2 Corinthians 8:5 - Generosity Commended (2024)

Audio Crossref Comment Greek

Verse (Click for Chapter)

New International Version
And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.New Living Translation
They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.English Standard Version
and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.Berean Standard Bible
And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, because it was the will of God.Berean Literal Bible
And not only as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, by the will of God.King James Bible
And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.New King James Version
And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God.New American Standard Bible
and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.NASB 1995
and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.NASB 1977
and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.Legacy Standard Bible
and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.Amplified Bible
Not only [did they give materially] as we had hoped, but first they gave themselves to the Lord and to us [as His representatives] by the will of God [disregarding their personal interests and giving as much as they possibly could].Christian Standard Bible
and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us by God’s will.Holman Christian Standard Bible
and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will.American Standard Version
and this, not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.Contemporary English Version
And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do. English Revised Version
and this, not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God.GOD'S WORD® Translation
They did more than we had expected. First, they gave themselves to the Lord and to us, since this was God's will.Good News Translation
It was more than we could have hoped for! First they gave themselves to the Lord; and then, by God's will they gave themselves to us as well. International Standard Version
We did not expect that! They gave themselves to the Lord first and then to us, since this was God's will. Majority Standard Bible
And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, because it was the will of God.NET Bible
And they did this not just as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us by the will of God.New Heart English Bible
This was not as we had hoped, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.Webster's Bible Translation
And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God:Weymouth New Testament
They not only did this, as we had expected, but first of all in obedience to God's will they gave their own selves to the Lord and to us.World English Bible
This was not as we had expected, but first they gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
and not according as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the LORD, and to us, through the will of God,Berean Literal Bible
And not only as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, by the will of God.Young's Literal Translation
and not according as we expected, but themselves they did give first to the Lord, and to us, through the will of God,Smith's Literal Translation
And not as we hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us by the will of God.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
And not as we hoped, but they gave their own selves first to the Lord, then to us by the will of God: Catholic Public Domain Version
And this is beyond what we had hoped, since they gave themselves, first of all to the Lord, and then also to us, through the will of God,New American Bible
and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and to us through the will of God,New Revised Standard Version
and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us,

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
And this they did, not only as we expected, but first they gave themselves to our LORD, and then to us by the will of God.Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And not according to what we had hoped, but they offered themselves to our Lord first and also to us in the will of God,

NT Translations

Anderson New Testament
and they did this, not only as we had hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and then to us, through the will of God;Godbey New Testament
and not as we hoped, but they gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us through the will of God:Haweis New Testament
And not merely as we hoped, but gave themselves first to the Lord, and to us according to the will of God.Mace New Testament
and in this they out-did my expectation; such was the divine pleasure, they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then made me an offer to go themselves to Corinth.Weymouth New Testament
They not only did this, as we had expected, but first of all in obedience to God's will they gave their own selves to the Lord and to us.Worrell New Testament
and they did this not as we hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and to us through the will of God;Worsley New Testament
And this they did not merely as we hoped, but first gave themselves unto the Lord, and to us by the will of God.Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Generosity Commended
4they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, because it was the will of God. 6So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it.…

Cross References

Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.Philippians 2:17
But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.1 Thessalonians 1:6
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.Acts 20:35
In everything, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”Romans 6:13
Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness.Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; / you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.Romans 15:16
to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.Philippians 4:18
I have all I need and more, now that I have received your gifts from Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.Hebrews 13:16
And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.1 John 3:16-18
By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. / If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? / Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.Matthew 10:39
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.Luke 9:23-24
Then Jesus said to all of them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. / For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

Treasury of Scripture

And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God.

first.

2 Corinthians 5:14,15 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: …

1 Samuel 1:28 Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he worshipped the LORD there.

2 Chronicles 30:8 Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.

unto.

2 Corinthians 4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

1 Chronicles 12:18 Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

2 Chronicles 30:12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.

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Expected Farther First God's Hope Hoped Keeping Obedience Purpose Selves Themselves

2 Corinthians 8

1. He stirs them to a generous gift for the poor saints at Jerusalem, by the example of the Macedonians;
7. by commendation of their former forwardness;
9. by the example of Christ;
14. and by the spiritual profit that shall redound to themselves thereby;
16. commending to them the integrity and willingness of Titus, and those other brothers.

