and pure love bind them upon the altar. Churches or individuals with no heart in their offerings who would limit the cost of His work by narrow views show no living connection with Him, are at variance with His plan and manner of working, and He will not bless them. Those entrusted with God's goods must show kindness and liberality, not niggardliness, for good works are no drudgery to be doled out as a task with a niggardly hand. God looks with contempt on stingy, grasping methods that try to exact every cent in dealing with others, and calls instead for bringing offerings with overflowing heart in gratitude and joy.

Promises to Cheerful Givers

The verse stands in the law that sparing sowing brings a sparing harvest and generous sowing with blessings brings a generous harvest, where willing cheerful giving decided in the heart without reluctance or compulsion is the sowing that brings a bountiful harvest. Giving willingly and cheerfully to relieve the poor and the oppressed is sowing bountifully and will reap bountifully, and such unselfish self-denying generosity belongs to following Christ, for no selfish person is a Christian. Such kindness and love expressed in good works deepens love for God in the heart.

God is able to make all grace abound and give always full sufficiency in all things, so that cheerful givers can abound in every good work. He supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, multiplies what is sown, increases the fruits of righteousness, scatters gifts to the poor with righteousness that remains forever, and enriches givers in everything unto all liberality. With good measure pressed down and running over given back, He gives grace and sufficiency so givers can continue doing good, helping those in need. Cheerful giving reflects His Spirit moving the heart.

Liberal distribution meets the needs of the saints, supplies the needs of others, and produces many thanksgivings to God. It awakens thanks and praise in needy hearts that flow back to God, with angels joining the songs of praise from human lips that glorify God. It calls forth prayer, proves subjection to the gospel of Christ by liberal sharing with all, and glorifies God for obedience to the gospel and for His unspeakable or indescribable gift. The generous giving of the early Christians was an expression of grace at work in them that helped meet needs and brought joy and thanksgiving.

What is given for Christ enriches the giver, brings rich blessings flowing upon God's people, and giving up money spent on selfish wants and placing it in the treasury brings blessings in return. Faithful generous sowing brings a proportionate harvest and lays up treasure in heaven beforehand. God keeps accurate account of privation and self-denial and marks every circumstance in the books, and what is given uplifts and strengthens the giver in this world, increases love for the truth, lives in heaven's record, and brings future eternal reward. Such self-sacrificing liberality out of self-denial rather than reliance on large gifts from others cooperates with God in advancing His work, following Christ who for our sakes became poor that through His poverty we might become rich.

Placing even a little store in Christ's hands multiplies it as the five small barley loaves sufficed to feed the multitude, so resources that sufficed for one may feed many and what seemed meager becomes a rich feast. Even a small gift set aside through self-denial can be blessed to produce surprising results, and those without money can give through self-denial by setting aside what they can for God's work, since self-denial and self-sacrifice are necessary discipline for disciples. Giving what one has to help others is honest simple reliance on Christ, and He can multiply even a small gift and make it sufficient for good work, rewarding such reliance.

Such unselfish liberality brought wonderful blessing to the early Christian church and threw it into a transport of joy because members knew God's power was borne to the needy, proving they had not received grace in vain. Their benevolent energy as an expression of grace at work helped meet needs and brought joy and thanksgiving, and to believers and unbelievers it is a miracle of grace that comes only by sanctification of the Spirit through the Word and causes thanksgiving to God. Withholding gifts or giving reluctantly brings spiritual loss, and when believers withhold needed support the Lord's work suffers and they miss the blessing giving should bring. Indulging self and neglecting souls and bodies for whom Christ died saps spirituality and leaves the soul dry and sapless and unfruitful like a tree bearing no fruit, and indifference to suffering humanity stands charged as indifference to Jesus in the person of His suffering saints.

