2 Corinthians 6-9
All-sufficient
Abundant Grace

David calls to God for help against evil doers and his own evil tendencies. He not only wants his prayers to be pleasing in God's ears, but his other words and works as well. To be pleasing he needs purity of heart, and so he asks God, and gives Him permission to do whatever it takes to make him holy, including changing his desires. Then David goes into the realm that sets him apart from most, he asks God to use others to reprove (bring sin to light) and even smack him on the side of the head if necessary. Not only will he not object, but it will be like the invigorating oil which flows from brothers dwelling in unity (133:2). In contrast, he asks for protection from the wicked who seek to destroy him, as God causes him to triumph.

The last chapter ended with Paul imploring the Spirit-sealed (1:21-24) Corinthians to be reconciled to God. In 5:19 the world is reconciled to God in Christ, but then in 5:20, Paul exhorts those who have been reconciled, by God not imputing their trespasses against them, to be reconciled by being righteous. He elaborates on that theme in this chapter, imploring those who have received the grace of God to not have it be in vain, or to no profit, but to live so as to receive all that God has in store for them. To receive God's grace in vain, is to not do anything profitable with it (as in the parable of the talents). The grace is supposed to be used to gain reward. The quote is from Isaiah 49, which when understood in its context, fits well with 2Corinthians 5 and the rest of chapter 6.

Isa 49:3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified. ” 4 But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” 6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” 8 This is what the Lord says:“In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, 9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’

Paul defends his ministry to the Corinthians, in not being a stumbling block but instead enduring in his service to them, so they can experience God's full salvation and freedom, culminating in the blessedness God intended (6:18). He lists the ways in which he demonstrates that He is a servant of God, which should make folks realize that one doesn't serve God for just the benefits of this life (his point in 1Cor 15:19,32). In serving them, he has become poor, but makes them rich, yet he himself will possess all in the future. He has given himself for them, and he asks them to return the favor.

The thing that will keep believers from reaping the benefits God has for them in Christ, is failing to use the grace He gives to separate from the sin and sinful relationships which keep them from being rightly related to God. If we are joined to sin and sinners, we can't be joined to a holy God. The nation of Israel couldn't be blessed while looking like pagans. The whole point of having the nation be holy or distinct from those around them was so that it was clear that they were God's people. Then when He blessed them, it would be clear that they were getting blessed because they were His people, and others would be drawn to Him. If they looked just like the pagans, there would be no point to blessing them.

The reason Paul had to exhort the Corinthians to be open hearted toward him was because they were restricted by giving their heart to the wrong things and people. Joining themselves to unequal relationships with unbelievers, participating in pagan worship and practices, cut them off from the relationship God wanted to have with them. In the Ancient Near East you were considered disloyal to your king or friend if you were friends with his enemies. Being friends with God's enemies is disloyalty to God. In 1Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19 Paul taught that believers are a sanctuary or temple in which God dwells. By defiling that temple one became an unfit subject for blessing, and instead an object of judgment. Paul quotes Leviticus 26:12 or Ezekiel 37:27 (or any of a number of OT verses) to underscore the need for the Corinthian believers to separate themselves from pagans and pagan practices to be reconciled to Him and experience the relationship and rewards for which He created them (chapter 5). Otherwise they'll miss it. 

It's vital to understand what the promises are which serve as the motivation of holiness. The immediate context of chapter 6 (and 5) is experiencing a righteous relationship with God (you will be My people), founded upon Christ's death, but extending to the glorification/salvation of those who come out of darkness and walk in the light (repent), are a holy temple indwelt by the Spirit of God (which means under His control, rather than being quenching the Spirit), and experiencing the covenantal blessings for which God saved them. This relationship of blessing is only for a people who are holy (as the OT abundantly demonstrated). Therefore Paul calls the carnal yet beloved Corinthian Christians to cleanse themselves (this is the believer's job -Js 4:8) from all defilement (which would disqualify them from relationship, reward, and blessing), outward and inward (there's that renewed mind again -Rm 12:1-2), with the result that they perfect or accomplish their holiness (being separate or distinct from the way they were, and those around them), in the fear of God (careful to do what is right in His sight). Fear is appropriate, because failure to do so will result in loss (1Cor 3:15; 2Cor 5:10)

Someone had apparently been doing Satan's work in turning the Corinthians against Paul and he wrote a strongly-worded letter in hopes of getting them to repent and be accepting of him and his teaching. The situation and letter-writing caused him grief; it caused them grief; but it worked; they repented; and then there was joy. Paul was greatly encouraged when Titus brought word of their response and movement in the right direction. Verse 10 is another verse frequently quoted out of context: salvation here is not about regeneration/justification but revival/sanctification. Godly sorrow (conviction of sin by the various means the Holy Spirit uses, in this case Paul's letter) should bring about repentance, and that leads to salvation (glorification via sanctification). If there is a lack of joy, there should be some reflection and repentance.