Berean Study Bible

And they did not do as we expected
The phrase highlights the surprising nature of the Macedonian believers' actions. The Greek word for "expected" (προσδοκία) implies anticipation or a preconceived notion. Paul and his companions had certain expectations based on human reasoning, perhaps considering the Macedonians' poverty. However, the Macedonians exceeded these expectations, demonstrating that God's work often transcends human understanding. This serves as a reminder that God's ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), and He often works through unexpected means to fulfill His purposes.

but they gave themselves first to the Lord
The act of giving oneself "first to the Lord" signifies a total surrender and dedication to God. The Greek word for "gave" (δίδωμι) implies a voluntary and deliberate act. This reflects the biblical principle that true generosity and service stem from a heart fully committed to God. The Macedonians' primary allegiance was to the Lord, which empowered their subsequent actions. This aligns with the greatest commandment to love the Lord with all one's heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37).

and then to us
After dedicating themselves to the Lord, the Macedonians extended their commitment to Paul and his companions. This sequence underscores the biblical teaching that our relationship with God should inform and direct our relationships with others. The Greek word for "then" (καί) indicates a natural progression from their devotion to God to their support for His servants. This reflects the interconnectedness of the body of Christ, where love for God naturally flows into love for fellow believers (1 John 4:20-21).

in keeping with God’s will
The phrase emphasizes that the Macedonians' actions were aligned with divine purpose. The Greek word for "will" (θέλημα) refers to God's desired plan or intention. Their generosity was not merely a human initiative but a response to God's prompting. This highlights the importance of seeking and submitting to God's will in all aspects of life. It serves as a reminder that true Christian service and giving are guided by the Holy Spirit and rooted in obedience to God's directives (Romans 12:2).

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(5) Not as we hoped . . .--This means, of course, that they had done what was far beyond his hopes; and here the point lies in the fact that they gave, not their money only, but themselves, their time, thought, energy, primarily to Christ as their Lord, and then to the Apostle as His minister. And this they had done because they allowed the will of God to work upon their will.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 5. - Not as we hoped; rather, not as we expected. They were so poor that it was impossible to expect much from them, but they surpassed my expectations in every way. The Church of Philippi, perhaps under the influence of Lydia, was remarkable for generosity, and was the only Church from which St. Paul would accept any personal help (Philippians 2:25; Philippians 4:15-18). First. "They gave themselves to the Lord, which is the best of all, and they gave themselves as helpers to us also - by the will of God." (For a similar use of "and" to imply a matter of less importance, see Acts 15:28.) The phrase, "by the will of God," implies thanksgiving to God for the grace which enabled them to give themselves to him, and their goods to his saints. Being "a peculiar people," they naturally showed themselves "zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14). First (Romans 1:16; Romans 2:9, 10). Parallel Commentaries ...

Greek

And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

not [only]
οὐ (ou)
Adverb
Strong's 3756: No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.

[did they do] as
καθὼς (kathōs)
Adverb
Strong's 2531: According to the manner in which, in the degree that, just as, as. From kata and hos; just as, that.

we expected,
ἠλπίσαμεν (ēlpisamen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1679: To hope, hope for, expect, trust. From elpis; to expect or confide.

but
ἀλλ’ (all’)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

they gave
ἔδωκαν (edōkan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

themselves
ἑαυτοὺς (heautous)
Reflexive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

first
πρῶτον (prōton)
Adverb - Superlative
Strong's 4412: First, in the first place, before, formerly. Neuter of protos as adverb; firstly.

to the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Lord
Κυρίῳ (Kyriō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

and then
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

to us,
ἡμῖν (hēmin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

because it was
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

[the] will
θελήματος (thelēmatos)
Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 2307: An act of will, will; plur: wishes, desires. From the prolonged form of ethelo; a determination, i.e. choice or inclination.

of God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

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2 Corinthians 8:5 Catholic BibleNT Letters: 2 Corinthians 8:5 This was not as we had hoped (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)

2 Corinthians 8:5 - Generosity Commended (2024)
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