Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Corinthians 9:2

"for I know your readiness, of which I glory on your behalf to them of Macedonia, that Achaia hath been prepared for a year past; and your zeal hath stirred up very many of them." — 2 Corinthians 9:2 (ASV)

In 8:10 (cf. 8:6) Paul dated the beginning of the collection at Corinth as “last year.” Here he uses the same phrase to speak of his current boast to the Macedonians: since last year the Christians in Achaia, certainly including the Corinthians, were ready to give. But since Paul was writing here because of the presumed reluctance of the Corinthians to give, how can Paul now say that he used the example of their “readiness” in his effort to have the Macedonians contribute quickly and liberally?

In answer, we must draw a careful distinction between the Corinthians’ ready desire to give and the actual fact of having completed the collection. This verse concentrates only on the former aspect, their enthusiastic eagerness to help out (cf. 8:11). From vv.3–5 it is clear that they had not yet been giving liberally. The relation, then, between chs. 8 and 9 is this: The Corinthian enthusiasm for participating in the collection (cf. 8:10–11) served as an example worthy of emulation by the Macedonians for their own contribution (9:2). Now, however, because the Macedonians had now successfully completed what they had enthusiastically begun under the stimulus of the Corinthian example (8:1–5), their exemplary action formed a basis for Paul’s appeal to the Corinthians to complete their contribution (8:6, 10–11).