◄ 2 Corinthians 9:7 ►
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.
Study Bible
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give,

Paul calls every believer to give thoughtfully and willingly before God. The offering for the needy saints in Jerusalem was to arise from personal conviction, not from impulse or public expectation. Such giving recognizes that all possessions belong to God and that believers are stewards of what He has entrusted to them. Israel’s voluntary offerings for the tabernacle likewise came from those whose hearts moved them to bring gifts (Exodus 25:2).

2Co 8:3 For I testify that they gave according to their ability…
Exo 35:5 Take from among you an offering to the LORD.…

not out of regret or compulsion.

Financial generosity loses its spiritual integrity when it is followed by resentment or produced by pressure. Paul had urged the Corinthians to complete their promised participation, but he refused to treat their contribution as a command (2 Corinthians 8:8; 9:5). The Macedonian churches had given freely, even in severe poverty, because they first gave themselves to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:1–5).

Deu 15:10 Give generously to him, and do not let your heart be grieved…
1Pe 5:2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you,…

For God loves a cheerful giver.

God delights in giving marked by joy, gratitude, and trust in His provision. Cheerful generosity reflects the Father’s own character, for every good gift comes from Him (James 1:17). It also follows the pattern of Christ, who willingly gave Himself for sinners and endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).

2Co 8:2 In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy…
1Ch 29:9 And the people rejoiced at the willing response…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of 2 Corinthians, writing to the church in Corinth to encourage generosity and proper attitudes towards giving.

2. Corinth
A major city in ancient Greece, known for its wealth and diversity, where the early Christian church faced various challenges, including issues related to giving and generosity.

3. The Corinthian Church
The recipients of Paul's letter, who were being encouraged to contribute to a collection for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem.

4. Jerusalem Church
The early Christian community in Jerusalem, which was experiencing financial hardship and was the intended beneficiary of the collection.

5. God
The ultimate recipient of our giving, who values the heart and attitude behind the act of giving.
Teaching Points
The Heart of Giving
Our giving should be a reflection of our heart's decision, not influenced by external pressures or guilt. It should be a voluntary and joyful act.

Cheerfulness in Giving
God values the attitude behind our giving. A cheerful giver reflects trust in God's provision and a desire to bless others.

Freedom from Compulsion
True generosity is not coerced. It flows from a heart that understands the grace of God and responds in kind.

Purposeful Giving
Decide in advance what to give, allowing for thoughtful and intentional generosity that aligns with one's values and resources.

Reflecting God's Character
As we give cheerfully, we mirror God's own generous nature, becoming conduits of His love and provision to others.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the context of the Corinthian church's situation enhance our understanding of Paul's message in 2 Corinthians 9:7?

2. In what ways can we ensure that our giving is done cheerfully and not out of compulsion or regret?

3. How can the principle of cheerful giving be applied in areas of life beyond financial contributions?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to cultivate a heart of generosity that reflects God's character?

5. How do the additional scriptures connected to 2 Corinthians 9:7 deepen our understanding of the biblical perspective on giving?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 22:9
This verse highlights the blessing that comes to those who are generous, connecting to the idea that God loves a cheerful giver.

Luke 6:38
Jesus teaches about the principle of giving and receiving, emphasizing the measure we use will be measured back to us, which aligns with the spirit of cheerful giving.

Acts 20:35
Paul quotes Jesus, saying it is more blessed to give than to receive, reinforcing the joy and blessing associated with giving.

Philippians 4:18
Paul describes the gifts from the Philippians as a fragrant offering, pleasing to God, illustrating the spiritual significance of giving.

1 Chronicles 29:9
The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, paralleling the cheerful giving Paul encourages.
Sermons
A Cheerful GiverJ.R. Thomson 2 Corinthians 9:7
Cheerful GiversR. Tuck 2 Corinthians 9:7
The Cheerful GiverE. Hurndall 2 Corinthians 9:7
Correspondence Between Christian Sowing and ReapingC. Lipscomb 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
A Cheerful Giver Beloved of GodC. H. Spurgeon.2 Corinthians 9:7-8
Abounding GraceJ. Irons.2 Corinthians 9:7-8
Cheerful GivingR. W. Dale, D. D.2 Corinthians 9:7-8
Reasons for Penuriousness Self-RefutingR. Maguire, D. D.2 Corinthians 9:7-8
The All-Ability of GodA. Raleigh, D. D.2 Corinthians 9:7-8
People
Corinthians, Macedonians, Paul
Places
Achaia, Corinth, Macedonia
Topics
Cheerful, Compulsion, Constraint, Contribute, Decided, Determined, Force, Giver, Giving, Grief, Grievingly, Grudgingly, Heart, Love, Loves, Loveth, Mind, Necessity, Pleasure, Purpose, Purposed, Purposeth, Ready, Reluctantly, Sorrow, Takes
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Corinthians 9:7

     5448   poverty, attitudes to
     6696   necessity
     8297   love, for God

2 Corinthians 9:5-9

     8262   generosity, human

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

     5765   attitudes, to people
     7912   collections

2 Corinthians 9:6-11

     1330   God, the provider
     4510   sowing and reaping
     5556   stewardship
     6710   privileges

2 Corinthians 9:6-13

     5856   extravagance

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

     5503   rich, the

Library
December 25 Evening
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.--II COR 9:15. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with singing. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.--For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

