2 Corinthians – Chapter Nine VII

by Ed Urzi

“Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6 HCSB).

Paul the Apostle was fond of referring to agricultural illustrations in his Biblical letters to the Corinthian church. For instance, he wrote the following in his first Biblical letter to the church at Corinth: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8).

Later, Paul went on to say, “…it is written in the Law of Moses: ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.’ Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest” (1 Corinthians 9:8-10 NIV). He also made use of a similar analogy in 1 Corinthians 15 to illustrate the resurrection of the dead.

Here in 2 Corinthians 9:6, Paul returned to this metaphor to illustrate an important spiritual concept. The idea is that a farmer must commit to “giving away” the valuable seed he or she possesses in order to receive a crop. The farmer could choose to keep this valuable resource and maintain a precious (but limited) asset. But if the seed is “given away” by the act of sowing, it immediately leaves the farmer’s possession and direct control.

In a sense, we face a similar choice with regard to our financial resources. When it comes to sowing the seed of our financial offerings, the question is this: how much do we value the limited amount of seed we possess? Are we willing to “sow” it in a prayerful, responsible manner to bless others? If so, the crop produced by that seed will not return the same amount that was sown. Instead, it will produce many times as much as was planted.

In this manner, our financial gifts help to return a blessing that will benefit many. In the words of one commentary, “People may hesitate to give generously to God because they worry about having enough money left over to meet their own needs. Paul assured the Corinthians that God was able to meet their needs. The person who gives only a little will receive only a little in return. Don’t let a lack of faith keep you from giving cheerfully and generously.” (1)

(1) Life Application Study Bible NIV 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 Copyright © 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1996, 2004 by Tyndale House Publishers Inc., all rights reserved.