Write an essay on Pauline understanding of economic mutualism based on 1 Corinth 16,

and 2 Corinth 8-9

1. Introduction:
In 1 Corinthians 16 and 2 Corinthians 8-9, the apostle Paul passionately communicates to
the believers about philanthropy and the responsibility to help those in need. His makes his
message clear by stating that generosity should flow willingly, not grudgingly. Paul draws
inspiration from the sacrificial love of Jesus, who gave His life for humanity. As a minister, Paul
urges the Corinthian church to emulate this selflessness by supporting their fellow believers. In
doing so, he emphasizes unity, compassion, and the practical expression of faith. This paper will
delve into how Paul served as an instrument for the needy in Corinth, exemplifying the
transformative power of Christian love and care.

2. Background:
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians during his third missionary journey, near the end of his
three-year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:21–22). Both Corinth and Ephesus were wealthy
port cities steeped in pagan idolatry and philosophy. Corinth benefited both militarily and
economically from its strategic location at one end of the isthmus that connected the southern
Greek peninsula to the mainland. 1

2 Corinthians is one of the most difficult of Paul's letters for the interpreter because of the
critical problems in regard to the letter's integrity and because some of the issues raised in the
letter are so explosive. That the letter as we have it is made up of parts of a number of separate
letters has come to be almost a critical axiom. And a case can be made that Paul was nearly at
war with other Jewish Christians, probably from Jerusalem, who were going around and trying to
sabotaged his work in Galatia, Corinth, and perhaps elsewhere.2

1
Introduction to 1 Corinthians, Introduction to 1 Corinthians | ESV.org
2
Ben Witherington III, Conflict and Community in Corinth; A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2
Corinthians, (Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 418.
3. Content of the texts:
The basic content of 1 Corinthians is the application of Christian principles to carnality in
the individual as well as in the Church. Paul is responding to a letter he received from the
Corinthians concerning five behavioral problems that are causing dissension in one way or
another: (1) divisions in the Church; (2) a case of incest; (3) court cases between members; (4)
the abuse of Christian “freedom”; and (5) the chaos occurring in connection with celebration of
the Lord’s Supper.3

In 2 Corinthians, Paul reveals his largeness of the soul. Here he wrestles with a variety of
forces that threaten to alienate him from his converts in Corinth. Both letters aim at
reconciliation, but they approach that goal with different rhetorical strategies, as the exigence
calling them forth differed. In it Paul focuses considerable attention on addressing and trying to
overcome specific obstacles in the way of full reconciliation with his spiritual children. "The
combination of . . . social and theological misgivings resulted in the shutdown of mutual
affection between Paul and the Corinthians. . . . Paul writes to restore this relationship, and to
restore their understanding and trust in him as an apostle of God."4

4. Pauline Understanding of Economic Mutualism on the given Texts:

4.1. Collection for the Poor:5
In his letters, Paul mentions a collection being made by the Gentile churches for the
church in Jerusalem (1 Cor 16:1–4; 2 Cor 8:1– 9:15). This is probably Paul’s response to the
request of the Jerusalem church for the Gentiles churches to “remember the poor” (Gal 2:10). Its
importance for Paul is evidenced not only by the amount of space he devotes to this in his letters
but also by several other factors. For one, the collection took a great deal of time (at least several
years—2 Cor 9:2) and effort on his part to assemble. The offering itself took over a year to
complete (2 Cor 8:10) and involved churches in at least three major provinces, Macedonia and
3
King James Version Foundation Study Bible; Build Your Life On It, (China: Thomas Nelson, 2015), 1231.
4
Ben Witherington III, Conflict and Community in Corinth; A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1 and 2
Corinthians…, 418-419.
5
Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G Reid, Dictionary of Paul and his Letters; A
Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship, (Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993), 353-354.
Achaia (Rom 15:26; 2 Cor 9:2), and Galatia (1 Cor 16:1; cf. Acts 20:4), and perhaps even Asia
(cf. Acts 20:4). Paul furthermore needed to send Titus and another helper to assist in the
collection (2 Cor 8:16–24), and it required that Paul postpone his planned mission to Spain (Rom
15:28). It is a “contribution” (1 Cor 16:1); a “generous gift” (2 Cor 9:5); “material blessings”
(Rom 15:27); “fruit” (Rom 15:28); “aid” (Rom 15:31; 2 Cor 8:4; 9:1); and a “gracious work” on
the part of the Gentile churches (2 Cor 8:6).
There are three reasons for this collection that Paul has mentioned in this discussion;
4.1.1. Collection as an Act of Love:
The collection served a number of purposes for Paul. It was at the very least an act of
love which met a real need in the Jerusalem church. The collection was therefore a loving act of
kindness in tune with the teachings of Jesus (Mt 5:42; 6:2; 25:31–46; Mk 10:21; Lk 6:34–38;
12:33; etc.) and that of the early church (Rom 12:8, 13; Jas 2:14–17). In this way the collection
would also serve as a proof of the Gentiles’ faith by demonstrating their love for other Christians
(1 Thess 4:9; Rom 12:10; Jn 13:35).
4.1.2. Collection for a bond of Unity:
Another reason Paul felt so strongly concerning the collection was that it provided an
opportunity to reinforce the bonds of unity between Jews and Gentiles within the church. This
was especially important in light of the division caused by his opponents (Gal 2:11–13; 1 Cor 3;
Acts 15:1). This unity was, for Paul, not based simply on a voluntary decision or spiritual
inclination on the part of Jewish and Gentile Christians. It was based rather on the corporate
nature of their being “in Christ.” The collection would help demonstrate that the body of Christ
was one.
4.1.3. Collection that involved Eschatological Significance:
A third reason why the collection was important for Paul involved the eschatological
significance of this event. Paul understood the collection as symbolizing in some way the
eschatological in gathering of the Gentiles into the people of God. Yet this collection would
symbolize the “first fruits” of the offering of the Gentiles to God (Rom 15:16). The collection
was itself an offering to God (2 Cor 9:12), but in a deeper sense it symbolized that now the
Gentile world was coming in faith to God. Salvation had come to the uttermost parts of the earth
(Acts 13:47).
4.2. Grace of Giving Generously: (2 Corinth 8-9)
4.2.1. The Macedonian Generosity:
Here, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to continue giving, he told them of the grace God
had given to the Macedonian assemblies—grace that included not only salvation, but also the
gifts of the Holy Spirit. They were suffering severe trials, or persecutions. (cf. 1 Thess. 2:14–15;
2 Thess. 1:4). Yet “out of … their extreme poverty,” inspired by the Spirit, they gave sacrificially
and with enthusiasm. Paul did not ask them to do this; they did it all on their own. They even
begged Paul “for the privilege” of ministering in this way to the poor saints in Jerusalem (Rom.
15:26). Then they did far more than Paul expected.6

