Easter Sunday
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2 Corinthians 8:8
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I am not saying this as a command. Rather, by means of the diligence of others, I am testing the genuineness of your love.
I speake not by commandement, but by occasion of the forwardnesse of others, and to prooue the sinceritie of your loue.
I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.
I am not saying this as a command, but as proving, through the earnestness of others, the sincerity of your love as well.
I am not commanding you to give. But I want to see if your love is true by comparing you with others that really want to help.
I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also.
I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.
I am not ordering you to do this. I am simply testing how real your love is by comparing it with the concern that others have shown.
I am not issuing an order; rather, I am testing the genuineness of your love against the diligence of others.
I do not speak as commanding [it], but through the zeal of others, and proving the genuineness of your love.
I am not ordering you to give, but I want to see how real your love is by comparing you with others who have been so ready and willing to help.
This say I not by commaundement, but because of the diligence of others: therefore prooue I the naturalnesse of your loue.
I am not making a demand on you, but I am prompted by the devotion of your fellow believers to test the sincerity of your love.
I am not laying down any rules. But by showing how eager others are to help, I am trying to find out how real your own love is.
I am not saying this as a command, but proving the genuineness of your love by means of the diligence of others.
I do not speak according to command, but through the earnestness of others and testing the trueness of your love.
I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.
I am not giving you an order, but using the ready mind of others as a test of the quality of your love.
I speak not by way of mitzvah, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.
I am not commanding you but testing the genuineness of your love by the enthusiasm of others.1 Corinthians 7:6;">[xr]
Not as though commanding I command you, but, from the diligence of your companions, the truth of your love would I put to the test.
8 I do not actually command you, but by the promptitude of your fellow [fn] , I would test the sincerity of your love.
This say I not by commaundement, but because of ye feruentnesse of other, & alowing the vnfaynednes of your loue.
I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.
I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.
I speak not by way of command, but that by the diligence of others, I may prove the sincerity of your love.
I am not saying this by way of command, but to test by the standard of other men's earnestness the genuineness of your love also.
Y seie not as comaundinge, but bi the bisynesse of othere men appreuynge also the good wit of youre charite.
I don't speak by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love.
I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
I am not saying this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love by comparison with the eagerness of others.
I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.
I am not commanding you to do this. But I am testing how genuine your love is by comparing it with the eagerness of the other churches.
I am not saying that you must do this, but I have told you how others have helped. This is a way to prove how true your love is.
I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others.
Not by way of injunction, do I speak, but through, others', earnestness, and, the genuineness of your own love, putting to the test.
I speak not as commanding: but by the carefulness of others, approving also the good disposition of your charity.
I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.
Thys saye I not as commaundynge: but be cause other are so fervent therfore prove I youre love whether it be perfait or no.
not according to command do I speak, but because of the diligence of others, and of your love proving the genuineness,
This I saye not as commaudynge, but seynge, other are so diligent, I proue youre loue also, whether it be perfecte or no.
I don't mean to prescribe to you, but that the zeal of others may show you are as sincerely well-affected.
I'm not trying to order you around against your will. But by bringing in the Macedonians' enthusiasm as a stimulus to your love, I am hoping to bring the best out of you. You are familiar with the generosity of our Master, Jesus Christ. Rich as he was, he gave it all away for us—in one stroke he became poor and we became rich.
This ain't a command from me. It's a test. Money is usually the last thing people will part with and I want to see if y'all are as good at giving as the other outfits are. They give eagerly, not with some sort of forced obedience.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
speak: 2 Corinthians 8:10, 2 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Corinthians 7:6, 1 Corinthians 7:12, 1 Corinthians 7:25
by occasion: 2 Corinthians 8:1-3, 2 Corinthians 9:2, Romans 11:12-14, Hebrews 10:24
prove: 2 Corinthians 8:24, 2 Corinthians 6:6, Joshua 24:14, Ezekiel 33:31, Romans 12:9, Ephesians 4:15, *marg. Ephesians 6:24, James 2:14-16, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 3:17-19
Reciprocal: Genesis 44:2 - General Deuteronomy 13:3 - ye love the Lord your God Deuteronomy 24:22 - General Psalms 112:4 - he is gracious Proverbs 3:9 - General Matthew 25:22 - I have Luke 19:8 - Behold John 11:36 - Behold John 14:15 - General John 14:24 - that John 21:17 - Feed 1 Corinthians 5:8 - but 1 Corinthians 16:22 - love 2 Corinthians 1:12 - godly 2 Corinthians 5:14 - the love 2 Corinthians 8:17 - but Philippians 1:10 - that ye may be Philippians 2:22 - ye 1 Thessalonians 4:10 - all the Titus 2:7 - sincerity James 2:16 - one 1 John 4:11 - General
Cross-References
He waited another seven days and again sent the dove out from the ark.