A grudging disposition put within a person when giving is attempted causes sparing giving. This attack is aimed especially at those looking for Christ's second appearing and keeping all God's commandments, to make possessors of lands and money drunk with cares, to place affections on earthly things and care more for money than for the success of Christ's kingdom and the spread of truth. Keeping means back on every plausible excuse injures Christ's service, hinders meetings in different places, drives ministers to want and distress, weakens courage and zeal, and with covetousness and love of earthly treasure ruling the character pushes salvation and grace back. A conference that pledged help for mission support and then held back the money because it wanted it for itself, while those with the most complained most, failed to give in this willing unburdened spirit, and this withholding is connected with reduced crops as a consequence.

Stewardship and Christlike Example

Giving to God's cause is a willing return of what He has entrusted, for He is the source of all power, rich in resources, bestowing His goods upon His people and expecting corresponding returns. All that a person has and is belongs to the Lord, property is lent to be used to meet needs and advance the saving of souls, and account must be given as stewards. Spending is to conform to Christian principles with an eye single to God's glory for the greatest benefit and usefulness to fellow men, not taking the world, its habits, practices, customs, personal inclination, or extravagance as the standard, but bringing the will into conformity with God's will. When light and love illuminate followers there is no need for urging or begging, for as those bought with a price who are the Lord's property they render to God with cheerful heart and unswerving fidelity what is His, while making more pledges while unwilling has no virtue. Those who have received light and truth with the needs of the cause as continual as His gifts will let works correspond with faith and impart what they have received, for none idly dwelling on doctrine while doing little to share will be approved.

The plan of redemption was entirely voluntary on Christ's part, and it is His purpose that all benevolence be the same. Following Him who for our sakes became poor that through His poverty we might become rich, each believer is to decide to deny self and sacrifice liberally and willingly rather than rely on large gifts from others, and such self-sacrificing liberality brings rich blessing and cooperates with God. Generous readiness to sacrifice follows His example of giving Himself to save the world, condemns selfishness and covetousness, and shows that a higher divine will governs the giver.

Gifts and offerings beyond tithe for missionary work originated by Christ as the greatest Missionary, and the verse gives sound principles for giving to be learned and practiced from reverence for God and the sacredness of His work, with blessing upon every soul who gives in this willing way. Willing generosity expresses faith working through love and shows a heart being purified from selfishness by the transforming work of truth, even giving from limited means for relief of suffering through self-denial rather than to please or glorify self. Acts of mercy flow from sharing Christ's character and the divine life within, motivated by compassion for the weak and unfortunate. Perfect love with Christ abiding within as an unfailing well becomes visible in overflowing beneficence with acts of love for the needy and provision for the destitute. Each has the sacred responsibility to demonstrate constant reception of heaven's gifts by continually imparting what is bestowed, learning by practice through self-denial and prayer to become more intelligent as a laborer together with God, for true religion is imitation of Christ.

Such unselfish liberality comes only by sanctification of the Spirit through the Word, and to believers and unbelievers it is a miracle of grace that causes thanksgiving to God. Every member of Christ's church as one connected with Christ is tested and proved in giving, giving willingly, earnestly, and cheerfully as a free moral agent and not consuming all in selfish indulgence with nothing to present to God. Character cannot be complete unless benevolence is expressed in returning to God His due by sustaining every good work and making returns of fruit from His vineyard, with love expressed in tangible deeds as the best evidence of sincerity of faith, and withholding makes a Christian incomplete.

God in providence allows some to gather more wealth than others, blessing them with health, tact, and skill that they may receive His goods and bestow them upon others, so possessing means tests character. Everyone must give according to what has been received, from those who possess wealth He looks for bountiful gifts, and desiring the baptism of the Holy Spirit belongs with taking up His work where one is and helping His work nigh and afar off with gifts. Sowing beside all waters means continually imparting gifts received from God and ministering gospel truths in word and deed in Christ's simplicity, speaking the truth and praying the truth, needing heaven's light in the heart and grace constantly imparted. Those He regards as liberal devote mind and heart and entire being to soul-saving from comprehending what a sacrifice Christ made to save a perishing world, and when His infinite sacrifice is seen and realized there will be mighty wrestling to save souls.

