Jump to content

2 Corinthians 8

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2 Corinthians 8
A folio of Papyrus 46 (written c. AD 200), containing 2 Corinthians 11:33–12:9. This manuscript contains almost complete parts of the whole Pauline epistles.
BookSecond Epistle to the Corinthians
CategoryPauline epistles
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part8

2 Corinthians 8 is the eighth chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It was written by Paul the Apostle and Timothy (2 Corinthians 1:1) in Macedonia in 55–56 CE.[1] This chapter and the next one "are devoted entirely to the topic of generous giving".[2] Both chapters have figured prominently in academic discussion about "the fragmentation of 2 Corinthians", although "partition theories have not seemed convincing to everyone".[3]

Text

[edit]

The original text was written in Koine Greek. This chapter is divided into 24 verses.

Textual witnesses

[edit]

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:

Old Testament references

[edit]

Verse 9

[edit]
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.[4]

While noting that the word "grace" could be used, the Jerusalem Bible translates την χαριν του κυριου ημων ιησου (tēn charin tou kuriou hēmōn Jēsu) as "how generous the Lord Jesus was".[5]

"Though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor": John Gill comments that, from having the fullness of the Godhead in Him, for the sake of human beings, Jesus had become human and was exposed to outward poverty, born of poor parents, had no place to lay His head, was ministered to by others, had nothing to bequeath His mother at His death, but had to commit her to the care of one of His disciples; fulfilled the prophecies of Him, that He should be "poor" and "low" (Psalm 41:1; Zechariah 9:9).[6]

Verses 16-17

[edit]
16 Thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 17 For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative.[7]

Paul emphasises here Titus' independence. An existing relationship between Titus and the Corinthians church is presupposed.[3] Titus went to Corinth in response to Paul's exhortation that he should do so, and yet, even if he had not been asked, he would have gone.[8]

Verse 18

[edit]
And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches.[9]

For many Church Fathers, such as Pseudo-Ignatius (250 AD),[10] John Chrysostom (407 AD),[11] Jerome (420 AD) [12] Pelagius (420 AD),[13] Oecumenius (990 AD),[14] this verse refers to Luke and his gospel. Many mainstream Bible scholars have expressed doubt about whether Luke was actually the author of the gospel which bears his name.[15][16][17][18] Others considered as "the brother", among "innumerable guesses",[19] include Silas, Barnabas, or "an actual brother of Titus".[8]

Collection for the Judean Saints

[edit]

"Next to his ministry of preaching to the Gentiles, Paul's most important activity during his ministry was to collect money for the poor [believers] in Jerusalem."[2] Paul confirms in Galatians 2:10 that this was a part of his ministry which he considered important and endorsed by the leaders of the church in Jerusalem.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ MacDonald 2007, p. 1134.
  2. ^ a b Buls, H. H., Buls' Notes: 2 Corinthians 8:1–9; 13–14, accessed September 5, 2017
  3. ^ a b MacDonald 2007, p. 1143.
  4. ^ 2 Corinthians 8:9: NKJV
  5. ^ Jerusalem Bible (1966), 2 Corinthians 8:9. cf. this verse in the New Revised Standard Version: "the generous act"
  6. ^ John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible, 2 Corinthians 8:9
  7. ^ 2 Corinthians 8:16–17: New International Version
  8. ^ a b Meyer, H. A. W. (1880), Meyer's N T Commentary on 2 Corinthians 8, translated by Peter Christie from the German sixth edition, accessed on 28 May 2025
  9. ^ 2 Corinthians 8:18: KJV
  10. ^ Spurious Ad Ephesians XV[full citation needed]
  11. ^ Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians 18.1.
  12. ^ Jerome. Lives of Illustrius Men for Jerome, Chapter VII . Translated by Philip Schaff – via Wikisource.
  13. ^ Migne PL 30:793D.
  14. ^ Pauline Commentary from the Greek Church.[full citation needed]
  15. ^ Millard, Alan (2006). "Authors, Books, and Readers in the Ancient World". In Rogerson, J.W.; Lieu, Judith M. (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 558. ISBN 978-0199254255. The historical narratives, the Gospels and Acts, are anonymous, the attributions to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John being first reported in the mid-second century by Irenaeus
  16. ^ Reddish 2011, pp. 13, 42.
  17. ^ Perkins & Coogan 2010, p. 1380.
  18. ^ Coogan et al. 2018, p. 1380.
  19. ^ Lias, J. J. (1897), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on 2 Corinthians 8, accessed on 23 June 2025

Sources

[edit]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2_Corinthians_8&oldid=1296931107"