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THE KING’S ' BUSINESS
wise steps are taken to stir them up in the matter o f giving they will fall below the standard that God would have them attain to. - ■ " ' ‘ r v. 5 / "Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort (I thought it necessary therefore to intreat) the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up before hand your bounty (your aforepromised bounty), that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, not covetousness^ (and not of extortion).’’ “ Therefore” connects v. 5 with v. 4 and v. 4 gives the reason why Paul thought it necessary not only to send the brethren, but to “ exhort.” (In this place the Authorized translation is to be pre ferred to the “ intreat” of the Revised Ver sion).. The brethren (Titus and two others) are to precede him and the Macedonian messengers to Corinth and actually make up the bounty which they had promised before hand, and thus to make sure that it might be actually ready as a matter o f “ bounty,” or more literally, “blessing,” i. e., a free beneficent gift, and not a matter o f covetous greed that was concerned about getting more for self and not about bless ing others, v. 6. "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap (add, also) sparingly: ( ;) and he which (that) soweth bountifully shall reap_ (add, also) bountifully.” Paul here states a great principle about giving. Giving is a sowing and some are so penur ious with their seed sown that they reap a scant harvest, just like the man who in the stinginess o f his soul doesn’t sow enough wheat in his field and therefore reaps a very scant harvest (cf. Prov. 22:9; 11:25). How small indeed will be the harvest that many a professed Christian reaps who gives only the smallest pittance to foreign missions, or perhaps even nothing at all, or the one who gives little or nothing at all to the poor saints at home. Let us remember that when we are- giving we are sowing, and the largeness o f the harvest will depend upon the largeness o f the sowing. God’s gifts tQ us are measured in the same cup that our gifts are measured out to others
in Philippi seem tQ have been the most generous o f all o f those,mentioned among whom Paul organized and nurtured churches (Phil. 4:15-19). It was Paul’s method, however, to stir one church up to liberality by telling o f the generosity of some other church. Generosity on the part o f some is a great incentive to generosity on the part o f 6thers. vs. 3, 4. "Yet (But)- I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting o f you should be in vain ( that our glorying on your behalf may not be made void) in this behalf, (respect;) that, (add, even) as I said, ye may be ready . (prepared:) Lest haply (by any means,) i f they o f Macedonia come -with me ( there come with me any of Macedonia), an find you unprepared, we (that we say not, you ( y e ) ) should be ashamed (put to shame) in this same ( omit, same) confident boasting (confidence).’’ Though it seemed superfluous to even write the believers in Corinth concerning the mat ter o f ministering to the saints, Paul thought it wise to take no chances, and sent brethren before him. to see that they in very fact did have their contribution ready. Otherwise his boasting on their behalf might be made empty, and the brethren from Macedonia that came with him, find ing them unprepared, Paul would be put to shame, and much more the Corinthian Christians themselves put to shame. There is a delicate compliment in the way Paul puts even this unfortunate possibility: his words imply that if his glorying in their behalf were made void, i( would be only “in this respect.” Paul was a wise man ager and took steps that would prevent their being unprepared. So much o f the selfishness o f the human heart remains in the best o f believers even after their con version, that it has been necessary in all ages to stir believers up on the matter o f giving, and to take definite and systematic steps to see that they dp not fail o f that large measure o f blessing that is to be found in generosity o f giving to the needs o f others. * Christians are just the same today as they were in that day, and unless
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