4.2.2. Jesus’ Example:

Paul did not command the people to give. He did not want to pressure them, causing them
to give out of a sense of obligation instead of voluntarily from a heart of sincere love. The real
and most compelling motivation for giving comes from the supreme example of Jesus himself.
He showed marvelous grace when He gave up all the riches of heaven and “became poor.” He
was born in a manger, lived in humble Nazareth, and had no place to lay His head during his
ministry (Matt. 8:20). As Paul reminded the Philippians, “Your attitude should be the same as
that of Christ Jesus: … taking the very nature of a servant … he humbled himself and became
obedient to death—even death on a cross!”7

4.2.3. The Promise of Giving:

The simple, self-evident agrarian principle—which Paul applied to Christian giving—that
the harvest is directly proportionate to the amount of seed sown (cf. Prov. 11:24, 25; 19:17; Luke
6:38; Gal. 6:7). This is derived from the Greek word which gives us the word eulogy
(“blessing”). God gives a return on the amount one invests with Him. God possesses an infinite
amount of grace, and He gives it lavishly, without holding back (cf. 1 Chr. 29:14). Here grace
does not refer to spiritual graces, but to money and material needs. When the believer generously
—and wisely—gives of his material resources, God graciously replenishes them so he always
has plenty and will not be in need (cf. 2 Chr.31:10).8
6
Stanley M. Horton, I & II Corinthians, (Missouri: Logion Press, 1999), 120.
7
Stanley M. Horton, I & II Corinthians,… 121.
8
John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Unleashing God’s Truth, One Verse At a Time, (Rio
De Janeiro: Thomas Nelson, 2005), 2694-2695.
4.2.4. Sowing and Reaping:
To encourage generosity Paul reminds them of a principle that every farmer should know.
God is not pleased with giving that is done “reluctantly or under compulsion.” Each one should
decide what he or she is able to give and give it cheerfully. Thus we give neither legalistically
nor reluctantly, but with the only compulsion coming from our hearts. 9 Finally, Paul turns the
thoughts of the Corinthians to the gift of God in Jesus Christ, a gift whose wonder can never be
exhausted and whose story can never be fully told; and, in so doing, he says to them, "Can you,
who have been so generously treated by God, be anything else but generous to your fellow
men?"10

Conclusion:
In his concluding remark, Paul assured the believers that their giving is not in vain, but as
much as they give, God will bless them graciously and bountifully. He further reiterated that as
much as they give, they will receive again and encouraged the believers to be generous for the
sake of good works. He urged them that giving must also be from the heart and not unwillingly
because God sees their heart, and accordingly will they be bestowed more.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
9
Stanley M. Horton, I & II Corinthians…, 123.
10
William Barclay, Barclay’s Commentary on the New Testament, (New York: Collins, 1968), 2214.
Horton, Stanley M., I & II Corinthians. Missouri: Logion Press, 1999.

Introduction to 1 Corinthians, Introduction to 1 Corinthians | ESV.org

King James Version Foundation Study Bible; Build Your Life On It. China: Thomas Nelson,
2015.

MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Bible Commentary; Unleashing God’s Truth, One Verse At a
Time, (Rio De Janeiro: Thomas Nelson, 2005)

Reid, Daniel G, Gerald F. Hawthorne, and Ralph P. Martin. Dictionary of Paul and his Letters; A
Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship. Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Witherington III. Ben, Conflict and Community in Corinth; A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on

1 and 2 Corinthians. Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995.