Specific Calls to Action

Purposed cheerful giving calls all to do what can be done for a school heavily in debt and greatly crowded and needing still other buildings to accommodate students, with donations according to ability so that even poor believers together can amount to a substantial sum such as fifty pounds, as shown in the willing generosity of poor believers in Rockhampton in supporting the school and helping others.
United liberal giving is to lift debts from institutions and let them stand in freedom, including institutions in Scandinavia where everyone doing something will not be felt as loss but only as receiving blessing in filling the gap and coming up to the help of the Lord.
The same giving sets the Colorado Sanitarium free from its heavy burden of debt so its hands are loosed for great work in its appointed and exceedingly important field, including advertising it and recommending the sick to patronize it for physical healing and healing of the soul to increase patronage and financial ability instead of doing little more than paying interest.
Giving toward the Takoma Park sanitarium and buildings and the completion of the fund for the Lord's work is a privilege of cheerfully returning to God what is His, with both large and small gifts fitting as gratitude for mercies and appreciation of the gospel, and those who give thus will be blessed.
Gifts for rebuilding the Melrose Sanitarium are to keep coming until there is a sufficient fund to erect a building worthy of the name and corresponding with the grounds, for the Lord blesses those bringing offerings with willingness and liberality, and gifts are preferred to borrowing large sums that may cause hardship.

Every believer is to give something large or small according to ability toward paying for the house of worship in Washington, D.C. and freeing it from debt and building a memorial there, so that if all give the necessary sum will soon be raised and scarcely missed and the few poor believers will not bear the burden alone.
Such giving is constrained by love for Christ, using means wisely as a talent lent by the Lord to advance His cause in harmony with beneficent purposes of the gospel instead of spending for selfish pleasure, denying self and lifting the cross, and those sharing in this missionary enterprise receive rich blessing and ever after feel deeper interest in the progress of the cause in Washington.
Deliberate purposed giving guides support for the destitute Southern field and unworked fields with a liberal unselfish spirit, where means designated for that work are to be used for it and not diverted to better-supported fields, with restitution required for neglect and misuse.
Self-denying gifts for work among Black people are giving to the Master, and blessing follows such willing cheerful gifts given not under pressure.

Reformation is required from selfish ambition, jealousy, and centering means and power on one's own interests to liberality looking with equal interest on every part of the vineyard.
Prosperous churches are willingly to share means to help poorer churches struggling with debt, those bearing responsibilities in prosperous institutions are not to withhold help from less prosperous places but to restrict wants and cheerfully sustain and encourage interests in other fields, and advantages and resources are to be shared unselfishly so brotherhood is strengthened and jealousy closed out.
Cheerful liberality decided willingly in the heart supports God's work and helps the poor, vulnerable, needy, suffering, widows, and orphans with money, food, and clothing according to what a person has, as Christlike love and faithful stewardship.
Giving to relieve the poor and oppressed is a good work expressing kindness and love that deepens love for God and awakens thanks and praise among receivers, yet help to sustain God's cause must represent Christ's character and zeal for the cause never justifies neglecting brethren, failing to give needed attention and help, leaving suffering unrelieved, or leaving yokes of oppression unbroken.

Christian liberality is Bible duty for sustaining workers and sending them to fields lacking means, supporting ministry and missionary work and bringing others to truth, with tithes and donations paid faithfully and promptly, ministers faithfully presenting the teaching and encouraging promising laborers, and believers taught to give willingly, cheerfully, and generously lest withholding make the work suffer and givers miss blessing.
In times of peace pastors are sustained by freewill offerings of the people for preaching, visiting the sick, teaching children, admonishing the erring, and settling disputes to promote harmony and brotherly love, while when necessary they provide by trade or profession, and cheerful subscriptions for missionary papers such as the German paper made without urging illustrate this giving.
Willing generosity provides places of worship, where willingness to provide generously and with care reflects regard for sacred things and spiritual strength and prosperity correspond to that regard, and a timely gift for building a house of worship illustrates willing generosity received with gratitude as answer to prayer.
At Christmas the tree is to be dedicated to God with boughs laden with offerings to send truth to far-distant countries, teaching children by example the blessedness of doing for Christ and remembering the Giver, since good works are no drudgery to be doled out with niggardly hand but offerings brought with overflowing grateful joyful heart because in giving His Son God poured out all heaven in one gift, and members with means may also serve as God's almoners by investing without interest or at low interest.