These next two chapters are great for understanding giving (money, among other things, like time and strength). Paul wants the Corinthians to know how God's grace (motivating power) was at work in the Macedonian churches (like Philippi), enabling them to give liberally beyond their ability. The secret was that they first gave or dedicated themselves to God, and then to others. Titus was going to come and pick up the gift for the persecuted saints in Jerusalem.

Giving is a grace, which requires abiding and drawing on God's power to make it happen. Like the widow's mite, it requires a dependent trust in God. The Corinthians had purposed to give, and now Paul was urging them to follow through on their pledge, not by way of commandment, but in light of what would be expedient or profitable for them. They would lose by not giving. He motivates them with the example of the other churches, and that of Christ. The goal is not for them to become poor but for them to share what God has given them, so God can meet the needs of others through them. God doesn't meet the needs of the saints in Jerusalem directly, because He wants those in Jerusalem to deepen trust and dependence, and those in Corinth to develop Christlikeness, and decrease their dependence upon things in this life. The net result, as we'll see, is praise to God, as He meets needs all around. The passage Paul cites from Exodus 16:18 is in reference to gathering manna in the wilderness, not to sharing, since each gathered varying amounts, but God made sure all had enough. Paul focuses on the equality aspect of the OT, that all had enough. This is not Christian communism, but rather a family concern for each other. We'll see in 2 Thessalonians 3:12 that if believers don't work, they shouldn't be supported in their laziness, and shouldn't eat. This is a case of believers being in need due to circumstances beyond their control, and others helping. See the multi-part series on Faithfulness with our Treasure Getting, Giving to God, Giving to Ourselves, Giving to Others, to develop your own Biblical philosophy of finances.

To transport and administer the financial gift, and avoid any impropriety in the sight of God and man, Titus and an unnamed brother (whom everyone but us knows, Luke, Barnabas??) came. Their giving was a demonstration of their love. Love is about meeting needs.

Paul reminds the Corinthians of their promise to provide a generous financial gift for the saints in Jerusalem and how their desire to give has spurred on others. Then he urges them to get it together ahead of time so the brothers could come by and take it to Jerusalem.

Paul now gives the key verses on giving:

We reap what we sow, so sow bountifully (Luke 6:38);

Giving is a free-will decision, which one should purpose and plan to do;

God loves a cheerful, joyous giver (cf OT free-will offerings);

Since giving is a grace, God makes available to us all we need, not just to give financially, but to have all we need to abundantly do every good work (Eph 2:10). This means that whatever is God's will, is doable, since He gives us all we need to do it. There are no excuses for failing to obey, or live in love, or walk in the light, or have the victory, because God gives us all we need to accomplish it. Since He's planned out the good works He wants us to do, surely He knows what it takes to do them.

Not only does God supply what we need, but He does so abundantly, multiplying our resources and efforts, so we can yield a harvest of righteousness. Note that Paul moves beyond giving to righteousness.

As God enriches us to enable us to give liberally, He does so, in order to glorify Himself, as the result of our giving causes thanksgiving to be given to Him. We're just the middlemen, passing on His stuff for His purposes, and praise.

Giving not only blesses others but causes them to bless God for the obedience to the gospel. See comments in the beginning of Matthew for understanding the gospel as the good news that God is coming to set up the kingdom promised in the OT (Isa 40, especially verse 10). The message of the kingdom is that God would reward righteousness. By giving, the Corinthians demonstrated righteousness in obedience to God's promises. This would result in more praise to God for the virtue of the Corinthians among the saints in Jerusalem (who had good reason to doubt it). It also results in prayer to God for the Corinthians' prosperity and spiritual well being. The gift beyond description can only be referring to Christ, who is the model and motivating impulse behind all gracious giving.