2 Corinthians 8:1–9

Verse 1. Grace of God, [1] that hath been given in the Churches of Macedonia. It was certainly the grace of God, that moved the Macedonians to make those charitable contributions for the relief of their poor Christian brethren in Judea, which Saint Paul now speaks of: and therefore with those who seem the most exact translators, (even with the most approved Prot. translation) I have, according to the letter, put the grace of God, rather than the godly charity, as others would have it, whom I had once followed, and which I think probable, taking the grace of God, for a great grace, a great charity, or a great benevolence. Witham.

Verse 2. Poverty hath abounded, and so forth The sense seems to be, that in their great poverty, they shewed the riches of their simplicity, that is, of a sincere, willing, and charitable heart. Witham.

Verse 4. Begging of us the grace, and so forth We may translate, benevolence, or charity, meaning their charitable alms or contributions. It also may be called a grace, a favour, or a charity, which they did for the poor. He exhorts them to these charitable contributions by the example of Christ, who being the God of glory, made himself the lowest and poorest of men to enrich us with grace and glory. Witham.—Towards the saints. The saints whom Saint Paul is here speaking of, are the faithful of Jerusalem, who had been deprived of all their property at the beginning of their conversion, by their countrymen, for their steady adherence to the Christian faith, and were now reduced to the greatest want. It is for the support of their brethren in Palestine that the charitable contributions here mentioned by Saint Paul, were raised in the Churches of Macedon. Calmet.—In the Greek we read, entreating us to receive the alms which they offered as a contribution to the charitable fund destined for the saints, or faithful, at Jerusalem. See Romans 15:25, 26 and 1 Corinthians 16:1, 3.

Verse 5. They gave their ownselves. That is, they resigned themselves and families to the care of Providence for the necessaries of life, begging that the apostle would receive their alms, which exceeded even their means. Calmet.—And by the will of God they also gave themselves to us, that we might dispose of them, and of all that belonged to them, as we should judge proper. V.

Verse 6. We desired Titus. Having experienced the benevolence and generosity of the faithful of Macedon, Saint Paul dismisses his faithful disciple, Titus, to exhort the Corinthians to imitate the example of their brethren in Macedon, laying before their eyes, in the following verses, the charity of Christ, who reduced himself to the greatest poverty and indigence, to shew us an example of humility and charity.