Commentary on the Epistles to the Corinthians John Calvin
John Calvin efforts. There is a similar statement in Deuteronomy 8:16,18 —
God fed thee with manna — food which thy fathers knew not: lest perhaps when thou hast come into the land which he shall give thee, thou shouldst say, My hand and my strength have gotten, me this wealth; for it is the Lord that giveth power to get wealth, etc.
Supply Here there are two different readings, even in the Greek versions. For some manuscripts render the three verbs in the future — will supply, will multiply, will increase. 1619 In this way, there would be a confirmation of the foregoing statement, for it is no rare thing with Paul to repeat the same promise in different words, that it may be the better impressed upon men's minds. In other manuscripts these words occur in the infinitive mood, and it is well known that the infinitive is sometimes used in place of the optative. I rather prefer this reading, both because it is the more generally received one, and because Paul is accustomed to follow up his exhortations with prayers, entreating from God what he had previously comprised in his doctrine; though at the same time the former reading would not be unsuitable.
Bread for food He mentions a two-fold fruit of the blessing of God upon us — first, that we have sufficiency for ourselves for the support of life; and, secondly, that we have something to lay up for relieving the necessities of others. For as we are not born for ourselves merely, 1620 so a Christian man ought neither to live to himself, nor lay out what he has, merely for his own use.
Under the terms seed, and fruits of righteousness, he refers to alms. The fruits of righteousness he indirectly contrasts with those returns that the greater number lay up in cellars, barns, and keeping-places, that they may, every one of them, cram in whatever they can gather, nay, scrape together, so as to enrich themselves. By the former term he expresses the means of doing good; by the latter the work itself, or office of love; 1621 for righteousness is taken here, by synecdoche, to mean beneficence. "May God not only supply you with what may be sufficient for every one's private use, but also to such an extent, that the fountain of your liberality, ever flowing forth, may never be exhausted!" If, however, it is one department of righteousness — as assuredly it is not the least 1622 — to relieve the necessities of neighbors, those must be unrighteous who neglect this department of duty.
11. May be enriched unto all bountifulness. Again he makes use of the term bountifulness, to express the nature of true liberality — when, casting all our care upon God, (1 Peter 5:7,) we cheerfully lay out what belongs to us for whatever purposes He directs.
1619"The Vatican MS. reads with the futures — {χορηγήσει} (will supply,) {πληθύνεῖ}, (will supply,) and {αὐξήσει}, (will increase)'' --- Penn. --- Ed.
1620Our Author has here very probably in his eye a celebrated passage in Horace — "Nos numerus sumus, et fruges consumere nati;" — "We do but add to the numbers of mankind, and seem born only to consume the fruits of the earth." (Hot. Ep. 1:2, 27.) — Ed.
1621"L'assistance laquelle on fait par charite;" — "The assistance which one gives in love." 1622"Comme a la verite s'en est vne des prineipales;" — "As in truth it is one of the chief'."
Commentary on the Corinthians
He teaches us 1623 that these are the true riches of believers, when, relying upon the providence of God for the sufficiency of their support, they are not by distrust kept back from doing good. Nor is it without good reason, that he dignifies with the title of affluence the satisfying abundance of a mind that is simple, and contented with its moderate share; for nothing is more famished and starved than the distrustful, who are tormented with an anxious desire of having.
Which produces through you. He commends, in consideration of another result, the alms which they were about to bestow — that they would tend to promote the glory of God. He afterwards, too, expresses this more distinctly, with amplification, in this way: "Besides the ordinary advantage of love, they will also produce thanksgiving." Now he amplifies by saying, that thanks will be given to God by many, and that, not merely for the liberality itself, by which they have been helped, but also for the entire measure of piety among the Corinthians.
By the term administration, he means what he had undertaken at the request of the Churches. Now what we render functionem (service), is in the Greek {λειτουργία} term that sometimes denotes a sacrifice, sometimes any office that is publicly assigned. 1624 Either of them will suit this passage well. For on the one hand, it is no unusual thing for alms to be termed sacrifices; and, on the other hand, as on occasion of offices being distributed among citizens, 1625 no one grudges to undertake the duty that has been assigned him, so in the Church, imparting to others ought to be looked upon as a necessary duty. 1626 The Corinthians, therefore, and others, by assisting the brethren at Jerusalem, presented a sacrifice to God, or they discharged a service that was proper, and one which they were bound to fulfill. Paul was the minister of that sacrifice, but the term ministry, or service, may also be viewed as referring to the Corinthians. It is, however, of no particular importance.
1623"Or yci il nous remonstre et donne a entendre;" — "Now here he shows us and gives us to understand."
1624The term {λειτουργία} is very frequently made use of in the Septuagint, in connection with the sacrifices and other services of the priests and Levites. (See Exodus 38:21; Numbers 4:24, and Numbers 8:22.) It is commonly employed by the Greek writers to denote a public service, more especially at Athens, discharged by the richer citizens at their own expense, and usually in rotation. The {λειτουργοὶ}, says Potter, in his Grecian Antiquities, (volume 1,) were ``persons of considerable estates, who, by their own tribe, or the whole people, were ordered to perform some public duty, or supply the commonwealth with necessaries at their own expenses. Of these there were diverse sorts, all of which were elected out of twelve hundred of the richest citizens, who were appointed by the people to undergo, when they should be required, all the burdensome and chargeable offices in the commonwealth, every tribe electing an hundred and twenty out of their own body, though this was contrary to Solon's constitution, by which every man, of what quality soever, was obliged to serve the public according to his ability, with this exception only, that two offices should not be imposed on the same person at once, as we are informed by Demosthenes, in his oration against Leptines, where he likewise mentions an ancient law, requiring every man to undergo some {λειτουργία} every second year.'' --- Ed.
1625"Les charges estans distribuees, en vne ville entre les citoyens d'icelle;" — "Offices being distributed in a town among the citizens of it."
1626"Ainsi en l'Eglise la communication consiste en ce que chacun s'acquitte enuers ses prochains de ce qu'il leur doit en charite;" — "So in the Church, imparting to others consists in every one's discharging to his neighbours, what he owes them, in love."