Members of all churches are called to give now because the world lives in a special period when a great work must be done in very short time with every Christian acting a part in sustaining it.
As earth's close approaches with large work to be done, perfect love makes Christ abide within as an unfailing well so inward principle becomes visible in overflowing beneficence with acts for the needy and provision for the destitute, while faithfully placing entrusted means in the treasury advances the work, wins souls to truth, and hastens Christ's coming.
Raising money for health work must be free liberality and sacrifice like other branches, with gifts small and large coming as needed and spent wisely, charges kept as reasonable as possible, believers helping pay expenses of suffering worthy poor, and all giving and labor ruled by benevolence, charity, humanity, sacrifice for others' good, and love of Christ and souls rather than desire for wages, profit, paying business, or stock paying large percent.
Giving without reluctance as a privilege to advance truth leads out whenever means are needed so example stimulates others to liberality, even from intense desire to plant the standard in new fields to the point of hiring money and being left with little surplus, with God keeping accurate account of privation and self-denial and marking every circumstance in the books, and those grown old in such service deserve love, honor, deepest respect, and all institutions can do for them.

Entrusted gifts are to bless the needy by those acknowledging God as Giver to whom account must be given, bringing watchfulness in spending with eye single to God's glory, conformity of will to God, refusal of worldly habits, practices, customs, and extravagance, and spending by Christian principles for greatest benefit to fellow men.
Cheerful purposed giving keeps God's cause healthful and supplies the treasury for orphans, dependent, destitute, infirm, aged, weak, those with large families, and carrying forward God's work, making Christmas and New Year occasions to help the helpless, yet without giving the able-bodied a right to live on others' produce since none who can earn livelihood by work has right to do so.
Willing purpose dedicates God-given abilities and labor to bless others, where faithful sowing brings abundant returns and practical and spiritual support for Christian workers.
God-assisted success increases as people give generously and share abundance with struggling others as disinterested liberality, and resources entrusted to be given wisely when the cause needs help support its different branches, increase love for truth, uplift and strengthen the giver, continue in influence in this life, and stand recorded in heaven for future reward.

Giving is a grace in which the Holy Spirit moves the heart to generosity, and as grace is shared believers receive more grace with sufficiency to continue good work, a service not depending on wealth or education, while withholding makes a Christian incomplete.
Giving is an offering from what God entrusted presented gladly to support His work, with gratitude and love prompting willing response to God as rightful Owner who asks first fruits and tribute as tokens of gratitude, and willing self-denying generosity in returning part of daily gifts shows truth working in the heart.
Giving prompted by God's Spirit involves denying self and supports proclamation of the message for this time, and when His Spirit leads people to recognize needs they deny themselves and give as part of blessing received and shared.
Those valuing God's work count it a privilege to give what is required so others may share heaven's benefit, with purely voluntary freewill offerings not forced nor drawn by eloquent appeals to excite sympathy, after the entirely voluntary plan of redemption, and the very best way to express love for the Redeemer is earnest anxious offerings from love and gratitude for saving truth to bring souls to knowledge of truth.
Giving must be generous, willing, and cheerful to serve others rather than please or glorify self, even with limited means for relief of suffering, practicing self-denial as faith working through love that purifies from selfishness, not grudging nor limited to token gift but as prospered in willing sacrifice to save others.