捐助的动机

关于服事[a]圣徒的事,其实我不必给你们写什么, 因为我知道你们的乐意之心。为此,我向马其顿人夸耀你们,说:“亚该亚人从去年就已经准备好了。”你们的热心激励了他们中的大多数人。 不过我派这些弟兄去,是为了我们在这方面对你们的夸耀不至于落空,好让你们能照着我所说的准备好; 免得万一有些马其顿人和我一起来,发现你们并没有预备好,我们就会因着对你们的确信而蒙羞,更不用说你们了。 所以,我认为必须鼓励这些弟兄先到你们那里去,把你们已经许诺的惠赠[b]提前安排好,这样就表明你们所预备好的就是惠赠[c],而不是被强取的。

又有这话:播撒吝啬的人,也收获吝啬;播撒祝福的人,也收获祝福。 每个人要照着心里预先定好的,不要为难,也不要勉强,因为神喜爱那乐意给与的人。 神能使一切的恩典丰丰富富地临到你们,使你们总是在一切事上都能知足,在一切美善的工作上充实满溢。 正如经上所记:

“他施舍,赐予穷人;
他的义行永远常存。”[d]

10 供应种子给撒种的,又供应粮食给人吃的那一位,将要供给并增加你们的种子,而且增多你们义行的果子, 11 使你们在一切事上都得以富足,以致十分慷慨,就藉着我们生出对神的感谢之心。 12 因为这服事的工作[e],不仅补足了圣徒们的缺乏,并且能藉着对神的许多感谢而充实满溢。 13 他们藉着这次服事[f]的凭证,因你们顺服了那为基督福音所做的告白,也因你们给他们和众人的慷慨分享[g],他们就会荣耀神; 14 并且他们因着神赐给你们这无限的恩典,就切切地想念你们,为你们祈祷。 15 感谢神,因他有无法描述的恩赐[h]

Footnotes

  1. 哥林多后书 9:1 服事——或译作“供应”。
  2. 哥林多后书 9:5 惠赠——原文直译“祝福”。
  3. 哥林多后书 9:5 惠赠——原文直译“祝福”。
  4. 哥林多后书 9:9 《诗篇》112:9。
  5. 哥林多后书 9:12 服事的工作——或译作“供应的事”。
  6. 哥林多后书 9:13 服事——或译作“供应”。
  7. 哥林多后书 9:13 分享——或译作“捐献”。
  8. 哥林多后书 9:15 恩赐——指“藉着他的独生子所施行的救恩”。

Administering the Gift

Now concerning (A)the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a (B)year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority. (C)Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this respect, that, as I said, you may be ready; lest if some Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to mention you!) should be ashamed of this [a]confident boasting. Therefore I thought it necessary to [b]exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a [c]grudging obligation.

The Cheerful Giver

(D)But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows [d]bountifully will also reap [e]bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, (E)not grudgingly or of [f]necessity; for (F)God loves a cheerful giver. (G)And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written:

(H)“He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever.”

10 Now [g]may He who (I)supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, [h]supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your (J)righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, (K)which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only (L)supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they (M)glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal (N)sharing with them and all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding (O)grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God (P)for His indescribable gift!

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 9:4 NU confidence.
  2. 2 Corinthians 9:5 encourage
  3. 2 Corinthians 9:5 Lit. covetousness
  4. 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
  5. 2 Corinthians 9:6 with blessings
  6. 2 Corinthians 9:7 compulsion
  7. 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU omits may
  8. 2 Corinthians 9:10 NU will supply

Help for Fellow Christians

I really do not need to write you about this ·help [service; ministry] for ·God’s people [T the saints]. [L For; Because] I know ·you want [your eagerness/willingness] to help. I have been ·bragging [boasting] about this to the ·believers in Macedonia [L Macedonians; 8:1], telling them that you in Achaia [C southern Greece; 1:1] have been ready to give since last year. And your ·desire to give [L zeal; enthusiasm] has ·made most of them ready to give also [L aroused/provoked the majority]. But I am sending the brothers to you so that our ·bragging [boasting] about you in this matter will not be empty words. I want you to be ready, as I said you would be. If any of the ·believers from Macedonia [L Macedonians] come with me and find that you are not ready, we will be ·ashamed [embarrassed; dishonored] that we were so sure of you. (And you will be ·ashamed [embarrassed; dishonored], too!) So I thought I should ·ask [urge; encourage] these brothers to go to you before we do. They will finish getting in order the ·generous gift [blessing] you promised so it will be ready when we come. And it will be a ·generous gift [blessing]—not one ·that you did not want to give [required from you; grudgingly given].

Remember this: The person who ·plants a little [sows sparingly] will ·have a small harvest [also reap sparingly], but the person who ·plants a lot [sows generously/bountifully] will ·have a big harvest [also reap generously/bountifully]. Each of you should give as you have decided in your heart to give. You should not ·be sad when you give [or give reluctantly], and you should not give ·because you feel forced to give [out of compulsion]. [L For] God loves the person who gives ·happily [cheerfully]. And God can ·give you more blessings than you need [L overflow/abound all grace to you]. Then ·you will always have plenty of everything [L in all things at all times you will have all you need]— ·enough to give to [abounding/overflowing in] every good work. [L Just as] It is written in the Scriptures:

“He ·gives [L scatters (seed) and gives] freely to the poor.
    ·The things he does are right and will continue forever [or His righteousness endures forever; Ps. 112:9].”

10 [L For] God is the One who gives seed to the farmer and bread for food. He will ·give you all the seed you need and make it grow [L supply and multiply your seed] so there will be a great harvest ·from your goodness [of your righteousness]. 11 He will make you rich in every way so that you can always give ·freely [generously]. And your giving through us will ·cause many to give thanks [L produce thanksgiving] to God. 12 This ·service you do [L ministry of service] not only helps the needs of ·God’s people [T the saints], it also brings many more thanks to God. 13 It is a proof of your faith. Many people will ·praise [glorify] God because you ·obey [submit to] the ·Good News [Gospel] of Christ—the gospel you ·say you believe [confess]—and because you ·freely [generously] share with them and with all others. 14 And when they pray for you, they will ·wish they could be with [L long for] you because of the great grace that God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his ·gift that is too wonderful for words [indescribable/inexpressible gift].