The dove came back to him in the evening, and there, in her beak, was a fresh olive leaf. So Noah knew that the water level had subsided from the earth.
Then he waited another seven days and sent out the dove, but she did not return to him again.
"Behold, how beautiful you are, my darling, Behold, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are dove's eyes."
"O my dove, [here] in the clefts in the rock, In the sheltered and secret place of the steep pathway, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely."
"Listen carefully: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves [have no self-serving agenda].
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I speak not by commandment,.... Either of God, who has not fixed the certain times when, or certain sums which persons are to give, and other circumstances, which are left to discretion; but in general has signified it as his will, that those in necessity are to be relieved by such who are in ability to do it: or as an apostle, he did not speak in an imperious manner, extorting from them a collection, or laying his apostolical injunctions upon them to make one; he did not go about to force or oblige them to it, for men in such cases must act willingly, and what they do, must do of their own accord with cheerfulness, and not through constraint or grudgingly:
but by occasion of the forwardness of others; or "through carefulness for others"; what moved the apostle to propose this matter to the Corinthians, and exhort them to it, were either the forwardness of the Macedonians, cheerfully contributing in the midst of their poverty, and their urgent solicitations that the same good work might go on elsewhere, or else the very great care and concern that he himself had for the poor saints at Jerusalem: it was not therefore to show his apostolical authority, that he sent Titus to them to finish this service; but he was stirred up hereunto, partly by the bounty and solicitations of others, and partly by bowels of compassion within himself, and concern in his own mind for the poor saints; and also, as he adds,
to prove the sincerity of your love; to God, to Christ, to his ministers, and to the saints, particularly the poor; that their love might appear to be true, genuine, hearty, and real to others, to all men as well as to them the apostles.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
I speak not by commandment - This does not mean that he had no express command of God in the case, but that he did not mean to command them; he did not speak authoritatively; he did not intend to prescribe what they should give. He used only moral motives, and urged the considerations which he had done to persuade rather than to command them to give; see 2 Corinthians 8:10. He was endeavoring to induce them to give liberally, not by abstract command and law, but by showing them what others had given who had much less ability and much fewer advantages than they had. People cannot be induced to give to objects of charity by command, or by a spirit of dictation and authority. The only successful, as well as the only lawful appeal, is to their hearts and consciences, and sober judgments. And if an apostle did not take upon himself the language of authority and command in matters of Christian benevolence, assuredly ministers and ecclesiastical bodies now have no right to use any such language.
But by occasion of the forwardness of others - I make use of the example of the churches of Macedonia as an argument to induce you to give liberally to the cause.
And to prove the sincerity of your love - The apostle does not specify here what âloveâ he refers to, whether love to God, to Christ, to himself, or to the church at large. It may be that he designedly used the word in a general sense, to denote love to any good object; and that he meant to say that liberality in assisting the poor and afflicted people of God would be the best evidence of the sincerity of their love to God, to the Redeemer, to him, and to the church. Religion is love; and that love is to be manifested by doing good to all people as we have opportunity. The most substantial evidence of that love is when we are willing to part with. our property, or with whatever is valuable to us, to confer happiness and salvation on others.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 2 Corinthians 8:8. I speak not by commandment — I do not positively order this; I assume no right or authority over your property; what you devote of your substance to charitable purposes must be your own work, and a free-will offering.
The forwardness of others — Viz. the Churches of Macedonia, which had already exerted themselves so very much in this good work. And the apostle here intimates that he takes this opportunity to apprise them of the zeal of the Macedonians, lest those at Corinth, who excelled in every other gift, should be outdone in this. Their own honour, if better motives were absent, would induce them to exert themselves, that they might not be outdone by others. And then, as they had professed great love for the apostle, and this was a service that lay near his heart, they would prove the sincerity of that professed love by a liberal contribution for the afflicted and destitute Jewish Christians.