God's Unspeakable Gift
'Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift.'--2 COR. ix. 15. It seems strange that there should ever have been any doubt as to what gift it is which evokes this burst of thanksgiving. There is but one of God's many mercies which is worthy of being thus singled out. There is one blazing central sun which shines out amidst all the galaxy of lights which fill the heavens. There is one gift of God which, beyond all others, merits the designation of 'unspeakable.' The gift of Christ draws all other …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Praise for the Gift of Gifts
"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."--2 Corinthians 9:15. IN the chapter from which my text is taken, Paul is stirring up the Christians at Corinth to be ready with liberal gifts for the poor saints at Jerusalem. He finishes by reminding them of a greater gift that any they could bring, and by this one short word of praise, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift," he sets all their hearts a-singing. Let men give as liberally as they may, you can always proclaim the value of their …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 38: 1892

3D Day. All-Sufficient Grace.
"He is Faithful that Promised." "God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."--2 COR. ix. 8. All-Sufficient Grace. "All-sufficiency in all things!" Believer! surely thou art "thoroughly furnished!" Grace is no scanty thing, doled out in pittances. It is a glorious treasury, which the key of prayer can always unlock, but never empty. A fountain, "full, flowing, ever flowing, overflowing." Mark these three …
John Ross Macduff—The Faithful Promiser

Letter Lviii to the Duchess of Lorraine
To the Duchess of Lorraine He thanks her for kindnesses shown, and deters her from an unjust war. I thank God for your pious goodwill which I know that you have towards Him and His servants. For whenever the tiniest little spark of heavenly love is kindled in a worldly heart ennobled with earthly honours, that, without doubt, is God's gift, not man's virtue. For our part we are very glad to avail ourselves of the kind offers made to us of your bounty in your letter. But having heard of the sudden …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

1872-1874. Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher --Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool --Letter to Mrs. Merry --Letter from Canada --Miss
Letter from Rev. A. M. W. Christopher--Letter from Gulf of St. Lawrence-Mrs. Birt's Sheltering Home, Liverpool--Letter to Mrs. Merry--Letter from Canada--Miss Macpherson's return to England-- Letter of cheer for Dr. Barnardo--Removal to Hackney Home. Though human praise is not sought, we cannot but feel peculiar pleasure in giving the following testimony from a servant of the Lord so much revered as the Rev, A. M. W. Christopher of Oxford:-- "Of all the works of Christian benevolence which the great …
Clara M. S. Lowe—God's Answers

How to be Admonished are those who Give Away what is their Own, and those who Seize what Belongs to Others.
(Admonition 21.) Differently to be admonished are those who already give compassionately of their own, and those who still would fain seize even what belongs to others. For those who already give compassionately of their own are to be admonished not to lift themselves up in swelling thought above those to whom they impart earthly things; not to esteem themselves better than others because they see others to be supported by them. For the Lord of an earthly household, in distributing the ranks and …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Perhaps There is no Book Within the Whole Canon of Scripture So Perplexing and Anomalous...
Perhaps there is no book within the whole canon of Scripture so perplexing and anomalous, at first sight, as that entitled "Ecclesiastes." Its terrible hopelessness, its bold expression of those difficulties with which man is surrounded on every side, the apparent fruitlessness of its quest after good, the unsatisfactory character, from a Christian standpoint, of its conclusion: all these points have made it, at one and the same time, an enigma to the superficial student of the Word, and the arsenal …
F. C. Jennings—Old Groans and New Songs

The Spiced Wine of My Pomegranate;
OR, THE COMMUNION OF COMMUNICATION. I would cause Thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate."--Song of Solomon viii. 2.And of His fulness have all we received, and grace for grace."--John i. 16. THE SPICED WINE OF MY POMEGRANATE. THE immovable basis of communion having been laid of old in the eternal union which subsisted between Christ and His elect, it only needed a fitting occasion to manifest itself in active development. The Lord Jesus had for ever delighted Himself with the …
Charles Hadden Spurgeon—Till He Come

Meditations of the State of a Christian Reconciled to God in Christ,
Now let us see how happy a godly man is in his state of renovation, being reconciled to God in Christ. The godly man whose corrupt nature is renewed by grace in Christ and become a new creature, is blessed in a threefold respect--First, in his life; Secondly, in his death; Thirdly, after death. I. His blessedness during his life is but in part, and that consists in seven things:-- 1. Because he is conceived of the Spirit (John iii. 5), and is born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Work of the Holy Spirit
The Church of Christ. "It is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is ruth."--1 John v. 6. We now proceed to discuss the work of the Holy Spirit wrought in the Church of Christ. Altho the Son of God has had a Church in the earth from the beginning, yet the Scripture distinguishes between its manifestation before and after Christ. As the acorn, planted in the ground, exists, altho it passes through the two periods of germinating and rooting, and of growing upward and forming trunk and …
Abraham Kuyper—The Work of the Holy Spirit

Perseverance Proved.
2. I REMARK, that God is able to preserve and keep the true saints from apostacy, in consistency with their liberty: 2 Tim. i. 12: "For the which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." Here the apostle expresses the fullest confidence in the ability of Christ to keep him: and indeed, as has been said, it is most manifest that the apostles expected …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Sunday after Ascension Day
Text: First Peter 4, 7-11.[1] 7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer: 8 above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves: for love covereth a multitude of sins: 9 using hospitality one to another without murmuring: 10 according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; 11 if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

Of the Public Fast.
A public fast is when, by the authority of the magistrate (Jonah iii. 7; 2 Chron. xx. 3; Ezra viii. 21), either the whole church within his dominion, or some special congregation, whom it concerneth, assemble themselves together, to perform the fore-mentioned duties of humiliation; either for the removing of some public calamity threatened or already inflicted upon them, as the sword, invasion, famine, pestilence, or other fearful sickness (1 Sam. vii. 5, 6; Joel ii. 15; 2 Chron. xx.; Jonah iii. …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

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