Useful Bible Studies > 2 Corinthians Commentary > chapter 9
Perhaps you consider seed to be a product of the natural world. Perhaps you consider bread to be a product of human effort. However, Christians should not think in that manner. Instead, they should recognise God as the great provider, both for them and for the whole world. It is God who provides seed for the farmer to sow. It is God who provides bread and other foods for us to eat. Everyone in this world depends wholly upon the goodness of God, whether they believe in him or not.
Paul’s subject in 2 Corinthians 9:10, however, is not food or agriculture, but gifts. When a Christian gives, he does not depend on his own resources, but on God’s goodness. God, the great provider, is using that Christian to show his (God’s) goodness in the world. So, God himself provides what that Christian gives. That is like the farmer’s supply of seed. Although it may seem small, God uses it to provide for people in a wonderful way. The seed may be small but the harvest is plentiful. So a gift that seems small can, by the power of God, achieve great results.
Paul compares those results to the fruits of the harvest. The natural harvest astonishes us because it is so plentiful. In the same manner, the results of a person’s good and generous acts can astonish us. A farmer works hard for his harvest, but that harvest depends completely on the goodness of God. So, a person may work hard for the money to give - but the results of that gift are the work of God.
So, the promise that Paul makes in 2 Corinthians 9:10 encourages us. God, the great provider, does not just provide seed and food. He also provides for us, so that we can give for his work. In addition, he uses those gifts to bring about results that last (verse 9).
Next part: Does God make his people rich? (9:11)
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© 2016, Keith Simons.