Paul, writing from Macedonia, hoped that news of the generosity of these churches would encourage the Corinthian believers and motivate them to solve their problems and unite in fellowship.

   During his third missionary journey, Paul had collected money for the impoverished believers in Jerusalem. The churches in Macedonia - Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea - had given money even though they were poor, and they had given more than Paul expected. This was sacrificial giving - they were poor themselves, but they wanted to help. The point of giving is not so much the amount we give, but why and how we give. God does not want gifts given grudgingly. Instead, he wants us to give as these churches did - out of dedication to Christ, love for fellow believers, the joy of helping those in need, as well as the fact that it was simply the good and right thing to do. How well does your giving measure up to the standards set by the Macedonian churches?
   The kingdom of God spreads through believers' concern and eagerness to help others. Here we see several churches joining to help others beyond their own circle of friends and their own city. Explore ways that you might link up with a ministry outside your city, either through your church or through a Christian organization. By joining with other believers to do God's work, you increase Christian unity and help the kingdom grow.

   The Corinthian believers excelled in everything - they had faith, good preaching (speech), much knowledge, much earnestness, much love. Paul wanted them to also be leaders in giving. Giving is a natural response of love. Paul did not order the Corinthians to give, but he encouraged them to prove that their love was sincere. When you love someone, you want to give him or her your time and attention and to provide for his or her needs. If you refuse to help, your love is not as genuine as you say.
   There is no evidence that Jesus was any poorer than most first-century Palestinians; rather, Jesus became poor by giving up his rights as God and becoming human. In his incarnation God voluntarily became man - the wholly human person, Jesus of Nazareth. As a man, Jesus was subject to place, time, and other human limitations. He did not give up his eternal power when he became human, but he did set aside his glory and his rights.
   (note on Philippians 2:5-7) The incarnation was the act of the preexistent Son of God voluntarily assuming a human body and human nature. Without ceasing to be God, he became a human being, the man called Jesus. He did not give up his deity to become human, but he set aside the right to his glory and power. In submission to the Father's will, Christ limited his power and knowledge. Jesus of Nazareth was subject to place, time, and many other human limitations. What made his humanity unique was his freedom from sin. In his full humanity, Jesus showed us everything about God's character that can be conveyed in human terms. The incarnation is explained further in these passages: John 1:1-14; Romans 1:2-5; 2nd Corinthians 8:9; 1st Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14; and 1st John 1:1-3.
   In response to the Father's will, he limited his power and knowledge. Christ became "poor" when he became human, because he set aside so much. Yet by doing so, he made us "rich" because we received salvation and eternal life.
   What made Jesus' humanity unique was his freedom from sin. In his full humanity, we can see everything about God's character that can be conveyed in human terms.

   The Corinthian church had money, and apparently they had planned to collect money for the Jerusalem churches a year previously (see also 9:2). Paul challenges them to act on their plans. Four principles of giving emerge here: (1) your willingness to give cheerfully is more important than the amount you give; (2) you should strive to fulfill your financial commitments; (3) if you give to others in need, they will, in turn, help you when you are in need; (4) you should give as a response to Christ, not for anything you can get out of it. How you give reflects your devotion to Christ.

   How do you decide how much to give? What about differences in the financial resources Christians have? Paul gives the Corinthian church several principles to follow: (1) each person should follow through on previous promises (8:10, 11; 9:3); (2) each person should give as much as he or she is able (8:12; 9:6); (3) each person must make up his or her own mind how much to give (9:7); and (4) each person should give in proportion to what God has given him or her (9:10). God gives to us so that we can give to others.
   Paul says that we should give of what we have, not what we don't have. Sacrificial giving must be responsible. Paul wants believers to give generously, but not to the extent that those who depend on the givers (their families, for example) must go without having their basic needs met. Give until it hurts, but don't give so that it hurts your family and/or relatives who need your financial support.

   Another "brother" was traveling with Paul and Titus, a man who was elected by the churches to also take the large financial gift to Jerusalem.
   Paul explained that by traveling together there could be no suspicion and people would know that the gift was being handled honestly. The church did not need to worry that the bearers of the collection would misuse the money.

   The second anonymous representative who would travel to Corinth with Titus is identified simply as "our brother," i.e, a brother in Christ. On many previous occasions Paul had proved this man's zeal, which in the present matter was all the greater "because of his great confidence" that this mission to Corinth would prove highly successful. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan)
   Why are the two "brothers" who would accompany Titus not identified? Either because both would be personally introduced by Titus when the present letter was first read at Corinth, or because both delegates, as renowned appointees of the Macedonian churches, were already well known at Corinth. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan)
   Why were three delegates chosen? Evidently Paul was more susceptible to misrepresentation at Corinth than in most of the other churches he had founded, so added precautions were necessary. To have sent one personal representative would have been to lay himself open to slanderous gossip (cross-reference 12:16-18), while two independent envoys would be able to testify to his honest intentions and conduct (cross-reference Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15). Furthermore, it is not impossible that Paul wished to exert subtle pressure on the Corinthians (cross-reference 9:4), knowing as he did the somewhat erratic progress of the collection at Corinth thus far, the propensity of the Corinthians for disorderliness (cross-reference 1st Corinthians 14:33, 40), and the disturbing effect of the parasitical intruders from Palestine. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan)

   As he sums up the credentials of the three delegates, Paul draws a distinction between Titus, his "partner" and personally appointed representative, and the two "representatives of the churches." Titus, like Timothy (Romans 16:21), is described as Paul's "fellow worker." If anyone should raise questions about the two others, says Paul, three facts are relevant: they are "brothers" in Christ; they are the appointees and envoys of the Macedonian churches; by their life and service they are a credit ("glory") to Christ. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan)

   Paul's short "letter of commendation" (verses 16-24) concludes with a warm appeal. The Corinthians were to give evidence of their love for Christ and for the members of his body (cross-reference verse 8) by extending to the three delegates warm hospitality and by cooperating with their efforts to supervise the final arrangements for the collection. Also, they were to vindicate Paul's confident boasting about them (cross-reference 7:14) by contributing eagerly, promptly, and generously (cross-reference verses 7, 20). All was to be done openly, so that all the churches contributing to the collection could see it. (NIV Commentary - Zondervan)