Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 8:12

"For if the readiness is there, [it is] acceptable according as [a man] hath, not according as [he] hath not." — 2 Corinthians 8:12 (ASV)

The phrase “according to your means” at the end of v.11 is now explained. Provided a gift is willingly given, its acceptability is determined solely on the basis of what a person might possess, not on the basis of what one does not own. God assesses the “value” of a monetary gift not in terms of the actual amount given, but by comparing what is given with the total financial resources of the giver . No one is expected to give “according to what he does not have.”